Ranking the 10 Best Midfielders in La Liga of All Time

When we see different leagues around the world like the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, we may have some questions like which league is the most competitive, which league is the most physical one, which league is more technical, and many more. We are answering one of the previous questions, i.e, which league is the most technical one – the answer is La Liga. La Liga is the most technical league in the world, and the position that makes it technical is the Midfield. La Liga has produced many great midfielders like Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Kroos, and many more, but who is the best among all the midfielders that have ever played in the league? Stick to this article till the end to find out which player holds the number one spot in our list of best midfielders in La Liga all time.

The highest Spanish footballing division, La Liga, has produced some prolific footballers over the years and continues to wow audiences with compelling stars and veterans. While La Liga has given the world splendid footballers in each position, some of the midfielders over the years have certainly displayed immense talent and were high-profile contenders to be in the top 10 La Liga Midfielders list. Join us as we have crafted an engaging list of the 10 Best Midfielders in La Liga of All Time. To make things transparent for our fans, we have listed the ranking factors that we have used in determining the top 10 best midfielders in La Liga.

How We Ranked La Liga’s Greatest Midfielders

As there are several talented playmakers in La Liga’s history, there are several factors on which we have made our rankings. A midfielder who has shown consistency throughout his career would certainly be ranked higher. The number of goals and assists a midfielder has made also affects their overall rank in the list. Crucial performances are also needed at high-stakes games, and that is when a midfielder commands the game. Therefore, such performances will catapult a midfielder to achieve upper ranks.

Individual Performance: The primary and most important factor in determining the best midfielders in La Liga history, we have taken Individual performance as our ranking factor. This factor mainly focuses on numbers like Goals scored, Assists made, additionally, we have also considered the stats like passing accuracy – xGs and xAs to determine the ranking of the best midfielders to ever play in the Spanish top flight.

La Liga Trophies Won: If midfielders have added needed value to a squad, they might have competed for the league. This factor will help us as the tie breaker in determining the ranking of players with almost similar stats – For Example If player “A” has 12 assists and 13 goals with 3 tiles on his name, he will rank higher then the player say “B” who has scored 15 goals and provided 12 assists with 0 trophies.

Impact on the Team: We all know that in the case of midfielders, we might not find those crazy goals and assists stats compared to their appearances for their respective teams. we have used this factor to further distinguish between players – some players might have fewer goals and assists compared to other players but if they are/were the crucial part of the team and showed in every critical match, they have given a higher ranking in our list of top 10 best midfielders in La Liga.

Top 10 Best Midfielders in La Liga

Before we start ranking the most valuable midfielders in the Spanish top flight, we would like to inform you that rankings are completely based on the above ranking factors. Players who have changed their roles later in their careers are not included, and players with less than 100 games are also excluded from our list of the top 10 best midfielders in La Liga.

10) Jose Pirri (Spain)

Jose Pirri is undoubtedly one of the most lethal Spanish players in the history of football. He represented Real Madrid for 15 years and won several trophies and accolades with the team, guiding them to several crucial wins. Pirri played from 1964 to 1979 for the Los Blancos and also captained the side for four years. There might be very few leaders like Pirri, as he commanded the game for Madrid with his immaculate presence. With impressive defensive and attacking prowess, Pirri scored 123 goals for the club as a central midfielder, which is a commendable feat.

Though complete data about his footballing numbers is not available publicly as his name echoes through and years, which speaks for player greatness. Jose Pirri has scored 123 goals and won 10 national titles with Los Blancos. The player is remembered for his significant contribution during his tenure at Real Madrid. Pirri was also known for his versatility – he used to play in different positions as per the requirements of the team. Out of those 10 La Liga trophies pirri has scored in double digits in 5 of them.

Key Stats	Figures
Appearances	561
Goals	123
Assists	–
La Liga Trophies Won	10

9) Pep Guardiola (Spain)

World renowned manager Pep Guardiola has done wonders with his managing skills for Manchester City and FC Barcelona. His professional career saw him doing wonders for FC Barcelona as one of the most memorable and effective defensive midfielders ever. Pep was one of the main stars for Johan Cruyff’s FC Barcelona winning four league titles and the UEFA Champions League. His calculated decision making on the field made him a crucial player for the club throughout his tenure.

