Who is the best South American midfielder of all time?

Rivellino, Zico, Ronaldinho, Iniesta's nemesis — South America has a rich tradition of gifted midfield artists. Who is the greatest South American midfielder of all time?

1. 1
   Diego Maradona

   Argentina's god of football whose 1986 World Cup display — including the Hand of God and Goal of the Century — stands alone in history.
2. 2
   Lionel Messi

   Argentina's GOAT who finally won the 2022 World Cup, completing a record-shattering career of eight Ballon d'Or awards.
3. 3
   Ronaldinho

   Brazil's smiling genius whose magical dribbling, flicks, and flair at Barcelona made him the world's most entertaining player.
4. 4
   Zico

   Brazil's 'White Pelé' whose technical perfection and goalscoring instinct made him arguably the finest playmaker South America ever produced.
5. 5
   Sócrates

   Brazil's doctor-philosopher-midfielder who embodied the beautiful game, captaining the flamboyant 1982 Seleção with artistic brilliance.
6. 6
   Kaká

   Brazil's 2007 Ballon d'Or winner whose explosive pace, technique and piety made him one of AC Milan's and Real Madrid's greatest.
7. 7
   Rivaldo

   Brazil's 1999 Ballon d'Or winner and 2002 World Cup champion whose powerful shooting and technical ability lit up La Liga.
8. 8
   Enzo Francescoli

   Uruguay's 'El Príncipe' who inspired a young Zinedine Zidane and was South America's finest midfield player of the 1980s.
9. 9
   Arturo Vidal

   Chile's relentless box-to-box warrior who won league titles with Juventus, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona in three consecutive decades.
10. 10
    Juan Sebastián Verón

    Argentina's technically gifted deep-lying playmaker who was one of Serie A's most complete midfielders in the early 2000s.