- Ranking The Best 15 Defenders In The World Right Now After William Saliba’s Masterclass.
A strong defender is important to any successful football team. Sorting out the back line is crucial and having some serious talent within it is a surefire way to build a strong team destined for silverware. A lot of focus is placed on attacking players, which is why any list of the best footballers in the world will always be dominated by that type of star.
That’s not really fair, though, so we’ve decided to highlight the 15 best defenders in the world right now and give them their flowers. These men are top-notch at what they do and there is no one better than them at the time of writing. There are some incredible names that just missed out on the top 15, so here are a couple of honourable mentions before we kick things off.
15. Antonio Rudiger
During his time at Chelsea, Antonio Rudiger was regarded as one of the very best defenders in the world and while his move to Real Madrid has seen him fall down the rankings a bit, he still manages to cling onto a spot in the top 15. His combination of strength and speed set him apart from the majority of players in football.
Things haven’t gone too swimmingly in Spain, but there’s still plenty of time to turn things around, so once he finds his feet, he might shoot back up this list.
14. Achraf Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi has played for some incredible football teams over the years and that’s a testament to how good he is. The full-back is dynamite on the right-hand side and has been vital for Paris Saint-Germain since joining the club in 2021. There are few defenders on the planet as effective as the Moroccan at driving forward and his exceptional goal return is proof of that.
In 68 games with the Ligue 1 champions, Hakimi has 12 goals, a record that most midfielders would be happy with. A 24 years old, the star isn’t even close to reaching his prime and that should be a scary notion for everyone else.
13. Micky van de Ven
Micky van de Ven’s move to Tottenham Hotspur has been one of the success stories of the season so far. Clocked as the fastest defender in the Bundesliga last year, he was snapped up by Ange Postecoglou’s side and has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water.
Spurs have gotten off to an incredible start this year and currently sit atop of the league. The Dutchman has been vital in that success too. He’s been ever-present at the back for the club and will continue to be so throughout the rest of the campaign.
12. Dayot Upamecano
After emerging as a serious talent at RB Leipzig, Dayot Upamecano joined Bayern Munich in 2021 and has continued his rise, becoming one of the top defenders in the world. Now in his third season with the Bundesliga club, he’s become integral to their success at the heart of their defence, and it’s hard to imagine they’d have pipped Borussia Dortmund to the league title last year if they didn’t have a superstar like him at the back.
The arrival of Harry Kane has made Bayern one of the favourites to win the Champions League this season, but they wouldn’t even come close if they didn’t also have a superstar like Upamecano in the team, keeping things tight at the back.
11. Reece James
If it wasn’t for his injury issues, Reece James would likely be much higher on this list. The Chelsea man is nothing short of tremendous at the back and is easily one of the most capable full-backs in the world. His absence in the Blues side is glaringly obvious whenever he’s out injured and it only highlights just how important he is to the team.
If he can stay fit, there’s no way James can’t become one of the very best defenders in the world, it just remains to be seen whether he’ll ever be able to figure that out.
10. Trent Alexander-Arnold
A lot of criticism has been aimed at Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive capabilities over the years, which means he’s actually become underrated. Make no mistake about it, though, he’s still one of the best defenders on the planet. Few players have ever revolutionised a position in the manner in which he did at right-back.
The role changed significantly due to his performances there and that’s a testament to how special a talent he is. He’s strong defensively, and exceptional going forward. Liverpool have experienced some incredible highs over the years, but there’s no chance they’d have been quite as successful without Trent at the back.
9. Alphonso Davies
It feels as though Alphonso Davies has been around for almost a decade, despite the fact he only joined Bayern Munich in 2019, but that’s due to the massive impact he’s had in such a short time. There are few names in football quite as fast as the Canadian, who regularly bursts up and down the left wing for his club and country.
He’s been a game-changer for Bayern since he arrived at the team and there’s no full-backs in football quite on his level right now. His exploits for his country have already made him a legend in Canada too. At just 22 years old, he’s already accomplished so much and the sky really is the limit for Davies.
8. Virgil van Dijk
He might have taken a significant step back in comparison to where he was just a few years ago, but Virgil van Dijk is still one of the best defenders in the world. You’d be hard-pressed to find any centre-back who transformed a side’s fortunes in the manner in which he did when he joined Liverpool, and it genuinely appeared for a time that he was on the verge of winning the Ballon d’Or.
