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

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

Lionel Messi

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

3

Ronaldinho

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

4

Zico

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

5

Sócrates

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

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

Rivaldo

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

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

Arturo Vidal

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

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.