# Who is the greatest defensive midfielder of all time?

> From ball-winning destroyers to deep-lying orchestrators, this lineup gathers the holding midfielders who ran the game from the shadows, spanning elegant 80s enforcers to today's Ballon d'Or anchor. Who shielded a defense best of all? Cast your vote!

*By YPB Team · Published July 3, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-greatest-defensive-midfielder-of-all-time*

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## Current results (3 votes)

1. **Claude Makélélé** — 66.67% (2 votes · score 1000/1000)
   French holding midfielder so influential at Chelsea and Real Madrid that the defensive-midfield role was named after him.
2. **Sergio Busquets** — 33.33% (1 votes · score 895/1000)
   Barcelona and Spain metronome widely regarded as the greatest positional No. 6 of the modern era.
3. **Javier Mascherano** — 0% (0 votes · score 663/1000)
   Argentine warrior nicknamed 'El Jefecito' who broke up play for Liverpool and Barcelona.
4. **Gennaro Gattuso** — 0% (0 votes · score 609/1000)
   Combative AC Milan and Italy terrier who complemented Pirlo and won the 2006 World Cup.
5. **Gilberto Silva** — 0% (0 votes · score 473/1000)
   Brazil's understated 'Invisible Wall' who shielded Arsenal's Invincibles and won the 2002 World Cup.
6. **Dunga** — 0% (0 votes · score 473/1000)
   Brazil's steely captain who shielded the defense en route to lifting the 1994 World Cup.
7. **N'Golo Kanté** — 0% (0 votes · score 473/1000)
   Tireless France ball-winner and 2018 World Cup winner famed for covering every blade of grass.
8. **Didier Deschamps** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   France's water-carrier who anchored the 1998 World Cup-winning side before a decorated managerial career.
9. **Rodri** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Manchester City and Spain anchor whose 2024 Ballon d'Or capped an era of relentless control.
10. **Casemiro** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Brazilian enforcer who screened Real Madrid's defense through five Champions League triumphs.
11. **Roy Keane** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Ferocious Manchester United captain who marshalled midfield with aggression and leadership.
12. **Lothar Matthäus** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Versatile German engine room general and 1990 World Cup winner renowned for his all-round control.
13. **Edgar Davids** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Dreadlocked, goggle-wearing Dutch dynamo known as 'The Pitbull' for his relentless energy.
14. **Owen Hargreaves** — 0% (0 votes · score 284/1000)
   Cult England and Bayern Munich midfielder revered for his tenacious, disciplined screening play.
15. **Xabi Alonso** — 0% (0 votes · score 284/1000)
   Deep-lying Spanish orchestrator who dictated tempo for Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
16. **Patrick Vieira** — 0% (0 votes · score 284/1000)
   Commanding Arsenal captain of the Invincibles who combined power, tackling and drive from midfield.
17. **Frank Rijkaard** — 0% (0 votes · score 284/1000)
   Elegant Dutch midfield destroyer central to AC Milan and Ajax's late-1980s European dominance.
18. **Yaya Touré** — 0% (0 votes · score 158/1000)
   Powerful Ivorian who dominated midfield for Barcelona and Manchester City at both ends of the pitch.
19. **Michael Essien** — 0% (0 votes · score 158/1000)
   Powerful Ghanaian all-rounder dubbed 'The Bison' during Chelsea's Premier League-winning years.
20. **Bastian Schweinsteiger** — 0% (0 votes · score 158/1000)
   Bayern Munich and Germany leader whose composure anchored the 2014 World Cup triumph.

Tags: sports, football, players, midfielders