In the twenty-first century, we have seen a plethora of world-class midfielders. Since the millennium's turn, we've seen midfield maestros of all shapes, sizes, and styles. There has been no shortage of quality midfielders in recent times, ranging from registas (deep-lying playmakers) to trequartistas to box-to-box midfielders.
The forwards may be the ones who steal the show on a regular basis, but midfielders are the unsung heroes of any team. After all, the midfield is a football team's spine, and if the spine is weak, the team is doomed to fail.
Without further ado, here are five of the greatest midfielders of the twenty-first century.
On the football field, Andrea Pirlo embodied calm. With the assurance of a seasoned mob hitman, the Italian international dictated proceedings in the heart of midfield. He is one of the best technicians in the history of the game, and he always seemed to have all the time in the world when he was on the ball.
Pirlo spent the majority of his career as a deep-lying playmaker, and his passing range, vision, and exquisite technique made him an unstoppable force in midfield. The Italian legend has also played for Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Juventus, three of Italy's most prestigious clubs.
Pirlo is one of the best free-kick takers in the modern era, in addition to his playmaking abilities. He is one of the most decorated Italian footballers of recent times, having won the 2006 FIFA World Cup, six Serie A titles, and two Champions League titles.
Xavi is one of the greatest players to come out of Barcelona's illustrious La Masia academy. Xavi, one of the greatest passers in the game's history, was the driving force behind the Barcelona and Spain teams that dominated football in the late 2000s.
Zinedine Zidane is widely regarded as the most elegant midfielder of all time. He was so fluid with the ball at his feet that he appeared to be gliding across the field. To summarize, Zizou would have been at the top of this list if he had decided to play football for a little longer than he did in the twenty-first century.
Andres Iniesta, the most decorated Spanish player in history, is widely regarded as the greatest midfielder of the twenty-first century. He scored the game-winning goal in Spain's World Cup victory in 2010 and was an important cog in the team that won back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012.
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