Midfielders are generally considered the backbone of any squad. Generally, the best midfielders in the world are good at building the play, keeping control of the ball and breaking defences. So, who is the no.1 midfielder? Find out some of the best midfielders in football and much more.

There are different positions that midfielders can play. They act as links between the defence and attack. They can also play in central, defensive, attacking or the flanks. So, who is the best midfielder in the world in 2023?

Top 25 best midfielders in the world in 2023

Our list of best midfielders in the world's soccer is based on the players' input and achievements for their clubs and national teams and their overall contribution to football.

25. Merino

Full name: Mikel Merino Zazón
Date of birth: 22 June 1996
Age: 26 years old (as of 2022)
Place of birth: Pamplona, Spain
Nationality: Nationality: Spanish
Height: 1.89 m
Club: Real Sociedad
Overall rating: 83

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Merino signed a contract with his current team in 2018, valid until 2025. He was a member of the Spain under-19 team that triumphed in Greece in the 2015 UEFA European Championship.

24. Rúben Neves

the best cam in the world — Ruben Neves of Wolverhampton Wanderers applauds fans following the Premier League match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Etihad Stadium. Photo: Joe Prior
Source: Getty Images

Full name: Rúben Diogo da Silva Neves
Date of birth: 13 March 1997
Age: 25 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Mozelos, Portugal
Nationality: Portuguese
Height: 1.8 m
Club: Wolverhampton Wanderers
Overall rating: 83

Ruben Neves made his first-team debut for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2017 at 17. In England, he has played more than 200 times and won the EFL Championship in his first season.

23. Bruno Moura

midfielder in football — Bruno Guimaraes Rodriguez Moura of Brazil before the match between Brazil U23 and Uruguay U23 as part of CONMEBOL Preolimpico 2020 at Estadio Alfonso Lopez in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Photo: MB Media
Source: Getty Images

Full name: Bruno Guimarães Moura
Date of birth: 16 November 1997
Age: 25 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 1.82 m
Club: Newcastle United
Overall rating: 83

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Bruno Guimares Moura is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Newcastle United in the English Premier League. He joined the club in 2022, and his contract runs through 2026. He also plays for the Brazilian National Team.

22. Carlos Soler

Full name: Carlos Soler Barragán
Date of birth: 2 January 1997
Age: 26 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Valencia, Spain
Nationality: Spanish
Height: 1.81 m
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Overall rating: 83

Soler began his professional career at Valencia, where he appeared in 226 games and scored 36 goals. He signed with Paris Saint-Germain in 2022, and his contract runs until 2027.

21. Rodrigo De Paul

best midfielders of all time — Rodrigo de Paul in action during the La Liga Santander match between CA Osasuna and Atletico de Madrid at El Sadar Stadium in Pamplona, Spain. Photo: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce
Source: Getty Images

Full name: Rodrigo Javier De Paul
Date of birth: 24 May 1994
Age: 28 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Sarandí, Argentina
Nationality: Argentine-Italian
Height: 1.8 m
Club: Atlético de Madrid
Overall rating: 84

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De Paul played his first professional match in February 2013. A month later, he scored his first goal. He signed with his current club in 2021, and his contract runs until 2026. He also plays for Argentina's National Football Team in international competitions, wearing the number 7.

20. Jude Bellingham

best central midfielders — Jude Bellingham of Dortmund looks on during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund at BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany. Photo: Lars Baron
Source: Getty Images

Full name: Jude Victor William Bellingham
Date of birth: 29 June 2003
Age: 19 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Stourbridge, United Kingdom
Nationality: British-English
Height: 1.86 m
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Overall rating: 84

Bellingham, who joined Birmingham City as an under-8 player, became the club's youngest first-team player when he made his senior debut in August 2019 at the age of 16. He joined Borussia Dortmund in July 2020 and became the club's youngest-ever goalscorer in his first competitive match.

19. Jorginho

Full name: Jorge Luiz Frello Filho
Date of birth: 20 December 1991
Age: 31 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Imbituba, Brazil
Nationality: Italian, Brazilian
Height: 1.80m
Club: Chelsea
Overall rating: 84

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Jorginho is a technically gifted defensive midfielder who prefers playing as a focal point and controlling the tempo of play. He won the 2021 Champions League and Club World Cup with Chelsea and the 2020 Euros with Italy.

The talented footballer was voted UEFA Men's Player of the Year. In addition, he is considered the best defensive midfielder in football.

