35 Greatest Central Midfielders Since 1990 (Ranked)

There is always a big debate surrounding the greatest midfielders of all time, with many differing opinions among fans. It will always be a subjective matter – as is the case with almost everything in football – but certain factors can be taken into consideration.

The likes of Zinedine Zidane, Andrea Pirlo, Xavi Hernandez and Lothar Matthaus are all viable options. But there are also plenty of Premier League legends to be considered, spearheaded by the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard – and even Kevin De Bruyne at this point.

It’s relatively easy to go through and simply name the best. However, when it comes to actually sorting the finest of the lot, well, that’s when things become challenging. Nevertheless, GIVEMESPORT has ranked 30 of the greatest central midfielders in recent history.

Ranking factors

Given how incredibly divisive this list is, several ranking factors will be taken into account. These include:

35-31

Modern Manchester City greats feature

Federico Valverde has established himself as one of the best central midfielders in the world since joining Real Madrid from his boyhood club Penarol in 2016. During his time so far at the Spanish giants, he has won the Champions League twice and La Liga on three occasions. Still very much in his prime, Valverde will be hopeful of more silverware in the future. Joshua Kimmich is three years older, but he has also won the Champions League and is renowned as one of the best midfielders in the world due to his versatility and tactical awareness.

Jude Bellingham is still in his early 20s, but it feels like he’s been around for decades. Since making his debut for Birmingham City in 2019, his career trajectory has been nothing short of remarkable. In the 2023/24 season, he won La Liga and the Champions League, scoring 23 goals in the process. Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho make up the other two names on this list. Both midfielders are experienced professionals who won multiple domestic titles with Manchester City under the management of Pep Guardiola. Gundogan is now hoping to lead Barcelona to glory, while Fernandinho is back in Brazil, playing for Athletico Paranaense.

Greatest Central Midfielders 35-31

Rank
Name
Country
Games Played
Goals
Assists

35.
Federico Valverde
Uruguay
394
31
29

34.
Joshua Kimmich
Germany
596
60
141

33.
Jude Bellingham
England
255
56
46

32.
Ilkay Gundogan
Germany
690
134
87

31.
Fernandinho
Brazil
850
101
108

30-21

Paul Pogba, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Rodri feature

Paul Pogba has been inconsistent during his career, but when he’s on form, he is regarded as one of the best in his position. The former Manchester United man is arguably talented enough to have finished higher on this list with his passing range and all-round confidence something to be admired. Bastian Schweinsteiger was once a leading midfielder in Germany before injuries, which also plagued Pogba, blighted his twilight years.

By comparison, Rodri, Claude Makelele and Michael Essien are all defined by their consistency as dependable holding midfielders. Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas and Mesut Ozil make up three of the finest passers of a football the world has ever seen. The trio were all sensational when it came to keeping possession for their respective sides and were the best in the business at controlling games from the centre of the pitch. Ozil’s unerring creativity is reflected by his status as one of the players with the most international assists in the 21st century.

Greatest Central Midfielders 30-21

Rank
Name
Country
Games played
Goals
Assists

30.
Paul Pogba
France
423
73
92

29.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Germany
627
78
113

28.
Rodri
Spain
486
37
39

27.
Wesley Sneijder
Netherlands
575
154
145

26.
Michael Essien
Ghana
544
58
22

25.
Xabi Alonso
Spain
695
43
69

24.
Claude Makelele
France
807
24
28

23.
Cesc Fabregas
Spain
737
125
214

22.
Mesut Ozil
Germany
642
114
222

21.
Frank Rijkaard
Netherlands
545
97
54

20-11

Toni Kroos, Sergio Busquets and Yaya Toure feature

Toni Kroos was an integral part of the all-conquering Real Madrid side for many years before retiring at the age of 34. Moving at the same spell-binding but pedestrian pace as Kroos, Juan Roman Riquelme is often overlooked and underrated in the modern day, but the Argentine was sublime to watch at the peak of his powers and is rightfully placed high on the list.

