The 25 best attacking midfielders in world football - ranked

Attacking midfielders of the highest grade are like gold dust in modern football.

While systems around Europe are starting to phase out the classic attacking ten, there is still the need for creative midfielders to pull strings, whip in free kicks and score the odd banger from distance.

The best of the best are truly indispensable and replacing their talents is nigh-on impossible - the reason why they often command such a hefty price in the transfer market.

Here are the best 25 attacking midfielders in the world - ranked, of course.

25. Morgan Rogers

Morgan Rogers is proving to be one of Unai Emery's favourites as Aston Villa continue their incredible ascent under the Spanish coach. Having shifted from a wide role to attacking midfield, we're starting to see him at his best.

Rogers is an excellent and powerful dribbler, often collecting the ball on the turn and driving through the opposition midfield. He's beginning to add end product to his game, too.

24. Brahim Diaz

Brahim Diaz has had an unusual career, with his most consistent performances coming during a two-year loan at AC Milan where he could actually start games.

He is now back at Real Madrid and while he does not start every match, Diaz still manages a healthy number of minutes and often takes the opportunities that come his way.

23. Lucas Paqueta

There is a reason that Manchester City have been desperate to splash the cash in pursuit of Lucas Paqueta's signature in recent transfer windows, with the attacking midfielder having dazzled with West Ham United.

Paqueta oozes Brazilian flair with his flicks, tricks and exceptional touch, while few in the Premier League boast a superior eye for a pass.

Of course, a lengthy potential ban hangs over Paqueta's head, but for the time being he remains among the world's best creators.

22. Morgan Gibbs-White

The main reason why Nottingham Forest are still a Premier League club right now, Morgan Gibbs-White has come into his own since taking the keys to their attack.

The midfielder is only getting better and better with each passing game and often flies under the radar due to Forest's lack of modern prestige.

However, performing as he's done in a side that has often found itself battling the drop only makes his achievements all the more impressive.

21. Thomas Muller

The original Raumdeuter. 

Thomas Muller's proficiency at picking gaps meant an entirely new role was created in homage to the slippery German. Muller is a one-of-a-kind footballer.

He can finish off chances like a ruthless number nine, create for others with the utmost subtlety and interpret space akin to Galileo. Muller certainly isn't the most aesthetic of attacking midfielders - maybe it's because of his unusually long arms - but he's so incredibly effective at what he does.

Muller is not quite so important to Bayern Munich anymore, but he is still a very good footballer.

20. Dejan Kulusevski

Dejan Kulusevski has performed a variety of functions for Tottenham Hotspur. The former Juventus star has operated in a traditional right wing role, while also featuring as a false nine in recent times.

However, it's in attacking midfield where Ange Postecoglou has got the best out of the talented Swede, even sometimes sacrificing his team's defensive organisation to enable Kulusevski to roam in a more advanced role.

The next few seasons promise to be integral in Kulusevski's development.

19. Isco

You may have thought Isco's time on lists like this had been and gone.

The Spanish playmaker lost his way at Real Madrid and couldn't find it again at Sevilla. After a spell without a club, he joined another team in Seville, Real Betis.

He has been thriving in La Liga and is a joy to watch once again, oozing class in an attacking midfield role with his range of body feints and silky skills.

18. Eberechi Eze

There are few more entertaining players in the Premier League than Eberechi Eze right now.

The Crystal Palace star can score stunning free-kicks and regularly opens up opposition defences with his instinctive creativity.

Now a regular England international, Eze will almost certainly earn a move away from Crystal Palace in the near future, taking his pace, guile and versatility to one of Europe's elite sides.

17. Joao Felix

A player with a fairly ambiguous position, Joao Felix still retains enough quality and promise for a high ranking, even if recent loan spells with Chelsea and Barcelona have been far from flawless.

A permanent move to Stamford Bridge should offer him some much-needed stability as he looks to make good on his enormous potential, but the Blues' bloated squad means he will have to fight tirelessly for minutes.

Still, there are few better technicians and more effortless footballers when in full flight.

16. Christopher Nkunku

Christopher Nkunku is a Swiss Army knife. He's so versatile - sometimes to his detriment - and has been utilised as a number ten, false nine, out-and-out striker and even winger during his impressive career in Germany and England.

