Football is built around the best central midfielders in the world – you know how the old cliches go: centre-forwards who win you games and defences win you leagues… yet there is no denying the impact of the men in the middle of the park.
We're in an intriguing era in which many of the best players in the world right now are all-action CMs, from box-to-box midfielders to deep-lying playmakers – and in an area of increased physicality and more football than ever, the competition to be the best has never been this strong.
So, who defines this role right now? Let's delve into the list…
How FourFourTwo's expert panel decided the best central midfielders in the world
Here at FourFourTwo, we assembled an esteemed expert panel, with the likes of European football expert Julien Laurens, Breaking the Lines' chief editor Zach Lowy, freelance analyst/scout Ben Mattinson and Scouted co-founders Phil Costa and Tom Curren asked for their rankings of the best players in the world in their opinion right now.
We asked our experts to award between one and 10 points to the best no.8s on Earth right now – rather than more attacking or defensive players, with no.6s and no.10s fitting into our lists of the best defensive midfielders in the world and the best attacking midfielders in the world, respectively – while adding minimal points for players who rank highest for statistical metrics across Europe, such as progressive passing and duel-winning.
We asked for our expert panel to consider general ability and current form as the biggest criteria, with recent historical performance over the last couple of years a factor, too. 25 midfielders were nominated, with several others moved to the attacking midfielder or defensive midfielder categeory – beyond our top 10, the five-highest ranked also receive an honourable mention below, while all values are courtesy of Transfermarkt and correct as of June 2025.
Along with ranking of midfielders, we have compilations of the best goalkeepers in the world, while also covering defence (right-backs, centre-backs and left-backs) and attack (right-wingers, left-wingers and strikers) – while our list of the best players in the world right now rounds up the planet's elite, regardless of position.
The full list
10. Gavi
Spanish midfielder Gavi made waves when he broke into Barcelona’s first team at just 17 years old, displaying a maturity in possession far beyond his years.
Such is his early breakthrough, it feels like the 20-year-old has already been around for a significant time, despite being at an age where many players are only just climbing out of academy systems.
His is a cautionary tale, with Barca and Spain relying too heavily on Gavi as a teenager; they thought they’d found their answer at home, but his intense thrust into the senior spotlight ended in tears when he suffered a complete ACL tear.
Working hard in recovery, the young midfielder still has almost his entire career ahead of him, with plenty of progression to make.
9. Tijjani Reijnders
Club: Manchester City
Date of birth: July 29 1998 (26)
National team: Netherlands
Value: €50.00m
Recently signed by Manchester City, Tijjani Reijnders has enjoyed a rapid rise in the past couple of years, thanks to his creativity, vision, and box-to-box energy.
A product of the AZ Alkmaar academy, he developed into a pivotal player for the Eredivisie giants before moving to Milan in 2023. Reijnders is a powerhouse with crisp passing, intelligent movement, and also possesses a keen eye for goal from midfield.
It's quite obvious why Pep Guardiola signed him: he is essentially his new Ilkay Gundogan.
Reijnders' technical finesse, work rate, and ability to break lines make him a modern, dynamic midfielder
Matthew Holt
The comparisons are obvious: Reijnders is only just approaching his peak but is already suited to all phases of the game, capable of picking up the ball in build-up, measuring the pace of a game or finishing moves off.
His technical finesse, work rate, and ability to break lines make him a modern, dynamic midfielder well-suited to high-tempo, possession-based football.
8. Frenkie De Jong
Club: Barcelona
Date of birth: May 12 1997 (27)
National team: Netherlands
Value: €45.00m
Plenty was expected of Frenkie De Jong upon his move to Barcelona from Ajax – it's fair to say that he's not reached the lofty heights expected of him, though.
But the arrival of Hansi Flick, and seemingly finding consistent fitness, has seen him show the world why Barça paid €75 million for him in 2019. His first touch is immaculate, it sticks to him like velcro and he can find a pass at any stage of the game.
He has quite a slight figure, but he holds his own in duels and runs the show as a lone defensive midfielder. He’s quite simply a phenomenal midfielder.
7. Nicolo Barella
Club: Inter Milan
Date of birth: February 7 1997 (28)
National team: Italy
Value: €80.00m
For both Inter Milan and Italy, Barella is a central figure who epitomises everything that’s great about the Italian game.
Willing to do the hard yards and get stuck into a tackle when needed, in the blink of an eye, the 28-year-old can flick from a feisty midfield marshal to an eloquent central provider, painting pictures with his passes like the Italian artists who have gone before him in that role.
With two Scudetti for club and a Euros for country to his name, the one clear omission from Barella’s trophy cabinet is a Champions League: reaching the final in two of the past three seasons, it’s a feat tantalisingly close to his grasp.
6. Fabian Ruiz
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Date of birth: April 3 1996 (29)
National team: Spain
Value: €40.00m
Not many midfielders are as silky as Fabian Ruiz is, especially when it comes to understanding your way around the football pitch.
The PSG man seemingly has a sixth sense when knowing exactly what to do at any given moment: Ruiz has immaculate ball control, and is idolised by fellow countryman and current boss Luis Enrique at PSG. A fantastic passer of the ball, Ruiz can dictate and spring attacks in just seconds, with his long passing something to be admired.
“He is one of the best players I have in midfield, for the way he plays with his teammates, between the lines, and off the ball,” Luis Enrique said. Praise does not come much higher.
