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#3 Frank Lampard
Chelsea legend Frank Lampard is another player on this list who simply can't be ignored. The Englishman was a huge force to reckon with during his days at Stamford Bridge, living to define what it means to be a box-to-box midfielder.
Lampard came to prominence thanks to his long-range screamers that set the Premier League on fire. He is well-known for placing himself in the right place at the right time, which enabled him to decide the fate of games.
With a whopping 177 goals to his name from 611 appearances, the Blues legend holds the record for the most Premier League goals scored by a midfielder. He finished his career with an unbelievable 305 goals and also claimed several trophies including the Champions League, the Premier League, FA Cup, Carling Cup among others.
#2 Andres Iniesta
The only active player on the list, Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta, redefined the role of a No. 8 during his time at Camp Nou. In fact, none of the players mentioned here mesmerized football fans as much as the diminutive midfielder.
Iniesta turned football into art, playing like a magician in Barcelona's midfield for close to two decades. His dribbling, sharp turning, intelligent runs and space exploitation left opposition teams in awe. Such was his ability to pull off magic with the ball at his feet that he was nicknamed 'The Illusionist'.
If you're looking for a player who has won it all in football, you have to point to this man. Iniesta won the European Championship and the World Cup with Spain, as well as the Champions League, La Liga, Copa Del Rey and every competition Barcelona participated in during his time at Camp Nou.
#1 Lothar Matthaus
We'll conclude the list with German legend Lothar Matthaus. The playmaker is well-known across Europe and his name always surfaces whenever the greatest midfielders in football history are being mentioned.
His timely runs, ball control, vision and acceleration proved to be too much for opposition teams to handle. Mathaus enjoyed a splendid career, winning the World Cup, the European Championship, the Champions League, Bundesliga and a lot more.
The legendary midfielder won the prestigious Ballon d'Or accolade in 1990 and the FIFA Player of the Year award in 1991. He finished his club career with a whopping 201 goals and 60 assists at club level across spells with the likes of Bayern Munich, Borussia Monchengladbach, Inter Milan and New York Red Bulls. He also bagged 23 goals for Germany in 150 appearances.