A stellar spell with RB Leipzig convinced Chelsea to spend big on the Frenchman, with £52m looking like a relative steal at the time. However, Nkunku's debut campaign was fraught with injuries, limiting his impact for the Blues in a tough campaign.

Nkunku has impressed under Enzo Maresca already and will be keen to put a difficult start at Stamford Bridge behind him.

15. James Maddison

It wasn't always plain sailing for James Maddison at Leicester City, with Brendan Rodgers happy to underutilise the Englishman due to his lack of defensive nous and sub-par work rate. However, he has evolved in these regards over the past couple of years to become one of the Premier League's most efficient playmakers.

He's a risk-taker in possession; a player that gets the crowd on their feet every time he receives possession in the attacking third. He has thrived since joining Tottenham, either side of a serious injury, and still has gears to find in north London under Postecoglou.

14. Julian Brandt

Julian Brandt has been a big name in the Bundesliga for a long time now and while some may have expected him to go on to slightly bigger things, the German is still an extremely impressive attacking midfielder.

Had Borussia Dortmund managed to deliver the German title on the final day of the 2022/23 season, Brandt would have been one of the players listed as crucial to the achievement.

Versatile enough to play almost anywhere in midfield and attack, Brandt grabbed nine goals and eight assists last season and helped fire Dortmund to the Champions League final.

13. Mohammed Kudus

Mohammed Kudus had been linked consistently with Europe's elite before making the surprise move to West Ham from Ajax in the summer of 2023.

He has been a revelation for the Hammers, scoring and creating almost every weekend while featuring either through the middle or in a wider inside forward position from the left or right flank.

The powerful and often nonchalant Ghanaian has been linked with a move to Europe's behemoths again but he still has skills that need refining at the London Stadium.

12. Paulo Dybala

Injuries have hamstrung Paulo Dybala over the past few seasons, but the Argentine is nothing short of joyous to watch in full flow.

The aptly named La Joya is a throwback playmaker who plays the game at his own pace. He likes to drift infield from the right and create with that wand of a left foot. However, Dybala is more of a goalscorer than he is a creator and despite suffering numerous injuries he still puts out good numbers.

His status as an outright superstar has been thrust into considerable doubt over the past few years and his move to Roma was an indication of his relative decline at the highest level.

For all his talent, Dybala simply isn't a player who aligns with the ideals of progressive, modern-day managers. Perhaps he was born a generation too late.

11. Xavi Simons

Having been exceptional for PSV Eindhoven, Xavi Simons earned himself a move back to Paris Saint-Germain during the summer of 2023 and then a loan switch to RB Leipzig to test himself at a slightly higher level.

The young Dutchman has enjoyed a productive time in the Bundesliga, impressing with his elegant dribbling ability and sharp eye for goal, and he's easily one of the best players in the German top flight right now.

With perennial talent poachers Bayern desperate to sign him in 2024, Simons decided that another season on loan at Leipzig would help him sharpen his skills.

10. Bruno Fernandes

The pressure that comes with being a big-money Manchester United signing is unrivalled and so many before Bruno Fernandes wilted under the spotlight.

However, the Portuguese creator set the world alight during his first 18 months at the club. After signing in January 2020, Fernandes notched 15 Premier League goal contributions in 14 appearances during the second half of the season before scoring 18 times in the league the following campaign.

Fernandes has definitely suffered during some of United's more depressing moments over the past few years, but the skipper's contributions have often saved the Red Devils from falling even further into the abyss.

9. Dani Olmo

After starring in Croatia with Dinamo Zagreb, Dani Olmo joined RB Leipzig midway through the 2019/20 season and played a big role in Die Roten Bullen's progression to the Champions League semi-finals under Julian Nagelsmann.

Olmo slotted into Nagelsmann's vertical and fluid system seamlessly as he was used all over the pitch by the German manager. The Spaniard has since become a prominent member of the national team, notably contributing to Spain's triumph at Euro 2024 with a stream of goals.

Now plying his trade for Catalan giants Barcelona, Olmo is on track to become one of Spain's next superstars.

