Where does Fede Valverde rank among the best young midfielders in the world right now?

3. Federico Valverde

Our topic of interest here makes the third name in this list above teammate Eduardo Camavinga and rival Pedri.

Fede Valverde often reminds us of some lines in the poem The Tyger by William Blake:

"“In what distant deeps or skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand dare sieze the fire?”"

Nicknamed ‘El Halcon’ by critics and media, Fede certainly has the ‘wings’ and ‘fire’ in ‘thine eyes’ as like a fearless phoenix, he prowls and wrecks havoc both in the minds and gameplay of the opponent.

With an unmatchable work rate and ability to marshall his teammates by his pacey runs, Fede Valverde is the silent leader in the making for Real Madrid.

“My job is to run until I can’t run anymore until my legs give out. That I’ll always do” explained Fede in an interview when asked about his presence literally everywhere on the field.

Carlo Ancelotti has used the Uruguayan as a midfielder as well as a right-winger; the latter role has earned him praise from fans and pundits alike. With the partnership of Vinicius in the other flank, the winger duo is able to become a menace for the opposition with their pacey and coordinated runs as it becomes hard for them to contain the two South Americans.

Apart from this pace and leadership qualities, Fede Valverde possesses a strength to shoot from long-range — an ability which is hard to find in players these days. Despite his developing prospect in the shooting region, he already has shown what he’s capable of by performing extensively on the big stage for club and country.

A complete package in the midfield with his ability to marshall off opponents from the ball, to pick up the loose pieces and resiliency in quick transitional play, Fede Valverde can be easily predicted as a future Ballon d’Or winner, a tough one but we ain’t ruling anything out for him.