The brilliant men in midfield, based on their individual achievements and club performances, to look forward to the FIFA World Cup 2018:
Video: Toni Kroos a complete playmaker
Toni Kroos, a member of Bayern Munich's first team at the age of 17 played in an 18-month loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen. He won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and the 2012–13 Champions League with Bayern Munich. After the 2014 FIFA World Cup, he joined Ral Madrid on a six-year contract. With Real he won the 2015–16 and 2016–17 UEFA Champions Leagues, becoming the first ever German player to win three UCL titles.
Kroos made his international debut for the senior side in 2010 after player for Germany youth teams since the age of 17. He led Germany to the semifinals of 2010 World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. He won the 2014 World Cup, the first (and as of 2016 only) footballer born in East Germany to win the World Cup. He was named to the 2014 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team and Dream Team and was elected to the Team of the Tournament at the 2016 Euro.
Video: Andres Iniesta's world cup winning goal against the Netherlands at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
Andres Iniesta, widely considered as one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest midfielders of all time, is a product of La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy.
Since 2009, he has been chosen in the UEFA Team of the Year for six times and has been voted into the FIFA World XI for a total of nine occasions. He won the 2012 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award and was named the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker twice (2012 & 2013). In 2010 he was the runner-up for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, succeeded by teammate Lionel Messi, and reached third place in 2012.
Iniesta represented Spain at the Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 levels prior to his international debut in 2006. He helped Spain win Euro 2008, playing every game and was selected in the Team of the Tournament. Iniesta was also a key player at Spain's victory at 2010 FIFA World Cup, scoring the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands. Iniesta led the national side to their second consecutive continental crown winning Euro Cup in 2012. Since 2006, he has scored 13 goals for the national senior side in 125 appearances.
Video: Luka Modric best moments (EURO 2016)
Luka Modric, the captain of the Croatia national team and the No. 10 of the Spanish side Real Madrid mainly plays as a central midfielder, but also plays in attacking and in defense. Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world at current, Modric signed for Dinamo Zagreb in 2002. He won three consecutive league titles and domestic cups with the team and was named the Prva HNL Player of the year in 2007. Before joining Real Madrid after the 2011-12 season, he played for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur F.C., securing the team's first UEFA Champions League appearance in almost 50 years.
With Real, he has won seven major trophies including three Champions League titles (2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17). In 2016 he won the La Liga Award for the "Best Midfielder" and the UEFA Club Football Award for the "Best Midfielder" in 2017.
Modric debuted for Croatia in March 2006, playing against Argentina. Since then, he has been a part of every major tournament that Croatia has qualified for, including the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Modric has appeared in 104 games with the national senior side and has scored 12 goals. He netted his first international goal in a friendly against Italy.
Video: Kevin De Bruyne goals for the national side
Kevin De Bruyne, the Belgian footballer plays as a midfielder for the Premier League title winner (2017-18) Manchester City and the Belgian national team. Often described as a "complete footballer", he was ranked the fourth-best footballer in the world by The Guardian in 2017.
De Bruyne played at Genk, before joining English club Chelsea in 2012, and immediately was loaned to Werder Bremen. For the 2015-16 season, he joined Manchester City. In 2015 he was named the Footballer of the Year in Germany.
De Bruyne made his international debut in 2010 and was part of the Belgian squad to reach the quarterfinals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2016. Since 2010, he has 59 appearances with the national side and has netted 14 goals.
Video: Paul Pogba's best moments (International career)
Paul Pogba, the French footballer who plays for Premier League club Manchester United and the French national team is primarily a center midfielder, also operates in attack and defense. The fourth most expensive signings in the world after Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Neymar, Pogba signed for his former team Manchester in 2016 for a world record transfer fee of $105 million (£89.3 million).
In 2012, he signed for Italian side Juventus which became his career breakthrough. He led the club to four consecutive Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. He was awarded the Golden Boy award in 2013, followed by Bravo Award in 2014. He represented the Italian giants at the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final.
Pogba made his international debut for the senior French national team on March 22, 2013, in a 3-1 win over Georgia. He netted the first goal for his national side on June 30, 2014, in the game against Nigeria. He represented France at the 2014 FIFA World Cup with the side reaching to the quarterfinals. For his performance, he was awarded the Best Young Player Award for his performances at the competition. Under Hugo Lloris captaincy he played on the home soil at UEFA Euro 2016. Sinc 2013, Pogba has made 51 appearances for the national team and has scored 9 goals.
This is just a random list based on their recent form and club performances. Pick the top 5 midfielders in your view.
