Midfield is a crucial position in football, often considered the most important, as a team’s success heavily depends on its quality. Midfielders serve as key communicators between offense and defense, provide support in attack, and can even score goals. Depending on their role, they may also play a defensive role. Europe currently boasts world-class attacking midfielders, central midfielders, and defensive midfielders.
The rankings are based on following criteria –
Most stats mentioned have been accumulated from transfermarkt.co.in and a few stats from fbref.com.
Hence, without further ado, let’s take a look at the best midfielders in Europe for the year 2024 –
Martín Zubimendi was heavily linked with Liverpool in the summer of 2025 and currently being linked with Real Madrid who are heavily interested in the services of the Spanish midfielder which can probably signify how good he has been for a struggling Sociedad in 2024. Zubimendi is deployed in a defensive midfield role for club and country and is arguably the second-best DM in Europe after Manchester City’s Rodri.
Being a deep lying defensive midfielder, his G/A stats would be less as compared to other more attacking midfielders but he had 4 goals and an assist in the 2023/24 season and currently has 1 goal and 2 assists in 21 games in the 2024/25 season for a massively struggling Real Sociedad. His contributions can be justified better with his interception rate of 1.37 per 90 minutes, tackle-rate of 2.14 per 90 minutes and aerial duels win rate of 61%. He had 37 interceptions last season.
The Spanish midfielder possesses all the qualities of a world-class No. 6, he can receive the ball under pressure, controls the tempo of the game and can break the opposition’s press with line breaking passes. He is an intelligent player who can adapt to different conditions, shows composure under pressure and can quicken or slow down the game as per need.
Playing in an out-of-form Sociedad, he has still grabbed eyeballs with his impressive performances but the best is yet to come. If he does move to a superior club, his performances are going to improve and his goals/assists tally will see a momentous rise too.
Bruno Fernandes is another player who is over performing in a struggling Manchester United side. Even though United have been far away from title winning credentials of previous years, the Portuguese midfielder has been their most creative player and probably the shining light in the dark for the Red Devils.
Fernandes plays as an attacking midfielder for club and country, producing consistent numbers for both. In 2023/24, Fernandes had a whopping 15 goals and 13 assists from 45 games for United. In 2024/25, he has six goals and 11 assists so far and has been their most influential player alongside being club captain.
Bruno Fernandes is a versatile midfielder who can also play as a second striker along with an attacking midfielder. He has excellent dribbling skills and can hold possession in tight spaces, he has great vision and range of passing. He also moves around the pitch in attacking areas as well to regain possession in deeper areas.
If Manchester United are to perform better and get back into European places, Fernandes is a vital cog in the wheel as he needs to keep chipping in with important goals and assists.
Jamal Musiala is without a doubt one of the hottest young prospects in Europe right now. At 21 years of age, he has already been linked with the elite clubs in Spain and England while playing in one as well. Musiala had a breakthrough season in 2020/21 when he scored for Bayern Munich in both the Bundesliga and Champions League becoming their youngest goal scorer aged just 17 years old. His talent was there for everyone to see and Bayern soon got his contract wrapped up.
Musiala has only improved from thereon, becoming one of the first names on the Bayern Munich team sheet, He had a decent 2023/24 season scoring 12 goals and bagging 8 assists in 38 games even though Bayern Munich struggled. However, he is going all guns blazing in the 2024/25 season, already having scored a mammoth 14 goals and grabbed 6 assists in just 22 games and has been crucial in leading his club to the top in the Bundesliga this season.
Musiala is a versatile player who can play as a winger as well as a midfielder. He is known for his close-control dribbling and can beat opposition players with feints and trickery. He has great vision of passing and his decision making on the perfect pass to execute is excellent as well. He also has the ability to play line breaking passes.
Aged just 21, he is already one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe and it would be difficult for Bayern Munich to hold onto him if the likes of Real Madrid or Manchester City come calling.
When it comes to top midfielders in Europe, Luka Modri? needs no introduction. The Captain of the Real Madrid and Croatia National team, also a Ballon d’Or winner is arguably one of the best midfielders of his generation. Even on the wrong side of 30’s, the Central Midfielder is still performing at a world-class level.
