True attacking midfielders are a rare breed in elite football today.
As the game’s tactical trends have evolved, the traditional No. 10 role has slowly started to disappear (defensive midfield string pullers and central midfield maestros have come to the fore)—but that doesn’t mean playmakers are obsolete. Teams still crave those gifted midfielders who can unlock defences, deliver set-piece magic and fire in spectacular goals from range.
And when you find a truly top-tier attacking midfielder, you hold on tight. Their unique blend of vision, technique and flair makes them nearly irreplaceable—one of the reasons they fetch such astronomical fees in the transfer market.
With that in mind, here’s Sports Illustrated’s ranking of the 25 best attacking midfielders on the planet right now.
25. Dejan Kulusevski
Dejan Kulusevski has taken on multiple roles for Tottenham Hotspur since his arrival from Juventus—most commonly as a traditional right winger, but also more recently as a false nine.
However, it’s in a more central attacking midfield position where Ange Postecoglou unlocked the best version of the talented Swede.
At times, Postecoglou even sacrificed some of Spurs’ defensive structure to give Kulusevski the freedom to roam higher up the pitch, where his blend of physicality, creativity and clever movement flourished.
Kulusevski was arguably Tottenham’s standout performer during the first half of the 2024/25 campaign, ranking among the Premier League’s most impressive creative outlets. But as Spurs’ form collapsed in the second half of the season, their inability to maintain a system that consistently got the best out of him became a glaring issue—highlighting both his importance and the team’s overall lack of balance.
With Thomas Frank now at the helm, though, big things could be on the horizon for Kulusevski in his new-found favourite position.
24. Alex Baena
Villarreal have largely stuck to their 4-4-2 roots in recent years—first under Unai Emery, and now with Marcelino, who’s maintained many of the same tactical principles.
While Álex Baena wasn’t a key figure during Emery’s reign, but flourished under Marcelino, evolving into a relentless creative force from the left flank. With the full-back providing width, Baena has the freedom to drift inside, where he does his damage—finding pockets of space and pulling strings from dangerous central areas.
A gifted technician with the instincts of a classic No. 10, Baena possesses a natural eye for a pass and consistently makes the right decisions in the final third. He’s become one of La Liga’s most productive creators and a central figure in Villarreal’s attacking identity.
Now at Atlético Madrid, Baena will be looking to bring that same craft and energy to a bigger stage. And with a Spanish national team call-up already under his belt, he’s poised to make a serious mark for both club and country in the coming years.
23. Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva’s versatility and established quality mean he’s comfortable playing across midfield and attack for Manchester City and Portugal.
Whether operating through the middle or out wide, Silva has the ability to deliver consistently high performances even when those around him are faltering—a testament to his temperament and composure in pressure cooker situations.
Pep Guardiola has often turned to Silva for support when the chips have been down at the Etihad, relying on his ingenuity, flair and overall brilliance on the ball. A tidy operator who rarely concedes possession, he’s capable of slicing a defence apart with a perfectly weighted through ball or can drain an opponents energy by stroking it around in midfield with effortless ease. Yes, Silva’s influence is beginning to wane as he accumulates more miles in his tank, but take him lightly at your peril.
22. Pedro Goncalves
Mention Sporting CP’s standout player over the past few years and most will say Viktor Gyökeres. Few, if any, will mention Pedro Gonçalves. But they should.
Sometimes a No. 10, sometimes a winger (but even then he mostly drifts infield because of wing-backs being deployed behind him), Gonçalves has been Sporting’s creative metronome since 2020, often the architect behind Gyökeres’ goals—and Paulinho’s before him—while consistently being a major goal threat himself.
Up until the end of the 2024/25 season, despite missing a significant chunk through injury, Gonçalves had scored 87 goals and provided 57 assists for the club—remarkable numbers by any standard. That kind of output from a non-striker is rare, and yet, he’s still often overlooked.
Perhaps it’s because he plays for Sporting, away from the major media spotlight. Perhaps it’s his quiet persona, or the lingering label of a Premier League misfire from his brief, uneventful time at Wolves. But whatever the reason, it doesn’t change the fact: Pedro Gonçalves has been one of Europe’s most consistently effective attacking midfielders for half a decade—and deserves to be recognised as such.
