Even the best attacking midfielders in the world were deemed as luxury players not too long ago, seen as anachronistic throwbacks to a time of laissez-faire off-ball effort.
Well in 2025, things are certainly different with some of the best players in the world being positioned in that classic no.10 role and many of them seen as the tempo-setters – not just in terms of the final pass but helping to lead the press, too.
Playmakers are back in fashion, all right… so who are the best around?
How FourFourTwo's expert panel decided the best attacking midfielders in the world
FourFourTwo built an expert panel for this task comprising of renowned journalists and analysts from the industry: we asked each member for a top 10 based on current form, overall ability and standing over their career, distributing additional points to players who shone in statistical metrics across Europe's top five leagues, such as Expected Assists per 90 (xA per 90), through balls and shot-creating actions.
While ‘attacking midfielder’ is a broad term that can used to describe any playmaker, trequartista or player ‘in the hole’, we asked our experts to compile a list of the best 10 midfielders in the world who are tasked with operating in a more advanced role – regardless of whether they play in a 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, or any other formation.
Judgement calls were made over whether some picks slotted better into the best central midfielders in the world or the best defensive midfielders in the world, with our final 20 whittled down eventually – and just 10 points separating the top four.
Along with our midfield rankings, we've looked at the best goalkeepers in the world, and focused both forward and backward from the centre of the park, producing lists of the best defenders (right-backs, centre-backs and left-backs) and attackers (right-wingers, left-wingers and strikers) in world football right now.
The full list
20. Fermin Lopez
Attacking midfielder Fermin Lopez is yet another world-class talent who’s stepped up from La Masia into the Barcelona first team and had a fabulous impact.
His scoring record is excellent, but Lopez’s strong suit is intelligent running and tenacious pressing. At 22, he’s become a vital player for Xavi’s Barcelona by combining relentlessness with polish and technical quality.
He can score from distance in one move and win the ball from an opponent in the next. Completeness beckons.
19. Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann is a legend of the game right now: there aren't many players a level down from Messi and Ronaldo, but the Frenchman has been as good as anyone on that level for a long time, too.
A player who's always had top-level ability, Griezmann is at his best when he’s carrying the team on his back and grafting for a cause. It’s in that mode that the 34-year-old becomes truly elite.
Fans of Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have all seen it, but his contributions for France under Didier Deschamps have been his finest work. Griezmann is a creator and scorer of goals. He’s a leader, too.
18. Xavi Simons
22-year-old Xavi Simons is already a seasoned international player with the Netherlands and an experienced campaigner in domestic and European football with RB Leipzig.
He had boot deals when he was just a kid, after all. Youth spells with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain make for an impeccable development pedigree, and the call of the Premier League was answered in the summer of 2025.
Skilful and dynamic winger Simons had options in the transfer window but Tottenham Hotspur attracted him to north London with the promise of Champions League football: it's been a slow start, but he's just getting started…
17. Rayan Cherki
Top teams in Europe’s biggest leagues battled for the signature of Lyon winger Rayan Cherki in the summer of 2025.
He’d already been part of the club’s first team set-up for six years when he joined Manchester City at the age of 21, but a run of thrilling form domestically and in the Europa League in 2024-25 brought him to prominence. City snapped him up as soon as the transfer window opened, days after his senior international debut for France.
16. Fares Chaibi
Lyon-born Algeria international midfielder Fares Chaibi has been a prominent figure in the progress of Eintracht Frankfurt since he joined the Bundesliga outfit from Toulouse in 2023.
He is a favourite of coach Dino Toppmoller because of his attitude and work ethic, and among Eintracht fans because of his contribution off the ball, his passing ability in the middle and in attacking areas, and his diligent work without the ball.
15. Nico Paz
Former and probably future Real Madrid player Nico Paz has become one of the very best players in Serie A during two seasons at Como.
The 21-year-old left the Bernabeu for Italy in 2024 and has been a spectacular success under manager Cesc Fabregas – yes, there's a clause for Los Blancos to bring the superstar back to the Bernabeu, but should they pass up the opportunity to integrate him into their side, this could be an Odegaard-like signing for another club.
