Kevin De Bruyne completely changed the modern understanding of what a central midfielder could be. Midfielders are generally separated into categories: Controllers, playmakers, attacking 10s, box-to-box runners and defensive midfielders. De Bruyne blurred all of those lines. Under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, he became what many consider football’s first true “free 8.”

De Bruyne’s Impact on the Game

De Bruyne defended aggressively, controlled tempo, carried the ball through midfield in transition and then suddenly appeared in advanced zones playing impossible final balls or scoring from distance. There had never really been a midfielder who combined physical explosiveness with elite chance creation quite like him.

What made De Bruyne especially devastating was the speed at which he processed attacking situations. When he drove forward with the ball, he became almost impossible to dispossess because of how quickly he accelerated through open space. Opponents often looked overwhelmed trying to contain both his athleticism and his vision simultaneously.

De Bruyne’s Legacy

De Bruyne transformed Manchester City from an elite possession team into one of the most ruthless attacking machines the sport has ever seen. De Bruyne’s preferred positioning in the right half-space forced opponents into tactical compromises. Opposing left-backs often stayed deeper than usual instead of aggressively joining attacks because losing the ball against De Bruyne in transition was too dangerous.

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, De Bruyne and Belgium arrive at the tail end of their golden generation. For years, Belgium’s core—De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Axel Witsel, and others—held the number one spot in the FIFA world rankings and looked capable of winning a major international tournament. Yet despite all their talent, that ultimate breakthrough never came. Now, the cycle is coming to an end.

Original reporting: All Sports Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.