# Who is the best European midfielder of all time?

> From Zidane's effortless elegance to Cruyff's total football vision, European midfielders have defined the beautiful game. Who is the greatest European midfielder of all time?

*By YPB Team · Published May 26, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-european-midfielder-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Zinedine Zidane**
   France's three-time FIFA World Player of the Year who combined elegance, technique, and leadership in the greatest midfield performances ever.
2. **Michel Platini**
   France's three-time Ballon d'Or winner whose vision, passing, and goal-scoring ability redefined what a midfielder could be.
3. **Johan Cruyff**
   The Netherlands' revolutionary forward-midfielder whose Total Football philosophy changed the game forever.
4. **Andrés Iniesta**
   Spain's quietly devastating midfield artist who scored the 2010 World Cup winning goal and dominated tiki-taka football.
5. **Luka Modrić**
   Croatia's 2018 Ballon d'Or winner who broke the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly and orchestrated Real Madrid's Champions League dynasty.
6. **Andrea Pirlo**
   Italy's cerebral deep-lying playmaker whose range of passing and set-piece delivery set the standard for the regista role.
7. **Kevin De Bruyne**
   Belgium's two-time Premier League Player of the Season and Manchester City's creative engine, arguably the best midfielder of his era.
8. **Xavi Hernández**
   Spain's possession maestro who won the World Cup, two Euros, and four Champions Leagues while redefining midfield play.
9. **Paul Scholes**
   England's criminally underappreciated midfielder whose vision, passing, and shooting made him one of the finest of his generation.

Tags: europe, sports, portrait, football, world cup