In summary, the Premier League is home to the bulk of the world’s best centre defenders at the moment.
William Saliba, Ruben Dias, and Virgil van Dijk are three of the world’s top ten centre backs.
Real Madrid’s David Alaba regrettably does not make the list because of a catastrophic injury he suffered early in the 2023–2024 campaign.
One of the most important parts of any team’s spine in football is the centre-back position. They are the pillars of any line-up, holding the line, preventing attacks from opponents, and bolstering their own.
‘Attack wins games, defence wins trophies,’ as Sir Alex Ferguson once remarked, and some defenders are the perfect example of it. In light of this, the top ten central defenders in the world right now are listed below, in order of preference. The list, which included Champions League and World Cup winners, was hard to choose.
Our rankings will be determined by a number of variables, such as:
Highlights from the 2023–2024 season and the beginning of the 2024–2025 season
Performances from the three seasons prior
Overall effect of the trophies won on the present squad and national squad
The Top 10 Center-Backs in Football Worldwide
Rank
The player
Club
1.
Van Dijk, Virgil
Liverpool
2.
Saliba, William
The Arsenal
3.
Rudiger, Antonio
Real Madrid
4.
Gabriel
The Arsenal
5.
Bastoni, Alessandro
Milan Inter
6.
Dias Ruben
City of Manchester
7.
Konate, Ibrahima
Liverpool
8.
Araujo, Ronald
Barcelona
9.
Marquinhos
Saint-Germain, Paris
10.
Stones, John
City of Manchester
10John Stones
Manchester City
Although John Stones has had a difficult voyage at Manchester City, the team’s historic treble in the 2022–2023 season was the culmination of his turbulent adventure in the North West. Pep Guardiola has occasionally overlooked the Englishman and excluded him from the squad.
He has, nevertheless, persisted in trying to become better. Stones has emerged as a maestro in a new position where the central defender enters midfield with the ball. The England international has become one of the greatest in his position and, along with another defensive giant in Dias, was essential to the Three Lions’ prospects of winning their first major trophy since 1966 over the summer, but they fell to Spain at the last hurdle.
9 PSG Marquinhos
In recent years, PSG has lost a few well-known players. Despite losing players like Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi, the French team is still winning Ligue 1. The presence of Marquinhos in defence is a major factor in it. In the centre of the backline, the Brazilian is a dependable player and a commanding presence for PSG.
Having participated in all but three of his club’s games this season, Marquinhos has proven to be a capable leader for Luis Enrique’s team, and because he is still only thirty, the centre-back has a lot more to offer.
8 Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo
With Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol bolstering the defence, Barcelona may not be in the heyday of world football dominance, but they are lucky to have one of the best players in their back four.
Ronald Araujo has been able to settle into Catalonia over the past four years, and the Uruguayan has been an essential member of the squad. Injuries appear to be the only thing holding him back from rising through the ranks and becoming a better player. In recent years, the 25-year-old has missed a significant amount of time due to injuries, and he has not yet appeared in a single game for the squad in the 2024–25 season.
Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool, seventh
A centre-back playing with Virgil van Dijk might easily linger in his partner’s shadow. However, Ibrahima Konate hasn’t experienced that. Konate was a promising young player at RB Leipzig, but after moving to Liverpool in 2021, it took him some time to get settled.
However, he has subsequently matured into a superb Premier League defender and has played a key role in the Reds’ early-season success. The 25-year-old’s strength and pace make him a great combination with his older teammate in the heart of Liverpool’s defence. Given the combination of the two, it appears highly probable that Arne Slot’s team will soon achieve success.
6 Ruben Dias, City of Manchester
Ruben Dias had the unique opportunity to be included in Pep Guardiola’s starting lineup right away after his arrival. And with good reason. At Benfica, the Portugal star was already regarded as one of the position’s most promising possibilities.
He would eventually be snatched up by one of Europe’s elite. Although players like Eric Garcia and Aymeric Laporte have come and gone since he joined the Etihad in 2020, the Portuguese have stayed consistent. One may argue that he ought to be higher on the list, but it’s impossible to overlook City’s recent problems.
5Alessandro Bastoni
Inter Milan
It was always going to be difficult for the reigning European champions to move away from enduring mainstays Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Fortunately, the Italian backline had Alessandro Bastoni as its ready-made commander.
As Inter Milan recaptured the Serie A title, the 25-year-old played a crucial role in their journey to the Champions League final in the 2022–2023 season. Bastoni has plenty of time to get better because he hasn’t yet reached the peak of his career. He might be the talisman for the Nerazzurri to regain their long-lost domestic dominance.
4Gabriel
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta appeared to have brought in Jurrien Timber in 2023 in order to move Gabriel into a rotating position. Ben White and William Saliba partnered in the midfield as the Gunners began the season with their new addition on the right. Unfortunately, Arsenal had to go back to the pairing that had worked for them the previous season due to the Dutchman’s long-term injury, and it worked just as well this time.
Arsenal has given up just 15 Premier League goals in the 2024–2025 campaign. Their centre-back combination has been essential to such endeavours. Gabriel is more than worthy of his spot in this top 10, even though many give Saliba the most credit. Throughout the past several seasons, the Brazilian has led by example and is the aggressive counterpart of the Frenchman. His presence in the box for Arsenal corners has greatly contributed to the Gunners’ increased threat from set pieces.
3Antonio Rudiger
Real Madrid
Due to his efforts during Real Madrid’s 2023–24 season, which saw the Spanish powerhouses win their 36th La Liga title and 16th European Cup, German sensation Antonio Rudiger ranks among the top players on this list. Despite Eder Militao and David Alaba missing a significant portion of the season due to injuries, the centre defender has played more than 40 games for his team across all competitions.
The 31-year-old, who previously won the Champions League with Chelsea, has now won his first league championship as Los Blancos defeated bitter rivals Barcelona. Rudiger, who has played in all but five of the 35 games and leads in blocks and clearances per game, has been a key contributor to that title achievement. Surprisingly, he is also one of the world’s quickest players in 2024.
2. Arsenal’s William Saliba
There has already been discussion of Arsenal’s outstanding defensive record since the year began. There is no denying how well-liked William Saliba is at the north London club, even though the manager may not have selected one half of the middle duo at the beginning of the season.
Saliba, who is crucial to his team’s prospects of winning the championship, acknowledged that he hasn’t yet realised his full potential, which is unsettling. He declared: “Over the last two seasons, particularly the previous one, I’ve been headed in the correct direction. I put a lot of effort into being the world’s greatest defender. I believe I’m among the greatest at the moment, but I need to take home some titles before I can claim to be the best. I believe I am now lacking that. Saliba was selected Man of the Match at Old Trafford, the Etihad, and Anfield in the most recent campaign, highlighting his ascent to prominence.
1Virgil Van Dijk
Liverpool
Virgil Van Dijk is without a doubt the player who changed Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp the most. In 2020, when Liverpool won the title, the Dutchman was invincible. He even avoided being dribbled past for fifty games.
The 32-year-old appeared to have been shaken by an injury during the 2020–21 season. As the Reds started to struggle, the Dutchman no longer appeared to be the controlling force. But in the 2023–24 season, Van Dijk was back to his form, as demonstrated by his late stoppage-time goal that helped a young Liverpool team defeat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup. The former Southampton and Celtic great seems to have found new life at the core of the Merseysiders’ backline after receiving the captain’s armband.
He’s just gotten better since Arne Slot arrived. Van Dijk is once again the world’s finest centre-back after an incredible first half of the 2024–25 season.
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