21. Paulo Dybala
Injuries have undeniably disrupted Paulo Dybala’s rhythm in recent seasons, but when he’s fit and firing, few players are more enchanting to watch.
Aptly nicknamed La Joya (“The Jewel”), Dybala is a throwback in every sense—a playmaker who moves to his own rhythm, gliding infield from the right, orchestrating attacks with that wand of a left foot. Yet despite his creative finesse, he’s more of a scorer than a pure creator and even amid recurring setbacks, his output remains impressive.
His move to Roma marked a clear step down from football’s top tier—a symbol of his fading status as an undisputed global star. In truth, Dybala’s game doesn’t quite align with the hyper-intensity or tactical rigidity of the modern, pressing-obsessed manager. He’s a free spirit in an era of systems and structure, perhaps born a decade too late.
And yet, despite it all, Dybala remains one of a kind, a player who, when in full flow, offers moments of magic that remind us why we fell in love with football in the first place.
20. Justin Kluivert
Justin Kluivert’s career once looked to be meandering into obscurity. Despite early promise, he struggled to make a lasting impact during spells at Roma, RB Leipzig, and Valencia—clubs that never quite managed to unlock his full potential.
So when he joined Bournemouth, many saw it as a step down—an unspoken admission that the Dutchman might never live up to the weight of his surname. But under Andoni Iraola, that narrative has changed dramatically.
A move into a more central, free-roaming role has proven transformative. No longer confined to the flanks, Kluivert now operates with confidence and clarity. He presses with intensity, links play with maturity and contributes regularly in the final third.
For the first time in years, he’s playing with the swagger reminiscent of his legendary father, finally matching flair with end product. Technically sharp and tactically refined, Kluivert is enjoying the most productive and consistent season of his career and it feels like just the beginning of a long-overdue renaissance.
19. Fermin Lopez
In a Barcelona midfield stacked with young talent like Gavi and Pedri, Fermín López stands out—not because he’s better, but because he’s different.
While Pedri and Gavi tend to dictate the tempo from deeper areas with calm control and surgical passing, López is a high-energy, all-action force who presses relentlessly from the front, disrupts opposition buildup and plays with fearless intent. Whether it’s firing off a shot from distance or threading an unexpected pass, he’s always looking to make something happen.
Where many La Masia graduates pride themselves on precision and caution, López embraces risk. He makes the occasional mistake, but he causes constant problems—and more often than not, if he loses the ball, he wins it back seconds later.
That unpredictability is perhaps why he hasn’t always been trusted with consistent starts, more often used as a super-sub. But even if he’s not the textbook Barcelona midfielder, he’s the kind of player that makes them better, because no one else at the club does what he does.
18. Kevin De Bruyne
Injuries may have taken their toll and the legs may not move like they used to, but let’s make one thing clear: there is still no midfielder—attacking, defensive, or central—who can pass a ball quite like Kevin De Bruyne.
Short, medium, long; outside or inside of the foot; on the ground or through the air; threaded between the lines or lofted over the top—De Bruyne can do it all. And not just do it, but execute it with near-flawless precision: perfect weight, perfect spin, perfect speed. A striker’s dream, in every sense.
It’s true that the physical demands of the Premier League may have become too much, which is why his move to Napoli made so much sense. In the slower rhythm of Serie A, De Bruyne can sit deeper, conserve energy and continue to orchestrate games like few ever have—spraying passes the league might not be ready for.
17. Charles De Ketelaere
Charles De Ketelaere’s stock was at an all-time low when he arrived at Atalanta in 2023, fresh off a torrid season with AC Milan in which he managed just one goal contribution in 32 Serie A appearances.
To revive his faltering career, he was sent to Gian Piero Gasperini’s now-legendary career rehab clinic in Bergamo—the same one that had rejuvenated the likes of Ademola Lookman, Ederson, Davide Zappacosta, Cristian Romero and Marten de Roon, among others.
