The 25 Best Attacking Midfielders in World Soccer

True attacking midfielders are a rare breed at the elite level.

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 defenses, 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. Giorgian de Arrascaeta

Giorgian de Arrascaeta may be on the wrong side of 30 but has arguably never reached a higher level. The prolific scorer and creator for Flamengo was hailed by former Argentina international Diego Latorre as “the best player on the continent” after leading the Brazilian giants to the 2025 Copa Libertadores title—the third continental crown of his career.

Despite never having left South America, his former Flamengo boss Filipe Luís—who won the top flight of England and Spain during more than a decade in Europe—is confident that his wily schemer could still cut it anywhere on the continent.

“The whole world knows and sees that he could perfectly be in Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético, Chelsea ... he is high above many’s standard,” Luís once gushed. “He makes the difference.”

24. Johan Manzambi

Freiburg were battered in the 2026 Europa League final, yet the Villans saw 90 minutes of Johan Manzambi and knew they wanted a piece of the Swiss midfielder.

Manzambi can do a little bit of everything, but he’s at his most destructive when operating in close proximity to a center forward. The 20-year-old has an impressive nose for goal, and didn’t take long to make an impact at his new home after recovering from the injury that prematurely ended his first World Cup.

Villa were forced to rebuild their core in the summer, but they shouldn’t worry about Manzambi’s potential to fill a big Morgan Rogers-sized void. The 20-year-old may eventually usurp the Englishman’s legacy at Villa Park.

23. 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.

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.

Simons has flourished after joining the German club permanently, lighting up the Bundesliga week after week as one of its most electric attacking forces.

His stellar work saw him earn a Premier League move, as Tottenham Hotspur altered their frugal wage structure to bring the Dutchman to N17. Xavi captured hearts and minds in Year One with the Lilywhites, and supporters cannot wait to see him back in action in the new year.

22. Lennart Karl

Bayern Munich’s plundering of the Bundesliga’s best talents is not restricted to senior players. Lennart Karl was whisked away from Eintracht Frankfurt’s academy as a 14-year-old and rapidly adapted to Bayern’s first team during the 2025–26 campaign.

A goal against Club Brugge saw the precocious teen become the club’s youngest ever Champions League scorer, intensifying comparisons with the likes of Martin Ødegaard, Michael Olise and Arjen Robben.

Karl, despite his tender years, has a very mature response to all the hype. “I’m aware of it, of course, but I don’t let it influence me,” he shrugged at the height of the hype. “What counts is what happens on the pitch and not what's posted on some Instagram page.”

21. Eberechi Eze

Few players are more entertaining to watch when they turn it on than Eberechi Eze.

Similar to Cole Palmer, but with a touch more elegance, the England international glides through defenses 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.

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 plied 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 finally got the recognition he deserved by securing a big move to Arsenal.

Life under Mikel Arteta hasn’t been plain sailing, but Eze nonetheless helped the Gunners get over the line during his debut season.

20. Ismael Saibari

Ismael Saibari wasn’t a complete unknown entering the 2026 World Cup, but few expected the Moroccan to light up the tournament to the extent he did in the group stages.

Saibari scored in all three group games, including a fine finish against Brazil, before a cruel injury ended his tournament prematurely. The Atlas Lions suffered in his absence, struggling to lay a glove on France in their quarterfinal defeat.

The 25-year-old proved at the tournament that he’s as adept at operating as the leading man, as he is the creator-in-chief, which was the role often thrust upon him at PSV Eindhoven.

Now sparkling sporadically at Bayern Munich, Saibari is aiming to take his career to new heights, with latter stage matches in the Champions League beckoning for the Moroccan.

19. Christoph Baumgartner

When RB Leipzig lost Xavi Simons and Benjamin Šeško in the summer of 2025, there were major concerns about how they would be able to replace the attacking thrust of their creator-in-chief and first-choice striker. Enter: Christoph Baumgartner.

The all-action Austrian has blossomed into a potent two-way threat for the unloved Bundesliga outfit, catching the eye for his work across all facets of the club. “He’s an incredibly important player for us and organizes a lot, both on and off the pitch,” RB Leipzig’s Ole Werner beamed.

Baumgartner’s absence through injury placed a relatively low ceiling on what Austria could achieve at the 2026 World Cup.

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.

The physical demands of the Premier League may indeed 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.

17. Phil Foden

Talent-wise, Phil Foden is brilliant. We know it, you know it and Pep Guardiola certainly knew 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 the following year. 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, Enzo Maresca and Manchester City see that version of him more often.

16. Bernardo Silva

Bernardo Silva’s versatility and established quality mean he’s comfortable playing across midfield and attack for club and country.

