In association football a midfielder is a player whose position of play is midway between the attacking strikers and the defenders. Their main functions are to gain and keep possession of the ball, and to feed it to the strikers.

A defensive midfielder's main responsibility is to defend against or tackle the opposing team, to recover the ball for their own team, and to safely distribute it to more attacking-minded players.

Midfielders typically exhaust the most energy during a match due to the distance they cover on a pitch.

Famous defensive midfielders

• Franz Beckenbauer
• Edgar Davids
• Steven Gerrard
• Roy Keane
• Claude Makelele
• Lothar Matthäus
• Patrick Vieira

See also

• Football (soccer) positions