A long-term injury has seen his impact on the pitch take a hit, and he’s not quite as impressive as he used to be, but he’s still a fantastic defender and one of the best in the Premier League. Liverpool have started the season in fine fashion this year, and it looks like they’re heading back towards the upper echelon of football after a brief absence and Van Dijk will be playing a significant role in any potential success they experience.
7. Josko Gvardiol
What a signing Josko Gvardiol has already been for Manchester City. The youngster was exceptional for RB Leipzig last year and became one of the most highly touted defenders in football, but it was Pep Guardiola’s side who bagged him in the summer. With such an incredible defence already, it was unclear whether he’d break into the team immediately, but he’s done just that.
Gvardiol has been immense for City so far and whether it’s at left-back or centre-back, he’s been one of the best performers whenever he’s on the pitch. Despite being just 21 years old, he’s adapted to English football with no issues whatsoever, and his composure at the back is way beyond his years. The future is so bright for the defender and we can’t wait to see where the years take him.
6. Cristian Romero
After a rough start to life in England, Cristian Romero has turned things around in stunning fashion and become one of the most important players for Tottenham this year and one of the best defenders in England. Alongside Van de Ven, he’s forged one of the best defences in the league and Spurs owe a lot of their impressive form to start the season to him.
His impact in the team is easy for all to see and as Postecoglou’s side gears up for what is looking more and more like a title challenge with each passing game, he’s going to need to be at his best in the backline if they’re to stand a chance of any success, but we think that he’s more than up to the task right now.
5. Eder Militao
While he initially took his time really making an impact at Real Madrid, the last couple of seasons have seen Eder Militao emerge as one of the best centre-backs on the planet. The former FC Porto man has been electric for the La Liga side and his influence on the pitch has been clear for anyone watching to see.
Whether it’s in the air, or on the ground, he’s been a nightmare for forwards to deal with over the last two years. He’s currently out with a long-term injury, but once he’s back in the Los Blancos side, he’ll immediately be one of the best defenders in the world again.
4. John Stones
If he hadn’t missed the entirety of the season so far through injury, John Stones may actually be even higher on this list considering just how special he was last season. Despite spending several years at City, last season saw him transform into almost a new man and he took charge of games for the side and emerged as one of the best players in England.
At times his future at the Etihad looked bleak, but that certainly isn’t the case now. He’s now one of Guardiola’s most important players and whether it’s in the midfield where he spent time last year, or back in the defence, he’ll resume his role as a game-changer for City when he’s back and healthy. We can’t wait to see it.
3. William Saliba
After several years out on loan, William Saliba finally arrived into the Arsenal first team last season and he hasn’t looked back since. The Frenchman almost immediately became one of the best defenders in England and his impact on the Gunners can’t be overstated. Alongside Gabriel, he’s helped transform the team into legitimate Premier League contenders and while they may have fallen short last year, he’s continued that form this season.
With blistering pace and the strength to outmuscle almost anyone, he hasn’t faced a forward yet who had his number. All you need to do is look at the way he terrorised Erling Haaland during Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over City to see just how impressive he is. No one has done that to the Norwegian before.
2. David Alaba
Despite now being on the wrong side of 30, David Alaba is still one of the most dominant defenders in football and has taken his game to new heights at Real Madrid following his move to the Spaniards in 2021. After almost 15 very successful seasons with Bayern, he moved to Los Blancos and slotted in seamlessly to their backline.
Whether it’s out on the left or in the middle, he’s simply sublime and very rarely puts a foot wrong for the La Liga club. He might not have many years left at the top, but for now, he’s still one of the best.
1. Ruben Dias
Ruben Dias is the best defender in the world right now. There are no ifs or buts about it. He has been a game-changer at Manchester City ever since he moved to the Etihad in 2019. You can count the number of bad games he’s had over the last four years on the one hand, and he’s been vital in all of the club’s success since then.
They had the best defence in England last year, and he was largely responsible for that, but he’s also started this season in fine form too. Guardiola has built a super team over the years and his backline is the best in all of football. It takes someone special to stand out among the plethora of talent that they have in the side, but that’s exactly what Dias has done. Just an unearthly level of good.