8. Bernardo Silva

Bernardo Silva's versatility and established quality mean he's comfortable playing across midfield and attack for Manchester City. Whether operating through the middle or out wide, you know the Portuguese will deliver.

He has been an incredibly valuable asset to the Cityzens since his arrival in 2017. The diminutive maestro is a brilliantly tidy player who can also provide a bit of cutting-edge when needed.

Guardiola often relies on Silva's ingenuity and flair in City's most high-profile encounters.

7. Jamal Musiala

England and Germany fought it out for the right to have this teenage sensation represent them on the international stage.

Jamal Musiala had played for the Three Lions at various youth levels but is German-born and quickly racked up the appearances for Germany's senior squad at a young age.

He has already established himself as a bona fide star with Bayern Munich, scoring the goal that helped his side pip Borussia Dortmund to the title in 2022/23.

Musiala can perform multiple roles but excels in an attacking midfield position due to his instincts in and around the box. He's an excellent dribbler, while his movement in the final third is Muller-esque.

6. Martin Odegaard

Former Real Madrid wonderkid Martin Odegaard has matured into quite the character. Already the captain of Norway, he was announced as Arsenal's new skipper before the start of the 2022/23 season.

Odegaard is blessed with a tidy left foot and is one of those players who boasts a wonderful 'feel' for the game. He understands timing and can pull off almost every pass in the book. His playmaking capacity has to be considered among the very best in the world.

The Norwegian star is playing a key role in Mikel Arteta's exciting project at Arsenal and has all the makings of a modern-day Gunners icon. He's going from strength to strength and is one of Arsenal's best players.

5. Phil Foden

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has hailed Phil Foden's "special quality" in the past and the Spaniard has done an excellent job of facilitating the England international's rise at the Etihad.

Foden glides across the pitch before exuding the utmost technical quality with the ball at his feet. He's a player you just can't take your eye off at times, such is his virtuosity.

The 2023/24 Premier League Player of the Season is gritty and tenacious without the ball, while Pep has used him in a myriad of functions - all of which he performs to the highest level. Not many boast Foden's positional flexibility.

4. Florian Wirtz

When the Bundesliga pioneered the return of football in 2020 following a lengthy COVID-induced break, Peter Bosz's Bayer Leverkusen were one of the sides desperate football lovers were keen to see. 

Kai Havertz was the name on the tip of everybody's tongues but Florian Wirtz also raised an eyebrow or two. It took some time for the young German to produce regularly for Die Werkself but by the time he suffered a devastating ACL rupture in March 2022, Wirtz had established himself as one of the world’s best teenage talents.

He took the mantle from Havertz with both hands and quickly emerged as Leverkusen's star attacking talent, winning the Bundesliga Player of the Season award in 2023/24 as Leverkusen went unbeaten en route to the title.

3. Cole Palmer

A true phenomenon, Cole Palmer has been extraordinary since swapping Man City for Chelsea at the start of the 2023/24 campaign. He scored and assisted a combined 33 goals in the Premier League, understandably being named the division's Young Player of the Season as a result.

Having since netted in a European Championship final with England, Palmer has continued his remarkable rise to the upper echelons of elite-level football, comfortably gracing our top three following his insane form.

The sky is the limit for the youngster, who also has the versatility and in-game intelligence to operate out wide.

2. Kevin De Bruyne

Few players combine strength, power, creativity and technical ability like Kevin De Bruyne.

The Belgian playmaker is incredibly difficult to stop when all of Man City's parts are moving with the precise synchronicity of a swan dance at the opera, showing devastating form when fit over the past few seasons.

Give him too much space and De Bruyne will find the spare teammate at the back post. Close him down and he'll blast into space for one of his unstoppable drives.

Injuries have started to limit his usefulness but the maestro remains one of football's elite creators when fit.

1. Jude Bellingham

Few could have predicted quite the immediate impact Jude Bellingham would have when he signed for Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund.

The England international was already revered for his consistency in the Bundesliga but broke out as a bona fide attacking star in his first few months under Carlo Ancelotti, supremely filling the iconic void left by Karim Benzema.

Winning Real Madrid's and La Liga's Player of the Season in your debut campaign is no mean feat, with the powerful and versatile attacking midfielder crucial to Los Blancos' 2023/24 double.

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