Though from his stats you can conclude that he likes to play more in center and believes in creating chances for his teammates by tearing apart the defensive lines of the oppenent with his precise through balls. Guardiola had scored 6 goals and provided 35 assists in the Spanish top division as a player. During his time in FC Barcelona the player had won 5 National Championships, making him one of the best midfielders for FC Barcelona.

Key Stats	Figures
Appearances	263
Goals	6
Assists	35
La Liga Trophies Won	5

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8) Luka Modric (Croatia)

The Croatian Luka Modric has a list of accolades which alone makes him into the top 10 list itself, he has won six Champions League titles, four La Liga titles and two Copa del Rey titles and is the most decorated footballer in the club’s history. The Ballon d’Or winner has been a key player for Real Madrid, generating a lot of counter attacks and defensive traps in crucial games. Having a decorated career so far, Modric continues to shock everyone with his exceptional performances.

Even at 39 years of age he is playing at the league which demands technicality, endurance and great vision – he is doing it easily, Though his game time has reduced but the impact he has on the pitch as soon as he enters the picth is immense and game changing sometimes. The Croatian has scored 30 goals and provided 64 assist till now. The Los Blancos player has won 4 league titles with the team, making him one of the best midfielders in La Liga.

Key Stats	Figures*
Appearances	391
Goals	30
Assists	64
La Liga Trophies Won	4

7) Xabi Alonso (Spain)

Before being a tremendous manager, Xabi Alonso was an influential midfielder in La Liga. He initially played for Real Sociedad, where he caught a lot of attention for his prolific performances. After joining Real Madrid in 2009, the versatile veteran displayed some phenomenal performances and showcased deep playmaking abilities to create goal scoring chances. His set piece skills were also lethal making him an all round performer and one of the greatest ever to do it.

The player only won 1 La Liga trophy with Real Madrid but his impact on the team was very influencing. The player has scored 13 goals and provided 27 assists to his teammates in 272 games only making him positioned number 7 at our list of best midfielders in La Liga. Xabi all round performnce made him key piece for real madrid until he moved to Bayern Munich in the 2015/16 season.

Key Stats	Figures
Appearances	272
Goals	13
Assists	27
La Liga Trophies Won	1

Also Read : Top 10 Midfielders in La Liga Currently

6) Sergio Busquets (Spain)

Easily one of the most smooth performers in the game, Sergio Busquets had a simple yet effective game plan in his matches for FC Barcelona. The Spanish midfielder had crisp interceptions, tackles, and counter attacks without getting noticed much. Being underrated for most of his time in Spain, Busquets is regarded as one of the most complete midfielders of all time. With eight La Liga titles and three Champions League titles under his name, Busquets had to be included in the list for his impressive accolades.

Busquets was an integral part of the popular Tiki Taka team under Pep Guardiola and his cheeky skills when under pressure attracted people to hail for his calmness and intelligence. Though the player was a defensive midfielder his G+A tally is not that soothing compared to attacking midfielders. Some fans also say that the Blaugrana player was one of the most underrated players of all time, his contriutions were not seen on the statistics sheet but can be seen on pitch if watched carefully. The player has scored 11 goals and 35 assists in his 481 appearances for FC Barcelona.

Key Stats	Figures
Appearances	481
Goals	11
Assists	35
La Liga Trophies Won	9

5) Luis Suárez (Spain)

Spanish legend Luis Suárez is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. His time in Barcelona saw him adapting a fluid style of play, making crucial assists and scoring essential goals for the club. He scored 63 goals in his 139 appearances for Barcelona and won the La Liga twice with the Spanish side. As people tend to know about the Uruguayan Luis Suárez, they often forget the brilliance of the Spanish veteran with the same name.

Suarez holds 5th Position in our List of top 10 best midfielders in La Liga because oh his impressive goal scoring prowess, the Spaniard has scored 63 goals, which is slightly higher than the par for Midfielders. The player played for Deportiva Corruna and La Esapana Industrial. Luis Suarez used to play near to the penalty box, making him available on second balls and cut backs, which helped him score goals.

Key Stats	Figures
Appearances	139
Goals	63
Assists	14
La Liga Trophies Won	2

4) Toni Kroos (Germany)

If there was someone who was loved by rival clubs as much as he was loved by the fans of Real Madrid it was Toni Kroos. Arguably one of the most lethal midfielders for Real Madrid, Toni Kroos was the mastermind of Madrid’s midfield for a decade and had a glorious career with the Los Blancos. The German midfielder was known for his long range accuracy of passes and ability to create gaps for crucial goals.