He’s always involved in Como’s attacks, passes beautifully and scores spectacular goals like they’re going out of fashion. There’s a bigger stage waiting for the Argentina international, and it’s going to be fun to watch.
14. Phil Foden
Sometimes doubted outside Manchester City but never from within the walls of the Etihad, England midfielder Phil Foden never stays out of the spotlight for long.
His incisive attacking play is enabled by quick feet and a shooting technique that keeps the ball low and applies power without back-lift, causing problems for even the best Premier League goalkeepers. Foden is already a six-time Premier League winner.
As he evolves towards his footballing prime, there could be many more honours to come.
13. Martin Odegaard
Few players have been more scrutinised from childhood than Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.
The Norwegian is intimately acquainted with the pressure of attention but has been able to blossom at his own pace into a senior player at one of the top clubs in the Premier League. Odegaard is Mikel Arteta’s presence on the pitch, offering a calm and measured counterbalance to Declan Rice’s blood and thunder.
His creative input in the final third is as essential component of Arsenal’s attacking play.
12. Matheus Cunha
Former Hertha Berlin and Atletico Madrid forward Matheus Cunha was the attacking heartbeat of Wolverhampton Wanderers for two-and-a-half seasons before a big-money move took him to Premier League rivals Manchester United in 2025.
Possessing tremendous natural ability, excellent vision and a finely tuned knack for a spectacular moment in front of goal, unlocking Cunha’s potential as a Red Devil could prove key to turning the club around.
11. Dani Olmo
He took an unorthodox path back to Barcelona via Dinamo Zagreb and RB Leipzig but Dani Olmo fulfilled his football destiny in 2024. Weeks after winning the European Championship with Spain, Olmo rejoined Barcelona to win La Liga too.
Barcelona’s financial tangle meant it wasn’t always a smooth ride, but the attacking midfielder has brought his technicality and creative impact to the fore at the club where he belongs.
10. Arda Guler
Real Madrid’s Arda Guler is at the forefront of an improving Turkish generation, reaching 25 senior international caps before reaching the age of 21.
Winning the Champions League and La Liga in his first season in Spain, the former Fenerbahce attacking midfield player is renowned for his ability to beat a player in any situation. Guler offers functional flair, exciting and entertaining to watch but always with match impact in mind. He protects and uses the ball to great effect in the attacking third and offers a range of ways to open up the opposition defence.
At the age of 20, he’s a regular scorer at the highest level and a regular trophy winner. There’s much more still to come.
9. Eberechi Eze
Greenwich-born Eberechi Eze took the long road back to Arsenal after being released as a junior in 2011.
The attacking midfielder eventually turned professional with Queens Park Rangers and became an FA Cup-winning legend at Crystal Palace before a fairytale return to the Gunners in the summer of 2025 – and there hasn't been more excitement among Gooners for a signing in quite some time.
Eze is a prolific scorer of stunning goals, specialising in finishes from distance and, in his Palace days, applying the final touch to lightning counter-attacks. The 27-year-old England international quickly settled in at the Emirates Stadium, offering a suite of answers to low-block defences.
He can hurt them by shooting or linking the play through the back line at speed, a dangerous duality that leaves opponents between two stalls.
8. Morgan Rogers
Never better than when he receives the ball on the turn in midfield and runs directly towards goal regardless of who thinks they’re in his way, Morgan Rogers has been on an explosive rise through the ranks since he signed for Middlesbrough from Manchester City in 2023.
Rogers quickly attracted the attention of Aston Villa and established himself in Unai Emery’s team, playing a starring role in their Champions League campaign in 2024/25. The 23-year-old has become a regular in the England team under Thomas Tuchel and is regarded as one of the best players of his age in the Premier League.
His ball-carrying ability and scoring record have improved on Emery’s watch, and Villa are reaping the benefits.
7. Scott McTominay
We’re not sure anyone foresaw the day when Scott McTominay would be emblazoned on murals in Naples alongside the Diego Maradona, yet here we are.
The Scotsman has played a more advanced role in midfield under Antonio Conte – similar to what he’s known for Scotland for years and it's resulted in a legendary season: McTominay's been a revelation in Italy, winning the league’s MVP award in his first season after helping Napoli win their second Scudetto in three years, and fourth overall.
