Football has evolved dramatically over the last decade, and the modern game demands more from players than ever before.
Managers no longer have the luxury of one-dimensional players who can only function in a single position.
The most valuable players in the world today are the ones who can slot into multiple roles without missing a beat.
These players give their managers tactical flexibility, solve injury problems, and often become the most important members of their squads.
Here are the best soccer players who can play multiple positions in 2026.
1. Federico Valverde — Real Madrid
Federico Valverde is the most genuinely versatile elite player in world football right now and the data backs that up completely.
Valverde has played in six different roles over the last three seasons at Real Madrid: central midfield, attacking midfield, defensive midfield, right wing, right midfield, and right back.
In 2025/26 he became Real Madrid’s first choice right back after long-term injuries to both Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and he never once looked out of place.
He recorded 5 goals and 8 assists in La Liga this season while splitting his time across midfield and defence, numbers that most pure midfielders would be happy with.
Carlo Ancelotti has spoken about Valverde’s versatility repeatedly, saying: “He can cover many positions and performs perfectly in all of them. It’s very difficult to find a right back like him.”
He is one of the best central midfielders of his generation but his ability to play anywhere on the right side of the pitch makes him something entirely different.
2. Reece James — Chelsea
Reece James has redefined what it means to be a full-back in the modern game and his 2025/26 season at Chelsea has been his best in years.
He made 14 starts in defensive midfield this season alone, on top of his regular appearances at right-back, centre-back, and central midfield across all competitions.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca deployed him as a deep-lying playmaker in London derbies against Tottenham and Arsenal, as well as in crucial Champions League assignments against Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
He also featured in that role in the Club World Cup final against PSG, one of the biggest games of Chelsea’s recent history.
His passing accuracy of 90% this season, combined with 19 key passes and 48 combined tackles and interceptions, proves he is not just filling a position but excelling in it.
James extended his contract at Chelsea to 2032 in March 2026, a huge statement of faith in a player who has become one of the best utility players in football.
3. Eric Garcia — Barcelona
Eric Garcia has become one of the most talked about utility players in European football after an extraordinary 2025/26 season at Barcelona.
Hansi Flick deployed him in four completely different positions across 20 games: centre back in 11 games, right back in 5, defensive midfielder once, and left back once, and he delivered in every single role.
Garcia himself said about his versatility: “I have always been a centre back, but I feel very comfortable at full back and I have gradually adapted to the number six position.”
His tactical awareness and composure in all four roles convinced Barcelona to hand him a new contract through to 2031 in December 2025, a major vote of confidence from the club.
He scored in Barcelona’s vital 4-3 El Clasico win over Real Madrid at Montjuïc and reached 100 appearances as a Blaugrana in March 2025.
Garcia is the kind of player every manager dreams about, a player who genuinely changed position and thrived, solving three or four different problems for the same team in the same season.
4. Mikel Merino — Arsenal
Mikel Merino has had one of the most remarkable positional journeys of any player at a top club in 2025/26, playing as a defensive midfielder, box-to-box midfielder, number 8, and centre forward all in the same season for Arsenal.
When Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz were both injured, Arteta deployed Merino as an emergency striker and he scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Leicester as a centre forward, a position he had never played professionally before.
He has since made the striker role his own at Arsenal, averaging more touches and progressive passes per 90 in that position than most traditional forwards, while still being able to drop into midfield when needed.
On the international stage with Spain he scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 World Cup qualifying win over Turkey in September 2025, showing his goal-scoring threat from any position on the pitch.
Merino won the Premier League with Arsenal in 2025/26 and was one of Arteta’s most important and flexible tactical assets throughout the entire campaign.
He is exactly the kind of player that elite midfielders of the modern era need to be, intelligent, adaptable, and effective in multiple roles.
5. Joao Cancelo — Barcelona (on loan)
Joao Cancelo is the first and only player in Premier League history to win the PFA Team of the Year award in two completely different positions, right back and left back, a record that tells you everything about his extraordinary positional flexibility.
The Portuguese defender rejoined Barcelona on loan from Al-Hilal in January 2026 and immediately made an impact, playing right back, left back, and winger across his 16 La Liga appearances for the club.
He finished with 2 goals and 2 assists in La Liga after joining in January, and assisted Cristiano Ronaldo’s opening goal in Portugal’s 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan at the 2026 World Cup.
Over his career at Manchester City, Cancelo was used by Pep Guardiola as an inverted full back who drifted into central midfield to maintain possession and control games, a role that blurred the line between defender and midfielder entirely.
He has played in five different countries across the top European leagues and won league titles in Portugal, Italy, England, Germany, and Spain, making him one of the most decorated full backs in football history.
6. Joshua Kimmich — Bayern Munich
Joshua Kimmich is the gold standard of positional versatility in European football and has been for the better part of a decade.
He came through as a central midfielder, was converted into a right back by Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich, and has since played defensive midfielder, central midfielder, right back, and occasionally centre back across his career.
At Bayern in 2025/26 Kimmich has operated primarily as a defensive midfielder and central midfielder, captaining the side with the same authority he shows regardless of where he plays on the pitch.
He is described by many as the new Philipp Lahm, his predecessor at both Bayern and Germany, who himself was one of the most positionally flexible players in football history.
Kimmich is the heartbeat of the German national team in midfield and when Bayern lose him to injury, they effectively lose two players at once because no one else in the squad can cover the same range of positions.
