Top 10 Best Defenders In Football World 2023
The foundation of any serial title-winning team needs to be strong. In the world of football, a can only achieve a strong foundation if they have a strong defence. People often say goals win matches, while they do not perceive that conceding goals makes you lose matches. A clean sheet is the highest level of award for a defender on the pitch. Only the best defenders can manage to keep a clean sheet in most matches.
In the past, we have seen exceptional defenders who were great leaders for their teams. People are still not over the likes of Maldini of AC Milan and Sergio Ramos who used to play for Real Madrid. The young generation of defenders can look up to these accomplished players to learn and follow in their footsteps.
10 Best Defenders To Look For In 2023!
10: Joao Cancelo
Cancelo is an extremely talented full-back who is a great asset to the team as he starts the counterattacks for the team. He had a great time with Man City and he won two Premier League titles with them. The way he moved to Bayern Munich is still shocking as Pep Guardiola himself was very fond of this player. Soon after moving to Bundesliga, he started to show his skills for the new club. The season 2023/24 will be exciting and adventurous for Cancelo as there is a lot to do and a lot to win in Munich.
Previous Season Stats 2021/22:
Games | 36 |
| Passes | 2538 |
| Tackle | 128 |
| Tackle Success | 65% |
| Blocks | 31 |
| Fouls | 34 |
9: Virgil Van Dijk
It is strange to see Van Dijk in the 9th position on this list. The 2023 campaign has been a total disaster for Liverpool. Nothing is working for Klopp and Liverpool this year, it almost looks like the team has lost the charm it had a few seasons ago. A few people believe that the departure of Sadio Mane from Liverpool has shattered their system and now they are unstable on the pitch. There is little evidence to prove this theory as the current team is also capable enough to do the same wonders they did in the past.
Van Dijk has been a complete shadow of himself. Some people still rate Van Dijk the same way as he was in 2019. Liverpool fans were expecting revenge from Real Madrid in the Champions League but sadly they lost against them again. Now it all relies on the shoulders of Klopp if he wants to get back to winning ways.
Previous Season Stats 2021/22:
Games | 34 |
| Passes | 2653 |
| Tackle | 21 |
| Tackle Success | 73% |
| Blocks | 23 |
| Fouls | 9 |
8: Eder Militao
Militao is one of the most underrated defenders for the last few seasons. Madrid has other defenders who are better than Militao but if it was not for him Ancelotti couldn’t have rotated them on important occasions. The recent glory of Real Madrid in Spain and Europe has been possible through the combined efforts of many players. Militao knows his art and has learnt from the best in Santiago Bernabeu. He is 25 years old and can work hard to get out of the shadow of other defenders if he wants to make a name for himself in Madrid.
Previous Season Stats 2021/22:
Games | 34 |
| Passes | 2015 |
| Tackle | 69 |
| Tackle Success | 72% |
| Blocks | 44 |
| Fouls | 38 |
7: Lisandro Martinez
One of the most questioned signings for Manchester United in the previous season. After signing Martinez many people raised their fingers if Martinez would do justice to the price tag of £45m. Since the start of this year, he has not given a single chance for all these haters to question his capabilities. Martinez made notable performances for Argentina to win the World Cup. He may not be as tall compared to other players but he is much more passionate and hungry than them. It has not been too long since he joined the team, it already feels like he is an old member and a captain for Manchester United.
Previous Season Stats 2021/22:
Games | 24 |
| Passes | 1975 |
| Tackle | 56 |
| Tackle Success | 86% |
| Blocks | 25 |
| Fouls | 18 |
6: Matthijs De Ligt
At the start of 2022, many clubs wanted the signature of De Ligt as everyone could see the potential this young player has. He is a record signing for Juventus and he did justice to the hefty price tag Juventus paid to sign him. During his time at Juventus, he played with the legendary defending duo Bonucci and Chiellini, and he learned many things from them. Now in 2023, he is a Bayern Munich player with new goals and responsibilities. If things go well for him we can certainly predict De Ligt to be at the top of this list in future.
