18 Best Defenders in World Football Right Now (Ranked)

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 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.

However, we’ve decided to highlight the best defenders in the world right now and give them their flowers for a change. These men are top-notch at what they do and there is no one better than them at the time of writing.

From buccaneering full-backs to commanding centre-halves, the world game is laced with talented defenders in all shapes and sizes. Here are the best players who operate at the back in a role that has been unsung for too long.

Ranking factors

Given that trying to separate those on the list is such a difficult task, a number of factors will be taken into consideration as to where they end up in the rankings. These include:

• The team they play for
• Trophies won
• How important they have been to their club’s success

18 Cristian Romero

Tottenham and Argentina

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has hailed Cristian Romero as an example to the rest of his squad. “He’s a World Cup winner and I’ve just got to get some of what’s in him into some of the others,” the Australian coach gushed during his first campaign working with the bombastic Argentine.

Romero is famed for his energy and endeavour which can mask the end product he offers. The robust centre-back played more passes into the final third than any other Spurs player during the 2023/24 campaign, per FBref, adding that edge of verticality that Tottenham’s proactive manager craves. No wonder Postecoglou wants 11 Romeros on the pitch.

17 Marquinhos

PSG and Brazil

With the departure of Kylian Mbappe this summer, Paris Saint-Germain have undergone a massive shift, but if anyone can lead the club through the upheaval without any major hiccups, it’s Marquinhos. The Brazilian has been an incredible leader for the French club and while he missed a large portion of the 2023/24 campaign due to injury, his impact when he’s on the pitch is undeniable.

Over the course of 11 years with the Ligue 1 side, the centre-back has been nothing short of incredible, playing close to 450 games as they won a ridiculous nine league titles since his arrival.

16 Mats Hummels

AS Roma and Germany

Mats Hummels seemed to be teetering on the edge of a personal abyss at the end of 2023. A fortnight after getting sent off in the opening 15 minutes of Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga defeat to rivals RB Leipzig, the veteran centre-back was hooked at half-time in an underwhelming draw with struggling Mainz. There was mild surprise when Hummels was picked to start in Dortmund’s first Champions League knockout game after earning nine minutes of playing time across the previous two months.

But Hummels roared into form over the final months of a campaign which saw Dortmund make it to the Champions League final. Offering raking passes and perfectly timed tackles in equal measure, the veteran centre-back was a pillar of the Dortmund backline that has kept Champions League clean sheets against AC Milan, Newcastle, PSV Eindhoven and PSG (twice) last season. Now, he’s moved on to AS Roma and it remains to be seen whether he can keep up his impressive performances.

15 David Alaba

Real Madrid and Austria

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 Munich, he joined Los Blancos and slotted in seamlessly to their backline.

Having not played since before Christmas 2023 due to a knee injury, Alaba has dropped down the pecking order a little here. But when fully fit, the defender very rarely puts a foot wrong for the La Liga club, whether it’s out on the left or in the middle, he’s simply sublime.

14 Kyle Walker

Manchester City and England

Despite being well into his thirties now, Kyle Walker continues to operate at a very high level in the Premier League and remains a key figure for Manchester City, season after season. After almost leaving the club for Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, he reminded everyone why he’s so important to City in the 2023/24 campaign with a string of impressive performances as his side won an unprecedented fourth consecutive league title.

With pace like his, it was expected that he’d take a step back as he got older, but that is yet to happen and, Walker is well on track to securing his status as one of the best defenders in the history of the Premier League.

13 Achraf Hakimi

PSG and Morocco

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 this allows him to weigh in with numerous goals and assists for both club and country.

In three years with the Ligue 1 champions, Hakimi has earned 35 goal contributions, a record that most midfielders would be happy with. The full-back will turn 26 at the end of 2024 and arguably still has his peak left to reach, which could see him climb even further up this list in the next few seasons.

12 Eder Militao

Real Madrid and Brazil

While he initially took his time 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. A serious ACL injury on the opening day of the season ruled him out for the first eight months of the 2023/24 campaign. Back fit and raring to go now, though, there’s no telling how much better he can become.

11 John Stones

Manchester City and England

John Stones has managed to completely revolutionise the idea of what a centre-back is capable of. Despite spending several years as a fairly reliable defender at City, he has now transformed 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 these days. 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 continue to serve as a game-changer for both club and country.

10 Alphonso Davies

Bayern Munich and Canada

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. One of the fastest players in world football, the Canadian regularly bursts up and down the left wing for his club and country.

He’s been a game-changer for Bayern since he arrived in the team and there are no left-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 23 years old, he’s already accomplished so much and the sky really is the limit for Davies.

9 ​​​Alessandro Bastoni

Inter Milan and Italy

Simone Inzaghi crafted the best defence in Europe at Inter Milan last season, with the elegant Alessandro Bastoni at its epicentre. Always in control of his impossibly long limbs, the veteran 25-year-old keeps the back door bolted while also cantering forward.

