'The best defensive midfielders in the world' is the kind of list we might not have been able to publish 20-odd years ago. According to raging Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane, midfielders weren't separated into specialist roles in the '90s – they were all required both to get forward and put a tackle in when necessary.
In modern football, it's a necessity of any team that a specialised defensive midfielder holds the midfield together – even if the roles become blurred during games. Given the importance of the position, it's a list in which there are a lot world-class candidates, too – and plenty of variety.
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How our experts decided the best defensive midfielders in the world
From registas to the good, old-fashioned ball-winning midfielder, all kinds of DMs have been assessed by our team of experts, from the cultured, passing types to the pure destroyers. We've looked at who's the most rounded, of course, but specialists still have their place: our list has been defined by who performs their job most effectively – regardless of what that job actually is.
Our experts judged on form over the last or year but took into account achievements prior to that in order to come up with a respectable collection of defensive midfielders that represents the current plethora of talent in world football who can play in that role. 19 players made our longlist before it was sifted down to a top 10, as voted by the team.
We've been busy deciding best midfielders with other lists, too. We have the complete list of the best central midfielders in the world and the best attacking midfielders in the world, along with the best DMs – while we've gone into depth in defence, too.
We've ranked the best goalkeepers in the world, the best right-backs in the world, the best centre-backs in the world and the best left-backs in the world. We also have lists of forwards, including the best right-wingers in the world, the best left-wingers in the world and the best strikers in the world.
10. Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)
Joao Neves’ competition for both club and country now, Vitinha lacks his teammate’s defensive contribution but makes up for it with his attacking output.
The Portuguese has a real eye for a forward pass or strike on goal, claiming seven goals and four assists in 28 Ligue 1 appearances for PSG last season. He can be patchy, but when he’s on form, he is brilliant.
9. Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain)
At just 19 years old, Joao Neves has earned a reputation as one of the brightest young talents in Europe thanks to his rise to prominence at Benfica before he earned a summer move to Paris Saint-Germain. That more reserved midfield role can be difficult for most youngsters, but Neves gets around that by…well, not playing that conservatively.
Despite not looking like much at 5ft 9in, his powerful, large-shouldered frame has helped him punch above his weight in the air and made him one of Europe’s most prolific midfield tacklers. But Neves also likes skinning opponents for fun, helping him to make a wondrous start to life at PSG: he claimed four assists in his first two games for the club this season.
8. Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan)
Now used as a tough-tackling deep-lying playmaker who also scores plenty of goals – or at least, he does again now – the versatile Turkish international struck 13 times for Inter Milan last season as he pivoted his impressive assists record into goalscoring form.
Calhanoglu played an equally important role for his country at Euro 2024, setting them on their way to their final group stage victory over the Czech Republic as they went through to the knockouts and reached the quarter-finals in entertaining fashion.
7. Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad)
England fans got their hopes up when Rodri left the Euro 2024 final. They shouldn’t have done.
That Spain didn’t miss a beat with Martin Zubimendi pulling the strings deep in midfield is testament to the way he goes about his business: understated, yet incredible secure and composed in possession. The Basque metronome has turned down Europe’s best to remain with Real Sociedad – and the overtures of the elite should signal just what a classy operator he is in the centre of the park.
6. Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid)
Aurelien Tchouameni is a versatile young Frenchman with a big future ahead of him at Real Madrid. The defensive side of his game was on display plenty last season as he filled in at centre-back, but he is more effective in the defensive midfield role.
Tchouameni as that habit of putting in performances that may not jump out to the viewer, especially in a star-packed team, but are quietly crucial in how his team plays. The next Makelele? That might be doing him a disservice…
5. Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid)
Need a job doing? Ask Cama. The Frenchman can do it all. A product of the Rennes Academy, Camavinga rose to prominence for this dazzling technical ability and surprising physicality as a central midfielder at the age of 16 before signing for Real Madrid just two years later.
Since then, Camavinga’s growth has been exponential. Deployed across the midfield and even at left-back, the Frenchman’s engine and ball-winning abilities have developed tenfold at the Bernabeu and have been rewarded with two Champions League titles in the early knockings of his career.
4. Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)
He’s stayed put on Tyneside – and he’s far from complaining about it. Bruno Guimaraes sets the standard at Newcastle when it comes to playing for the badge, putting in the kind of passion, aggression and intensity that Eddie Howe demands from everyone.
Bruno is a typical Brazilian midfielder: a deft touch, ability to split defences either with a pass or a bustling dribble through the centre of the pitch, and not afraid of the physical side of the game. Since arriving in English football, the Magpies have gone from 19th to the Parc des Princes – and this guy’s a huge reason why.
3. Joao Palhinha (Bayern Munich)
“In Portugal, I felt I couldn't make a tackle,” Joao Palhinha said, just six games into his Premier League career. ”Sometimes it was difficult. Every touch was a yellow card. Here [in England] it's completely different.”
The irony was that Palhinha was booked four times by that point already – and wound up with a reputation as the division’s toughest-tackling central midfield presence in west London. The Portuguese has taken that no-nonsense game to Bayern Munich in pursuit of bringing that Bundesliga back: but don’t be fooled by the fouls. This guy can play, too, and is a complete presence at the base of Vincent Kompany’s midfield.
2. Declan Rice (Arsenal)
We’re not generally ones to be surprised by the passage of time (yes, 2004 was 20 years ago, get over it), but with respect to West Ham United fans, we have to admit it feels remarkable to us that Rice has only been at Arsenal since last summer. That’s a tribute to what an established part of the firmament he has become at the Emirates Stadium
And for all the hand-wringing around how Gareth Southgate should set up his midfield at Euro 2024, the question was always ‘who plays alongside Declan Rice’, with his own place never in any doubt. Just an incredibly well-rounded midfielder, with his goal and assist output has also accelerated over the past nine months or so.
1. Rodri (Manchester City)
Not just one of the best midfielders in world football, but one of the best players period. Rodri was the key player for Manchester City last season – and that’s saying something – and deservedly won the player of the tournament award at Euro 2024.
As impressive as Rodri’s stats are (he got nine goals and 13 assists for City last season, a career best), he is one of those players who you really need to watch to truly appreciate his value. He makes the side tick for both club and country – and will be a huge miss while he’s out injured.