Previous Season Stats 2021/22:
Games | 31 |
| Passes | 1698 |
| Tackle | 37 |
| Tackle Success | 92% |
| Blocks | 37 |
| Fouls | 32 |
5: Achraf Hakimi
The Morrocon icon Hakimi is one of the best players in his position. Every PSG fan understands what Hakimi brings to the table and how important he is to the team. Just like De Ligt he also has a chance to be the best defender in future. Hakimi has played for some of the biggest clubs in his career where he got to learn from the likes of Mats Hummels and Sergio Ramos.
Achraf Hakimi’s performance for Morocco in the World Cup was outstanding. He has made his whole country proud and is a national icon. If PSG wants to grab their first Champions League the team needs to hold onto players such as Hakimi who has won the competition in the past.
Previous Season Stats 2021/22:
Games | 32 |
| Passes | 1616 |
| Tackle | 107 |
| Tackle Success | 76% |
| Blocks | 30 |
| Fouls | 20 |
4: Antonio Rudiger
Rudiger is one of the strongest and stealthiest centre-backs in La Liga. The Real Madrid team is clearly benefitting from a wide range of defenders who are slightly different from each other yet have their own unique skills. The German national Rudiger still needs to do a lot in Madrid to make Santiago Bernabeau his home for a long time. The way things stand there are rumours about some Premier League clubs and Serie A clubs being interested in the player and a signing is possible shortly.
Previous Season Stats 2021/22:
Games | 34 |
| Passes | 2506 |
| Tackle | 60 |
| Tackle Success | 80% |
| Blocks | 24 |
| Fouls | 35 |
3: Marquinhos
The true successor of Thiago Silva for Paris Saint Germain. Just like Marco Verrati, he is also a crucial part of the team. In recent years he has constantly been in the starting 11 and now his PSG fans are loving his partnership with Sergio Ramos in defence. There is a lot of competition in PSG as the team is filled with world-class talents but it has not been a problem for Marquinhos to book his slot. The year 2023 has started slow for the Brazilian as he was injured for some time. Now, he is back and healthy, we can expect a great 2023 season ahead for the PSG captain.
Previous Season Stats 2021/22:
Games | 32 |
| Passes | 2405 |
| Tackle | 52 |
| Tackle Success | 71% |
| Blocks | 40 |
| Fouls | 6 |
2: Ruben Dias
Dias made a name for himself out of nowhere after moving to the Premier League. It was clear that Pep was looking for a replacement for Kompany for a long time and he did find the perfect player to do it. The impact Ruben Dias made on Manchester City is incomparable. In his initial seasons, he won the Premier League twice and was one of the reasons why City was able to achieve it. Dias is young and hungry for more, he is also the most expensive defender in the world. He is not a traditional defender but provides the quality that Pep Guardiola wants making him the perfect fit for his strategies.
Previous Season Stats 2021/22:
Games | 29 |
| Passes | 2273 |
| Tackle | 33 |
| Tackle Success | 79% |
| Blocks | 20 |
| Fouls | 27 |
1: David Alaba
The way things are going for Alaba very soon he will be the defender who has the most titles in the history of football. Alaba is already 10 times Bundesliga Champion and now is a European Champion too. Everyone who understands football and has been following the sport for a long time knows how good Alaba is on the pitch. Just after moving to Madrid and starting a new venture he has made a name for himself and has efficiently replaced the void left after the departure of Sergio Ramos. In the Real Madrid 2021/22 campaign they won the Champions League and La Liga, the Austrian player was a regular starter for the team and helped them win these two precious titles.
David Alaba is an extremely versatile defender who has everything in his bag from strength, vision, and agility to pace and ball control. It was a big move by Alaba to leave Bayern Munich but now it looks like this move can add him as the best defender in the history of football debate.
Previous Season Stats 2021/22:
Games | 30 |
| Passes | 1899 |
| Tackle | 33 |
| Tackle Success | 70% |
| Blocks | 29 |
| Fouls | 16 |