Almost immediately, Gasperini worked his magic. De Ketelaere reminded everyone why he was once hailed as Belgium’s next great hope after Eden Hazard. Standing at 6’4″ but operating with the elegance of a classic No.10, he dazzled in his debut campaign, scoring 14 league goals and providing 11 assists—all while playing a central role in Atalanta’s historic Europa League triumph.
In 2024/25, he was just as influential, recording 13 goals and 13 assists and once again tormenting defenders with his silky footwork, clever movement, and outstanding football IQ—especially his off-ball positioning, which those who really watch the game will tell you, is elite.
16. Phil Foden
Talent-wise, Phil Foden is brilliant. We know it, you know it and Pep Guardiola certainly knows it. He’s a supremely gifted player—capable of weaving through tight spaces, taking sublime first touches, reading the game effortlessly and smashing in top-corner screamers like it’s nothing.
So why isn’t he higher on this list?
Consistency. Or, unfortunately, a lack of it. Named the 2023/24 Premier League Player of the Season—and deservedly so—Foden wasn’t able to come anywhere close to that level as Manchester City meekly surrendered the title to Liverpool. There were injuries, there were other off-field issues, but it was still a great surprise to see Foden’s level dip so drastically. He often goes missing for long stretches for England, too.
When it all clicks, Foden is breathtaking, perhaps unplayable. Let’s just hope we, and Manchester City, see that version of him more often.
15. Morgan Rogers
Morgan Rogers is a bit of an anomaly on this list—save for maybe Jude Bellingham. He’s not your typical diminutive, fleet-footed attacking midfielder. Far from it. Rogers is more of a one-man wrecking ball.
While others glide through midfield, Rogers bulldozes his way forward, aggressively driving through challenges as defenders bounce off him like pinballs. He brings power and purpose in abundance—an attacking midfielder built more like a forward, with the mentality of a freight train.
But don’t mistake that physicality for a lack of finesse. Rogers has the technical quality to match, often pulling off clever flicks, nutmegs and backheels to create opportunities in tight spaces. He’s more than capable of finding the net himself, too, with a strong shot and intelligent movement into the box.
His biggest weakness? His passing range and final-third decision-making—though the latter is rapidly improving with each game. Given his age, physical tools, and upward trajectory at Aston Villa, it’s hard not to be excited about what comes next.
14. Oihan Sancet
Nico Williams’ ascent in Bilbao has captured the imagination, but it is Oihan Sancet who is the beating heart of Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic Club.
Sancet isn’t a prolific creator in the traditional sense. He operates more like a space invader—à la Thomas Müller—constantly drifting into pockets between the lines and functioning as a second striker rather than a pure No. 10.
It’s a role that suits him perfectly, with his intelligent movement and box instincts repeatedly putting him in the right place at the right time.
A standout ball-striker—clean, crisp and capable of generating serious power—Sancet makes the most of half-chances with precise, well-timed finishes. He ended the 2024/25 campaign as La Liga’s top-scoring midfielder, and while he may not always dominate the headlines, his influence in the final third is both vital and consistently decisive.
13. Eberechi Eze
There are few players in world football more entertaining to watch right now than Eberechi Eze.
A bit like Cole Palmer, but with a touch more elegance, the England international glides through defences with a grace that borders on surreal. He drifts past players and into space so effortlessly it often looks like he’s not trying—or that they aren’t. Of course, neither is true. He’s just that good. There’s something almost Berbatov-esque about him—the way the ball seems magnetised to his feet, every movement smooth and deliberate.
And when it comes to scoring, few attacking midfielders are as consistently effective. Eze is a dead-ball specialist and a master of disguise in open play—slotting the ball into corners while sending goalkeepers the wrong way with a drop of the shoulder or a glance of the eyes.
For too long, Eze flew under the radar—largely because he plies his trade at Crystal Palace. But after guiding the club to a historic FA Cup win in 2024/25—scoring the winning goal against Manchester City in the final—he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves.
The question now isn’t whether Eze is good enough for a bigger stage, it’s whether that stage is ready for him.
12. Isco
It’s a tired cliché, but Isco really is aging like a fine wine.
