The 25 best attacking midfielders in world football - ranked
- Attacking midfielders more important than ever but classic number tens starting to go out of fashion
- Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes and Martin Odegaard among the top performers in world football
- 25 best players from around the world ranked as part of 90min's Welcome to World Class series
By 90min Staff
Attacking midfielders of the highest grade are like gold dust in modern football.
While systems around Europe are starting to phase out the classic attacking ten, there is still the need for creative midfielders to pull strings, whip in free kicks and score the odd banger from distance.
Here are the best 25 attacking midfielders in the world, ranked as part of our 2023 Welcome to World Class series.
25. Isco
You may have thought Isco's time on lists like this had been and gone.
The Spanish playmaker lost his way at Real Madrid and couldn't find it again at Sevilla. After a spell without a club, he joined another team in Seville, Real Betis.
He has been thriving in La Liga this season and is a joy to watch again.
24. Morgan Gibbs-White
The main reason why Nottingham Forest are still a Premier League club right now, Morgan Gibbs-White has come into his own since taking the keys of their attack.
The 24-year-old is only getting better and better with each passing game.
23. Eberechi Eze
There are few more entertaining players in the Premier League than Eberechi Eze right now. The England international is a joy to watch when in full flow.
He will almost certainly earn a move away from Crystal Palace in the near future.
22. Conor Gallagher
Conor Gallagher first impressed on loan at Crystal Palace and seemed to have carved out a long-term future at Chelsea.
Despite playing very well this season under Mauricio Pochettino, the club could sell him in the summer as they continue to struggle with their messy finances.
Whoever gets him could be laughing.
21. Dani Olmo
After starring in Croatia with Dinamo Zagreb, Dani Olmo joined RB Leipzig midway through the 2019/20 season and played a big role in Die Roten Bullen's progression to the Champions League semi-finals under Julian Nagelsmann.
Olmo slotted into Nagelsmann's vertical and fluid system seamlessly as he was used all over the pitch by the German manager. The Spaniard has since become a prominent member of the national team, notably contributing at both Euro 2022 and the Olympics.
Olmo is a sharpshooter who loves to beat players one-on-one and create for his teammates in the final third.
20. Julian Brandt
Julian Brandt has been a big name in the Bundesliga for a long time now and while some may have expected him to go on to slightly bigger things, the German is still an extremely impressive attacking midfielder.
Had Borussia Dortmund managed to deliver the German title on the final day of the 2022/23 season, Brandt would have been one of the players listed as crucial to the achievement.
Versatile enough to play almost anywhere in midfield and attack, Brandt grabbed nine goals and eight assists last season and is on track for more this term.
19. Brahim Diaz
Brahim Diaz has had an unusual career, with his most consistent performances coming during a two-year loan at AC Milan where he could actually start games.
He is now back at Real Madrid and while he does not start every game, Diaz is getting a healthy number of minutes and taking the chances when they come his way.
18. Thomas Muller
The original Raumdeuter.
Thomas Muller's proficiency at picking gaps meant an entirely new role was created in homage to the slippery German. Muller is a one-of-a-kind footballer.
He can finish off chances like a ruthless number nine, create for others with the utmost subtlety and interpret space akin to Galileo. Muller certainly isn't the most aesthetic of attacking midfielders - maybe it's because of his unusually long arms - but he's so incredibly effective at what he does.
Muller is not quite so important to Bayern anymore, but he is still a very good footballer.
17. Kai Havertz
Kai Havertz made his name as an attacking midfielder in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, though Chelsea often shoehorned the German into their starting XI by playing him up front.
Havertz never looked like a great fit as the Blues' striker and has since swapped Stamford Bridge for the Emirates in another exchange between the London giants.
Mikel Arteta has ended up using Havertz as part of a midfield three and that seems to be getting more out of him.
16. Paulo Dybala
Injuries have hamstrung Paulo Dybala over the past two seasons, but the Argentine is nothing short of joyous to watch in full flow.
The aptly named La Joya is a throwback playmaker who plays the game at his own pace. He likes to drift infield from the right and create with that wand of a left foot of his. However, Dybala is more of a goalscorer than he is a creator and despite suffering numerous injuries he still puts out good numbers.
His status as an outright superstar has been thrust into considerable doubt over the past few years and his move to Roma was an indication of his relative decline at the highest level.
For all his talent, Dybala simply isn't a player who aligns with the ideals of progressive, modern-day managers. Perhaps he was born a generation too late.
15. Christopher Nkunku
Julian Nagelsmann helped Christopher Nkunku hone his craft during his time at RB Leipzig and the Frenchman exploded in the wake of the German manager's departure last summer.
Nkunku is a Swiss army knife. He's so versatile but much of his production last season came when Domenico Tedesco deployed him in a second-striker position. The discarded PSG youth prospect loves to operate from the left half-space and Tedesco was able to facilitate the most productive season of his career thus far in 2021/22.
His form saw him called up to France's squad for the very first time in March 2022 and Chelsea have since swooped in to take his talents to Stamford Bridge. An injury means he has not excelled in the Premier League yet, but the signs are there.
14. Xavi Simons
Having been exceptional for PSV Eindhoven, Xavi Simons earned himself a move to PSG during the summer and then a loan switch to RB Leipzig to test himself at a slightly higher level.
At said 'slightly higher level' Simons has excelled to say the very least. He's one of the best players in the Bundesliga right now.
13. Joao Felix
A player with a fairly ambiguous position, Joao Felix still retains enough quality and promise for a high ranking.
