The Brazilian playmaker was often considered to be the brains of the team and he was adept at picking out passes and scoring goals as well. There's very little he can't do and much of their La Liga title glory owes to the Spaniard's consistent brilliance. Most of his strikes directly impacted the final result as he single-handedly won Los Franjiverdes several points and simultaneously carried the creative burden of his side with aplomb. Making his senior debut in 2007, Kroos has been a regular on the football scene for almost 14 years now. WHAT. Buffon is now into his fourth decade as a professional footballer, but we saw the best of him in the 2000s. FootballTransfers' list of the best Midfielders playing in He was a versatile midfielder who could play anywhere across midfield. He was the pivot through which Barcelona turned their defense into attacks. Pos. Supremely successful at both the club and country level, Matthaus was capable of playing both as a central midfielder and as a sweeper. Cruyff redefined the way the game was played and won the Ballon d'Or award an incredible 3 times (1971,1973,1974) during his stellar career. This makes it difficult to select the all-time best/greatest defenders in La Liga, and unfortunately, we cannot name all the legendary players out there in this short article. Sergio Ramos was born in Camas, Spain on March 30, 1986. The site covers Champions League, Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and other top teams through a mix of long form content, short form content, and original reporting. Xavi, Zinedine Zidane, Andres Iniesta, Guti, Juan Roman Riquelme, He also became the runner-up in the 2001/02 DFB Pokal with Bayer Toni Kroos is one of the best German players to have played the game. Midfielders are the players who are the engine of the team. He single-handedly took his national team, Croatia, to the FIFA World Cup final and won his third consecutive Champions League title with Los Blancos. To put it simply, he is the whole package. Web[citation needed] He is widely regarded by many in the sport as one of the most respected and best midfielders of all time, and as one of the greatest passers and playmakers in world football history. While cautions were often an issue for the Rome native, he was far more than Italys answer to Lee Cattermole. Toni Kroos is one of the best central midfielders in the world. Torching all opposition with his technique, spins, and speed, Lionel Messi has recorded scored a remarkable 387 goals (most ever in La Liga) for the Catalan side, in addition to 150 assists. WebBest Croatian Midfielders playing in the Spanish La Liga, Best Croatian Midfielders playing in the Spanish La Liga. Marcelo continues to make history with Real Madrid. Likewise, he has also won 1 Austrian Bundesliga Championship, 1 UEFA Europa League, and 1 UEFA Champions League. I would let my friends share between them the names of my other idols.. Quite easily one of the most popular players in the early 2000s, Ronaldinho won the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2004 and 2005 and also won a host of other individual accolades in his stellar career. The versatile and inventive midfielder played an essential role in the Catalan side that won the treble in 2009 and 2015. Carles Puyol Puyol was a versatile player with experience playing on both sides. El Pulpo x el Rey pic.twitter.com/7mL3S2INrQ. 23 June; 11K+ views; Arsenal Transfer News Today: HUGE Rice news, SECOND Timber bid and Lavia FootballTransfers' list of the best Croatian Midfielders playing in the Spanish La Liga, according to our model. Honourable mentions: Didi, Scholes, Gerrard, Keane, Kaka, Lampard, Luis Suarez (1960), Be the first one to comment on this story. pic.twitter.com/14VnIm2U7l. The majority of the awards were discontinued after the 201516 season.[3]. Here are the top 10 greatest midfielders in La Liga history. A star forward at Real Madrid for eleven seasons, the Argentine forward Alfredo Di Stefano scored a remarkable 216 games in 282 games with Los Blancos. 45. WebThe Best Soccer Player With Number 6 ball retention, and positioning made him one of the greatest midfielders of all time. Blessed with immense technical skills, dribbling and creativity, Ronaldinhos presence on the pitch always provided a bagful of goals, assists and crafty skills. The so-called Storm Of The Cantabrian as he was known to many Real Madrid fans, Francisco Gento was an absolute handful for defenses. As a result, brute strength and perseverance began to be supplemented by ball control and good passing range. He was a revelation in the squad and their undisputed player of the season with 11 goals and six assists. He was the first Spanish footballer to win the Ballon d'Or in 1960. Always with you. pic.twitter.com/T3UltagGFu. 15. A match on the football pitch is run by these gems. Accept Read More. Sergio Busquets was once again the key to dictating plays, and while Lionel Messi is still the maestro of the Catalans, the Argentine will be the first to tell you that Busquets is the one who makes everything tick in the Barcelona side. The expansive nature of the Spanish game called La Liga has compelled its defenders to broaden their game. Your login session has expired. El Fenomeno spent five years at the Bernabeu before injuries and weight issues finished his time at the club. A tactical defender with strong physical play and good pace, Eric Abidal helpedguideBarcelona to twoChampions Leagues, four league titles, and two Spanish Cups. Quick Links The Croatian international is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders of his era and also one of the greatest midfielders that have ever graced Real Madrid. According to France Football Magazine, 68% of people voted for Sergio Ramos to be the greatest of all time. The Spaniard is one of the most decorated players in the games history, having won nearly every trophy and honour. The 50 highest fees in history. Carlos won numerous major trophies during his eleven years with Real Madrid. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo some of the world's best players have lit up La Liga to make it one of the celebrated leagues in the world. His defensive workrate often went unnoticed, and he excelled in a deep-lying role where he could combine his gift of passing with defensive nuance. The Zadar-born midfielder has won La Liga title twice, one Copa del Rey title, Supercopa de Espana on three occasions, UEFA Champions League title four times, UEFA Super Cup title on three occasions as well as FIFA Club World Cup title three times. Your login session has expired. He is inarguably one of the best defensive midfielders of the 21st century. 2. Have a nice time, Thanks! Carlos (The Bullet Man) was known throughout his career for his powerful bending shots and free kicks, which reached speeds of over 105 miles per hour (169 km/h). FIFA 23 best CAM - the best Central Attacking Midfielder in FIFA 23. The game in the Spanish league is mainly dependent on passing and build-up play which is what makes the midfielders so important. A player who truly made the game beautiful, the late great Johan Cruyff will forever remain immortal in the minds of football supporters. Your login session has expired. Modric is one of the three La Liga players to win the Ballon d'Or this decade. Roberto Carlos was born on 10 April 1973 in Garca, State of So Paulo, Brazil, and joined Real Madrid at the age of 23. Across all positions, the other outstanding individuals are Barcelona midfielder Andrs Iniesta with five wins, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola with four wins, Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos with four wins, and goalkeepers Iker Casillas of Real Madrid and Vctor Valds of Barcelona with two wins each. With his incredible vision he dished 599 passes with a 91% success rate and his ability to get stuck in, Xavi also helped power the team to the 2010 World Cup. Capable of creating chances and breaking oppositions play with equal ease, Matthaus' perceptive passing, positioning and powerful shooting made him one of the most complete midfielders in the history of the game. His whopping 33 trophies over 16 years in the first team include 9 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League. La Liga is one of the greatest professional football leagues in the world, and we will present a list of the best La Liga defenders of all time in this article. We aim to provide sports fans with accurate and entertaining soccer stories. One of the greatest players of all time, Zico or white Pele as he is often known has scored an incredible number of goals from the attacking midfielder or number 10 position. Maradona is the best attacking midfielder of all time / Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images. Totti was excellent and promising as a No. Individually, Sergio Ramos has been named La Liga Best Defender (5) and UEFA Defender of the Season twice. For his powerful flexion and free kicks, he was nicknamed El Hombre Bala (The Bullet Man), and he has been described as the most attacking left-back in the history of the game.. FootballTransfers' list of the best Portuguese Midfielders in the world, according to our model. He dropped deep to win back possession before starting attacks and displayed an expansive passing range. Having won all the major trophies club and international competition has to offer, Xavi has carved a unique place for himself in the pantheon of footballing greats. A dynamic midfielder, he was ultra-competitive and set high-standards both on the field and off. Xavi and Iniesta have been the only midfielders to finish in the top three of Balon d'Or voting for the past two years. He received runner-up to Messi in the 2010 Ballon dOr. The Spaniards vision, pinpoint accurate passing and world class ball control allowed him to dictate the flow of play while rarely relinquishing possession. He formed an incredible partnership with Xavi and Lionel Messi and helped Barcelona dominate European football. The legend is always included in any top best midfielders of all time 2021 list. Valencia endured a disappointing campaign after finishing 13th in La Liga, but the same cannot be said of Carlos Soler. Mr. He is widely regarded as one of historys greatest defenders. We chose our list based on a player's overall quality for both club and country, trophies won, big-game performances, consistency and longevity. He guided The Netherlands to its first major international trophy with a victory in Euro 1988. Joining from Gremio in the summer of 2018, the Brazilian central midfielder was seen as a direct replacement for Iniesta in Barcelonas midfield trio and performed very well at times. Puyol is considered one of the best defenders of his generation. The 30-year-old midfielder, who is one of the all-time best Real Madrid midfielders, 7. Zinedine Zidane The talisman, Zinedine Pep Guardiola assembled one of the best club football teams of all time at Barcelona in is first ever managerial stint between 2008 and 2012. Xabi Alonso is one of the most decorated Spanish players of all time. . Luka Modric has been crowned Goal 50 winner for 2018, so where does the Real Madrid and Croatia ace rank among the greatest centre-mids of all time? One of the most skilled players ever to play the game, Ronaldinhos signing in 2003 ushered in a new era of dominance for Barcelona. The Dutchman with a powerful right boot is also a 5-time Spanish Champion, a 3 time Spanish Super Cup winner, and 1 time Spanish Cup winner. One name often mentioned is Andrea Pirlo because of his superb passing skills and game control. WebLaLiga. Another who made the brave (or perhaps reckless) decision to cross the Clsico rivalry, Luis Figo was a Ballon dOr winner and, for a short time, the most