Many assumed his career was winding down when he left Real Madrid in 2023 to join Real Betis, but at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, he’s arguably hit a new peak—adding more goals and assists to his game than ever before and earning back-to-back spots in the La Liga Team of the Season for the first time in his career.
Watch Isco closely and it’s clear he’s a rare breed. He plays with total freedom, relying first and foremost on his footballing brain—reading the game a second ahead of everyone else and executing with effortless creativity. Where most players take a touch and then decide, Isco already knows what comes next. It’s instinctive.
Ironically, it’s the kind of creative spark Madrid so desperately lacked behind their forwards during the 2024/25 season. And you can’t help but wonder: with Isco pulling strings behind Mbappé, Vinícius, Rodrygo—and even alongside Bellingham—maybe they’d have lifted a trophy or two.
11. Morgan Gibbs-White
England is absolutely bursting with attacking midfield talent right now, and Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White rightfully sits high in that pantheon.
If Morgan Rogers is the bulldozing battering ram, Phil Foden the mercurial genius and Eberechi Eze the silky smooth operator, then Gibbs-White is the perfect fusion of all those qualities—showcasing sharp technical skill, imposing physicality, intelligent tactical awareness and relentless work rate.
But where he truly pulls ahead is in his razor-sharp instincts and an unshakable drive to push play forward at lightning speed. While others hesitate or slow the rhythm, Gibbs-White is already a step ahead—each first touch precise, every move calculated, leaving defenders chasing shadows with clever feints, explosive bursts, and razor-edged decision-making. He’s quick of mind and fleet of foot in equal measure.
What sets him apart even more? He doesn’t crave the spotlight; he lets his performances do the talking, making the right calls time and time again—and yet, somehow, he always ends up front and centre.
10. Dominik Szoboszlai
Dominik Szoboszlai’s ball-striking alone is enough to turn heads—thunderous free-kicks, pinpoint long-range passes and rockets from outside the box. He could easily make a living as a highlight-reel specialist.
But the Liverpool star is far more than a showreel.
Graceful on the ball yet tenacious off it, Szoboszlai combines flair with bite in a way few modern playmakers do. His vision, composure and technique make him a constant creative threat, and he’s quietly racked up assists wherever he’s played—a testament to his consistency and football intelligence.
In his second season at Anfield, Szoboszlai enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024–25, racking up eight goals and nine assists across all competitions. He saved his best for last, pulling the strings in Liverpool’s title-clinching 5–1 demolition of Tottenham, where he set up goals for both Mohamed Salah and Luis Díaz.
It was a fitting climax to a season that saw him become the first Hungarian ever to win the Premier League—and confirmation that Szoboszlai is far more than a flair player. He’s now a genuine star in one of Europe’s most ruthless midfields.
9. Rayan Cherki
Call us daft for ranking a player who only recently received an international call-up and a newly minted move to Manchester City as one of the best attacking midfielders in the world—but watch Rayan Cherki for five minutes, and you’ll get it.
The former Lyon prodigy, now donning sky blue, is special. With the ball at his feet, Cherki is pure magic. He glides, twists, flicks and nutmegs with the confidence of someone who grew up knowing the game bends to his rhythm. There’s more than a touch of Riyad Mahrez in his style, the way he keeps the ball glued to his boots and slaloms through defenders with outrageous ease.
And this isn’t just showboating. Cherki delivers. His whipped crosses, laser-guided passes and vicious left-footed strikes are backed by genuine vision and intelligence. He’s unpredictable, ambidextrous, and utterly fearless—everything you don’t want to see running at you in the final third.
Former Arsenal man Ainsley Maitland-Niles—who’s shared a pitch with the likes of Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Mesut Özil, Serge Gnabry, and Martin Ødegaard—once called Cherki the “best natural talent” he’s ever seen.
And honestly? We see it too.
8. Xavi Simons
Once hailed as a teenage prodigy at Barcelona and later Paris Saint-Germain, Xavi Simons seemed destined for stardom—but oddly, never got the chance to prove it at either club. That all changed when he joined PSV Eindhoven in 2022—and did he take his chance.