18. Mateo Kovačić

Full name: Mateo Kovačić
Date of birth: 6 May 1994
Age: 28 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Linz, Austria
Nationality: Austrian-Croatian
Height: 1.77 m
Club: Chelsea
Overall rating: 84

Mateo is undoubtedly one of the Premier League's most talented and best central midfielders. He is well-known for his quick combinations. Earlier in his career, he also adapted to playing wide on the left or as an attacking midfielder.

17. Hakan Çalhanoğlu

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Full name: Hakan Çalhanoğlu
Date of birth: 8 February 1994
Age: 28 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Mannheim, Germany
Nationality: German-Turkish
Height: 1.78 m
Club: Inter Milan
Overall rating: 84

Hakan is well-known as a free-kick specialist, capable of scoring from a variety of angles and distances. He made his senior debut in 2013 and was a member of the squads that competed in UEFA Euro 2016 and Euro 2020.

16. Youri Tielemans

Full name: Youri Marion A. Tielemans
Date of birth: 7 May 1997
Age: 25 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium
Nationality: Belgian
Height: 1.76 m
Club: Leicester City
Overall rating: 84

Youri is the youngest Belgian to play in the UEFA Champions League, having made his debut at the age of 16. He is proficient with long passes. He also plays for Belgium National Football Team.

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15. İlkay Gündoğan

Full name: İlkay Gündoğan
Date of birth: 24 October 1990
Age: 32 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Nationality: German-Turkish
Height: 1.80 m
Club: Manchester City
Overall rating: 85

lkay Gündoan has emerged as one of the best, winning numerous awards throughout his career. In 157 Premier League appearances, the midfielder has 36 goals and 12 assists.

14. Paul Pogba

Full name: Paul Labile Pogba
Date of birth: 15 March 1993
Age: 29 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Lagny-Sur-Marne, Seine-Et-Marne
Nationality: French
Height: 1.90 m
Club: Juventus
Overall rating: 85

Paul Pogba is among the best players in the world's all-time ranking. He can play in a central midfield position or as a deep-lying playmaker.

13. Federico Valverde

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Full name: Federico Santiago Valverde Dipetta
Date of birth: 22 July 1998
Age: 24 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Montevideo, Uruguay
Nationality: Spanish-Uruguayan
Height: 1.82 m
Club: Real Madrid
Overall rating: 85

Federico Valverde is an all-around player known for his speed, stamina, and work rate. He can also occasionally play defensive midfielder, right winger, and right-back. He was a member of Uruguay's national youth teams and drew the attention of European clubs such as Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, and Real Madrid.

12. Pedri

Full name: Pedro González López
Nickname: Pedri
Date of birth: 25 November 2002
Age: 20 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Tegueste, Spain
Nationality: Spaniard
Height: 1.74m
Club: Barcelona
Overall rating: 85

The 19-year-old Spaniard has surprised many with his dazzling talent and skills. He is a regular starter for Barcelona and the Spanish national football team in the central midfield position. In addition, Pedri won the 2021 Golden Boy Award for the best under-21 player in Europe.

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Football

11. Parejo

Full name: Daniel Parejo Muñoz
Date of birth: 16 April 1989
Age: 33 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Coslada, Spain
Nationality: Spanish
Height: 1.82 m
Club: Villarreal
Overall rating: 86

Parejo came through Real Madrid's youth system, joining at the age of 14. He represented Spain at all youth levels, earning 43 caps and scoring nine goals. He made his full debut in 2018 at the age of 28.

10. Thiago Alcântara

Full name: Thiago Alcântara do Nascimento
Date of birth: 11 April 1991
Age: 31 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: San Pietro Vernotico, Italy
Nationality: Spain
Height: 1.74 m
Club: Liverpool
Overall rating: 86

Thiago Alcantara is a technical and creative midfielder in the game of football. He is well-known for his precise passes and technical abilities. In 2020, Thiago joined Liverpool for an initial fee of £20 million and won the FA Cup and EFL Cup with Liverpool in 2022.

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9. Sergej Milinković-Savić

Full name: Sergej Milinković-Savić
Date of birth: 27 February 1995
Age: 27 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Lleida, Spain
Nationality: Serbia
Height: 1.92 m
Club: Lazio
Overall rating: 86

Milinkovi-Savi began his professional career with the Serbian club Vojvodina. He is versatile and one of the best CAM in the world who can play in various positions. Sergej is the older brother of Vanja Milinkovi-Savi, a goalkeeper who also plays football.

