Top 10 Best Football Defenders In The World 2024 ⚽

The primary role of any defender in any football team is to strike the initial break at the opponent’s attack. The mainly prevent the opponent’s striker to enter their goal box and also prevent them to score. There are several kinds of positions where a defender can play, such as center-back, wing-back, and side-back. But, the center-back position is the lead position of any team’s defensive formation. They not only break the opponent’s attack but also supply balls to the midfielders. And, here goes our exclusive list of the best football defenders in the world right now.

Best Football Defenders In The World | 2024 Updates

Content Summery

We have already published our exclusive list of the best football midfielders. But, the series will be incomplete without the mention of the defenders. So, here goes our exclusive list of the best football defenders in 2024.

10. Jérôme Boateng – Best Soccer Defender

jerome-boateng

National Team: Germany
Club: Lyon
Position: Centre-Back
Jersey Number: 17

Germany soccer talent, Jérôme Boateng, currently plays as a defender for the French Ligue 1 side, Lyon. He previously played for the Bundesliga side Bayern Munich. Besides, he also plays for the German national football team. He started his footballing journey with the Hertha BSC II team.

Shortly after, he has earned his promotion to the team’s first squad before joining Hamburger SV in 2007. He then moved to Manchester City and then finally joined Bayern Munich in 2011.

Jérôme Boateng won the Footballer of the Year in Germany in 2016. Besides, he has also earned his place in the UEFA Team of the Year in the same year. He has earned his mention among the UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament in 2016.

Moreover, he became a part of the Bundesliga Team of the Season twice consecutively, in 2015 and 2016. And in 2014, he helped the German team to win the FIFA World Cup.

9. Diego Godín – Best Football Defender of All Time

diego-godin

National Team: Uruguay
Club: Cagliari
Position: Centre-Back
Jersey Number: 2

One of the best football defenders, Diego Godín, currently plays for the Italian Serie A side Cagliari. Besides, he also currently plays for the Uruguayan national football team.

Way back in 2003, he started his senior footballing journey with Cerro before moving to Nacional in 2006. He then moved to Villarreal before joining Atlético Madrid in 2010. And in 2019, he joined the Serie A side Inter Milan.

Diego Godín helped Uruguay to win the Copa América in 2011. Besides, he also helped them to secure the China Cup twice until now. He has earned his place in both the FIFA World Cup Dream Team and IFFHS Men’s World Team in 2018.

Moreover, he has also earned his place in the UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season that same year. He has achieved the La Liga Best Defender award in 2016.

8. Mats Hummels – Best Defensive Soccer Player

mats-hummels

National Team: Germany
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Centre-Back
Jersey Number: 15

A product of Bayern Munich youth academy, Mats Hummels, currently plays as a central defender for the Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund. Besides, he also plays for the German national football team.

He started his senior footballing career with Bayern Munich’s second team and then earned his promotion in 2007. Shortly after, he joined Borussia Dortmund in 2009 and then went back to Bayern in 2016.

Finally, in 2019, he again took his transfer to Borussia Dortmund. Mats Hummels helped the German national team to win the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He has earned his place in the Bundesliga Team of the Season three times till now.

Besides, he has earned his place in the UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season in 2016. Moreover, he has achieved his place in the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2014.

7. David Luiz – Best Defender in the World Ever

david-luiz

National Team: Brazil
Club: Flamengo
Position: Centre Back / Defensive Midfielder
Jersey Number: 23

Brazilian football star, David Luiz, currently plays for Flamengo. He previously also played for one of the Premier League champions, Arsenal. He started his footballing journey with Vitória in 2006 and then joined Benfica in 2007. He then joined another Premier League side, Chelsea, in 2011.

Shortly after, he joined Paris Saint-Germain before moving back to Chelsea in 2016. And finally, in 2019, he joined his last team Arsenal. And this year, he took his transfer to Flamengo.

David Luiz helped the Brazilian side to win the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013. He recently earned his place in the UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season in 2019.

Besides, he has earned his place in both the PFA Team of the Year and ESM Team of the Year in 2017. He has earned his mention in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year twice in his career. Moreover, he has achieved the FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball in 2012.

6. Gerard Piqué – World Best Defender in Football

gerard-pique

National Team: Spain
Club: FC Barcelona
Position: Centre Back
Jersey Number: 3

One of the most handsome footballers, Gerard Piqué, currently plays for La Liga side Barcelona. Besides, he also appears for the Spanish and Catalonian national football teams. He started his senior footballing journey with Manchester United in 2004.

He then played for Zaragoza on loan in 2006. And finally, in 2008, he took his transfer to Barcelona and became an integral part of the squad.

Gerard Piqué received the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit in 2011. He also recently became the Footballer of the Year in Catalonia in 2019. He has also earned his place in the ESM Team of the Year four times till now.

Besides, he has achieved the La Liga Best Defender award in 2010. Moreover, he helped the Spanish side to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2012 UEFA European Championship.

5. Raphaël Varane – Top Defender in Football

raphael-varane

National Team: France
Club: Manchester United
Position: Centre Back
Jersey Number: 5

French football star, Raphaël Varane, currently plays for one of the richest football clubs, Manchester United. Besides, he also plays as a central defender for the French national football team.