Simons made the Eredivisie look effortless. With elegant playmaking, relentless energy and a sharp eye for goal (he scored 22 times across the season), he was named the division’s Player of the Year and quickly prompted PSG to trigger his buy-back clause.
But once again, an opportunity never truly came. Instead of integrating him into the squad, PSG sent him out on loan to RB Leipzig—a decision that has since backfired spectacularly.
Now a permanent Leipzig player, Simons has flourished, lighting up the Bundesliga week after week as one of its most electric attacking forces. What makes his rise even more impressive is that he’s doing it without playing for one of Germany’s dominant clubs—yet he’s still standing out among the league’s very best.
Simons continues to defy expectations, and it feels inevitable that, sooner or later, he’ll land at an elite club that finally gives him the platform he deserves.
7. Martin Odegaard
Martin Ødegaard is blessed with a velvet left foot and a rare, almost instinctive feel for the game. He understands space and timing like few others, capable of executing nearly every pass in the playmaker’s arsenal. In terms of pure vision and technical elegance, he’s comfortably among the best in the world.
But Ødegaard brings more than just craft—he brings leadership. Handed the Arsenal captaincy ahead of the 2022–23 season and already the skipper of Norway, he’s the heartbeat of both club and country. When things click, they often click through him.
Where the Norwegian falters, though, is in consistency. The 2024–25 campaign was a frustrating one—both personally and for Arsenal as a whole. For Ødegaard to be truly considered among the elite of the elite, he needs to produce at the highest level year after year, and, crucially, lead his side to silverware. That’s the weight of the armband.
The talent is unquestionable. But until he matches it with sustained impact and trophies, the conversation around Ødegaard will always carry a hint of “what if.”
6. Dani Olmo
Born in Spain, shaped in Croatia with Dinamo Zagreb, first showcased in Germany with RB Leipzig, and now back home in Catalonia with Barcelona—Dani Olmo’s footballing journey is anything but conventional, and it’s exactly that path that’s made him such a uniquely gifted star.
Olmo plays with the poise and elegance you’d expect from a La Masia graduate, yet blends it seamlessly with the tactical discipline of a Croatian midfielder—think Modrić or Rakitić—and the relentless work rate often found in the Bundesliga. He’s not physically dominant, but he rarely needs to be; his intelligence, movement and sheer determination do all the heavy lifting.
A central figure in Barça’s treble-winning 2024/25 season, Olmo thrives on the biggest stages. But what truly sets him apart is his ability to conjure brilliance out of nowhere. No space in the box? No problem—he’ll glide into a gap that didn’t exist a second ago. No clear option ahead? He’ll create one with a slick turn or bend a world-class strike into the top corner from 20 yards out.
He’s not just a cog in a well-oiled machine—he’s a match-winner, a game-changer.
5. Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United have endured a wild ride since 2020—finishing as high as second in the Premier League and as low as 15th, winning both the FA Cup and EFL Cup, then crashing back down to trophyless campaigns.
Behind the chaos—boardroom drama, waves of poor signings, and a carousel of underwhelming managers—one constant has remained: Bruno Fernandes.
When United are ticking, Fernandes is the engine. He’s relentlessly creative, scores with a frequency that defies expectations for a midfielder and regularly delivers thunderous volleys and jaw-dropping strikes from distance. He sets the tempo and raises the ceiling of the entire team.
And when things aren’t going well—which has been often—he adapts. He digs in. He becomes more than a playmaker, embracing the graft: chasing down lost causes, pressing relentlessly, throwing himself into the ugly side of the game. (Though, understandably, he can’t do it all every week – it’s an exhausting burden to carry.)
In a team that’s often looked like it’s accepted mediocrity, Fernandes plays with the fire of someone who simply refuses to. His passion burns through every match, and his desire to lift United back to where they once stood is palpable.
Put simply, without Fernandes in the 2024–25 season, United may well have been relegated. That alone is a testament to just how good he truly is.
4. Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer was nothing short of a revelation after swapping Manchester City for Chelsea at the start of the 2023–24 season. In his debut Premier League campaign at Stamford Bridge, he racked up a staggering 33 goal contributions—scoring and assisting with ease—while routinely leaving defenders twisted in knots.
