Defining a ‘central midfielder’ in this day and age is no easy task.
The dissipation of fixed positions and increased prominence of ‘roles’ or ‘functions’ mean these folk in the middle of the park are tasked with an array of duties.
Nevertheless, central midfielders are often the cornerstones of elite-level sides. They can do it all and they come in a myriad of shapes, sizes and profiles.
Thus, ranking the best 25 in the world is incredibly tough, but here’s our crack at doing exactly that!
The woefully mis-profiled Sandro Tonali begins our list after he starred during Milan’s Scudetto win in 2021/22.
Tonali was regarded as the ‘next Andrea Pirlo’ during his time at Brescia but barring the flowing locks and impressive ball-striking, there are few similarities between the two Italian midfielders.
Tonali instead resembles former Roma idol Daniele De Rossi in profile. He’s an aggressive, all-action midfielder who contributes in every phase. He’s not quite there yet, but fervent Rossoneri supporters believe Tonali will blossom into one of the world’s best midfielders.
The potential is undeniable, and he played way beyond his years down the stretch last season as he came up with a couple of huge Serie A goals.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s stint with Fulham left little impression on Premier League followers, but he’s since enjoyed a successful loan at Villarreal before impressing at Napoli.
The Cameroon international charges forward from the Partenopei’s midfield to help out attacking stars like Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Anguissa has plenty of experience in Europe and is starting to deliver consistent performances in a Napoli side eyeing Serie A glory.
Marcel Sabitzer struggled during his debut campaign at Bayern but is starting to make his mark again under Julian Nagelsmann.
Previously one of the world’s most underrated midfielders, Sabitzer underwent a pretty severe transformation at RB Leipzig as Nagelsmann converted him from an enigmatic creator into an industrious, all-action workhorse.
The Austrian is a midfielder who contributes in every phase and is willing to do the dirty work to ensure his teammates shine. That’s his current role at Bayern, and he’s performing it superbly.
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