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.

Guardiola often turned to Silva for support when the chips were 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 opponent’s energy by stroking it around in midfield with effortless ease.

Silva’s mightily successful career in Manchester drew to a close at the end of 2025–26, and he’s now working his magic in the Spanish capital with José Mourinho’s Real Madrid.

15. Martin Baturina

There‘s a certain Argentine in Como garnering much of the attention, meaning Martin Baturina’s rise in Serie A has quietly gone under the radar.

The 23-year-old joined Cesc Fàbregas’ project after playing more than 165 times for Dinamo Zagreb. Baturina has long been touted for great things, and the Croatian playmaker has showcased not only in Italy, but on the biggest stage for the national team, why he’s long been so highly regarded.

Baturina is a World Cup goalscorer, and bound to purr under the bright lights that Champions League soccer supplies.

It won’t be long until the sultry playmaker with an eye for goal catches the eye of the continent’s elite, but why would he want to leave Fábregas’ idyllic project that’s getting the very best out of him?

14. Florian Wirtz

Florian Wirtz shattered the British transfer record when he joined reigning Premier League champions Liverpool in 2025—and the Reds didn’t just sign any old player; they thought they landed a complete attacking midfielder, who’d take the champions to another level.

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 most of the league in terms of quality, racking up over 30 goal contributions and delivering highlight-reel moments almost weekly.

The Premier League is yet to witness the best of Wirtz as he continues to adapt to a new team, country and league. Some are skeptical as to whether the best of Wirtz will ever manifest on Merseyside, but they’d be foolish to give up on the talent already.

13. 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.

12. 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, it’s hard not to be excited about what comes next.

Rogers certainly hasn’t been hamstrung by expectations after joining Chelsea for a club-record fee in the summer.

11. Nico Paz

Every Argentine No. 10 with even a whisper of talent has been prematurely compared to Lionel Messi over the past decade. However, Como manager Cesc Fàbregas is talking from a position of rare authority after having the pleasure of playing alongside the legendary forward at Barcelona when mentioning Paz in the same breath as his compatriot.

After a stellar debut campaign in Serie A which saw newly promoted Como climb to a scarcely believable 10th, Paz’s beguiling blend of grace and guile has attracted newfound attention from the division’s defenders. Fàbregas likened this special treatment to the approach team’s have taken against Messi for years.

“If you ask me, when every team played against Barcelona, surely they didn’t want Messi to touch the ball,” the Spanish coach mused. “This is a positive thing for Nico... This tells me now that they look at you differently. They want to compete against you in a different way.”

Given Paz’s continued influence over every attacking sequence Como construct, this approach isn’t working.

10. 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.

9. Arda Guler

Arda Güler's first two years at Real Madrid were anything but smooth. The Turkish youngster arrived with enormous expectations—and quickly became an unfair target for criticism from both the Spanish media and sections of the Bernabéu crowd, despite barely getting a proper chance to show what he could do.

Injuries disrupted much of his 2023–24 campaign, and when he did return to fitness, opportunities were limited under Carlo Ancelotti. Often deployed out wide to fill gaps, Güler still produced moments of pure class—even though many would argue his best performances, and his natural fit, come when operating centrally, where he can fully pick apart defences.

With velvet dribbling, razor-sharp passing and a thunderous left foot, the talent is obvious. There’s a reason he was once dubbed “the Turkish Messi.”

8. 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 the 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.

The 23-year-old is aiming to bounce back from a quiet 2025–26 campaign.

7. 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.

6. 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.

At his unleashed, uninhibited best, Cole Palmer is simply unstoppable, as he proved in the 2025 Club World Cup final against Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain.

5. 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.

The former Real Madrid starlet suffered through a pair of disappointing seasons, the second of which saw the Gunners claim their first Premier League title in 22 years. Mikel Arteta’s side proved they can function and thrive without their skipper purring, but they certainly didn’t capture hearts and minds.

Determined to ensure Arsenal maintain their dominance, Ødegaard has rediscovered his finest form at the start of the Gunners’ title defense.

4. 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 wasn’t initially trusted with consistent starts, but Fermín has proven his quality to Hansi Flick during injury absences for his teammates and arguably ranks above them in the pecking order.

3. 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.

While the entire team fell off a cliff in the 2025–26 campaign, Szoboszlai rose above the rubble, cementing his status as the club’s main man.

2. 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.

The reigning PFA Player of the Year made Premier League history in 2025–26, breaking the single-season assist record by notching his 21st on the final day of the campaign.

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.

The 25 Best Attacking Midfielders in World Soccer—Ranked