The football world’s ten greatest centre-midfielders…
Here’s out top 10 central midfielders in world football right now, featuring an ex-Arsenal legend, Manchester City’s African powerhouse, and Liverpool’s captain fantastic.
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10) Arturo Vidal – Juventus & Chile
‘The new Makelele’. Vidal is quietly establishing himself as one of the best holding midfielders in the world for Juventus. A brilliantly combative operator – Vidal is the platform from which the Old Lady have waltzed to consecutive Serie A titles. Alongside Andre Pirlo and the ever-improving Paul Pogba, Juventus have a midfield trio to rival anything in Europe.
9) Steven Gerrard – Liverpool & England
Now 33-years-old, Gerrard is not the dynamic lung-busting player he once was, but is still brilliantly effective for both club and country. Now played in a deeper role, the Liverpool skipper dictates matches with his fantastic array of passing and organisational skills. One of the best players of his generation, and still worth his place in any side.
8) Ilkay Gundogan – Borussia Dortmund & Germany
The youngest player in this top 10 – Gundogan has quickly established himself as one of the hottest properties in world football. Brilliant technically, Gundogan has an outrageous engine, and can break through midfield with the ball at his feet. At only 23-years-old, the German will get better and better, and his parent club will do well to hold on to him when the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United come sniffing.
Fabregas is a technically outstanding midfielder, and is as good on the eye as anyone in the world. Barcelona have an embarrassment of midfield riches like no other, but Fabregas is still an integral part of their all-conquering outfit.
6) Yaya Toure – Manchester City & Ivory Coast
The highest Premier League operator on this list – Toure has been absolutely brilliant since arriving in Manchester. Arguably the world’s most powerful midfielder, Toure’s physical presence on a football field is virtually unrivalled. The Ivorian was key to City’s maiden title win in 2011/12, and is still the first name on their team sheet. Alongside Fernandinho, City have the strongest midfield base in the country.
5) Xabi Alonso – Real Madrid & Spain
Along with Paul Scholes, Alonso is probably the best passer of a football to play in the Premier League. Since moving to Real Madrid for a whopping £30m back in 2009, Alonso has only cemented his reputation as one of the world’s best. His ability to pick out a teammate with a long diagonal is practically unrivalled.
4) Andrea Pirlo – Juventus & Italy
When Italy beat England in the Euro quarters last year, there was a begrudging acceptance that we had watched a player who was head and shoulders above anything else on the park. Pirlo is a beautifully slick midfielder to watch, with intricate passing, perfect touch, and dangerous set-pieces. The fact he can barely run and we still rate him as the world’s fourth best centre-midfielder shows how perfect a midfielder he really is.
3) Xavi – Barcelona & Spain
No player in the world plays more passes than Xavi, and that’s a fact. Xavi epitomises the Barcelona tika-taka approach, and marshals a wave of attacking brilliance at the Nou Camp every week. His one touch passing, and ability to control the ball and recycle it in tight areas leaves fans gobsmacked. Like the player who tops this list – he’s won everything there is to win in world football.
2) Bastian Schweinsteiger – Bayern Munich & Germany
The dictator of Germany’s and Bayern Munich’s midfield – Schweinsteiger has no weaknesses, and virtually never has a bad game. Strong in the tackle and combative, but technically outstanding and creative – the 29-year-old has consistently been one of the best European midfielders for the past decade.
1) Andres Iniesta – Barcelona & Spain
What more can be said about this wonderful midfielder? If Iniesta didn’t live in the same era as Lionel Messi, he would have won a Ballon D’or by now. To make up for it, the diminutive Spaniard has won literally everything there is to win in football. He even bagged a winner in a World Cup final. Probably the only midfielder to rival Zinedine Zidane in terms of greatness in the past 20 years.