8. Nicolò Barella

Full name: Nicolò Barella
Date of birth: 7 February 1997
Age: 25 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Cagliari, Italy
Nationality: Italy
Height: 1.72 m
Club: Inter Milan
Overall rating: 86

Barella is an Italian professional footballer known for his strong personality, leadership abilities, and winning attitude. Between 2012 and 2013, he was named the best young Italian player born in 1997 for two years.

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7. Trent Alexander-Arnold

Full name: Trent John Alexander-Arnold
Date of birth: 7 October 1998
Age: 24 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: West Derby, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Nationality: English
Height: 1.75 m
Club: Liverpool
Overall rating: 86

Trent began playing football at a young age, and his talent has helped him gain international recognition. Trent is regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world due to his wide range of passing, crossing, and assists.

6. Marco Verratti

Full name: Marco Verratti
Date of birth: 5 November 1992
Age: 30 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Pescara, Italy
Nationality: Italian
Height: 1.65 m
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Overall rating: 87

Marco Veratti is a creative and technically gifted player with quick dribbling skills. Veratti guided Italy to their second European Championship title in July 2021.

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5. Leon Goretzka

Full name: Leon Christoph Goretzka
Date of birth: 6 February 1995
Age: 27 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Bochum, Germany
Nationality: German
Height: 1.89 m
Club: Bayern München
Overall rating: 87

Goretzka is one of the best central defenders in the Bundesliga. His career began at the age of four with Werner SV 06 Bochum, where he played and trained from 1999 to 2000, and then at VfL Bochum. Leon is regarded as one of Germany's most promising players.

4. Frenkie de Jong

Full name: Frenkie de Jong
Date of birth: 12 May 1997
Age: 25 years (as of February 2022)
Place of birth: Arkel, Netherlands
Nationality: Dutch
Height: 1.80m
Club: Barcelona
Overall rating: 87

Frenkie de Jong, who plays for Barcelona, is a box-box midfielder known for his vision, passing, and dribbling techniques. De Jong has collected several individual awards, including the 2018/19 UEFA Midfielder of the Season. He is regarded as one of Barcelona's best midfielders in the world.

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3. Luka Modrić

Full name: Luka Modric
Nickname: Cruyff of the Balkans
Date of birth: 9 September 1985
Age: 37 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Zadar
Nationality: Croatian
Height: 1.72 m
Club: Real Madrid
Overall rating: 88

The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner is undoubtedly one of the most talented players of his generation. Modric can play in the central, attacking, and defensive midfield positions. The Real Madrid playmaker is also regarded as the most outstanding Croatian footballer in history.

2. Toni Kroos

Full name: Toni Kroos
Date of birth: 4 January 1990
Age: 33 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Greifswald, Germany
Nationality: Germany
Height: 1.83 m
Club: Real Madrid
Overall rating: 88

Toni is widely regarded as one of the all-time great midfielders. He has mostly played as a central midfielder in his career, but he has also been used as a deep-lying playmaker. He is well-known for his vision, passing, creativity, crossing, and set-piece ability.

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1. Kevin De Bruyne

Full name: Kevin De Bruyne
Date of birth: 28 June 1991
Age: 31 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Drongen, Ghent, Belgium
Nationality: Belgian
Height: 1.81m
Club: Manchester City
Overall rating: 91

Who is the world's best midfielder? Kevin De Bruyne tops the list of best midfielders of all time. The Belgium and Manchester City star is considered the best-attacking midfielder in world football. He is the only player besides Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry to have won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award back to back.

Who are the best midfielders in the world?

Here is a summary table of some of the top 25 best midfielders.

Name	Overall rating
Kevin De Bruyne	91
Toni Kroos	88
Luka Modrić	88
Frenkie de Jong	87
Leon Goretzka	87
Marco Verratti	87
Trent Alexander-Arnold	86
Nicolò Barella	86
Sergej Milinković-Savić	86
Thiago Alcântara	86
Daniel Parejo Muñoz	86
Pedro González López	85
Federico Santiago Valverde Dipetta	85
Paul Labile Pogba	85
İlkay Gündoğan	85
Youri Marion A. Tielemans	84
Hakan Çalhanoğlu	84
Mateo Kovačić	84
Luiz Frello Filho Jorge	84
Rodrigo Javier De Paul	84
Jude Bellingham	84
Carlos Soler Barragán	83
Bruno Guimarães Moura	83
Rúben Diogo da Silva Neves	83
Mikel Merino Zazón	83

Ranking among the best midfielders in the world is a massive privilege. The majority players on this list have the superior passing ability that make them the best in the game.

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