# 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?

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

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## Current results (no votes yet)

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.

Tags: sports, portrait, football, world cup, south america