A product of Lens youth academy, he started his senior career with the Lens first-team in 2010. And after a single season at that club, he finally joined La Liga side Real Madrid in 2011. Since then, he became an integral part of the team. But recently, he took his transfer to Manchester United followed by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Raphaël Varane recently helped the French team to win the FIFA World Cup in 2018. He recently also received the Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur in 2018. He has earned his place in both the UEFA Team of the Year and IFFHS Men’s World Team in 2018.

Moreover, he has also earned his place in the FIFA FIFPro World11 that same year. He helped Real Madrid to win the FIFA Club World Cup four times till now.

4. Giorgio Chiellini – Best Defenders in Soccer History

giorgio-chiellini

National Team: Italy
Club: Juventus
Position: Centre Back / Left Back
Jersey Number: 3

One of the best football defenders, Giorgio Chiellini, currently captains the Italian Serie A side Juventus. Besides, he also captains the Italian national football team. He started his senior footballing career with Livorno in 2000.

And in 2002, he joined AS Roma before moving to Juventus in 2005. Besides, he also became an integral part of the Italian national team in 2004.

Giorgio Chiellini won the Juventus Player of the Year in 2009. Besides, he also became a part of the Juventus Greatest XI of All Time in 2017. He has earned the Serie A Defender of the Year award three times till now.

Besides, he has earned his place in the Serie A Team of the Year five times till now. And recently in 2017, he became a part of the UEFA Team of the Year. Moreover, he has achieved his place in the France Football World XI in 2015.

3. Thiago Silva – Greatest Defender of all-time Soccer

thiago-silva

National Team: Brazil
Club: Chelsea
Position: Centre Back
Jersey Number: 6

One of the highest-rated defenders in 2024, Thiago Silva, currently plays as a central defender for the Premier League club Chelsea. Besides, he also plays for the Brazilian national team.

He started his footballing journey with RS Futebol in 2002 before joining Juventude in 2003. He then played for several clubs such as Porto B, Dynamo Moscow, Fluminense, and Milan. And in 2012, he joined PSG.

Thiago Silva helped Brazil to win the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013. And recently in 2019, he helped the team to win the Copa América 2019.

He has earned his place in both the FIFA World Cup Dream Team and FIFA World Cup Fantasy McDonald’s Overall XI in 2018. Besides, he has earned his place in both the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team and FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2014.

2. Sergio Ramos – Best Defenders All Time

sergio-ramos

National Team: Spain
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Position: Centre Back
Jersey Number: 4

One of the highest-paid footballers in the world, Sergio Ramos, currently plays for the Paris Saint-Germain squad. He previously captained La Liga side Real Madrid. Besides, he also plays for and captains the Spanish national football team. He started his senior footballing journey with the Sevilla B team in 2003.

And in 2004, he has earned his promotion to the team’s first squad. He then finally joined the Real Madrid team in 2005. And since then, he became an integral part of the team. But in 2021, he took his transfer to the French side, PSG.

Sergio Ramos won the Luis Aragones Award in 2016. He has earned his place in the IFFHS Men’s World Team thrice till now. He received the UEFA Defender of the Season award twice till now.

Besides, he became an integral part of the FIFA FIFPro World11 ten times till now. He helped the Spanish team to win the FIFA World Cup in 2010. Moreover, he helped them to win the UEFA European Championship twice until now.

1. Virgil van Dijk – Most Expensive Defender in the World

virgil-van-dijk

National Team: Netherlands
Club: Liverpool
Position: Centre Back
Jersey Number: 4

Without any doubt, Virgil van Dijk is definitely one of the best football defenders right now. He now plays for the Premier League side Liverpool. Besides, he also captains the Netherlands national football team.

He started his footballing journey with Groningen in 2011. He then joined Celtic in 2013 before joining Southampton in 2015. And in 2018, he finally joined the Premier League club, Liverpool.

Virgil van Dijk recently achieved second place in both the Ballon d’Or and The Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2019. Besides, he has earned his place in the IFFHS Men’s World Team in 2019.

He also helped the Dutch side to become the runner-up in the UEFA Nations League 2019. He also recently helped Liverpool to win both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup in 2019.

Final Words

So, here goes our exclusive list of the best football defenders in the world right now. We hope you liked our list. And, don’t forget to send us your opinion about this list in the comment box below.

Best Football Defenders – 2024 Infographics

Best Football Defenders - Infographics
Infographics: Best Football Defenders

FAQs Regarding Best Football Defenders

Q. What does a defender do in football?

In association football or Soccer, a defender mainly blocks the attack from the opposite team. They mainly operate below the centerline to effectively nullify any attacking formation buildup by the opponents.

Q. Who is the best football defender?

Right now in 2022, both Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk and Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos are considered as the best football defenders right now. They both showed their talent on the ground and helped their respective team to achieve the great height of success.

Q. Who is the best football defender in the world ever?

Italian legend Paolo Maldini and German legend Franz Beckenbauer are now considered as the greatest football defenders ever to grace the stadium. They not only just helped the national side but also helped the club teams to achieve numerous trophies.

Q. Who is the most expensive defender in the world?

English defender Harry Maguire is currently the most expensive football defender in the world right now. In 2019, he joined Manchester City from Leicester City for a record transfer fee of $97 million.

Last Updated On: December 2024

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