5. Bruno Guimaraes
Club: Newcastle United
Date of birth: November 16 1997 (27)
National team: Brazil
Value: €80.00m
Every team has that one player you hate to watch, but would love to have him on your side. For most with a Premier League affiliation, Bruno Guimaraes almost certainly fits the bill.
A nitty-gritty midfield,er there is nothing Bruno G loves more than to get stuck right in with rough-and-ready challenges that leaves supporters with fire in their bellies. Part of one of Europe’s most industrious midfield threes, the Brazilian is completed by Joelinton and Sandro Tonali but it is the former Lyon man who often knows where the back of the net is at crucial intervals.
Approaching the 50-mark for goal contributions for Newcastle, Eddie Howe has created a monster that will be no doubt a menace in the Champions League next season.
4. Federico Valverde
Club: Real Madrid
Date of birth: July 22 1998 (26)
National team: Uruguay
Value: €130.00m
Not many can say they work as hard on the football pitch than Federico Valverde. Mr versatile, having slotted in at full-back for Real Madrid in recent months, the Uruguayan seems to be simply adding another string to his bow, as if he ever needed to do so anyway.
Valverde has incredible acceleration and sprint speed for a central midfielder, and that helps him shift into another gear when required. A jack of all trades, the former Penarol man also has a keen eye for finding the net, as seen by some of his remarkable long-range efforts that can also leave goalkeepers rooted to the spot in Spain and beyond.
A team player, every club needs a man who can put his hand to anything, and it seems Real have their own Mr Dependable.
3. Alexis Mac Allister
With his hybrid name, a mix of Scotland and Argentina, Alexis Mac Allister is suitably hard-working and creative, a mix of industry and guile. The Liverpool midfielder has established himself as a key player at Anfield, first under Jurgen Klopp and now Arne Slot.
Mac Allister has also shone internationally, winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina. An excellent passer with an impressive ability to read the game and an eye for goal, it’s no surprise that he has become a world-class midfielder over the last few years.
2. Declan Rice
When Declan Rice signed for Arsenal, the expectation was that the England international would sit at the base of the midfield as a no.6, anchoring and sweeping up play.
But Rice’s development into one of the best box-to-box threats in the world has been simply astounding, with Arsenal failing to lose a ‘Big Six’ clash since spending £105 million on him.
Rice is integral to Arsenal off the ball, allowing Mikel Arteta to use press high with perhaps the best duel-winner in the world in his court – but Rice’s on-the-ball ability has flourished since his cross-capital switch. He’s now a consistent goal threat, able to stride up the pitch in regularly in transition and he’s a set-piece deliverer for the Gunners, as evidenced by those two free-kicks against Real Madrid.
Rice’s development has been astounding, with Arsenal failing to lose a ‘Big Six’ clash since he signed
Mark White
Above his athleticism and ball-striking though, perhaps the thing that made Rice Arsenal's record signing is his mentality. He is a born leader and drags team-mates to war with him: if you have Rice on your side, you have a chance, no matter the game state.
He'll be integral to England next summer at the World Cup.
1. Pedri
Club: Barcelona
Date of birth: November 25 2002 (22)
National team: Spain
Value: €140.00m
There was a worry with Pedri that he’d been exposed to far too much senior football far too soon, having become integral to club and country as a teenager. He struggled with fitness issues for a while, with Ansu Fati’s decline a cautionary tale that Barcelona and Spain perhaps hadn’t learned from.
While Lamine Yamal and Raphinha have stolen all the headlines this season for Barcelona though, Pedri’s return to greatness has been arguably the most satisfying thing about another La Liga title heading to Catalonia.
The 22-year-old’s ability to conduct a midfield is bewitching: he’s a stunningly good passer, can shift gears to unlock defences and he’s positionally intuitive: he’s obvious he was brought up in the shadows of Xavi and Iniesta. That he isn’t La Masia-educated only adds to the wonder of Pedri.
It's a miracle that Pedri had nothing to do with La Masia.
Graham Hunter
“It's a miracle that Pedri had nothing to do with La Masia,” Spanish football expert Graham Hunter tells FourFourTwo. “But from the first moment he set foot in the club, he played and he performed as if he'd spent 10 years in La Masia. And that's just an outright miracle.
“I think of the fact that he went on trial at Real Madrid and they said, ‘No, thank you.’ I mean, football is packed full of crazy stories like that, but that seems to me to be literally indigestible.”
Honourable mentions
These five players only just missed out on a shot in our top 10…
FAQs
Who is the greatest central midfielder of all time?
That's Zinedine Zidane, for us. Zizou ranked as the greatest in our list of the best players of all time, coming in at no.5 ahead of the likes of Andres Iniesta (no.15), Xavi (no.23) and Luka Modric (no.29).
Who is the greatest central midfielder in Premier League history?
Roy Keane, for our money. The Irishman was ranked at no.9 in our list of the greatest Premier League players ever.
Who is the most expensive central midfielder of all time?
That'll be Enzo Fernandez, who became one of the most expensive players of all time when he joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023 for over £106 million.
What is the main role of a central midfielder?
Central midfielders are the engine room of a team, responsible for linking defence and attack, maintaining possession, distributing the ball, winning duels in the middle of the park, and often contributing to both scoring and preventing goals.
What qualities make a great central midfielder?
A top central midfielder possesses excellent passing range, vision, ball control, tactical intelligence, stamina, and the ability to operate effectively under pressure. They need to be versatile in both offensive and defensive duties.
