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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
SI FC Staff

The 25 Best Central Midfielders in World Soccer—Ranked

Exequiel Palacios Adrien Rabiot Conor Gallagher Khéphren Thuram Lilian Thuram IMAGO AndreFrank Zambo Anguissa AndréFrank Zambo Anguissa Khephren Thuram Leon Goretzka

Trying to define a "central midfielder" in modern football is no simple task.

With positions more fluid than ever and tactical roles constantly evolving, midfielders today are asked to do a bit of everything—defend, build play, break lines, press and even score. But amid all this complexity, there’s still a distinction between the different types of midfielders.

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