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The quality of midfielders often determines how much control a team is able to exert in a game of football. They are the ones that are tasked with breaking up play, winning the ball back and helping their teams transition from defence to attack.
Midfielders control the game by making intelligent decisions and strategizing on the move. Acting as the link between defence and attack, their ability to manipulate space will determine the quality of the chances their forwards get in a game.
We've seen plenty of midfield maestros in recent years. All the best teams in the world have players who can orchestrate play from the center of the pitch to great effect.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the best midfielders from each of the last five years.
#5 2017 - Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos was at his imperious best in the 2016-17 season. He was already being viewed as one of the best midfielders on the planet but in 2017, he elevated his game and took it to another level altogether.
The Germany international was as cool and composed as ever. Kroos conducted play with ease and grace for Real Madrid by virtue of his precise passing and decision-making in the center of the pitch.
Kroos finished the 2016-17 season as Real Madrid's most used player that term with 48 appearances across all competitions. He scored four goals and provided 16 assists.
He was arguably the most consistent Real Madrid player in 2017 and this was a case of an elite footballer hitting his peak and absolutely enjoying himself. Kroos' contributions were vital to Real Madrid winning the La Liga and the Champions League titles in 2017.
#4 2018 - Luka Modric
No other midfielder really even comes close to 2018 Luka Modric. He won the Champions League title that year and also led Croatia to the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Modric was so good in 2018 that he broke Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's duopoly over the Ballon d'Or and pipped them both to the award.
He put his exquisite passing range on display and despite having breached his 30s, the Croatia international motored up and down the pitch tirelessly. Modric was simply in a class of his own in 2018 and pulled the strings in midfield for Real Madrid alongside Toni Kroos in elegant fashion.
He also picked up his second successive 'UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season' award in 2018. Modric also won the 'UEFA Men's Player of the Year' award in 2018.
#3 2019 - Kevin De Bruyne
The Premier League has featured some of the best central midfielders of the modern era. From Paul Scholes to Frank Lampard to Steven Gerrard, the English top flight has seen some dynamic midfielders who could do it all and create magic on the football field.
But of late, when it comes to Premier League midfielders, it has been all Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgium international is one of the most complete midfielders of all time. He is creative, two-footed, skillful and relentless at the center of the park and has been Manchester City's best player of the Pep Guardiola era.
He is a goalscoring midfielder who also creates an incredible amount of chances for his forwards thanks to his wonderful passing range and unreal vision. After missing the majority of the first half of the year due to various injury issues, De Bruyne came back with a bang in the 2019-20 season.
By the end of January 2020, De Bruyne had scored 16 goals and provided seven assists in 23 Premier League appearances in the 2019-20 season.
#2 2020 - Thiago Alcantara
Thiago Alcantara's performances in 2020 for Bayern Munich are a testament to the fact that numbers don't always reveal the full story. The Spanish midfielder ran the show for Bayern Munich from the center of the park as they won the continental treble in the 2019-20 season.
He scored just three goals and provided two assists in 40 appearances across all competitions for the Bavarians in the 2019-20 campaign. But it was Thiago's ability to control the tempo of the game and dictate the flow from the middle that really made Bayern Munich unstoppable that season.
He was excellent at breaking up play, winning the ball back and recycling possession. In the 2019-20 season, Thiago averaged 2.3 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per 90 minutes. He also averaged 3.6 successful dribbles per 90 and boasted a pass success rate of 90.5% that term.
All these numbers show just how dynamic and well-rounded a midfielder Thiago is and how dominant he was in midfield for Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 season.
#1 2021 - N'Golo Kante
Chelsea struggled under Frank Lampard during the first half of the 2020-21 season. But after he was sacked and Thomas Tuchel was appointed head coach at Stamford Bridge in late January, the team underwent an incredible transformation.
In addition to shoring up his defence, one of the best things that Tuchel did at Chelsea was to bring out the best in N'Golo Kante. The tenacious French midfielder turned in multiple match-winning performances in the knockout stages of the Champions League as Chelsea defied the odds to become European Champions.
Kante was simply unstoppable as he showcased his superior game intelligence and doggedness. He made it impossible for the opposition to string passes together in midfield and kept breaking up play to great effect. Kante was also slick with his passing and even his dribbling skills improved massively.
Kante was named the 'UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season' in 2021 and alongside Jorginho, he made Chelsea's midfield indomitable that year.