His loan at Chelsea did not quite work out in the way he, the club or Atletico Madrid would have wanted, however, he has impressed intermittently at Barcelona this season. There is still more in the tank, though.
12. Florian Wirtz
When the Bundesliga pioneered the return of football in 2020 following a lengthy COVID-induced break, Peter Bosz's Bayer Leverkusen were one of the sides desperate football lovers were keen to see.
Kai Havertz was the name on the tip of everybody's tongues but it was Florian Wirtz who raised an eyebrow or two. It took some time for the young German to produce regularly for Die Werkself but by the time he suffered a devastating ACL rupture in March 2022, Wirtz had established himself as one of the world’s best teenage talents.
He took the mantle from Havertz with both hands and quickly emerged as Leverkusen's star attacking talent, and he may be a Bundesliga winner soon.
11. Dominik Szoboszlai
Dominik Szoboszlai's ball-striking is among the very best in the world and his knack for pulling off the spectacular could easily see him emerge as a compilation merchant.
However, the Hungarian sensation is much more than that.
Szoboszlai is an elegant playmaker who relishes the battle. His vision and technique mean he stands out from a playmaking perspective and he's put up impressive assist numbers throughout his senior career thus far.
There's plenty more to come from Szoboszlai but he's already one of the most talented attacking midfielders in the world.
10. Mohammed Kudus
Mohammed Kudus had been linked consistently with Europe's elite before making the surprise move to West Ham in the summer of 2023.
He has been a revelation for the Hammers, scoring and creating almost every weekend. They may be fending off bids for him in 2024.
9. Julian Alvarez
Signed as a backup striker to Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez has been simply too good not to have in the starting lineup since joining.
Now, Pep Guardiola is utilising Alvarez as an attacking midfielder and, judging by his performances, that's a position he is more than capable of thriving in.
8. James Maddison
It wasn't always plain sailing for James Maddison at Leicester City, with Brendan Rodgers happy to underutilise the Englishman due to his lack of defensive nous and sub-par work rate. However, he has evolved in these regards over the past couple of years to become one of the Premier League's most efficient playmakers.
He's a risk-taker in possession; a player that gets the crowd on their feet every time he receives possession in the attacking third. He has thrived since joining Tottenham, either side of a serious injury.
7. Jamal Musiala
England and Germany fought it out for the right to have this teenage sensation represent them on the international stage.
Jamal Musiala had played for the Three Lions at various youth levels but is German-born and quickly racked up over 20 appearances for Germany at just 20 years of age.
He has already established himself as a bona fide star in Munich with Bundesliga tyrants Bayern, scoring the goal that helped his side pip Borussia Dortmund to the title in 2022/23.
Musiala can perform multiple roles but excels in an attacking midfield position due to his instincts in and around the box. He's an excellent dribbler, while his movement in the final third is Thomas Muller-esque.
6. Phil Foden
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has hailed Phil Foden's "special quality" in the past and the Spaniard has done an excellent job of facilitating the England international's rise at the Etihad.
Foden glides across the pitch before exuding the utmost technical quality with the ball at his feet. He's a player you just can't take your eye off at times, such is his virtuosity.
The two-time PFA Young Player of the Year is gritty and tenacious without the ball, while Pep has used him in a myriad of functions - all of which he performs to the highest level. Not many boast Foden's positional flexibility.
5. Martin Odegaard
Former Real Madrid wonder kid Martin Odegaard has matured into quite the character. Already the captain of Norway, he was announced as Arsenal's new skipper before the start of the 2022/23 season.
Odegaard is blessed with a tidy left foot and is one of those players who boasts a wonderful 'feel' for the game. He understands timing and can pull off almost every pass in the book. His playmaking capacity has to be considered among the very best in the world.
The Norwegian star is playing a key role in Mikel Arteta's exciting project at Arsenal and has all the makings of a modern-day Gunners icon. He's going from strength to strength and is one of Arsenal's best players.
4. Bruno Fernandes
The pressure that comes with being a big-money Manchester United signing is unrivalled and so many before Bruno Fernandes wilted under the spotlight.
However, the Portuguese creator set the world alight during his first 18 months at the club. After signing in January 2020, Fernandes notched 15 Premier League goal contributions in 14 appearances during the second half of the season before scoring 18 times in the league the following campaign.
Fernandes has definitely suffered during some of United's more depressing moments over the past few years, but his output since joining has been remarkable.
3. Bernardo Silva
It's hard to pin down a particular position to put Bernardo Silva in because he could've gone into most of them. That versatility is ultimately what makes him such a valuable asset to Manchester City and Pep Guardiola.
The Portugal international is a brilliantly tidy player who can also provide a bit of cutting-edge when needed.
2. Kevin De Bruyne
Few players combine strength, power, creativity and technical ability like Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian playmaker is incredibly difficult to stop when all of Man City's parts are moving with the precise synchronicity of a swan dance at the opera, showing devastating form during the second half of the 2022/23 season as they blitzed their way to the treble.
Give him too much space and De Bruyne will find the spare teammate at the back post. Close him down and he'll blast into space for one of his unstoppable drives.
His injury has seen him miss most of 2023/24, but he is back and creating goals again.
1. Jude Bellingham
Few could have predicted quite the immediate impact Jude Bellingham would have when he signed for Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund.
The England international was already revered for his consistency in the Bundesliga but broke out as a bona fide attacking star in his first few months under Carlo Ancelotti, supremely filling the iconic void left by Karim Benzema.
When you consider he looks like the nailed-on favourite to win the next Ballon d'Or, Bellingham has to take top spot among attacking midfielders.
The kid is tearing it up and shows no sign of stopping.