His impressive free kick skills have been on display several times throughout his career. Being a top-class central midfielder, Toni Kroos is one of the greatest players to ever grace the legendary Real Madrid side. The difference between his assists and goal tally speaks for his character. The player absence can be felt in the squad after he got retired. Since his retirement the team is not able to completely replace him. His diagnol long balls were as lethal as his decisive through balls between the lines. The German has scored 22 goals and helped his teammates score goals 72 times in 306 appearances for real madrid.

Key Stats	Figures
Appearances	306
Goals	22
Assists	72
La Liga Trophies Won	4

Also Read : Greatest Spanish Midfielders

3) Zinedine Zidane (France)

A magnificent veteran graced Real Madrid with his exceptional managerial skills in 2016. The same veteran made his effects known back in 2001 with his eye-catching skills and goals for the Los Blancos. French veteran Zinedine Zidane was one of the most prolific midfielders for Real Madrid and won several trophies and accolades during his time in Spain. To top everything, he scored a screamer in the 2002 Champions League final which is considered to be one of the greatest goals in football history.

There are very few players who were excellent players as well as great coaches, and Zidane is one of them. For Real Madrid, he has scored 37 goals and provided 51 assists which shows that player had both shooting skills as well as creative playmaking skills to open the way for his teammates to go and score. The impact he had in just 155 games is incomparable to any other player in the league. He strongly holds the Number 3 Position on our list of best midfielders in La Liga.

Key Stats	Figures
Appearances	155
Goals	37
Assists	51
La Liga Trophies Won	1

2) Xavi (Spain)

Xavi was one of the most important players for FC Barcelona and under Pep Guardiola’s guidance, Xavi delivered a world-class performance. Keeping possession, making gaps for crucial counter attacks and having an overall command on the pitch, Xavi has several La Liga titles and UEFA Champions League titles under his name and also won the World Soccer Player of the Year in 2010 showcasing his dominance in the sport. Appearing in over 500 games for Barcelona, Xavi redefined the elegance and brilliance of midfielders during his tenure.

The Player has provided 130 assists and found the net 58 times during his tenure at the Catalan club. His 505 appearances tell that how important he was for the team. While Iniesta used to play a bit higher, Xavi used to combine with defensive players and provide the ball to forwards and attacking midfielders. With his precise short passes and give-and-go play style the player used to break defensive lines easily. The player stats and impact on the team is the proof of why he is in the Number 2 Position.

Key Stats	Figures
Appearances	505
Goals	58
Assists	130
La Liga Trophies Won	8

1) Andres Iniesta (Spain)

The Spanish veteran Andres Iniesta was a legendary addition to the FC Barcelona and had everything a midfielder needed. He was utilized in various roles at the club including central, defensive and attacking midfielder. With his sublime passing skills and effective defensive traps, Iniesta was regarded as a world-class player in Barcelona. The sensational trio of Xavi, Iniesta and Lionel Messi was dangerous for opponents and became one of the greatest footballing trios of all time.

The Spanish player had scored 35 goals and provided 84 assists for FC Barcelona. He used to play as an attacking midfielder, slightly shifting himself to left to make space for other players to go forward. The difference between goals and assists tells us that despite playing an attacking midfielder, he used to create chances for his teammates rather going for the shots himself. These stats make him the best midfielder to ever feature in the La Liga

Key Stats	Figures
Appearances	442
Goals	35
Assists	84
La Liga Trophies Won	9

List of 10 Best Midfielders in La Liga of All Time

Rank	Player Name	Club
1	Andres Iniesta	FC Barcelona
2	Xavi	FC Barcelona
3	Zinedine Zidane	Real Madrid
4	Toni Kroos	Real Madrid
5	Luis Suárez	FC Barcelona
6	Sergio Busquets	FC Barcelona
7	Xabi Alonso	Real Sociedad, Real Madrid
8	Luka Modric	Real Madrid
9	Pep Guardiola	FC Barcelona
10	Jose Pirri	Real Madrid

Also Read : Top 10 La Liga Strikers of All time