Who are the best attacking midfielders in world football right now? It’s a stacked field, with creative stars from Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea amongst the best in Europe at this moment.

Before we begin, a quick clarification. This list is exclusively for No.10s, playmakers and attack-minded midfielders. Deeper operators, holding midfielders and box-to-box No.8s can be found elsewhere, even if some regularly chip in with goals and assists.

With that out of the way, here’s our ranking of the 10 best attacking midfielders in world football.

10. Morgan Rogers

Morgan Rogers takes 10th place after grabbing his big-money move to Chelsea by the scruff of the neck. The Blues remain a work in progress under Xabi Alonso, but it helps enormously that Rogers has hit the ground running after an eye-watering transfer fee.

Morgan Gibbs-White drops out after failing to maintain the exceptional form he showed in the latter half of last season. Florian Wirtz goes too. We’ve been waiting for the penny to drop for months, and are finally admitting defeat.

Honourable mentions for Johan Manzambi, who has hit the ground running at Villa, and Julio Enciso, one of our favourite players to watch in the Premier League right now. They could push for inclusion if they can keep up this form.

9. Cole Palmer

Another player that wasn’t at his best last season, with his omission from the England squad the price for that.

Really it’s been diminishing returns since his incredible debut season at Chelsea, arguably the most exciting campaign from a young English player since Dele Alli burst onto the scene a decade ago. Apologies in advance if we’ve just hexed him with that comparison.

There have been flashes of the old Palmer in 2026-27, not least in the wins over Fulham, Leeds and Manchester United. But inconsistency remains an issue, with some quieter displays preventing us from declaring a full-blown revival.

The talent remains unquestionable, and a fit, confident Palmer still walks into almost any team in Europe. We just want to see him put a proper run together again.

8. Dani Olmo

Olmo leaves us with this minor sense of frustration that he’s not quite what he should or could be. Maybe we’re just too demanding of our continental creators.

You wouldn’t necessarily put him among Barcelona’s five most important players, but he’s a nice fit in this free-scoring side and invariably makes things happen when available. There have been some lovely moments in 2026-27, but the familiar fitness issues persist.

We’re still waiting for him to put together a sustained run of form. Flick and Luis de la Fuente clearly know what they’ve got, and we’re inclined to trust their judgement.

7. Fermin Lopez

Lopez is far from the biggest star in Barcelona’s team, but the La Masia graduate is proving quite the asset. Chelsea’s reported €40million bid looks hilariously cheeky in hindsight.

He’s made an excellent start to 2026-27, with six goals and seven assists, while his relentless energy and commitment make him particularly well-suited to Hansi Flick’s all-action gameplan.

There are still small question marks over whether he can consistently deliver in the very biggest games, but he’s gradually answering those doubts. He’s now just about ahead of Dani Olmo in our estimation.

6. Bruno Fernandes

We shouldn’t forget what Fernandes did for Manchester United last season. His individual campaign was comfortably the best of any player in his position across world football. But even at his best, there have always been awkward questions about whether such a traditional No.10 can exist in a proper team.

Think Philippe Coutinho at Liverpool back in the day, or later-day Mesut Ozil at Arsenal.

United’s dreadful start to 2026-27 has only brought those concerns back into focus. Fernandes has hardly covered himself in glory, with the whingeing, flouncing and erratic pressing hardly setting the example you’d expect of a captain.

He’s still got plenty of fight, as demonstrated by his fiery interview after the much-needed comeback against Roma. But if United are serious about building something different, perhaps January is the time to call it a day. There’s a Saudi-shaped solution staring everyone in the face.

READ: Ranking the 10 best midfielders in world football: Rodri, Rice, Vitinha…

5. Rayan Cherki

Cherki remains one of the most beautifully watchable footballers in the game. He’s capable of moments of outright genius, the sort of player who makes you wonder why everyone doesn’t try a little harder to entertain us.

But perhaps there’s a boring reason why throwback players of his ilk are becoming increasingly rare in elite football. The demands of modern pressing, positional discipline and collective responsibility don’t always leave much room for a player who wants to do things his own way.

It’s been a familiar mixture of ups and downs under Maresca in 2026-27, with the occasional flash of brilliance offset by the inevitable tactical friction. We’re still intrigued.

4. Arda Guler

He’s no Luka Modric, but Guler is probably the closest thing Real Madrid have to the legendary Croatian these days. A more advanced, attack-minded version, admittedly, but one capable of taking control of a game.

Rather than forcing him out wide, the Madrid manager has found a structure that allows Guler to help dictate tempo while Bellingham operates in his favoured central role. It’s working well.

Guler possesses bags of creativity, with his dead-ball deliveries an especially valuable asset. He was instrumental in the comeback against Roma and held his own in their statement Clasico win.

3. Martin Odegaard

Odegaard doesn’t quite offer the creative output of Fernandes or the individual flair of Cherki. But there’s a reason Mikel Arteta loves him. Do you really think the Arsenal manager would swap him for either?

He’s the embodiment of the champions. Disciplined, hard-working, positionally intelligent and willing to sacrifice individual glory for the collective. Unlikely to be loved by neutrals, but why should he care if he’s captaining the best side in the country?

Last season wasn’t his finest, with a noticeable decline in his attacking output, but the early signs in 2026-27 are considerably more encouraging. He’s already doubled his league goal tally from last season.

2. Nico Paz

We wondered whether we’d been getting a little carried away by putting Paz as high as third in this ranking over the summer. A key player for Como, certainly, but he barely featured at the World Cup. Were we perhaps overegging the pudding?

Turns out we were right to have faith. The Argentinian has taken to bigger tests like a duck to water, looking absolutely resplendent in Como’s 4-1 mauling of Manchester United before earning a perfect 10 WhoScored rating with a goal and two assists in their 9-1 tonking of Lens.

He’s a ridiculous footballer, and we’re bumping him up accordingly. The epitome of the modern No.10, Paz combines individual brilliance with the tactical intelligence and work rate to thrive in a sophisticated pressing system.

Argentina’s great hope now that Messi has retired. We can’t wait to see what the future holds.

1. Jude Bellingham

For two straight seasons, Bellingham didn’t quite hit the heights expected of him. No major trophies. Fairly modest numbers. Questions over how he fits alongside Real Madrid’s other stars. And a growing sense of frustration amid the club’s wider issues.

It’s been a similar story for Kylian Mbappe, with the pair taking their time to develop an understanding at the Bernabeu.

But the World Cup offered a pretty clear explanation: the problem isn’t Bellingham or Mbappe. It’s Madrid. More specifically, it’s a midfield that still hasn’t adequately replaced Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

But finally, things are starting to click. Bellingham is now consistently operating in a role that suits him, rather than being shoehorned into a deeper midfield position he can’t really play, and is once again one of Madrid’s most important players, regularly contributing big moments.

This was the same player who was a genuine Ballon d’Or contender a couple of years ago, driving Madrid to a Champions League and La Liga double. He hasn’t changed.

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