In a football world reigned by forwards, the most unacknowledged presence on the pitch is arguably of a defensive midfielder. A player plying his trade in the aforementioned position is expected to bring his A-game whenever he steps on to the pitch owing to his pivotal role.
Nevertheless, that does not necessarily guarantee the deserved acclamation and plaudits, which explains why they are normally forgotten when it comes to individual awards such as the Ballon d’Or or the FIFA Player of the Year.
Having said that, here we take a look at the world’s five best defensive midfielders at present.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and they do not necessarily represent the views of Sportskeeda.
#5 Jorginho
Although the club ended the season devoid of any major silverware, Maurizio Sarri’s Sarriball and its pivot – Jorginho – caught the eye of several European top sides. Consequently, Sarri was announced as Chelsea’s new manager following the departure of Antonio Conte, which acted as a catalyst for Jorginho’s move to the Blues, who snatched him from the jaws of Manchester City.
Indeed, the 26-year-old pass master will be the fulcrum of Chelsea’s midfield this season under the Italian manager, who will most likely exploit his skill set to build-up play from the back via short passes, a key feature of Sarri’s possession-based system.
Last season, the Brazil-born star completed more passes in Europe’s top five leagues than anyone else. In Serie A, Jorginho accomplished 2860 passes at an impressive accuracy approaching 90%.
#4 Nemanja Matić
Nemanja Matić was one of the shrewdest coups of the 2017/18 transfer window, and it would be fair to say, in retrospect, that the Serbian has lived up to his billing.
Paul Pogba’s re-emergence is a great example of how the former Chelsea ace brings out the best in the players around him. The creative Frenchman, who joined United for a then world-record fee in 2016/17, found himself in the firing line for the most part during his debut campaign. However, he profited profoundly from the defensive stability behind him last season as evidenced by the market improvement in his performances.
#3 Casemiro
Under the tutelage of Zinedine Zidane, Casemiro has gone from strength to strength in order to make a name for himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the football world.
A vital cog in Real Madrid’s machinery, the Brazil international enjoyed a phenomenal 2017/18 season where he inspired Los Blancos to their historic Champions League three-peat, netting seven goals and creating three more across all competitions.
#2 Sergio Busquets
The Spaniard boasts exceptional vision and pinpoint accuracy when it comes to passing the ball, over both short and longer distances. Other than that, Busquets is quite strong in the air courtesy of his towering figure.
#1 N’Golo Kanté
He is short, he is nice, he’s the one who stopped Leo Messi, but we all know he’s a cheater at cards, N’Golo Kante!
The influence of N’Golo Kanté on the pitch is simply ineffable. Wherever the Frenchman goes, he is bound to find success.
When he was at Leicester, he helped the Foxes pull off a remarkable Premier League triumph before moving to Chelsea, where he again inspired a tottering side to their sixth Premier League title. And recently, he also played an instrumental role in France’s road to World Cup glory to cement his position as perhaps the best defensive midfielder in the world.
