List of Top 10 Best Defensive Midfielders In The World Right Now

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Today, Betimate would like to list the top 10 best defensive midfielders recently to help you have a better view of incredible football players in the world. 

Top 10 best defensive midfielders

10.Sergio Busquets

Barcelona’s experienced player has made the defensive midfield role his own over the years, widely down to his no-nonsense approach and a strict reliance on defensive duties above all else. He put on a masterclass of midfield play. 

At Euro 2020, his positive coronavirus test forced him out of the first two games. When he returned, he was named “Man of the match” in the game that Spain crushed Slovakia 5-0 magically. He also helped the national team win 5-3 against Croatia in the Round of 16. 

Sergio Busquets

9. Declan Rice

The unlimited strength of the West Ham star is his ability to run, run and run. He covered 324.6km in the previous Premier League season. It’s his penetration and confidence with the ball that have been involved under David Moyes. 

At Euro 2020, Rice was in the starting lineup every game for England, making concerns over Jordan Henderson’s fitness irrelevant. He is now just 22 years old so the bright future is still waiting for him.

Declan Rice

8. Frenkie de Jong

De Jong is just 24 this year but the things he has done are incredible. He was even compared to the legends like Xavi or Franz Beckenbauer. The young player followed Dutch greats such as Frank de Boer and Johan Cruyff via Ajax to Barcelona’s mainline. 

In the 2020-21 season at Blaugrana, he grew quickly which allowed him to bring his passing ability to the force. He finished fourth in pass success in La Liga with more than 20 appearances.

Frenkie de Jong

7. Marcelo Brozovic

While Inter Milan became the champions of Serie A in the 2020-21 season for the first time in a decade, the switch of Brozovic to a key role may have been Antonio Conte’s finest masterstroke during his time at the club. 

The 28-year-old player has formed a great duo with Paul Pogba in Manchester United midfield. He was blessed with the stamina to run all day and was also one of the brightest stars of Croatia’s team on their way to the 2018 World Cup final. 

Marcelo Brozovic

6.  Wilfred Ndidi 

The Nigerian has ploughed his own path and led the Premier League in tackles the previous season as Leicester City missed out on Champions League football but scooped an FA Cup victory. 

The powerful young player made his debut at the age of 18 for Nigeria and has appeared 20 times for the national team since then. 

Wilfred Ndidi 

5. Fabinho 

Fabinho was perhaps the most helpful performer in the revival of Liverpool in the 2020-21 season. Being played as Virgil van Dijk’s role when he was in injury, Fabinho’s switch back to defensive midfielder late in the season saw the Reds regain their title-winning motto and compete for an unlikely run to the third position. 

Fabinho 

4. Casemiro

Casemiro stood tall despite a poor season in Zinedine Zidane's final season as Real Madrid manager. The Brazilian's power and work rate make sure that he is the protector of Los Blancos’s defending line, ranking joint fifth in La Liga in tackles.

Casemiro

3. Rodri

Rodrigo Cascante was the most expensive defensive midfielder as he joined Manchester City from Atletico Madrid in 2019. He has provided the platform from which the City’s wealth of attacking options take flights. 

Opponents' passes across the lines are deterred by the Spaniard's location rather than his tackling prowess. When he's on the ball, he's one of the best passers in the Premier League.

Rodri

2. Joshua Kimmich

At the age of 25, Kimmich has not only managed to break into Bayern's first team but has also demonstrated his adaptability in a variety of positions and even staked a claim for the one he prefers. He is a “mentality monster”. His aggression belies his 5ft 10in frame, while his passing range and football intelligence are second to none. 

Joshua Kimmich

1. N'Golo Kante

After the match between Chelsea and Real Madrid in this season’s Champions League semifinal, Chelsea tweeted on their site: “About 71% of the Earth's surface is water-covered, the rest is covered by N'Golo Kante”. 

The Frenchman displayed a masterclass performance. That night, he contested 21 duels and completed 6 dribbles which are more than any other player on the pitch. He completed 87.5% of his 56 passes, made 7 recoveries, 1 interception, 1 block and 1 key tackle as well. 

It's no coincidence that success follows him wherever he goes. Under Thomas Tuchel, Kante’s ball of energy was revitalized after being injured under Frank Lampard, allowing his dynamism to propel the Blues to the FA Cup final and the prestigious European triumph.

N'Golo Kante

Reference Sources

• Betimate.com
• WhoScored.com