Relishing the freedom afforded to him by the dizzying positional interchange Inzaghi encourages, Bastoni has supplemented his undiluted defensive work ethic with a career-high tally of four direct goal involvements. The rampaging centre-back has provided as many assists as Inter’s talismanic striker Lautaro Martinez. Bastoni’s unique skill set helped the Nerazzurri romp to the Serie A title, wrapping up the club’s 20th Scudetto in April 2024 with a victory over fierce rivals AC Milan.

8 Micky van de Ven

Tottenham Hotspur and Netherlands

Micky van de Ven is one of the youngest players on this list but has undoubtedly been a revelation since Tottenham Hotspur forked out £43m to sign the then 22-year-old from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2023. He has been one of the first names on the teamsheet for Ange Postecoglou’s new-look Tottenham side, and it seems no coincidence that their form dipped as soon as the Dutchman was struck down with a hamstring injury in November 2023.

Van de Ven’s height, searing pace and hulking physicality make him the ideal modern-day centre-back and has rightfully earned him a place in the Netherlands national team, with the defender earning his first cap in October 2023. His lack of honours limits his ranking, but it will come as a surprise to no one if he’s in a considerably higher position in a few years’ time.

7 Gabriel

Arsenal and Brazil

Gabriel went 14 months without making what Opta define as an error which led to an opponent’s shot – let alone a goal – between February 2023 and April 2024, despite playing almost every available minute across this period. Arsenal’s enigmatic Brazilian seems to have matured over the last 12 months, channelling his innate aggression to win the ball back at the right time rather than every time.

A settled personal life off the pitch and an ever-improving grasp of the English language has helped Gabriel establish himself as one of the Premier League’s best defenders. That he offers a potent threat at Arsenal’s attacking set pieces is a bonus.

6 Josko Gvardiol

Manchester City and Croatia

What a signing Josko Gvardiol was for Manchester City. The youngster was exceptional for RB Leipzig in the 2022/23 campaign, as well as bossing it with Croatia at the 2022 World Cup, and he became one of the most highly sought-after defenders in world football. It was Pep Guardiola’s side who won a hotly contested race.

Gvardiol’s integration into City’s treble-winning backline was gradual. Guardiola admitted that he didn’t want to overload the 22-year-old with too many complex tactical instructions during his debut campaign and described his new arrival as “a little bit shy”. Gvardiol emphatically rediscovered his confidence during the season’s run-in with a prolific burst of scoring form, offering hope of solving City’s long-standing left-back issue.

5 Ruben Dias

Manchester City and Portugal

Ruben Dias 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 five years on the one hand, and he’s been vital in every bit of the club’s success since then.

Dias was largely responsible for the Cityzens having the best defence in England during their treble-winning campaign of 2022/23, and he continued that level of performance into the following season, as City secured a fourth consecutive Premier League title. Guardiola has built the best backline in world football, and 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.

4 Trent Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool and England

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 has done 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 the boyhood supporter at the back.

3 Antonio Rudiger

Real Madrid and Germany

Antonio Rudiger was regarded as one of the very best defenders in the world during his time at Chelsea and after a period of adaptation during his debut campaign at Real Madrid, the punchy German has only improved. His combination of strength and speed set him apart from the majority of players in football.

Last season, injuries hit Madrid’s defence hard, cranking up Rudiger’s importance to Carlo Ancelotti’s side. He thrived under the pressure. Relishing every physical battle he encountered, Rudiger’s unwavering form underpinned Madrid’s charge to the La Liga title and Champions League triumph in 2023/24.

2 Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool and Netherlands

Virgil van Dijk may have turned 33 in the summer but he 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 sustained in October 2020 knocked the Dutch international out of his stride like no striker could. After a couple of seasons below his lofty standards, Van Dijk played a huge role in guiding Liverpool back to their best in the 2023/24 season. The imperious centre-back stole the spotlight in February 2024 by captaining a youthful side to League Cup success over Chelsea, a game in which he scored the winning goal. Under Arne Slot, he continues to be one of Liverpool’s most important figures.

1 William Saliba

Arsenal and France

After several years out on loan, William Saliba finally broke into the Arsenal first team in the 2022/23 season, and he hasn’t looked back since. The Frenchman almost immediately became one of the best defenders in England and, over the last two years, he’s blossomed into the best defender on the planet.

With blistering pace and the strength to outmuscle almost anyone, Saliba hasn’t faced a forward yet who had his number. He was able to keep Erling Haaland quiet on multiple occasions during the 2023/24 season and this year, he’s set to play a crucial role in Arsenal’s campaign once again. The Gunners face an uphill battle trying to usurp City at the top of the Premier League, but with the best defender in the world on their books, they’ll feel confident they can get the job done.