Top 10 Best Midfielders in La Liga of All Time (Ranked)

Some of the top leagues in the world, such as the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A have produced some of the world's finest midfielders. Throughout the history of the game, these midfielders are known for exhibiting exceptional physical prowess, technicality, and the ability to score & create goals. But arguably, it's the La Liga which has been the platform of some of the greatest midfielders of all time, the list of which includes but is not limited to Toni Kroos, Zinedine Zidane, Luka Modric, Iniesta & Xabi Alonso. Understandably, since La Liga has a history of producing an abundance of midfielders, it's a whole different level of mental exercise to come up with an all-time list of best midfielders in La Liga.

Though La Liga has given the platform to some of the best players in the world across different playing positions, it's the midfielders who have bamboozled the football fanatics all over the world with their ball carrying, passing & goalscoring abilities. So, stay with us throughout this piece as we reveal the all-time list of the top 10 best midfielders in La Liga. In order to maintain unbiasedness, we have taken major ranking factors into consideration as well.

List of Best La Liga Midfielders of All Time

Since it's well known that there are so many best midfielders in La Liga that it's difficult to decide who to include & who to exclude in the top 10 list. As a result, we have come up with ranking factors focusing on individual performance, trophies won, contribution in big matches & goals + assists.

How We Ranked the La Liga Best Midfielders of All Time?

Below, you can see a detailed insight into the ranking factors considered by the Sportsdunia football desk to come up with the list of best midfielders in La Liga.

Individual Performance: This is the primary and a key factor in determining the La Liga best midfielders of all time. When we talk about an individual performance, we are not focusing on just scoring and creating. It's also about the finesse with which these midfielders play when the ball is at their feet.

Trophies & Honors: If midfielders have added needed value to a squad, they might have been involved in nail-biting title races along with their teams. This factor will help as the tie breaker in determining the ranking of players with near-similar stats. Our readers should note that since it's an article focused on the best La Liga midfielders of all time, the trophies won are mentioned from the perspective of La Liga titles.

Impact in Big Matches: We have used this factor to further distinguish between players – some players such as Zidane & Kroos might have fewer goals and assists compared to other players, but if they are/were the crucial part of the team and scored in every or most of the important matches, they have been given a higher ranking in our list of the best midfielders in La Liga.

Goals & Assists: Though sometimes stats don't convey the whole story as a performance of a midfielder is judged based on metrics beyond numbers, some midfielders excel in all the performance-measuring metrics, including goals and assists. Hence, we included it to make it more realistic, and to do that, we considered the data provided by reliable stats sources like Transfermarkt and Sportsdunia.

Who are the Best La Liga Midfielders of All Time?

Now that we have given you a detailed insight into the ranking factors used to determine the best La Liga midfielders of all time, prepare to enlighten yourself and know why we came up with the above-mentioned all-time list of the top 10 best midfielders in La Liga.

10. Jose Pirri (Spain)

Jose Pirri, as his stats speak, is one of the best lethal finishers in football history. He represented 36-time La Liga winners Real Madrid from 1964-80 & also captained the club for four years. He has scored more than 120 goals while playing as a central midfielder & as well as a center-back on a couple of occasions. He was known for his impeccable leadership skills & versatility, as on a few occasions, he also played as a makeshift forward.

Even though his name still echoes throughout Madrid & its legendary Santiago Bernabéu stadium, not much data is publicly available about him. But the fact that he is still revered by the Los Blancos fans speaks volumes about his greatness. He has won 10 La Liga trophies, & in total had 5 seasons in his career in which he reached double digits in terms of goals. As a result, it goes without saying why he is in our list of best midfielders in La Liga all-time.

9. Pep Guardiola (Spain)

One of the key cog of Barcelona's dream team under Johan Cryuff, Pep Guardiola has won it all with the La Liga giants. The Spaniard has won 6 league titles & 1 UEFA Champions League with the Blaugrana. As his stats show, Pep mostly played in the middle of the pitch, either as a central midfielder or as a deep-lying midfielder. In fact, 24 of his 35 assists for Barcelona came while he played as a CDM, which highlights his ability to dictate the tempo from deep.

