Ranking the 5 Best Defensive Midfielders in World Football

#4 N’Golo Kante

Kante currently plays box-to-box for Chelsea FC but still has the DM ability.

Having been the world’s premier holding midfielder only a few seasons ago, Kante has been moved away from that role under new manager Mauricio Sarri. Whilst he is acting as more of a box to box midfielder at the moment, he still has the ability to fill in at the #6 role when called upon.

Undoubtedly his premiere attribute for the position is his elite defensive ability. Just like Verrati, he isn’t the tallest player and stands at just 168 cm. That said, he makes up for this with his phenomenal speed and work rate.

His durability is also incredibly impressive, playing in over 90% of league games over the past 7 seasons. This saw him earn a well-deserved international call-up with France, where he has already made 37 appearances since 2016.

Kante’s ability to break up play and cover ground are second to none. If he can improve his ball-playing ability and physicality, he definitely has room to move up on this list.