Top 7 defensive midfielders in the world

The centre-defensive midfield position has become one of the most crucial positions on the football field. Matches nowadays are often decided by the performance of the defensive midfielder due to his ability to block the opposition from penetrating his defense.

They are valued much more in modern football not just for their defensive display, but also for their ball retention and ability to dictate the game.

Modern day defensive midfielders are tactically sound, are quick in changing the momentum in favour of their teams and have the ability to track back to help their defense during the opposition's counter-attacks. The role has become more attack-minded and more demanding.

In the past, we have seen players like Roy Keane, Patrick Viera and Ronald Koeman showing their aggressive defensive mindset in crucial games in the centre-defensive midfield position. This attitude helped their clubs to win games in tough situations.

The role of a defensive midfielder has gained quite a good prestige in today's times. Let us have a look at the rankings of the top central defensive midfielders in the world right now.

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#7 Eric Dier

Eric Dier

Eric Dier has been a consistent performer for Tottenham for over 5 years. He is a superb tactician, is calm and composed in possession, and good at intercepting the ball during the opposition's counter-attack. Being a regular first-team player for Tottenham, he is also good at communicating with the two centre-backs.

Dier also likes to frequently join the attack, is good at heading the ball, and hence is a threat to the opposition from corners. He is also an excellent free-kick taker, and has the rare ability to play in many positions as per the game situation.

Eric Dier is one of the best centre-defensive midfielders in the Premier League.

#6 Julian Weigl

Julian Weigl (r)

Weigl is one of the most eye-catching emerging talents in German football. His performances as a dependable defensive midfielder last season for Dortmund made him a transfer target for elite clubs in Europe during the recently concluded transfer window.

Weigl is defensively sound and likes to press opponents in midfield. He likes to distribute the ball, and is quite adept at switching the play from one wing to the other. Weigl likes to join the attack, and has the ability to shoot from distance. His performance against Real Madrid last season in the Champions League was phenomenal.

He is likely to become a star in the future.

#5 Nemanja Matic

Matic (l)

Matic has been in terms of performance the best buy of Mourinho at Manchester United so far. His impressive defensive displays was one of the main reasons why The Red Devils finished 2nd last season.

He is excellent at man marking his opponents, and is a tough tackler. His presence makes it quite difficult for the opponents to penetrate the weak and inconsistent United defense. He is also quite a nuisance to the opposition defenders during set-pieces due to his height and physical strength.

He is quite a beast for the opposition to play against.

#4 Leon Goretzka

Leon Goretzka

Leon Goretzka has been one of the key acquisitions of Bayern Munich in the last transfer window. Having been in the starting XI of the German national team which was knocked out the group-stage in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Goretzka has the potential to become a world-class player for both his country and club.

He is an excellent passer, has a knack for scoring goals, and is good in the air due to his height. Goretzka has a good vision, has the power to shoot from distance, and is deployed as a defensive midfielder in the Bundesliga by Munich.

#3 Toni Kroos

Kroos control

Toni Kroos is one of the best passers in the world. He is a player with excellent positional sense, he tries to dominate the midfield for his team throughout the match, has great vision to pick out the runs of the attackers, and is also a good tackler.

Being one of the key players in helping Real Madrid win the Champions League title three consecutive times, Kroos is also good at intercepting the ball in key positions and situations for his team. He is a true tactician who has the ability to score goals from long range, and is also a set-piece specialist for his team.

Kroos is one of the best footballers in the world right now.

#2 Sergio Busquets

Sergio Busquets

Sergio Busquets is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. He along with Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez formed a formidable midfield partnership for a long time. Busquets is quite calm and composed in possession, distributes the ball quite well, and is rarely dispossessed. With his style, strength, and pace, he commands the midfield.

He is quite successful in breaking the opposition's momentum, makes frequent runs to join the Barcelona attack, and is a threat to the opposition from set-pieces due to his height. His contributions has certainly helped Barcelona maintain their dominance in world football.

Due to his stature and records, Busquets was one of the transfer targets of a top European club in the recently concluded transfer window.

#1 N'Golo Kante

N'Golo Kante

N'Golo Kante is arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world right now. He is a tough tackler who is quite adept in breaking the opposition's counter-attacks due to his tremendous amount of pace. He is also an extremely talented presser who likes to venture forward, and is proficient in maintaining possession for his side.

Kante was one of the key players in France's 2018 FIFA World Cup triumph. He intercepted the ball a record 20 times in the World Cup. He has become one of the star players for Chelsea this season. The new Chelsea manager Sarri has given him more freedom to venture forward and display his attacking skills to the world.

He also has the rare ability due to his pace to come back and help the defenders during the opposition's counter-attacks. Kante has become a force to be reckoned with in the centre defensive midfield position.