The 5 Greatest Defensive Midfielders in Football History
More than Just Tough Tackling: The Greatest Defensive Midfielders of All-Time!
The defensive midfielder role became a major talking point over the last two decades of football.
But who are the greatest defensive midfielders in football history? Read on for Drew Farmer’s Top 5
Former Real Madrid and current Man U defensive midfielder Casemiro
The dawn of the 21st century led to changes in tactics and it truly birthed the defensive midfielder as we know it.
Teams played with strong, defensively-minded midfielders before the Millennium. These were hard men capable of tackling and playing a few passes.
Players like Vinny Jones were certainly feared on the pitch. Yet, the difference between the robust post-2000 midfielders was their cool composure on the ball.
Modern-day defensive midfielders are Rolls-Royce automobiles rather than tanks. They can expertly play passes just as they can lay in a timely challenge.
While hard men of the past left their marks on opponents, quite literally, modern defensive midfielders are far more graceful.
The following players are considered the greatest defensive midfielders in football.
5. Daniele De Rossi
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He lived and breathed Roma - spending 18 years at the Stadio Olimpico
He played for the Boca Juniors in 2019-20
A major part of Italy’s 2006 World Cup win
Daniele De Rossi won’t appear on most lists of the greatest defensive midfielders of all-time. It is a shame - and the former Roma man is definitely overlooked by modern fans.
There is a love affair many fans have with Barcelona and Real Madrid – which is evident from this list – but De Rossi was just as good as the other top defensive midfield greats.
De Rossi’s calf tattoo (a caution sign with the midfielder tackling an attacking player) was a warning sign to any player he came up against.
It said, “Try to get past me, and I may break your ankle.” De Rossi lived and breathed Roma. He grew up in Rome supporting the Giallorossi.
It was a dream come true to represent the club, and De Rossi spent 18 years at the Stadio Olimpico.
The defensive midfielder played as if he was born to protect the Roma goal. He tackled opposing players like his life depended on it. Perhaps being a Roman, it did.
De Rossi may get overlooked as one of the greatest defensive midfielders due to playing nearly his entire career in Rome. He appeared in five games with Boca Juniors in 2019-20 before retiring.
De Rossi only won three trophies with Roma (two Coppa Italia and one Supercoppa Italiana), but he was a major part of Italy’s 2006 World Cup triumph.
De Rossi was a substitute in the final and scored the third of Italy’s five penalties to win the World Cup.
4. N’Golo Kante
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A big part of Leicester City’s 2015 Premier League win
One Champions League trophy
One FIFA World Cup win with France
Most football clubs would turn players away for being only 5ft 7in tall. Yet, N’Golo Kante’s lack of height didn’t stop him from becoming one of the greatest defensive midfielders to play the game.
Kante emerged out of nowhere in 2015, as Leicester City won the Premier League. He was the perfect example of what good scouting and an open mind offer football clubs.
Too often, clubs make their decisions on players based on physical attributes rather than their on-field skills.
The French international moved to Chelsea for over €35 million after just one season at the King Power Stadium. His rapid rise continued and resulted in a clutch of trophies with the Blues.
The highlights were a Premier League title, Champions League trophy, Europa League title and FIFA Club World Cup.
Unfortunately, Kante’s body began to break down toward the end of his time at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were deprived of Kante’s presence in midfield for large parts of seasons.
Still, in his day, Kante was an unstoppable force in midfield. He buzzed around players like a gnat waiting to strike.
3. Sergio Busquets
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A controversial football figure
Barcelona FC midfielder from 2008
He has an incredible technical ability
Sergio Busquets was a polarising figure at Barcelona FC!
Fans loved him for the quality he brought to the side, but opposing supporters couldn’t stand him for his ability to continually come out on top of challenges.
Busquets wasn’t afraid of the dark arts either. He could put in a nasty challenge or take a yellow card for the team just as easily as he could make a defence-cutting pass to Lionel Messi.
The midfielder joined the first team in 2008 and immediately established himself as the linchpin of the team.
While Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Messi got all the headlines, Busquets was the player doing all the work, enabling those stars to shine.
One area that separates Busquets from other defensive midfielders is his technical ability. He was brilliant at picking out passes and starting counter-attacks.
Busquets’ footwork is impeccable, making it possible for him to get the ball out of danger, rather than banging it up the field or out of play.
2. Casemiro
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Helped Liverpool FC reach two cup finals
A big part of Madrid’s success from 2013-2022
Champions League victory with Madrid
“He can’t do it on a cold, wet night in (insert northern English town)!” That was often the cry of English football fans about players from certain parts of the world.
There was no way those players could compete in the cold, wet conditions of the United Kingdom against homegrown British players.
Yet in 2022-23, Casemiro showed he could not only hold his own on cold, wet nights in England’s north, but the Brazilian could excel.
Although Marcus Rashford was voted Manchester United Player of the Year for 2022-23, the Red Devils wouldn’t have reached two cup finals and qualified for the Champions League without Casemiro.
The Brazilian brought his take-no-prisoners defensive attitude to Old Trafford and transformed the team.
Fans of Real Madrid knew all about Casemiro’s defensive acumen. The midfielder was the foundation of Madrid’s successes from 2013 to 2022.
He won 18 major trophies with Madrid, including five UEFA Champions League finals.
Not only could Casemiro make game-saving tackles in big matches, but he also scored important goals. In 2017, he scored the winner in Madrid’s 4-1 Champions League victory over Juventus.
He will go down in history as one of the greatest players in Real Madrid's history, which is saying something.
1. Claude Makelele
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He started his career with Nantes in 1991
FA Cup winner
Two Premier League trophies
Claude Makelele invented the modern defensive midfielder position. Makelele started his professional career with France’s Nantes in 1991 before moving to Marseille and Celta Vigo.
In 2000, he arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu after Real Madrid paid €14m for his service.
He was phenomenal for Los Blancos, winning two La Liga titles, the Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup and an Intercontinental Cup.
However, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez didn’t see what was so special about Makelele. In Perez’s eyes, he wasn’t a Galactico.
Despite protests from Zinedine Zidane and Raul, Makelele was sold to Chelsea in August 2003 for €20m.
Makelele provided a strong base at Stamford Bridge for the Roman Abramovich era, which started just months before the midfielder arrived in London.
The defensive midfielder went on to win two Premier League trophies, an FA Cup, two League Cup trophies and a runners-up medal in the Champions League.
Makelele simply made the rest of the players’ jobs easier. He covered a tremendous amount of ground, won the ball, and passed it off to teammates to create chances at the other end.
He is the model for all modern defensive midfielders. Makelele started it all.
Have we missed anyone? Who is your favourite defensive midfielder? Tell us in the comments!
Read more top 5 lists on our football blog