In 2023/24, Modri? led Real Madrid to a Treble including La Liga, Champions League and the Copa Del Rey. He contributed with 2 goals and 8 assists and in the 2024/25 season he is on 2 goals and 4 assists in 27 games but his G/A contribution doesn’t properly signify how important he has been to Carlo Ancelotti’s side. The 39-year-old still adds massively with his performance and experience especially in crucial moments and games.
Modri? has all qualities that characterize a world-class Central Midfielder – technical skills, tactical awareness, vision and range of passing along with game intelligence. Modri?’s ball distribution is second to none, whether it’s short or long passes, he can easily anticipate rival moves and close out passing channels, his positioning on the pitch is immaculate from where he can move into defensive areas as well as exploit the opposition with passes behind their defensive lines.
Modri? is still viewed as a key member in the Los Blancos outfit and even though he may not start every game with other younger midfielders around, the Croatian midfielder can still contribute with his experience and quality.
Martin Ødegaard is currently one of the best attacking midfielders in the English Premier League and has been in sensational form for the Gunners in the past few seasons.
The Norwegian who made a move to Arsenal in January 2021 on a loan move which became permanent in the summer. This was probably one of the best transfers by the Gunners as he has flourished in North London and become one of the most important players in Mikel Arteta’s side.
Ødegaard had a stellar 2023/24 season with 11 goals and 11 assists for the Gunners. His 2024/25 season has been marred with a long injury lay-off but such has been his importance that since his return, Arsenal have looked a more structured and controlled team in midfield.
Ødegaard is a modern-day midfielder with touch, technique, dribbling skills, vision and exceptional range of passing. He can also provide passes and crosses from set-pieces with pin-point accuracy. He can find great spaces on the pitch to create chances for his teammates with his direct incisive passing. In addition, he has excellent work-rate and wins back possession in deep areas as well.
Ødegaard has been massively important for the Gunners in the past seasons which has led them to fight for the title and compete in Champions League against Europe’s elite. He still holds the key in midfield for them to finally move one step forward and win trophies this season.
Nico Barella is another top-class Central midfielder in Europe. He plies his trade for Inter and Italy and performs consistently for both club and country. He came to the fore when Italy won the European Championships in 2021 where he impressed one and all with his consistent performances.
Since then, Barella has become an important part of Inter Milan’s success in recent years. He contributed 2 goals and 7 assists to Inter’s Scudetto win in 2023/24 season and has contributed with 3 goals and 4 assists so far in the 2024/25 season but his importance lies beyond these numbers.
Barella is a box-to-box versatile midfielder- a type very difficult to find in world football currently. His impact doesn’t only lie in attacking areas but also winning possession, putting in tackles in the defensive areas to help out his team. Barella is an intelligent midfielder who can dribble past defenses, score from volleys and also start counter-attacks from long-range and cross field passes. Such is his quality that he has been compared to Steven Gerrard as he possesses similar qualities like great technique, vision, stamina and physical strength.
Barella is quite possibly one of the best central midfielders in Europe and one of the key instigators of Inter’s trophy winning success in recent years.
Kevin de Bruyne is a name that needs no introduction, he is not just one of the best midfielders in Europe but also one of Premier League all-timer now.
De Bruyne has been instrumental in Manchester City winning numerous trophies and their continued dominance in the world’s most competitive league in the past five years or so. Even though he is ageing and getting injury-prone now, his importance to Pep Guardiola’s side cannot be understated.
De Bruyne had a superb 2023/24 season with 6 goals and 18 assists leading Manchester City to an unprecedented four-peat in the PL. The 2024/25 season hasn’t gone too well for the City veteran as he has missed many games due to injury but since coming back, Manchester City’s struggling form is starting to turn around with the presence of the talismanic Belgian.
De Bruyne is one of the most complete modern-day playmakers. His versatility to play as a central or attacking midfielder, can also play as a second striker or a deep-lying creative midfielder make him even more dangerous. He has excellent vision and one of the best passing ranges in world football. In addition, he possesses brilliant technique, work-rate and can score long range goals from set-pieces and open play.
