“Pogba Was Better Than Pirlo and Fabregas” — Schweinsteiger’s Surprising Midfield Picks Spark Online Debate
Former Germany captain and World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger has stirred the football waters with his bold picks in a recent interview with Give Me Sport, naming Paul Pogba ahead of Andrea Pirlo and Cesc Fabregas in a midfield comparison.
The 40-year-old, who played alongside Pogba at Manchester United between 2015 and 2017, described the Frenchman as a more complete and dominant force than the Italian maestro Pirlo and Spanish pass-master Fabregas.
In a striking moment during the Q&A, Schweinsteiger was asked to choose among several iconic midfielders—including himself. His top choice? Paul Pogba.
“Pogba is a unique player, capable of doing things the others can’t. At his best, he had everything—power, vision, technical brilliance,” he said.
That said, Schweinsteiger also maintained a sense of balance in his choices:
He picked Sergio Busquets over Pogba, citing his unmatched football intelligence and consistency.
And for the title of greatest midfielder of all time, the German had only one name: Zinedine Zidane.
Currently a free agent after his second spell with Juventus ended in 2024, Pogba's career has recently been marred by injuries and off-field struggles, but Schweinsteiger’s praise comes as a timely reminder of the midfielder’s peak-level brilliance.
Opinion: Nostalgia or Nuance? Schweinsteiger’s Pogba Praise Is Both Brave and True
In an era of hot takes and Twitter wars, it’s easy to dismiss Schweinsteiger’s pick as mere favoritism. But look deeper, and there’s a case to be made.
When fit and focused, Pogba had moments where he was unplayable—combining physicality, flair, and creativity in a way that few midfielders could. Pirlo had grace, Fabregas had vision, but Pogba had flashes of everything.
Still, longevity matters, and that’s where critics may challenge Schweinsteiger’s view. Pirlo and Fabregas were both models of consistency over more than a decade, while Pogba’s brilliance has often felt episodic.
But that’s the beauty of football: form is fleeting, class is subjective—and greatness often sparks debate.
⚽ Who’s your all-time best midfielder: Pogba, Pirlo, Busquets, or Zidane?
💬 Join the conversation with #MidfieldGOATs #SchweinsteigerSays #PogbaDebate