He played with the carefree flair of a schoolboy untouched by pressure, constantly attempting (and often pulling off) the outrageous. That freedom, that fearlessness, made him one of the most entertaining players to watch in world football.
While he started the 2024–25 season brightly, the second half saw a noticeable dip. The weight of expectation seemed to drag him down, compounded by a lack of consistent quality around him in the final third.
But that issue appears to have been addressed. With Noni Madueke off to Arsenal, Joao Pedro arriving from Brighton and Enzo Fernández pushed higher up the pitch, Palmer now has a more cohesive support cast. And at the Club World Cup, he looked reborn.
His performance in the final against the reigning Champions League winners was the stuff of legend—two stunning goals, a sublime assist for Pedro, and a masterclass in making elite defenders and midfielders look utterly ordinary. Like schoolboys, in fact—but not in the charming way.
At his unleashed, uninhibited best, Cole Palmer is simply unstoppable.
3. Florian Wirtz
Florian Wirtz shattered the British transfer record when he joined reigning Premier League champions Liverpool in 2025 – and the Reds haven’t just signed any old player; they’ve landed a complete attacking midfielder.
The German playmaker was a central figure in Xabi Alonso’s title-winning Bayer Leverkusen side in 2023–24, impressing both fans and opponents with his technical skill, sharp vision and composure in the final third. Named Bundesliga Player of the Season, Wirtz was more than just a creator—he controlled the rhythm of games with a maturity beyond his years and a touch of flair that made him stand out.
Even as Leverkusen’s momentum slowed the following year, Wirtz kept flying. Despite his modest stature, he towered over the most of the league in terms of quality, racking up over 30 goal contributions and delivering highlight-reel moments almost weekly.
Premier League—brace yourselves.
2. Jamal Musiala
On paper, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz seem remarkably alike—both are highly decorated German internationals and gifted attacking midfielders capable of unlocking defenses with flashes of brilliance.
But look a little closer, and subtle differences begin to emerge. And it’s those differences that, in our eyes at least, give Musiala just the slightest edge over his compatriot.
For starters, while Musiala might not quite match Wirtz’s pure playmaking precision, he’s a far superior dribbler. His long, fluid strides and close control allow him to glide past defenders in almost any situation—at full speed, in tight spaces, with seemingly no room to manoeuvre. In and around the box, he finds gaps that simply shouldn’t exist—his movement and balance so uncanny, you could imagine even Lionel Messi raising an eyebrow.
Secondly, the Bayern Munich star is more direct when it comes to attacking goal himself. He’s the type of player who, when options are limited, takes matters into his own hands—whether it’s weaving through traffic with a mazy run or curling a strike into the top corner out of nowhere.
Wirtz might be the more complete all-rounder, but Musiala’s final-third brilliance feels truly generational, and that’s what gives him the edge.
1. Jude Bellingham
You know you’ve reached the very top of your craft when critics repeatedly focus on the need to “calm down” and “tone it back" on the pitch. What they fail to realise is that edge goes a long way to determining the player Jude Bellingham is today.
His fire, his so-called arrogance? It’s not a problem. It’s the engine that drives him. It’s what separates him from the rest. That fearless swagger isn’t a flaw—it’s the fuel that’s powering the best attacking midfielder on the planet right now.
Sure, he barks at teammates. He gets under opponents’ skin. He stirs the pot. But dig beneath the tabloid noise and you’ll find a player who plays every minute like it’s life or death. He chases everything, fights for every inch, and demands more—from himself, from everyone around him.
And crucially, he’s got the talent to back up the attitude. Whether he’s marauding through midfield, heading in last-gasp winners or pulling off the kind of audacious overheads most players wouldn’t dare attempt—Bellingham delivers.
He’s a born winner. That fire isn’t something to extinguish— it’s something to throw fuel on.
READ MORE ON THE BEST 25 PLAYERS FOR EVERY POSITION IN WORLD SOCCER
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The 25 Best Attacking Midfielders in World Soccer—Ranked.