LaLiga midfielders – Who are the best CM’s in Spain?

Spanish football has produced some of the very best midfielders in the world in the 21st Century. The current crop of LaLiga midfielders features a number of very exciting young players, as well as some established veterans who are still doing their thing to a high level.

We’re going to take a look at the best midfielders in LaLiga. Rankings are according to their L15 (Last 15 match average) score on Sorare’s scoring matrix. This takes into account decisive actions like goals and assists, but passes, interceptions and duels won also score, meaning LaLiga defensive midfielders can often outscore their more attack-minded counterparts.

To feature in our rankings, players must have appeared in at least eight of their last 15 eligible fixtures. That includes LaLiga, some international matches and all European fixtures.

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LaLiga central midfielders 2024/25 – Top 5 ranked by their Sorare scores

5. Martin Zubimendi, Real Sociedad – 57.1

Very highly rated in Donostia for some time, it feels like the rest of Spain and indeed the rest of Europe is starting to appreciate just how good Martin Zubimendi is. The 25-year-old is entering his prime and has been linked with some of the giants of European football over the past few transfer windows, notably turning down a move to Liverpool this summer.

Zubimendi is clearly very happy at his boyhood club, but the links are likely to continue while he maintains his current level. So far this season, he is not only providing the usual stability at the base of the Real Sociedad midfield, but has also stepped up to fill the shoes of the injured Rodri for Spain.

Luis de la Fuente is clearly very happy with the player he recently described as the “the second best defensive midfielder in the world” behind the current Ballon d’Or holder. Zubimendi completed 92.7% of his passes during the Nations League group stage and scored a key winner against Denmark with a long-range strike.

4. Eduardo Camavinga, Real Madrid – 58.0

Perhaps a victim of his own versatility, Eduardo Camavinga has been used at left-back and in different midfield capacities during his three year stay at Real Madrid so far, without ever fully nailing down a regular starting berth in one position.

The 2024/25 campaign looked to offer a better chance for Camavinga to do that, but he’s struggled with injuries so far, although his performance levels have still been quite high across just 431 minutes of action for his club this term.

With Camavinga now fit and given the extent of Real Madrid’s injury problems which may force Aurelien Tchouameni into a long-term central defensive role, and potentially even see Fede Valverde drop to right-back, the 22-year-old’s moment looks as though it may finally have arrived.

He now has an opportunity to become a consistent starter in the middle of the park for Los Blancos. He certainly has the raw talent to make the most of that chance.

3. Marc Casado, Barcelona – 59.2

As recently as this summer, Marc Casado was essentially an unknown name, with only more eagle-eyed followers of Barca’s B team, who play in Spain’s third tier, likely to have picked up on his potential.

Even when Casado was handed his full debut on the opening day of the season by Hansi Flick against Valencia, few expected his stint in the side to be more than a stop-gap solution until the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Gavi returned to fitness.

However, Casado has surprised everybody with his composure and quality in the middle of the park. Those players are now fit again, but are struggling to dislodge the 21-year-old from the team.

Operating as a holding midfielder, Casado has developed a knack for defence splitting passes and recently registered assists in three successive matches, against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Espanyol. He also made his debut for Spain in the recent international break.

2. Luka Modric, Real Madrid – 60.6

Despite recently turning 39, Luka Modric is still going strong for Real Madrid and Croatia. Given the retirement of Toni Kroos, he may end up having greater responsibility for Los Blancos this term despite his advancing years, with few other players capable of bringing as much control in the middle of the pitch as the veteran midfielder.

While he has only started five times in LaLiga and twice in the Champions League, Modric has still featured in every single Real Madrid match this season and he has frequently come off the bench to help provide a bit of late inspiration in a side that has often peaked late in games.

Modric remains a regular for his country too and boasts a pass completion rate of greater than 90% in each of the four different competitions he has played in so far this term.

1. Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid – 60.7

Despite a significant drop in his goal threat and the perception that he’s not having a great campaign, Jude Bellingham still ranks at the top of the list of the best LaLiga midfielders and remains one of the best players in LaLiga.

Last season, he was mostly used as an attacking midfielder, often almost operating as a deep lying forward between wingers Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior. The arrival of Kylian Mbappe at the Santiago Bernabeu has forced Bellingham to drop deeper and it feels as though Carlo Ancelotti hasn’t quite found the right solution for the Englishman yet, or indeed the rest of a team that has struggled to hit top gear.

With the exception of his goal tally, Bellingham’s overall numbers are still quite impressive though. The 21-year-old has registered six assists for club and country so far in the 2024/25 season and has been a key figure for England during the Nations League.

10 best LaLiga central midfielders right now

Again, only players who have appeared in at least 50% of their available matches over the last 15 games were considered. Only players who mostly operate as central midfielders, as opposed to wide midfielders or wingers feature.

Real Madrid players account for four of the six best LaLiga midfielders right now according to Sorare, with Fede Valverde ranking slightly behind his teammates after a minor dip in form.  Barcelona’s Pedri also ranks in the top 10, with signs that the 21-year-old may be getting back towards his best level after a frustrating couple of years.

Otherwise, LaLiga attacking midfielders are outnumbered by their defensive counterparts here with Leganes’ Yvan Neyou ranking 7th and looking like he could be a really important player at the base of the midfield for the newly promoted side. Villarreal’s Santi Comesaña and Getafe’s Luis Milla round off the top 10.