Occupying a usually unglamorous, albeit extremely important role, defensive midfielders are “destroyers” in the middle of the pitch.
They break up the opposition’s play, provide cover for their overlapping defenders, mark the opposing attacking midfielders, read and dictate the game, among other things.
Apart from their primary defensive responsibilities, defensive midfielders are also expected to be able to bring the ball out of defense and act as a reliable link between defense and midfield — especially in modern times.
In this article, TOP SOCCER BLOG looks at the 10 greatest defensive midfielders of all time.
1. Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Matthäus is undeniably one of the greatest and most complete midfielders of all time, renowned for his exceptional positioning, technical ability, stamina, passing, and long-range shooting abilities.
Apart from being one of the best defensive midfielders, he is also said to be one of the greatest footballers of all time.
He was a box-to-box midfielder who could also play as an attacking or defensive midfielder, making him an incredibly versatile player on the field.
Not only could he defend well, but he could also make offensive runs into the opposing team’s defensive area to exert influence in attack.
His impressive goal-scoring ability with both feet and from free-kicks, combined with his wide range of passing and ability to glide past opposition players, made him a force to be reckoned with.
As his former manager Giovanni Trapattoni once said, “I admire Platini, I admire Maradona, but to win, I need Matthäus.”
Matthäus’ achievements speak for themselves, having captained West Germany to victory at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, awarded the Ballon d’Or, and named the first-ever FIFA World Player of the Year in 1991.
He remains the only German to have received the award and was also included in the Ballon d’Or Dream Team in 2020.
2. Frank Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard was a defensive midfielder who received immense praise from pundits throughout his career.
He was known for his physical and athletic attributes, work rate, positioning, acute tactical intelligence, and decision-making.
Rijkaard was also recognized for his outstanding consistency and ability to read the game. The Daily Telegraph even described him as a “stylish player of faultless pedigree.”
Although the Dutchman was generally known as a strong tackler, he was surprisingly elegant for a player of his size and also possessed good technique, passing ability, link-up play, and vision, which made him adept at starting attacking plays as a deep-lying playmaker once he won back possession.
All these qualities make him one of the best defensive midfielders in football history.
Frank Rijkaard won several trophies during his glorious spells at Ajax and AC Milan. He also won Euro 1988 with the Netherlands.
3. Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélélé revolutionized the role of defensive midfielders and became a role model for future generations.
His exceptional ability to win the ball and make short passes to maintain possession earned his position the nickname “Makélélé role” in football.
He was a combative and hard-working player who played in front of his team’s back line, serving as a defensive foil for his more offensive teammates.
Makélélé possessed aggressive tackling skills, excellent game-reading ability, and the capacity to break down plays, mark and anticipate opponents, and make well-timed challenges. He was the absolute top defensive midfielder of his generation.
He had an illustrious career that saw him play for top clubs such as Nantes, Marseille, Celta Vigo, Real Madrid, Chelsea, and PSG, winning league titles in France, Spain, and England, as well as the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League during his time with Real Madrid.
Moreover, Makélélé was once selected in the FIFPRO Men’s World 11 while playing for Chelsea.
He represented France for 13 years and was part of the French team that reached the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
He also represented his nation at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, two UEFA European Championships, and the 1996 Summer Olympics.
4. Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira was a complete, powerful, tenacious, and aggressive midfielder with outstanding physical, athletic, and technical attributes.
He was also known for his grace on the pitch when in possession of the ball, which made one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time.
Usually deployed as a defensive, central, or box-to-box midfielder, he was a competent tackler and a tactically intelligent midfielder who was known for his ability to anticipate his opponents.
He was gifted with good ball skills, distribution, and vision, which enabled him to start attacking plays in midfield after winning back possession.
Vieira spent his prime at Arsenal, where he achieved a sustained period of success during his time at the club, winning 4 FA Cups and 3 Premier League titles — including one unbeaten.
He was named in the Premier League PFA Team of the Year for six consecutive years from 1999 to 2004!
Patrick Vieira won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000 with France.
5. Edgar Davids
Edgar Davids was one of the most recognizable and greatest players of his generation.
His distinctive dreadlocked hair and protective goggles, worn due to glaucoma, made him stand out on the pitch.
