Ranking the 5 Best Defensive Midfielders in World Football

#1 Sergio Busquets

With over 500 appearances, Busquets is one of the best DMs in the world.

Whilst certainly not the fastest player on the pitch, Busquets has had a decade as one of the top defensive midfielders in the game. He has played at Barcelona for his entire career, making over 500 appearances for the Camp Nou side. This has translated to an excellent international career for Spain and Catalonia, where he has made a combined 119 appearances.

Busquets possesses elite size and physicality for the position, standing at 189 cm tall. This allows him to regularly win the physical battle in the middle of the park and help his side control possession. He is also fantastic from a passing perspective, boasting one of the most versatile passing ranges in world football.

In addition to being a strong deep playmaker, he also has the defensive recognition to make the position his own. His keen positional awareness has helped make this Barca midfield so exciting to watch over the past decade.