The Best Soccer Defenders of All Time
The best soccer players of all time aren't always the ones right in the action, sometimes all it takes is a step back and a bit of appreciation to realize that the grunts who are defending the goal are the best. These best football defenders (as they're called everywhere besides the US) are in the ranks of the best athletes in the world, and have earned their spots by being the best footballers in the world.
What are the qualities of the best defenders in soccer? These men are equal parts the best defense men in soccer, the top players in soccer, and the best conditioned athletes in the sport of soccer. To truly be the greatest, defenders must be quick runners and possess the ability to kick the ball FAR, all the way to the other side of the field. Defensive soccer players must also have a mastery of fancy footwork - lest they let an offensive player weave past them. All these factors and more combine to determine who should be called the best defenders in soccer.
Who are the best soccer defenders of all time? Who are the top defenders in soccer? Who are the best football defenders of all time? SO MANY QUESTIONS, all which need to be answered in this compilation of the top soccer defenders ever. If your favorite soccer player in the position of defender isn't on the list, make sure to add them so others can vote for them as the best football defender ever. If you don't add them, they won't get any play.- ItalyPaolo Cesare Maldini (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpaːolo malˈdiːni]; born 26 June 1968) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a left back and central defender for A.C. Milan and the ...more
- SpainCarles Puyol Saforcada (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkaɾles puˈjɔl i safoɾˈkaða]; born 13 April 1978) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played his entire career for Barcelona. Mainly a ...more
- ItalyFabio Cannavaro (Italian pronunciation: [ˈfaːbjo kannaˈvaːro]; born 13 September 1973) is an Italian former professional footballer and current manager of Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande. ...more
- West Germany, GermanyPhilipp Lahm (German pronunciation: [ˈfɪlɪp ˈlaːm]; born 11 November 1983) is a German retired professional footballer who played as a right back or defensive midfielder and spent much of his early ...more
- GermanyFranz Anton Beckenbauer (pronounced [ˈfʁants ˈbɛkn̩ˌbaʊɐ]; born 11 September 1945) is a German former professional footballer and manager. Early in his playing career he was nicknamed Der Kaiser ...more
- ItalyAlessandro Nesta (Italian pronunciation: [alesˈsandro ˈnɛsta]; born 19 March 1976) is a former Italian professional footballer and current manager of Frosinone. Widely considered to be one of the ...more
- ArgentinaJavier Adelmar Zanetti (Spanish pronunciation: [xaˈβjeɾ saˈneti]; Italian: [dzaˈnetti]; born 10 August 1973) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a defender or midfielder. He ...more
- BrazilRoberto Carlos da Silva Rocha (born 10 April 1973), more commonly known simply as Roberto Carlos, is a Brazilian retired professional footballer who now works as a football ambassador. He started his ...more
- NetherlandsJakob Stam (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjaːp ˈstɑm]; born 17 July 1972) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player who played as a centre-back. He was known for possessing "a rare ...more
- BrazilMarcos Evangelista de Morais (born 7 June 1970), known as Cafu [kaˈfu], is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a defender. With 142 appearances for the Brazil national team, he ...more
- ItalyFranco Baresi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈfraŋko baˈreːzi; -eːsi]; born 8 May 1960) is an Italian football youth team coach and a former player and manager. He mainly played as a sweeper or as a ...more
- FranceRuddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien (French pronunciation: [li.ljɑ̃ ty.ʁam]; born 1 January 1972) is a French retired professional football defender and the most capped player in the history of the France ...more
- SerbiaNemanja Vidić (Serbian Cyrillic: Немања Видић, Serbian pronunciation: [němaɲa ʋǐːditɕ]; born 21 October 1981) is a Serbian retired professional footballer. He most notably played for Manchester ...more
- GermanyLothar Herbert Matthäus (German pronunciation: [ˈloːtaːɐ̯ maˈtɛːʊs]; born 21 March 1961) is a German football manager and former player. After captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 FIFA ...more
- United Kingdom, EnglandRio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre back, and current television pundit for BT Sport. He played 81 times for the England ...more
- SpainSergio Ramos García (born 30 March 1986) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for and captains both Paris Saint-Germain and the Spain national team as a centre back. He has also played as a ...more
- France, GhanaMarcel Desailly (born Odenke Abbey, French pronunciation: [maʁsɛl dəsɑji]; born 7 September 1968) is a French former professional footballer who played as a centre back or defensive midfielder and ...more
- BrazilDaniel Alves da Silva (born 6 May 1983) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Liga MX side UNAM (nicknamed Pumas) and the Brazil national team. He is the most decorated ...more
- United Kingdom, EnglandJohn George Terry (born 7 December 1980) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who played as a centre back. He was previously captain of Chelsea, the England national team ...more
- ItalyGiorgio Chiellini (born 14 August 1984) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Major League Soccer (MLS) side Los Angeles FC (LAFC). Chiellini is considered to be one of ...more
- 21NetherlandsVirgil van Dijk (born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Considered one of the best ...more
- ItalyGianluca Zambrotta (Italian pronunciation: [dʒanˈluːka ddzamˈbrɔtta]; born 19 February 1977) is an Italian former professional footballer, who played as a full back or as a winger. Throughout his ...more
- United Kingdom, EnglandRobert Frederick Chelsea Moore OBE (12 April 1941 – 24 February 1993) was an English professional footballer. He most notably played for West Ham United, captaining the club for more than ten years, ...more
- BrazilThiago Emiliano da Silva (born 22 September 1984) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Chelsea and captains the Brazil national team. Silva made ...more
- 25ItalyCesare Maldini (Italian pronunciation: [ˈtʃeːzare malˈdiːni, ˈtʃɛː-]; 5 February 1932 – 3 April 2016) was an Italian professional football manager and player, who played as a defender. Father to ...more