How do they fare in the ‘middle’ of everything | Part 2

Considering the amazingly high level of performances across the boards, this could arguable be one of the best FIFA World Cups of all time even before the final is played. The new 48-team tournament, which saw some of the greatest attacking and defensive football, has been a spectacle that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

This 3-part series is Onmanorama’s attempt at ranking the top three players in each position during this tournament, based on individual quality and relative to the expectations of their respective teams.
Read part 1 here.

Defensive Midfielder
3: Granit Xhaka
At the age of 33, Granit Xhaka just refuses to slow down in any form. After a surprise return to the Premier League last season, Xhaka has carried on the amazing form he had with Sunderland to the Swiss national team. He captained Switzerland to their most successful World Cup campaign since 1954, just falling short to Argentina in extra time in the quarter-finals. Even so far into his career, Xhaka continues to be underrated, but he was the real engine behind the Swiss midfield. Every time that Switzerland needed someone to calm the tempo of the game, especially in tense situations, Xhaka would be there. A workhorse in the middle of the pitch, he even chipped in with a stoppage-time goal against Bosnia to become the second-ever Swiss player to score in three World Cups (after his former teammate Xherdan Shaqiri). After this campaign and the way he just keeps improving, the Swiss can maybe even have a faint hope that he returns at the age of 37 for the next World Cup.

2: Leandro Paredes
He might not be the most beloved player by opposition fans, but Leandro Paredes’s impact for Argentina during this tournament has been undeniable. Not everyone is willing to do the dirty work required to win a game, but Paredes has no such qualms. Dirty or not, he has been a defensive rock in front of Argentina’s backline and it could be argued that he’s playing at a better level than he did in 2022. An important tackle that kept Argentina in the game against Egypt, his constant hounding of Breel Embolo in the quarter-finals, and to top it all off with a physically dominant performance that shut down the English midfield; Paredes is having himself one hell of a tournament. He’s so important in breaking up the rhythm of the opposition’s attack and he manages to always get in his opponent’s head (Breel Embolo’s red card being a great example). It will be interesting to see how he fares against the fundamentally solid Spain team that thrives in possession.

1: Rodri
Certain fanbases still complain about Rodri winning the Ballon d’Or in 2024. A large part of his win was due to his performance in the 2024 Euros, after which he had unfortunately been sidelined for large portions of the last two seasons, but in this tournament, he’s truly back to his best and he’s proving why exactly he deserved that award. Rodri can already be called one of the top defensive midfielders of all time and in the Spanish midfield, he alone dictates the plays. No other player this tournament has commanded the field the way he has. A general in midfield, he is the glue that holds the defensive side and offensive side of La Roja together. His ability to shutdown attacks and then instantly make a line-breaking pass? Impeccable. Rodri has completed the most number of passes (655), while also having the most number of line-breaking passes (106) among all players during this tournament. If Spain do end up winning the tournament, a large part of that will be thanks to Rodri.

Honorable Mentions: Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco), Declan Rice (England), Berge (Norway)

Central Midfielder
3: Bruno Guimaraes
Everyone will remember the missed penalty in the 14th minute against Norway in the Round of 16, but that shouldn’t take away from the amazing campaign that Bruno Guimaraes was having before that. Four assists in five games, the numbers don’t lie. In a Brazilian midfield that was really not up to the par, he was the sole bright spot. He provided the assist for Gabriel Martinelli’s dramatic last minute winner against Japan in the Round of 32. Guimaraes has never been the most technically gifted midfielder, but he more than makes up for that with his tireless effort throughout the game. For a central midfielder, he kind of skirts the line between a 6 and an 8 and he seemed to be the only one of the three Brazilian midfielders truly running back to help the defence while also creating most of Brazil’s offensive opportunities. Even if he might look back on this tournament with regret, Guimaraes was without a doubt the second most important player on this Brazilian squad and hopefully continues to play a part in Ancelotti’s future plans.

2: Youri Tielemans
On a team with experienced veterans such as Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois, it would be easy to be confused as to why Youri Tielemans was given the captain’s armband. Then when you watch Belgium play, it becomes clear that he is the perfect man for that position. A player that blurs the line between Belgium’s Golden Generation and the younger talent, Tielemans proved to be more than adept at leading the side during the tournament. Even if an unfortunate injury sidelined him from Belgium’s quarter-finals exit to Spain, he was the reason that the team even reached that far. In their Round of 32 match against Senegal, Belgium was on the brink of defeat after being 2-1 at the 88th minute. Tielemans equalized in spectacular fashion to take the game to extra-time, where he secured Belgium’s victory through a 120’ + 5’ minute penalty. His campaign, along with a good season at Aston Villa, helped secure him a big move to Manchester United after Belgium’s exit.