Davids was a combative, energetic, creative, and skillful midfielder who was quick, hard-working, tenacious, and gifted with power, pace, exceptional physical strength, and stamina, despite his diminutive stature.
He was renowned for his dynamic and combative style of play, tight marking of opponents, and ability to break down opposition play as a defensive midfielder.
Louis van Gaal nicknamed him “The Pitbull” due to his marking ability, aggression, and hard-tackling style of play.
6. Dunga
Dunga played the anchor role in midfield extremely effectively due to his ability to break down play and subsequently start attacks with his passing.
Many other players in his position regularly lunged into tackles and put themselves about, but Dunga rarely went to the ground to make a tackle, instead brilliantly using his anticipation and timing to win challenges and retrieve the ball.
He captained Brazil to win the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Along with Xavi, Dunga is one of only two men to have played in a World Cup final, an Olympic final, a Confederations Cup final, and a continental championship final.
7. Sergio Busquets
The man who revolutionized the role of a defensive midfielder with his tactical intelligence and technical brilliance — none other than Sergio Busquets.
Sergio Busquets is widely recognized as one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time, thanks to his exceptional football intelligence, precision passing, and genius ability to read the game.
He is a deep-lying playmaker who can direct gameplay through short and calm passes, exceptional positioning, and an uncanny ability to resist pressure.
Unlike other players in his position, Busquets redefined the deep-lying midfield position by focusing on his unique attributes rather than overwhelming strength or physicality.
The Spaniard’s illustrious career includes over 700 appearances for Barcelona and 33 trophies, including two continental trebles of La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League in 2008/09 and 2014/15.
Moreover, he played a vital role in Spain’s success, helping them win the 2010 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2012.
He was part of both the Spanish national team of 2009-2012, and Barcelona team of 2009-2013, both of whom are considered among the best football teams of all time.
Even though he is still an active football player, Busquets has been praised and referenced by upcoming youngsters in football and coaches.
8. Fernando Redondo
An elegant deep-lying playmaker who played in front of the defense, Fernando Redondo’s main attributes were his creative passing, vision, technique, and close control with his left foot.
His ability to control the tempo of his team’s play in midfield made him a key member of the Real Madrid side of the 1990s.
Despite not having a great deal of pace, Redondo possessed good acceleration and was an efficient and aggressive tackler who contributed defensively just as much as he did offensively.
With Real Madrid, the Argentine won two La Liga championships and as many UEFA Champions League trophies. He won the Champions League again with AC Milan in 2003.
Fernando Redondo was part of the Argentina national team in the 1990s, representing the South American nation in the 1994 World Cup and also winning the 1992 King Fahd Cup and the 1993 Copa América.
His son Federico Redondo Solari is also a defensive midfielder who has been likened to his father.
9. Paulo Roberto Falcao
Paulo Roberto Falcao is considered one of the greatest Brazilian players of all time and one of the greatest defensive midfielders in football history, especially at his peak in the 1980s.
An elegant and technically gifted player with an eye for goal from midfield and an ability to orchestrate his team’s attacking moves, Falcao usually functioned as a deep-lying playmaker — although he was capable of aiding his team defensively, as well as creatively and offensively, due to his physique, work-rate, and tenacity.
He was known in particular for his flair, control, vision, passing, and long-range shooting ability, as well as his tactical intelligence, organizational ability, and leadership.
Falcao is widely considered one of the best players in the history of Internacional and AS Roma. At one stage, he was the world’s highest-paid footballer.
Due to his success and performances with Roma, the Brazilian earned the nickname “the 8th King of Rome” from the fans.
10. Roy Keane
Although he might have been quite controversial, Roy Keane is arguably one of the best defensive midfielders in football history.
Roy Keane was a dominant, consistent, and highly competitive midfielder in his prime, renowned for his exceptional work rate, mobility, energy, physicality, and hard-tackling style of play, which earned him a reputation as one of the world’s best players in his position.
However, his playing style also garnered some notoriety due to his temper, tendency to pick up cards, confront opponents, and commit rash challenges.
Keane is the joint most successful Irish footballer of all time, having won an impressive 19 major trophies during his club career, with 17 of them coming during his time at Manchester United.
