A ranking of 10 of the best holding midfielders in the world currently

Holding midfielders are defensive players whose roles as playmakers and tacklers are crucial to a team. Some of the best footballers of all time include legendary players such as Jorginho, Xavi and Thomas Müller. Dig in to discover all the current holding defensive midfielders around the world.

What is the role of the holding midfielder? Unlike central and wide midfielders, these players hold positions to defend their goal better, just as their name suggests. Scroll down for a comprehensive list of football players who have honed holding midfielder tactics.

What makes the best holding midfielders?

The world’s finest holding defence players remain close to their own goal to neutralise attacks and enhance defence. Athletes in this list of elite soccer stars are masters of all trades, playing as midfield two, three, or box-to-box players.

Who are the best holding midfielders currently?

Sports Brief has used data from reputable sports sites and official team websites such as Transfermarkt to give details of the best-holding midfielders in the world and their stats. Here is a summary of some of the most notable holding midfielders in 2022/23.

10. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

Danish CDM Pierre-Emile Højbjerg has accrued over 480 career tackles with a 60% tackle success rate. A March report by FOX Sports referred to the number 5 player who had become a dependable holding defence player for Tottenham Hotspur. Additionally, Adrian Clarke's analysis ranks him among the best-holding midfielders in Europe, with a record of 2.48 tackles won per 90 minutes and 8.29 duels won per match.

9. João Palhinha

Palinha is a Portuguese football player who wears the number 26 jersey for Fulham FC. His performance for the Premier League team can not be understated. He led in season stats in the 2021/22 season with 147 tackles. According to Stats24, in his last six matches of the 2022/23 season, he generated 28 tackles with ten interceptions and boasts an overall pass success rate of 84.2%.

8. Aurélien Tchouaméni

French football player Aurélien Djani Tchouaméni joins the ranks of top defensive players of 2022/23. The number 18 defence player has distinguished himself as one of the best players for La Liga's Real Madrid CF. At the time of writing, he had 14 tackles, winning eight and losing six.

During his first season with Real, the tenacious defender made 43 appearances, winning 47 tackles out of 74 total generated with 56 clearances and 53 interceptions. Records of his most recent performance reveal that the right-footed player generated and won three tackles, allowing his team to prevail against Getafe by two goals to one.

7. Joshua Kimmich

Bundesliga’s top defensive midfielder, Joshua Walter Kimmich, earned the name Mr Versatile for his impressive abilities on the field. He has played in almost all football positions except for the goalkeeping and forward positions.

Based on an analysis by Coaches Voices, he can create plays from deep positions while defending the team. In addition, he is an aggressive dueller and tackler with the ability to adjust to different defensive needs on the field.

6. Enzo Fernández

At 22 years of age (as of December 2023), Enzo Jeremías Fernández has recorded significant success as a footballer, winning various records, including the 2022 World Cup. The versatile defensive player at Chelsea FC has become an excellent pass-master and playmaker who can play as a box-to-box, single pivot and deep-lying player. He leads the list of the best defensive midfielders, with the highest passing accuracy of 76.7% and holds the number 1 Premier League rank for the most successful long passes (8.08).

5. Declan Rice

24-year-old (at the time of writing) Declan Rice is the number 41 player for Arsenal FC who plays in the midfield position. The versatile defenseman plays in various positions as a box-to-box and a central defensive midfielder.

Upon his transfer to Arsenal in June 2023, former goalkeeper Asmir Begovic hailed Arsenal for acquiring the English football player. Speaking to the BBC, he said: "Declan Rice is one of the best, if not the best, holding midfielders in the world."

4. Casemiro

Manchester United’s number 18, Carlos Henrique Casimiro, has cemented his position as the team’s best line of defence and surprise scorer. In his own words, he described his role after leading Man U to a 2-1 win against Reading, saying,

"My primary job is to give more balance to the defence, help my teammates, give more quality to the build-up, but to score is also important and satisfying."

An analysis of Man United’s top-flight record by the Premier League revealed that in the 2022/2023 season, the team won 2.1 more points with Casemiro than without (1.7). He is also the second-best midfielder in the Premier League to record the most tackles (1.95) and duels (7.86) per 90 minutes.

3. Rodri

Spanish professional soccer player Rodrigo Hernández Cascante is Man City's holding midfielder. English pundit Adrian Clarke's ranking placed him second among the best-holding midfielders in the Premier League. At the time of writing, he has made the most passes in the opposition half (1,217), possessions per 90 minutes (9.75), and touches in the Premier League in the 2022/23 season.

2. Thomas Partey

In March 2023, Ghanaian midfielder and right backer Thomas Partey was ranked as the best-holding midfielder in the EPL. With top speeds of 34.5km/hr, he plays a pivotal role on the Arsenal roster as a defensive midfielder.

Speaking to Rio Ferdinand through Goal, his teammate, Oleksandr Zinchenko, showered Party with praises, calling him the best holding midfielder he has ever played with. Zinchenko compared Partey’s talent to Casemiro, Fernandinho and Rodri, saying,

“Casemiro is a world-class football player. But if I had to choose, it would be Partey. I had the debate in my head, who is the best holding midfielder I have ever played with – it was between Fernandinho, Rodri and Partey. ”

1. N'Golo Kante

Kante is a versatile, multi-talented football player who has occupied various roles for his teams. While playing for Chelsea, he became known as one of the best box-to-box midfielders.

In addition to topping holding midfielder lists, he has also excelled as a deep-lying player. Over the years, Kante’s talent has been described as the best defensive ability in global football.

Who are the best holding midfielders ever?

Over the years, this gatekeeping position has been occupied by some of the world's best football players of all time. Here is a list of defence players who held and excelled in the position at one point in their careers.

1) Claude Makelele
2) Sergio Busquets
3) Yaya Touré
4) Michael Essien
5) Granit Xhaka
6) Xabi Alonso
7) Marco Tardelli
8) Bruno Guimarães
9) Roméo Lavia
10) Moisés Caicedo