Even though the Belgian midfielder is in his twilight years, his ability to turn around a game with a decisive pass or a clutch goal hasn’t waned and his experience can only benefit a transitional Manchester City team.
Florian Wirtz has just exploded onto the world stage with his superb performances for Bayer Leverkusen last season. The German attacking midfielder has been one of the standout performers in Europe’s top five leagues last season.
He had a stupendous season in 2023/24 scoring 18 goals and getting 20 assists for Leverkusen in 48 games. His brilliant performances led to his club winning a domestic double and reaching the finals of the Europa League. He has gone on to replicate his incredible numbers in the 2024/25 season with 12 goals and 8 assists in 20 games so far, proving that last season’s performance wasn’t a fluke.
Wirtz is an attacking midfielder but can also play on the wings. He is sometimes deployed as a false 9 by coach Xabi Alonso. He is a direct and attack minded player who likes to move forward, get into scoring areas and possesses superb finishing as well. He creates a lot of chances for his side with his passes and crosses. In addition, he covers a lot of ground and goes into deeper areas to regain possession for his side.
Wirtz is one of the most sought-after players in Europe currently and it would take a lot for Bayer Leverkusen to hold onto their most prized asset beyond another season if he continues to attract attention with these incredible numbers.
Jude Bellingham is one of the most talented players from this English football era. Still only 21 years old, the central midfielder puts in consistent performances for club and country also coming up with important goals in big moments.
The 2023/24 season was his first season at Real Madrid with the Madrid faithful everyone hoping he would justify his 100 million price tag and justify it he did. Bellingham was in sensational form for the Los Blancos scoring 23 goals and grabbing 13 assists in 43 games which were crucial to Real Madrid winning the treble. He has continued his blistering form in 2024/25 with 8 goals and 7 assists to his name in 23 games so far even though Real Madrid has struggled with inconsistency. Not just club, his performance for England in the Euros were noteworthy as he was vital to their run to the final scoring important goals.
Bellingham possesses excellent technique, ball control and strength. He has a dynamic style of play and can also be deployed in other positions, making him versatile. In addition, he has great vision and can spray passes to his teammates in forward positions. He is a complete package – he can win the ball and drive forward, he is press resistant, holds up possession, finds gaps in opposition defences and can also assist and score goals.
At just 21 years of age and a Top 3 in Ballon d’Or in 2024, Bellingham is only going to get better and that is quite a scary thought for opposition teams as he is already exceptional footballer.
Rodrigo Hernández Cascante popularly known as Rodri, has been simply the best amongst all the midfielders in Europe in 2024 earning him the prestigious Ballon d’Or for a stellar campaign winning a Premier League title with Manchester City and leading Spain to the Euros Championships trophy.
Even though he is a defensive midfielder whose creative numbers can’t be compared to other attacking midfielders, his importance can’t be understated and it has been further proven by Manchester City’s dismal campaign so far without him in the side. He plays in a deeper central role and yet contributes massively to the team, often scoring clutch goals for his club. In 2023/24, Rodri scored 9 goals and earned 14 assists for Manchester City. In the 2024/25 season he only played three games before he suffered an unfortunate ACL injury. He also helped Spain to a Euros Championship glory in 2024 with crucial performances in the tournament, also winning the Euros ‘Player of the Tournament ‘award. Rodri averages a tackle rate of 2.17 per 90 minutes, 0.65 interception rate and aerial duel win percentage of 70.50%.
Rodri is a strong player with superb technique and physicality. He plays in a deeper central role at Manchester City, controlling the tempo of the game, he finds spaces between the opposition defense and mostly releasing passes to start counter attacks. He shields the City defense by regaining possession in deeper areas and also breaking up attacks with his vision and awareness. Rodri’s interceptions, tackle rate and aerial duels are as good as those of a world class defender. He is a very intelligent footballer and because of his vision, he can be deployed as a deep lying playmaker creating assists for his teammates in attack.
Manchester City and Spain will be hoping he comes back from injury as soon as possible and performs at the same world-class level as he used to prior to the injury.
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