Kaka lifted the Ballon d’Or in 2007, just before the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo era set in. He goes down as one of Brazil’s greatest-ever players after playing a starring role in the dominant AC Milan team of the 2000s.

Sergio Busquets and Yaya Toure became two of the most influential figures ever seen in the middle of the park with wildly different attributes. They shared the same lofty footballing intelligence, but Toure was a powerful force that couldn’t be stopped when he got into full flow, while Busquets at his best let the ball do most of the work.

Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes all place high on the list. The three English midfielders have certain advantages over each other, with Lampard being the better goalscorer and finisher of the trio. Gerrard was a more all-action figure who dragged a team of lower quality through some difficult times, while Scholes dictated play almost at ease in the middle of the park for the best team in Premier League history with an unrivalled technical ability and passing range.

Roy Keane also features in this section and is rightly regarded as one of the best central midfield players in Premier League history. Keane was an underrated passer of the ball, and everyone knows how fond the Irishman was of throwing in some solid tackles, to say the least.

Greatest Central Midfielders 20-11

Rank
Name
Country
Games played
Goals
Assists

20.
Toni Kroos
Germany
754
73
166

19.
Sergio Busquets
Spain
744
18
47

18.
Yaya Toure
Ivory Coast
626
103
70

17.
Kaka
Brazil
551
177
147

16.
Juan Roman Riquelme
Argentina
464
127
103

15.
Andrea Pirlo
Italy
756
73
133

14.
Frank Lampard
England
896
268
171

13.
Steven Gerrard
England
749
191
172

12.
Paul Scholes
England
716
155
82

11.
Roy Keane
Republic of Ireland
612
77
44

10-6

Clarence Seedorf, Luka Modric and Kevin De Bruyne feature

Entering the top 10 is the timeless Clarence Seedorf. The Dutchman remains the only player to lift the Champions League with three separate clubs, quite an astonishing achievement. All of Luka Modric’s European titles have come with Real Madrid, but it was his performances for Croatia at the 2018 World Cup – in which his side finished as runners-up – that ended the Messi-Ronaldo dominance of the Ballon d’Or.

Kevin De Bruyne and N’Golo Kante make the list as world-leading players throughout the modern game. The latter won back-to-back Premier League titles, including that fairytale season with Leicester City, as he was able to transform two separate sides. Kante’s industry was integral to France’s 2018 World Cup triumph before he added the Champions League to his bulging trophy cabinet. De Bruyne is up there with the very best technicians we have ever seen in world football and would hold his own with anyone in that regard. Left foot, right foot – it doesn’t matter for the majestic Belgian playmaker as he has consistently served up chances for his teammates.

Patrick Vieira is another Premier League legend to appear on the list, just missing out on a place in the top five. The Frenchman’s battles with Manchester United’s Roy Keane were incredible, and Vieira’s ability to go from box to box was second to none. When the Premier League’s best players are discussed, the former Arsenal man is always in the conversation and deservedly so.

Greatest Central Midfielders 10-6

Rank
Name
Country
Games played
Goals
Assists

10.
Clarence Seedorf
Netherlands
870
128
126

9.
Luka Modric
Croatia
777
83
131

8.
Kevin De Bruyne
Belgium
611
149
254

7.
N’Golo Kante
France
475
28
35

6.
Patrick Vieira
France
650
56
72

Related

The 25 Greatest Midfielders in Premier League History (Ranked)

Kevin De Bruyne, Steven Gerrard, and Patrick Vieira are all among the best midfielders in the league.

5Lothar Matthaus

1978–2000

Lothar Matthaus lifted the Ballon d’Or in 1990 and is one of Germany’s greatest-ever players. He won the FIFA World Cup with his country in the same year and has an incredible 20 trophies to his name. Among those pieces of silverware are seven Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and a Serie A crown at Inter Milan.

Matthaus also claimed the European Championship with Germany in 1980 at the start of his glittering career. The former international captain is arguably overlooked when it comes to discussing the greatest players in the game. This is perhaps due to recency bias, but there is no doubting just how good Matthaus was for his respective clubs and on the international stage with Germany.