He won six La Liga titles & produced 6 goals + 35 assists during his time at Barca. During his stay, he consistently displayed his skills to dictate the tempo in midfield & as a result, is included among best La Liga midfielders of all time.

8. Xabi Alonso (Spain)

Hailed as one of the greatest Spanish midfielders ever, Xabi Alonso is ranked 8th on our list of La Liga best midfielders of all time. Though at present, he is dictating the tempo from the touchline as a manager, Xabi Alonso is one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. After honing his skills at La Zubieta, the famed academy of the Basque Club Real Sociedad, he went on to represent their senior team 114 times. Then, after enjoying a memorable 5-year spell at Liverpool, he returned to the La Liga fold when he joined Real Madrid in 2009. In his 6-year stay at Los Blancos, he won a La Liga & a UCL. The versatile midfielder showcased his deep-lying playmaking abilities by providing line-breaking passes along with scoring bangers & as well as headers in det-piece situations

In 272 appearances across both clubs in La Liga, he delivered 13 goals & 37 assists. Along with his ability to be creative during an attack, Xabi Alonso made the most out of his strength & physique to excel as a defensive midfielder as well. As a result of this, he ended up playing 146 out of 158 games as a DM due to his ability to bring calmness, tenacity & control in Real Madrid's midfield. But due to winning only a single La Liga, the “El Señor” (The Gentleman) had to settle for 8th place in the all-time list of best midfielders in La Liga.

7. Sergio Busquets (Spain)

Sometimes, doing simple things solves all the problems. If there is indeed such a phrase that actually exists, then Inter Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets for sure followed it to the core. The Barcelona legend's tactical intelligence, ability to read the game, and defensive attributes & tackles redefined the role of a deep-lying playmaker. He showed the world that a defensive midfielder doesn't necessarily need to be pragmatic & aggressive during the game; rather, they can dictate & control the game smoothly. Despite being an underrated player for most of his career, Busquets undoubtedly is one of the complete midfielders in football history.

Part of the sextuple-winning 2008-09 Barcelona team, coached by Pep Guardiola, Sergio Busquets represented the Catalan giants 481 times. Deployed mostly as a defensive midfielder, he delivered 11 goals & 35 assists. Though stats-wise, his returns don't look good compared to some other midfielders in this list, what defines Busquets is his ability to pull the strings in midfield with his precise passing around of the ball & well-timed defensive contributions. Former Spain national team coach Vicente Del Bosque has also acknowledged him among best La Liga midfielders of all time by delivering the below statement:

"If you watch the whole game, you won't see Busquets—but watch Busquets, and you will see the whole game."

6. Luis Suárez (Spain)

Spanish Midfielder Luis Suarez is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. He scored 60 goals in 122 appearances for 5-time UCL winner Barcelona from 1955-1961 & won two La Liga titles with the club. But in current times, as more people know about the Uruguayan Luis Suarez, not all of them remember the greatness exhibited by the Spanish veteran with the same name.

Luis Suarez holds the 6th position in our all-time list of best midfielders in La Liga because of his knack for scoring goals. He scored 60 goals in just 122 games, which is slightly more than most of the midfielders around the same no. of games. The player also represented other Spanish clubs like Deportivo La Coruña & España Industrial. Because of his constant presence in or around the penalty box, Luis Suarez was available to receive second balls & cutbacks, which helped him to put the ball into the net.

5. Toni Kroos (Germany)

Not only is Toni Kroos unquestionably one of La Liga best midfielders of all time, but also adored by neutral fans due to his ability to provide masterclass performances in Real Madrid's midfield. Arguably one of the most ruthlessly efficient midfielders in the world, Kroos, alongside Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, was the cornerstone of Los Blancos' midfield. Real Madrid sort of enjoyed a golden period during the 10 years Toni Kroos played, as they won 4 La Liga titles & 5 Champions League titles.