7. Eduardo Camavinga — Real Madrid
Eduardo Camavinga has become one of Real Madrid’s most important squad players because of his extraordinary ability to fill almost any role on the left side of the pitch or across the midfield.
In 2025/26 Ancelotti has used him as a central midfielder, left back, defensive midfielder, and in brief moments as a right back to cover the injury crisis that has plagued Madrid’s defensive options.
He is naturally a central midfielder but his athleticism, reading of the game, and technical quality mean he never looks uncomfortable when shifted to left back, a position that has become his most used role this season.
Camavinga has become internet famous for his versatility, with viral clips showing him capable of filling in as a goalkeeper during training sessions.
8. Bernardo Silva — Real Madrid
Bernardo Silva is arguably the most tactically versatile elite player of the last decade and his move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2026 only reinforces how much top clubs value his flexibility.
Over his six Premier League-winning seasons at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola used him as a right winger, central midfielder, attacking midfielder, false 9, left winger, and deep-lying playmaker, often switching roles within the same match.
Guardiola famously described Silva as “my weakness, my favourite one,” a tribute to a player who makes every system he plays in better regardless of where he lines up.
He won six Premier League titles and one Champions League with Manchester City and arrives at Real Madrid as one of the most experienced and decorated players in European football.
His technical quality, work rate, and football intelligence allow him to read games in a way that makes positional instructions almost irrelevant, he simply finds the space and the moment that the team needs.
Silva is one of the finest passers in football history and his ability to play across the midfield and attack makes him one of the most complete players of his generation.
9. Dominik Szoboszlai — Liverpool
Dominik Szoboszlai has been one of the most versatile and high-energy players in the Premier League in 2025/26 and his positional range is one of the most underrated aspects of his game.
ESPN’s data shows that Szoboszlai played three different positions at a consistently high level for Liverpool this season, including right-back, central midfield, and attacking midfield, while covering more distance per 90 minutes than almost any other outfield player in the league.
He is second in the entire Premier League for distance covered while sprinting and among the 25 or so players who covered more than 90 kilometres this season, he has the highest percentage of that distance covered while sprinting.
Arne Slot described him as the “best in the world” at pressing and his ability to operate across multiple positions without losing any of his intensity or quality is what makes him such a valuable tactical tool.
He scored three direct free kicks this season including stunning efforts against Arsenal and Manchester City, proving that his goal threat remains consistent regardless of where he plays on the pitch.
10. Warren Zaïre-Emery — Paris Saint-Germain
Warren Zaïre-Emery is only 19 years old and already one of the most positionally intelligent players in European football, a testament to the exceptional development environment Luis Enrique has built at PSG.
In 2025/26 he has played as a central midfielder, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, and right midfielder for PSG, often shifting between roles within the same match depending on the tactical needs of the moment.
Luis Enrique trusts him in three completely different roles in the same squad that contains world class players like Kvaratskhelia, Doué, Vitinha, and Joao Neves, which tells you everything about how highly the Spanish coach rates his versatility and intelligence.
Zaïre-Emery was part of the PSG squad that won back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles, one of the most remarkable team achievements in European football in recent years.
He is already a full French international and will be one of the most exciting players to watch at the 2026 World Cup as France bid to win their third world title.
At 19 he is already operating at a level that most players take years to reach, and his positional flexibility suggests a future as one of the best midfielders in the world.
11. Marcos Llorente — Atletico Madrid
Marcos Llorente is one of the most positionally flexible players in La Liga and has been for several seasons, capable of playing in at least four completely different roles across the pitch for Atletico Madrid.
Diego Simeone has used him as a right back, right wing back, central midfielder, box-to-box midfielder, and second striker across his time at the club, a range of positions that covers almost the entire right side of the pitch from back to front.
His breakthrough moment came in the 2019-20 Champions League when he came on as a substitute against Liverpool and scored twice from a central midfield position in a performance that transformed his career overnight.
In 2025/26 Llorente has continued to be one of Simeone’s most reliable and adaptable options, playing wherever the team needs him without ever complaining or losing his intensity.
He has made over 200 appearances for Atletico Madrid and remains one of the best box-to-box midfielders in La Liga, a player who brings energy, intelligence, and goals from any position on the right side of the pitch.
12. Konrad Laimer — Bayern Munich
Konrad Laimer is one of the most underrated versatile players in European football and has been quietly one of Bayern Munich’s most important squad members in 2025/26.
Vincent Kompany has used him as a central midfielder, right back, defensive midfielder, and right wing back this season, filling gaps across the right side of Bayern’s system with the same relentless energy and intensity regardless of where he plays.
Pep Guardiola repeatedly tried to sign Laimer for Manchester City precisely because of his positional flexibility and his ability to press at an elite level from multiple positions on the pitch.
He moved to Bayern from RB Leipzig in 2023 and has since established himself as one of the fittest and most versatile players in the Bundesliga, averaging among the highest distance covered per 90 among midfielders in the league.
His partnership with Kimmich gives Bayern Munich two of the most versatile midfielders in European football in the same squad, giving Kompany the flexibility to rotate and adapt formations without losing quality.
Laimer is one of the fittest footballers in the world and his engine combined with his tactical intelligence makes him the ideal modern utility player at one of the biggest clubs on the planet.
If you enjoyed this article, check out our guide to the soccer players who changed position and our list of the best utility players in football.
