Mediapunta

Mediapunta is a term used in football to describe an attacking midfielder who operates behind the central striker and ahead of the midfield line. The mediapunta is primarily a creator and facilitator, tasked with orchestrating attacking moves, delivering through passes, and linking the play between the midfield and the forward line. In addition to vision and passing, a mediapunta often contributes goals and assists through dribbling, intelligent movement, and finishing from mid-range.

Tactically, the mediapunta occupies a central zone just behind the striker, though positioning can be fluid depending on the system. The role is common in formations such as 4-2-3-1, where the attacking midfielder forms the number 10 behind the striker, in 4-3-1-2, or in a 4-4-2 diamond, where it sits at the apex of the diamond. A mediapunta needs high technical quality, spatial awareness, and decision-making. In some teams, the position also involves pressing and participating in build-up from deeper positions.

The role is closely related to the trequartista in Italian usage and to the playmaking midfielder in broader terms, but it is distinct from a traditional central midfielder or a wide attacking role. In many Latin American and European teams, mediapunta describes a creative, often right- or left-footed playmaker who influences games through creativity and goal threat.

Notable players associated with the mediapunta role include Juan Román Riquelme, Zinedine Zidane, Mesut Özil, and Diego Maradona, among others. The role has evolved with modern tactics toward greater positional flexibility, off-ball movement, and pressing.