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:
Personal awards (either the Ballon d’Or, World Player of the Year award, Golden Foot or a league’s player of the season)
Major trophies won (only includes the two major European competitions, any league titles, the main domestic cup)
Impact and influence on the game
Importance to their team
Iconic moments
30. Paul Pogba
29. Bastian Schweinsteiger
28. Fernandinho
27. Wesley Sneijder
26. Michael Essien
25. Xabi Alonso
24. Claude Makelele
23. Cesc Fabregas
22. Mesut Ozil
21. Frank Rijkaard
20. Toni Kroos
19. Sergio Busquets
18. Yaya Toure
17. Kaka
16. Juan Roman Riquelme
15. Andrea Pirlo
14. Frank Lampard
13. Steven Gerrard
12. Paul Scholes
11. Roy Keane
10. Clarence Seedorf
9. Luka Modric
8. Kevin De Bruyne
7. N’Golo Kante
6. Patrick Vieira
5. Lothar Matthaus
4. Michael Laudrup
3. Andres Iniesta
2. Xavi Hernandez
1. Zinedine Zidane
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