While the 28-year-old helps defensively, he has excelled in the middle and final thirds. His big frame allows him to carry the ball from deep, and he has an impeccable ability to arrive in the box at the right time.
6. Florian Wirtz
22-year-old Florian Wirtz was one of the breakout stars of Bayer Leverkusen’s incredible 2023/24 season. With Xabi Alonso in charge, Leverkusen were undefeated domestically, winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, and reached the final of the Europa League.
Wirtz was at the heart of it scoring 11 goals and racking up 11 assists in the league as he emerged as the most exciting young player in Germany. Wirtz crystallised Liverpool’s interest with the same number of goal contributions again in 2024/25, moving to Anfield with the weight of a club record transfer fee on his shoulders.
Liverpool acquired the promise of graft, streetwise decision-making, excellent creative technique and mastery of attacking situations.
5. Dominik Szoboszlai
Dominik Szoboszlai arrived at Anfield as Liverpool’s latest Red Bull graduate.
The Hungarian attacking midfielder progressed through Liefering and Salzburg in Austria before helping Leipzig to their first-ever honours by winning back-to-back cups in Germany. Szoboszlai won the Premier League with the Reds in 2024/25 and played his part under Arne Slot, reaching double figures for goal contributions in the title-winning season.
Szoboszlai is one of Europe’s most feared shooters from distance and has long been capable of scoring spectacular goals, but his passing and defensive work in midfield shouldn’t be overlooked. The captain of the Hungarian national team has been a trusted regular of successive Liverpool managers since moving to the Premier League in 2023.
4. Bruno Fernandes
In a fallow period for one of the world’s great clubs, Bruno Fernandes stands head and shoulders above cohort after cohort of teammates as a player worthy of his shirt.
A captain asked to drag by example rather than lead, Fernandes has played in every midfield position and has been Manchester United’s most reliable source of goals and ideas for years.
Fernandes is a creative passer who opens up the Old Trafford pitch like no other player since he moved from Sporting in 2020. He scores spectacular goals and delivers from set pieces but often seems to be doing it on his own, so two trophies is a respectable return despite the pedigree of the club he lovingly represents.
3. Cole Palmer
Manchester City will surely still be kicking themselves that in a time of need for fresh blood, Cole Palmer felt better obliged to seek pastures new in the capital.
City’s loss was merely Chelsea’s gain and the England international has developed into becoming one of Europe’s best over the course of the last 18-24 months: the Blues work better with Palmer’s displays and his numbers really do speak to themselves.
Remarkable footwork, with a tall frame to boast too, Palmer more often than not, finishes with such conviction, that he almost makes the game of football look far too easy for a man so utterly nonchalant in his way of life.
A care-free mantra that is often so rare to see in the modern game.
2. Jamal Musiala
Jamal Musiala certainly delivers in output for a no.10 and with a team built around him, he has the efficiency that Vincent Kompany demands at Bayern Munich.
But to judge him purely on numbers alone is no fun at all – and Musiala is one of the most exciting players to watch in the world.
He draws defenders like a magnet and has this almost unique ability to shift his body in one movement to bypass them. He’s nicknamed Bambi for his leggy dribbling style and there’s a grace about watching him that you rarely feel in this ultra-physical era of the game – that combined his ball-striking ability, mean that he’s almost constantly double-marked.
Musiala is the jewel that Bayern is built around and he’s still, crazily, just 22 years old.
1. Jude Bellingham
You could pick just one of Jude Bellingham’s attributes, give it to another footballer, and it would supercharge them to become the best in the world. When you combine his intelligence, movement, physique and technical prowess, you’re looking at a player who could retire as one of his country’s greatest-ever.
He’s slowly becoming key under Xabi Alonso after a season in which he had to adapt his game following the arrival of Xabi Alonso – and however Real Madrid play, he’s one of the first names on the team-sheet simply because he can do it all to a high standard. Is it any wonder that England have put him at the centre of everything since he was a teenager, too?
With a mentality that expects things to go his way, too, Bellingham almost manifests those late winners and big moments, too. He’s an absolute superstar – and still only 22, who knows what the future holds for him?
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