Lothar Matthaus’ Career Achievements

Stats
Number/Accolade

Games played
935

Goals
227

Assists
80

Major trophies won
World Cup, Euros, Champions League, Bundesliga (x7), Serie A

Major individual honours
Ballon d’Or, FIFA World Player of the Year, German Footballer of the Year (x2)

4Michael Laudrup

1981–1998

Michael Laudrup won an impressive 16 trophies throughout his illustrious career, including Barcelona’s first European Cup and five La Liga titles, four with the Blaugrana and one with their fierce rivals, Real Madrid. Laudrup is placed seventh on Denmark’s all-time goalscorer list with 37 strikes from midfield – just three goals shy of a place in the top four.

Laudrup is regarded as a Barcelona legend, having won 12 of his 16 trophies while playing for the Catalan giants. He is another player, like Matthaus, who is somewhat overlooked and underappreciated when discussing the greatest players of all time.

Michael Laudrup’s Career Achievements

Stats
Number/Accolade

Games played
671

Goals
169

Assists
64

Major trophies won
European Cup, La Liga (x5), Serie A, Eredivisie

Major individual honours
Danish Player of the Year (x2)

3Andres Iniesta

2000–Present

Andres Iniesta formed a formidable partnership with Xavi Hernandez for Barcelona and Spain. They complemented each other perfectly and were arguably the best midfield duo in the world for several years. Iniesta is still going strong at the age of 39 and is currently plying his trade in the United Arab Emirates.

The former Barcelona star has won a staggering 40 trophies during an exceptional career, 32 of which were in the Catalan capital. Iniesta also had great success with Spain during the nation’s golden era. The diminutive playmaker was a fixture of the side that won three consecutive major international tournaments between 2008 and 2012, scoring the decisive goal in the 2010 World Cup final to overcome the Netherlands.

Andres Iniesta’s Career Achievements

Stats
Number/Accolade

Games played
1,011

Goals
106

Assists
192

Major trophies won
World Cup, Euros (x2), Champions League (x4), La Liga (x9)

Major individual honours
La Liga Best Midfielder of the Year (x5)

2Xavi Hernandez

1997–2019

Alongside Iniesta, Xavi was a mainstay in those legendary Barcelona and Spain sides. His understanding of the game, when to pass the ball, when to keep it and his positioning were all exquisite. The midfield maestro, like Iniesta, won an incredible number of trophies throughout his fantastic career.

Xavi won 25 of his 32 trophies with Barcelona, including four Champions League titles and eight La Liga crowns. His influence on the sport has been huge, and numerous players have looked at how the proud Catalan played and tried to incorporate it into their own game. Xavi is rightly regarded as a Barcelona and Spain legend, and he deservedly has a place in the top three.

Xavi’s Career Achievements

Stats
Number/Accolade

Games played
1,061

Goals
123

Assists
241

Major trophies won
World Cup, Euros (x2), Champions League (x4), La Liga (x8)

Major individual honours
World Soccer Player of the Year, La Liga Best Midfielder of the Year (x3)

1Zinedine Zidane

1989–2006

When it comes to the greatest central midfield player of all time, there can only be one and that right is reserved for a very special player, Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman was more of an artist than an athlete, gracefully gliding about the pitch in a seemingly gravity-defying manner when you consider his towering 6ft 2in frame.

Zidane won everything there was to win in the game, both individually and with his teams. He even scored two winning goals in the 1998 World Cup final to defeat Brazil, as well as arguably the greatest Champions League goal of all time in the 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen. The ultimate big game player, there was no stage he wouldn’t thrive on, and is rightfully regarded as the best in the world in his position.

Zinedine Zidane’s Career Achievements

Stats
Number/Accolade

Games played
798

Goals
156

Assists
172

Major trophies won
World Cup, Euros, Champions League, Serie A (x2), La Liga

Major individual honours
Ballon d’Or, FIFA World Player of the Year (x3), Serie A Footballer of the Year, Ligue 1 Player of the Year