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Ranking the midfielders of the 21st century is not an easy task. There have been some exceptional midfielders, and their flair, elegance and smooth dribbling skills have upped the tempo of the game and revolutionized the game of football.
This list gives us an insight into the noteworthy achievements of these nine great midfielders for their respective clubs, countries and the game in general. It contains some of the most memorable names who have entertained football fans over the past 18years.
Let us rank the 9 best midfielders of the 21st Century.
Notable Mentions: Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira, Luka Modric, Emmanuel Petit, Michael Carrick, Sebastian Veron.
#9 Guti
Guti is regarded as one of the best players to ever play at the Santiago Bernabeu. Despite being underrated in world football, Guti was loved widely among the Real Madrid faithful. Having made 387 appearances for Real Madrid and scoring 46 goals for them, Guti has won 3 Champions League titles and 5 La Liga Championships for Real Madrid in his career.
He was a player who could play in any role assigned to him by the manager. His no-nonsense style of tackling was a key aspect of his game.
#8 Frank Lampard
Lampard is considered as a legend at Chelsea, being their record top goalscorer with 211 goals. He is also recognized as one of the best English midfielders to play the game by football fans all over the world.
Lampard was a fluent passer who could easily spot his teammates with his spectacular vision, was an expert in taking set-pieces and made daunting runs behind the opposition's defense whenever he sensed an opportunity to score a goal. Having scored 147 goals in 429 Premier League games for Chelsea, Frank was also a specialist in taking penalty kicks.
#7 Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard is considered by many as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League era. Having made 504 appearances and scored 120 goals in 18 years, he is regarded as an icon at Liverpool. Despite not winning a Premier League title for Liverpool in his entire career, Gerrard was instrumental in helping Liverpool win the historic 2004-05 Champions League final against Milan.
Being a player blessed with subtle pace, Gerrard was a phenomenal passer who could play long through balls to his teammates. He was also excellent at shooting from a distance and hence has scored some terrific goals from long-range at Anfield.
Having made 114 appearances and scored 21 goals, Gerrard was one of England's best captains to grace the game. He was part of the golden generation of England which unfortunately didn't win a single trophy in that era.
#6 Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos is considered by many as the modern maestro in midfield. He is a versatile midfielder who can play in several positions as per the situation. Being calm and composed in possession, Kroos is an excellent passer who can switch the ball from one wing to the other, is a dominant long-range shooter, likes to join the attack, plays accurate through balls to split the opposition's defense and hence create goalscoring opportunities for the strikers. He also is responsible for breaking the opposition play and regaining the ball for his team.
In his career so far, Kroos has won 4 Champions League titles, 1 La Liga, 3 Bundesliga titles and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. These statistics make him one of the most decorated midfielders currently playing at his best for both Real Madrid as well as for Germany.
#5 Andreas Iniesta
Andreas Iniesta is regarded as one of the best players Barcelona have ever produced. He is also a celebrated Spanish player who has won 9 La Liga trophies and 4 Champions League titles in his career. Despite being a world-class player, Iniesta has unfortunately never won the Ballon d'Or Award due to the intense competition between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the prestigious trophy.
Being an excellent playmaker, Iniesta also made some stunning runs behind the defense to score some crucial goals for Barcelona in his career. He along with Xavi and Busquets formed one of the most dominating midfield trios the world has ever seen in Barcelona's golden age under Pep Guardiola.
For the national team, Iniesta was instrumental in scoring the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands to help Spain win its first ever World Cup. Additionally, he has also won 2 successive European Championships for them in 2008 and 2012.
#4 Andrea Pirlo
Pirlo is considered to be the greatest midfielder Italy have ever produced in its history. He was a versatile player who played in different roles in midfield. Pirlo was a creative player whose passing accuracy was near perfect. He was a dangerous long-range shooter and a set-piece specialist.
Having made 116 appearances and scored 13 goals, Pirlo played an instrumental role in helping Italy win the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He has played for 20 seasons in Italy for different clubs like Brescia, Inter Milan, Reggina, AC Milan, and Juventus.
#3 Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes's contemporaries consider him as the best midfield opponent to ever play against. Short in stature, his vision was second to none on the football field, was a risky tackler and made runs inside the opposition penalty area to score some clinical goals for Manchester United in his prime. His trademark style of shooting from a distance was a delightful sight for football fans to watch.
Being a member of the famous class of 92, Scholes made 499 appearances and scored 107 goals for Manchester United. In his career at the club, he won 11 Premier League trophies and 2 Champions League titles for them.
#2 Xavi Hernandez
Xavi Hernandez is one of the best players to ever emerge from the La Masia Youth Academy at Barcelona. Having made 505 appearances and scored 58 goals for Barcelona, Xavi has won 8 La Liga and 4 Champions League titles for them in his career. Being regarded as one of the best playmakers in football history, Xavi was instrumental in helping develop the Tiki-Taka, possession style of play, and formed one of the best midfield partnerships in the world with Andreas Iniesta at the Nou Camp.
At the international level, Xavi was named as the best player at Euro 2008. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, his passing accuracy of 91% helped Spain to win the tournament and hence made him one of the best midfielders to play in the World Cup.
Hence, Xavi is considered one of the best ever midfielders in the world.
#1 Zidane
Many fans and football pundits widely regard Zidane as the best midfielder of all time. His persona on the football field, quick dribbles, and pace to easily take on defenders was a fantastic sight to watch for the football fans. Many of his compatriots have regarded him as the best player to play with at their prime.
He was also the part of the formidable French team which won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and reach the finals in 2006. He is among the very few players who have had the privilege to win the Champions League, World Cup, and the Ballon d'Or Award.
In his club career, Zidane has won 2 Serie A titles, 1 La Liga, 2 UEFA Super Cups, and 1 Champions League title. Due to his elegance and flair, there cannot be any all-time midfielders list without the inclusion of Zidane.