1: Enzo Fernandez
A moment from the World Cup that will be etched into the brain of every English fan for the next few weeks. Enzo Fernandez, with his hands cupped behind his ears, provoking and taunting the English fans after scoring an 85th minute banger to equalize against England in the semi-final. The 25-year-old, who won the FIFA Young Player award at the previous tournament, was coming into this campaign after a tumultuous four-years with Chelsea, where he showed flashes of brilliance but lacked consistency. It’s a different story when he puts on the blue-and-white kit, as evidenced by performances in this tournament. The equalizer against England and a 90’ + 3 minute winner against Egypt in the quarter finals proved that Fernandez is a player that Argentina can rely on in the big moments. Apart from his goals, he’s also been Argentina’s best midfielder in possession. Against England, he had the most touches on the pitch (104), while also being solid when the ball was out-of-possession, something he usually struggles with. Argentina will need Fernandez to come up big again when they face Spain in the final.

Honorable Mentions: Patrick Berg (Norway), Christ Inao Oulai (Ivory Coast), Malik Tillman (USA)

Attacking Midfielder
3: Johan Manzambi
Without a doubt, the most impactful breakout star of this World Cup, Johan Manzambi proved himself to be the heart and soul of this Swiss team’s success. In four games, Manzambi registered 3 goals and 2 assists helping Switzerland to top Group B. Playing as an attacking midfielder behind striker Breel Embolo, Manzambi was key to the Swiss offence. He created the plays and was also pivotal in converting chances into the back of the net. Perhaps the biggest indicator of his importance was how quickly the goals dried up for Switzerland in his absence. After suffering an injury, Manzambi was ruled out of Switzerland's Round of 16 and quarter-finals, and the Swiss only managed to score a single goal from open-play in those two games compared to the 9 goals across their previous four games. It was evident that without the young midfielder that the Swiss were lost in the final third. While it hasn’t been confirmed yet, Manzambi is expected to secure a record-setting transfer to Aston Villa this summer and with the injury to Amadou Onana and Youri Tieleman’s departure, it would be the perfect place for him to build on his World Cup campaign.

2: Michael Olise
Despite being kept quiet during France’s later knockout games, Michael Olise had one of the best tournaments by a midfielder ever. By adding two assists to his tally in the third-place playoff against England, Olise officially became the record-holder for the most assists in a single World Cup with 7 (beating the record held by Pele since 1970). In their opener against Senegal, France struggled in the first half to really create a meaningful opportunity in the final third, despite all the heavy-hitters in attack. It was Deschamps’ decision to move Olise from his usual position as winger to 10 that really unlocked the French offence for the World Cup. Olise’s eye for passes was second to none at this World Cup and his link-up play with Kylian Mbappe seemed almost impossible to read. His dribbling skills meant that he could always wriggle out of tight situations and almost immediately scan the pitch to find a narrow through ball to one of his front three. While the game against Spain proved that he still has to develop his game a bit more, Olise could not have really asked for a better World Cup debut campaign.

1: Jude Bellingham
What does it take to be above a player that broke Pele’s assist record? Perhaps, be the most clutch player at the tournament like Jude Bellingham did. England, time and again, seemed destined to go out but one man kept showing up to put the ball in the back of the net and keep them in the tournament; Jude Bellingham. With 7 goals and 1 assist, he became England’s record holder for the most goals in a single World Cup campaign. A goal to take the lead against Croatia, a goal to take the lead against Panama, two goals within a minute against Mexico at the Azteca, an equalizer and a winner against Norway in the quarter-finals. He didn’t just score meaningless goals, instead each of his goals came at a moment when England were desperate for someone to step up. Bellingham is a great midfielder, he’s already proved that multiple times over the last few seasons, but his ability to crash the box during this tournament was on another level. You can call it luck, if it happens once or twice, but the consistency with which he did showed how well he reads the movement of the ball and the positioning of the defenders within the box so that he can always find the perfect moment to get a goal. Even if England came up short against Argentina, fans will no doubt be waiting to sing ‘Hey Jude’ at future tournaments and Jude Bellingham will surely look to finally take them all the way next time.

Honorable Mentions: Martin Odegaard (Norway), Daichi Kamada (Japan), Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco)

Read part 1 here.