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Midfielders are generally tasked with two things - controlling the tempo of the game and creating goalscoring opportunities. But some midfield stars go the extra mile and get on the scoresheet themselves.
Today’s list focuses on a special category of goalscoring midfielders who not only love to score, but also manage to do it in style.
Here are five world-class midfielders who love to score long-range piledrivers out of the blue:
Special mention: Ivan Rakitic and Nabil Fekir.
#5 Paul Pogba - France/Manchester United
Manchester United star Paul Pogba has the unique quality to mix finesse with explosiveness. The Frenchman loves to get on the ball and find his teammates with cute passes and can also score world-class goals with ease.
After enjoying a blistering spell at Juventus, Pogba returned to Old Trafford for an astronomical €105 million fee in 2016. Whether he’s been able to justify the sky-high price tag is a discussion for another day, but the quality he possesses is undeniable.
The 2018 World Cup winner does not score regularly for his club or country, but when he does, he surely makes it memorable. At the Euros last year, Pogba scored a screamer for France in their Round of 16 clash against Switzerland.
From a long way out, he dispatched an impeccable curler, which nestled into the top-right corner of Switzerland’s goal.
The Swiss mounted a comeback and eventually beat France on penalties, but Pogba’s special strike was chosen as the goal of the round.
#4 Bruno Fernandes - Portugal/Manchester United
Arguably the best attacking midfielder in the world, Bruno Fernandes has been massive for Manchester United since his winter switch from Sporting Lisbon in 2020.
The Portuguese star scored a whopping 18 goals and provided 11 assists in his first full season in England, emerging as the Red Devils’ leading goalscorer.
Yes, he has struggled to put such outrageous numbers on the board this term, but that doesn’t mean he’s been any less influential for United.
He has registered nine goals and 14 assists for the Red Devils across competitions in the 2021-22 campaign so far.
As the numbers suggest, Fernandes is not only an expert playmaker but also loves to put his foot through when he gets the chance. Out of his 49 strikes, if we had to pick one that showcases his long-range prowess, we’d go with his effort against Everton in September 2021.
Picking the ball outside the area, Fernandes took a couple of touches to set himself up and dispatched a looping strike. The ball sailed over Everton keeper Robin Olsen's head and rippled the netting.
#3 Philippe Coutinho - Brazil/Aston Villa
During his five-year stay at Liverpool, Philippe Coutinho established himself as one of the most exciting goalscoring midfielders.
He drifted into dangerous positions, exploiting little pockets of space, and dispatched devastating long-range efforts. He scored 54 goals for the Reds, many of which came from a long way out.
Since his move to Barcelona in 2018, his performances have taken a tangible dip, with the midfielder rarely producing moments of magic anymore.
However, since joining Aston Villa on loan in the January transfer window, he has started playing with more confidence. His newfound rhythm has already helped Villa with a couple of goals and assists, which, in turn, earned him a call-up to the Brazilian national team once again.
In the first week of February, Coutinho took part in Brazil’s World Cup qualifying clash against Paraguay. The five-time World Cup winners registered a 4-0 win with the Aston Villa man scoring a scorching long-ranger in the second half.
#2 Luka Modric - Croatia/Real Madrid
Real Madrid central midfielder Luka Modric is one of the best players in La Liga. Even at 36, the Croatian effortlessly glides past players, relentlessly chases every ball, and rarely takes a day off.
Without him, Los Blancos often look clueless in the middle of the park, as the Croat is the one who makes them tick.
But unlike most central midfielders, Modric is not just about dictating tempo or contributing to attacking build-ups. The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder also loves to take matters into his own hands and shoot from distance whenever he gets the chance.
Although it’s difficult to pick a favorite, the long-range pile-driver he produced against Turkey at Euro 2016 is arguably the best goal he’s ever scored.
From 30 yards out, Modric dispatched an unstoppable volley and found the bottom-right corner of Turkey’s goal. His strike propelled his country to a 1-0 win over the Turks.
#1 Kevin De Bruyne - Belgium/Manchester City
When it comes to shooting from range with power and precision, there’s hardly anyone better than Manchester City maestro Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian midfielder loves to shoot whenever an opportunity presents itself in the final third and tends to work the keeper more often than not.
More impressively, he can strike with either foot, making him a genuine nightmare to defend against.
The Belgium international has scored quite a few scorchers in his career, the latest of which came in a 1-0 win over Chelsea in January.
25 minutes into the second half, De Bruyne picked up the ball in the middle, rode N’Golo Kante’s challenge, and dispatched an unstoppable long-range effort.
Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga tried his best to keep it out, but couldn’t stop the ball from slotting into his bottom-left corner.o his bottom-left corner.