Kroos's goal-creation abilities, passing accuracy & long-range shots always made him one of the best midfielders of his generation. Toni Kroos is one of the greatest midfielders ever to don a Los Blancos jersey. His impact was so stratospheric that it is felt even after his retirement, as Real Madrid are to this date struggling to reshape their midfield. Madrid's current midfield is still in a rebuilding phase as his defence-piercing passes & accurate long-balls are still being missed.

4. Luka Modric (Croatia)

Just like his former Real Madrid teammate Toni Kroos, Luka Modric is in the all-time list of the best midfielders in La Liga. Due to his durability despite being 40, ability with the ball on his feet & a knack for scoring goals in crunch moments, Modric is deservedly 4th in our list. In fact, his trophy-laden career alone warrants a place for him in the top 10 list. Due to his ability to consistently deliver in the role of a creative playmaker, he is often called “The Maestro” & "The Cruyff of the Balkans", the latter because his style of play is similar to that of the Dutch legend.

His ability to control the game from the middle of the park and resist opposition players' pressure was vital to the success achieved by La Liga giants Real Madrid. He represented the club 394 times in the league and delivered a return of 30 goals + 66 assists. Winning 4 La Liga titles & 5 UCLs is a testament to his consistent performance along with Toni Kroos in midfield. Even at 40, he is not slowing down, as currently, he is pulling the midfield strings for Serie A giants AC Milan, and making Italian football fans gasp in awe.

3. Zinedine Zidane (France)

French legend Zinedine Zidane ended his second spell as Real Madrid's manager after achieving immense success in 2021. But before donning the managerial boots, the greatest midfielder of all time wowed us football fanatics after joining Real Madrid from Italian giants Juventus in 2001. Zidane became one of the most prolific and charismatic midfielders of Real Madrid & won a La Liga and UCL during his time there.

Along with being ranked 3rd in the all-time list of top 10 best midfielders in La Liga Zidane was one of those few players who have won a lot both as a player & as a coach. He delivered 37 goals & 51 assists for the Whites, highlighting his goalscoring and playmaking abilities. His left-footed volley in the top-left corner of the goal post ended up becoming one of the greatest goals in UEFA Champions League as Madrid won their ninth UEFA title by beating Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen.

2. Xavi Hernandez (Spain)

Alongside Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets & Andres Iniesta, Xavi perfected the art of playing tiki-taka football during the peak glory years of Barcelona. Some call him an absolute legend, while in some circles, he is referred to as a midfield icon. Such was his consistency while he played for the Blaugrana for more than a decade that even the aforementioned terms are not enough to justify his status as one of the best La Liga midfielders of all time. He made more than 500 appearances for Barca and totally changed the perception of people towards central midfielders or playmakers. Even former Argentine footballer Jorge Valdano, who used to be general manager of Barca's arch rivals Real Madrid, praised Xavi, which is a testament to his greatness.

"If football was a science, Xavi would have discovered the formula. With a ball at his feet, no one else has ever communicated so intelligently with every player on the pitch."

Nicknamed Puppet master, he scored 58 goals & made a whopping 130 assists for the club alongside Argentine World Cup Winner Lionel Messi as Barca enjoyed a glorious period of dominance from 2008-2012. With his precise passing and the ability to exploit the tightest of spaces as a deep-lying playmaker, he used to effortlessly break the defensive lines. The player's impact on the pitch and consistently delivering good performances rank him at no.2.

1. Andres Iniesta (Spain)

Is it even surprising that the one who is ranked 1st ahead of even Xavi in the list of best midfielders in La Liga all time is none other than his own teammate, Andres Iniesta? Honestly, it's not as the numbers speak for it. Alongside fellow graduates of La Masia, undisputedly the best football academy in the world, he rattled the opposition teams' midfield & as well has cut through their defenses with their precise passing.

Though he started as a defensive midfielder in his youth days, he eventually became an attack-minded midfielder, with his playing style demanding to be on left-side of the half-space, making space for the attackers to run. His ball control, agility, and composure in attacking spaces created havoc for the opposition defence. He made 442 appearances & delivered 35 goals + 84 assists and ended his long tenure at Barcelona with 9 La Liga titles.