Ranking the 5 Best Defensive Midfielders in World Football

#2 Casemiro

Casemiro stands tall for Real Madrid and Brazil

Just ahead of his compatriot, Casemiro has been one of the world’s premier holding midfielders since 2015. He was finally able to lock down the starting #6 spot and has formed the base of a truly elite midfield since.

He possesses fantastic size for the position, standing at 185 cm tall with a very imposing frame. This allows him to dominate the physical and defensive aspects of the game, providing the necessary steel in the middle for Real.

He has made at least 35 appearances in each of the last 4 seasons, winning 3 Champions League trophies in that time frame. His success with Brazil has also been particularly impressive, making 33 appearances as part of a very strong side.

In addition to his strong defence, he also continues to show an impressive ability going forward. He has an elite passing range and could very well take #1 on this list soon enough.