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Ranked! The 10 best central midfielders in the world

Please note: Player slides taken from our overall list of the FFT100

10. Casemiro (Real Madrid)

Casemiro
Casemiro

Zinedine Zidane famously criticised Real Madrid’s sale of Claude Makelele in 2003, questioning the wisdom of “put[ting] another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine”.

It’s no surprise, then, that holding midfielder Casemiro has become such a key player for aMadrid side managed by Zizou. The Brazilian brought balance and stability to the Spanish and European champions in 2017, breaking up play in the centre of the park and distributing the ball efficiently. He also scored 10 times throughout the year, including in the Champions League final and European Super Cup.

9. Marco Verratti (PSG)

Marco Verratti
Marco Verratti

A fearsome frontline of Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe is the most eye-catching part of PSG’s team, but Verratti is the man who makes Unai Emery’s side tick. The Italian sets the tempo for the Parisians with his pinpoint passing, while he’s also adept at evading opposition pressure and picking his way out of congested areas.

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He rarely finds the net and is still a little rash without the ball – the 25-year-old received 15 yellow cards for club and country last year – but Verratti conducts the play like few others.

8. David Silva (Manchester City) 

David Silva
David Silva

The Spanish schemer is undoubtedly one of the finest players to have ever plied his trade in the Premier League. Silva may not have won anything in 2017, but his combination of creativity and tenacity ensured Manchester City had established an insurmountable lead at the top of the table by the end of the calendar year.

The former Valencia playmaker ended 2017 with 10 goals and 16 assists to his name, but this is a player to whom such statistics don’t do justice. Almost eight years on from his arrival on English shores, there’s still no one in the league who can run a game like Silva.

7. Sergio Busquets (Barcelona)

Sergio Busquets
Sergio Busquets

“You watch the game, you don’t see Busquets,” former Spain manager Vicente del Bosque once said. “You watch Busquets, you see the whole game.”

The midfield metronome was once again an essential part of the Barcelona team in 2017, protecting the two centre-backs and starting attacks with his line-breaking passing.

Busquets’ standout attribute, though, is his ability to evade opposition pressure – the best example of which came in the build-up to Barcelona’s opening goal in their final game of the year against Real Madrid. Collecting possession deep inside his own half, an unruffled Busquets casually manoeuvred his way past Toni Kroos before freeing Ivan Rakitic to carry the ball intolos Blancos’ half.

6. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)

Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos

Kroos isn’t as eye-catching as Cristiano Ronaldo, Isco or even midfield partner Luka Modric, but Real Madrid wouldn’t be the same without him. The Germany international brings poise and control to the midfield, helping Zidane’s side retain possession and, when there’s a gap to be exploited, slicing open an opponent’s defensive structure with a pinpoint pass.

A Spanish and European champion in 2017, Kroos either scored or set up goals in crucial matches against Napoli (twice), Atletico Madrid (twice), Sevilla and Celta Vigo in the second half of last season.

5. Isco (Real Madrid)

Isco
Isco

At the start of 2017, Isco’s future was uncertain: out of contract in 18 months’ time and only sporadically a member of Zidane’s starting XI, a move away from Real Madrid looked a very real possibility. The playmaker turned on the style at the business end of the campaign, though, scoring four goals and providing four assists in April and May as los Blancos won La Liga and the Champions League.

Isco also established himself as a key player for Spain in 2017, and produced one of the standout performances in World Cup qualification when he pulled the strings to devastating effect in a 3-0 triumph over Italy in September.

4. Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba

Expectations were always going to be high following Pogba’s return to Manchester for a world-record fee in summer 2016, but the Frenchman has rarely looked burdened by the responsibility on his shoulders at United.

Pogba is often primarily praised for his physical characteristics, but it’s his technical gifts which really set the ex-Juventus man apart. His touch is magnificent and his range of passing with both feet is extraordinary, while the 24-year-old also possesses the rare midfield quality of being able to dribble past opponents too. Pogba will hope Europa League and League Cup triumphs in 2017 are a mere precursor to bigger and better prizes at Old Trafford.

3. N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)

N'Golo Kante
N'Golo Kante

The man who brought ball-winning back into fashion, Kante claimed a second Premier League winner’s medal in as many years in 2017.

His speed, superhuman lung power and intelligent reading of the game allow the Frenchman to regain possession at a remarkable rate, but it would be wrong to label him a mere destroyer. Kante’s passing has improved significantly since he first arrived in England, and his driving runs aid Chelsea’s transitions from defence to attack.

2. Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

Luka Modric
Luka Modric

Modric turned 32 in 2017, but there were few signs of him slowing down last year. The Croatian creator was instrumental as Real Madrid won La Liga and the Champions League in the same season for the first time since 1985/86, with his performance levels remaining consistent throughout the campaign. Indeed, Modric is a player you can bank on turning up even on the biggest occasions.

The former Tottenham man is a fantastic passer who also carries the ball through midfield to great effect, knitting the team together while rarely making bad decisions.

1. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne

Simply, De Bruyne is the Premier League’s most complete player who excels at virtually every aspect of midfield play. Inventive, dynamic, aggressive and athletic, the Belgian can both create and convert chances with either foot, and is able to influence games on the counter-attack or in phases of high possession.

De Bruyne was the Premier League’s outstanding player in the first half of 2017/18, and there were few better than him in the last few months of the previous campaign. He’s flourished in a deeper role in Manchester City’s side, scoring 12 goals and laying on another 25 in the last calendar year.

Get the full list:

FourFourTwo's 100 Best Football Players in the World 2017