Top Midfielders To Watch At The FIFA World Cup 2022

Midfielders are the heart of any strong soccer team. They control the style of play, the pace of play, create chances for others, and contribute to both defensive and attacking positions. They also often oversee the transition between the two positions. When playing in this position, a world-class midfielder is stunning to watch.

There are numerous icons and rising stars playing in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Therefore, the odds to win the world cup are incredibly competitive already. This article outlines all the players who are likely to help their team win this prestigious trophy due to their excellent midfield skill sets. 

1. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Serbia
   
   Some people may not consider Savic to be among the best midfielders in the world. However, Serbia are definitely underdogs in this tournament and this particular man is by far one of their best players. He is physically imposing, making him an elite midfielder that dominates in most games that he is able to. He has also been linked to numerous elite European clubs for many years and if Serbia impress during this tournament, Savic is sure to be a standout star.

    

    

2. Frankie De Jong, Netherlands
   
   Barcelona legend Xavi helped De Jong to excel in LaLiga and this Dutchman’s ability is unprecedented. He makes beautiful passes, as well as having strong ball-winning skills and link-up play. This World Cup tournament could be the tournament in which we see De Jong fully recognized as being one of the best midfield players in the world.

    

    

3. Phil Foden, England
   
   Foden plays as a left-forward for the elite premier league team Manchester City. He has excelled during his playing years and is undoubtedly a deep-lying playmaker for England during international tournaments. Foden is an incredibly versatile young player that has won two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards. Although he is relatively low-key as a world-renowned midfielder, his potential and skill set have rendered him one of the best young midfielders to watch.

    

    

4. Casemiro, Brazil
   
   Casemiro is a key contributing force to the defensive brilliance of the Brazilian team. His defensive midfield work is often unacknowledged. However, he wins every battle he faces which frees attacking Brazilian players to move forward accordingly. When considering the excellence of Real Madrid’s attacking force, there would be no Kroos or Modric if it wasn’t for Casemiro’s midfield excellence.

    

    

5. Luka Modric, Croatia
   
   Modric has previously won the 2018 Ballon d’Or after helping Croatia to win the World Cup final. Although his best playing days are undoubtedly behind him, he has still won five champions league titles and Croatia will require his expertise in midfield in order to cultivate creativity and technical quality. It will be interesting to see whether Modric can pull it out of the bag for one final success.

    

    

6. N’golo Kanté, France
   
   Wherever N’Golo Kanté is, success is sure to follow. He has won the world cup with the French team and is also a Premier League champion having won the title at two different clubs. He has also helped his team to win an infamous champions league title. His work-rate is second to none and will play a key role in whether France is able to flourish during this world cup tournament.

    

    

7. Sergio Busquets / Thiago Alcantara / Rodri, Spain
   
   Spain has an abundance of talent in defensive midfield positions. Firstly, Sergio Busquets is undoubtedly one of the best midfield players of all time, and he is also the captain of the Spanish team. His vision, positioning, and distribution are crafted to perfection and this has made him one of the most influential players in Spain.
   
   While Liverpool’s Thiago and Manchester City’s Rodri do not always start out for Spain, they have excelled in their midfield roles for their premier league clubs this season. Thus, any one of these players should be played during this tournament, and they are all undoubtedly amongst the best to play in this world cup.

    

    

8. Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium
   
   Kevin De Bruyne is one of the best world cup midfielders to ever touch a ball. The Belgium player has created 3.6 chances per game when playing in the premier league and has contributed to 23 goals. Despite missing the start of the season due to being injured, he has been named the Premier League Player of the Season for 2021-22.
   
   He is widely recognized as being one of the best midfielders in the world by numerous former teammates and coaches. Steven Gerrard has stated that he sees “bits of all the top midfielders I played against in him.” Thus, he is widely regarded as being the top midfielder in the world and is definitely one to watch during this world cup tournament.

    

    

Conclusion

To conclude, this article has outlined all of the top midfielders that you should be watching during this world cup tournament in Qatar. These players have proven themselves to be a cut above the rest and have propelled their various teams towards victory on several occasions. Their overall skill set and contributing play is second-to-none. I hope that you have found this article to be insightful and informative. Thank you for reading.