Talking about the best football players is a never-ending discussion, often filled with differing opinions. Factors like trophies, stats, and personal biases all play a part in this debate. Defenders in football come in various types, and their roles can differ significantly.
All center-backs need to be tall, good in the air, and physically strong. They must remain calm under pressure and have the skills to play the ball from the back. Effective communication is crucial, which is why many top central defenders are also team captains.
Fullbacks, who play on the right and left sides of the defense, also need to be quick and strong, as well as good at communicating with their teammates. In modern football, fullbacks are expected to take on opposing players like wingers. They should have precise passing and crossing skills and help create scoring opportunities for forwards.
we’ve compiled a list of the greatest defenders ever and the top defenders in 2024. Let the discussions begin!
Who is the Greatest Defender in Football History?
As mentioned earlier, debates about the “greatest” players are subjective. Even the argument for the best player of all time often leads to disagreements among fans and media. When it comes to the best defenders ever, one name frequently stands out: Paolo Cesare Maldini.
Maldini is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players, particularly as a defender. He played as a left-back and center-back for AC Milan and the Italian national team. Known as “Il Capitano,” Maldini made 647 Serie A appearances for Milan, a record that stood until Gianluigi Buffon broke it in 2020. He shares the record for the most UEFA Champions League final appearances (8) with Paco Gento.
Born in Milan, Maldini is one of the few players who spent his entire 25-year career at one club, retiring at the age of 41 in 2009. He won 26 trophies with AC Milan, including the UEFA Champions League five times, seven Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, five Italian Super Cups, five UEFA Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups, and one FIFA Club World Cup.
Maldini was awarded the Best Defender trophy at the UEFA Club Football Awards when he was 39, and he also won the Serie A Defender of the Year Award in 2004. His number 3 shirt was retired by AC Milan, a rare honor in football. He made his debut for the Italian national team at 19 in 1988 and played for 14 years, scoring seven goals and earning 126 caps, a record only surpassed by Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon.
Maldini captained Italy for eight years and held the record for most appearances as captain (75) until it was broken by Cannavaro and Buffon. He participated in four FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships but did not win a tournament, finishing as a runner-up in the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000.
In 1995, Maldini came in second to George Weah for FIFA World Player of the Year and third in the Ballon d’Or in 1994 and 2003. He was selected as a defender for the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002 and was included in Pelé’s FIFA 100 list of the greatest living players in 2004.
Maldini held the record for most appearances in UEFA Club competitions (174) until Iker Casillas surpassed him in 2017. He is also AC Milan’s record holder for total appearances, with 902 in all competitions, and is one of the few players to reach over 1,000 career appearances. In December 2012, he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame. Few defenders can match Maldini’s greatness.
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The Best Defenders in World Football 2024
According to Football Critic, an analytical football website that uses data algorithms to rank players, the top 10 defenders in world football for 2024 come from seven European clubs across three of the “Big Five” leagues: Germany’s Bundesliga, England’s Premier League, and Italy’s Serie A. No players from Spain’s La Liga or France’s Ligue 1 made the top 10. Football Critic updates their list every Monday during the season, and here are their findings.
Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, and Arsenal each have two players in the top 10, while Bologna, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, and Stuttgart each have one. The defenders come from various nationalities, with only Kim Minjae from South Korea being non-European. Germany has the highest representation with four players, while Portugal, France, Brazil, Korea, Switzerland, and Italy each have one player.
Nico Schlotterbeck is ranked first on Football Critic’s list, but some might argue that Rúben Dias or William Saliba are better. Virgil van Dijk and Kyle Walker, who are not on this list, are also considered better than those on the list, but Dias and Saliba were standout defenders in the Premier League during the 2023/24 season. This ranking is based on data and analytics rather than subjective assessments.
The Premier League features stronger teams and players compared to the Bundesliga, but the German league has the most players ranked. The list is surprising due to the absence of some star names, but it reflects data rather than individual achievements or accolades. Rankings are based on players’ performances in their last 20 matches, along with the perceived difficulty of different leagues and the strength of their opponents.
Top 10 Greatest Defenders in Football History
| Rank | Player | Club | Nationality | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nico Schlotterbeck | Borussia Dortmund | German | 98 |
| 2 | Riccardo Calafiori | Bologna | Italian | 94 |
| 3 | Rúben Dias | Manchester City | Portuguese | 92 |
| 4 | Manuel Akanji | Manchester City | Swiss | 92 |
| 5 | Jonathan Tah | Bayer Leverkusen | German | 91 |
| 6 | Kim Minjae | Bayern Munich | Korean | 91 |
| 7 | Mats Hummels | Borussia Dortmund | German | 91 |
| 8 | William Saliba | Arsenal | French | 89 |
| 9 | Waldemar Anton | Stuttgart | German | 88 |
| 10 | Gabriel Magalhães | Arsenal | Brazilian | 88 |
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