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.1
6,4221,100Paolo Maldini
ItalyPaolo Cesare Maldini (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpaːolo malˈdiːni]; born 26 June 1968) is an... more2
3,1401,521Franco Baresi
ItalyFranco Baresi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈfraŋko baˈreːzi; -eːsi]; born 8 May 1960) is an... more- 33,6581,153
Franz Beckenbauer
GermanyFranz Anton Beckenbauer (pronounced [ˈfʁants ˈbɛkn̩ˌbaʊɐ]; born 11 September 1945) is a German... more - 42,2951,069
Cafu
BrazilMarcos Evangelista de Morais (born 7 June 1970), known as Cafu [kaˈfu], is a Brazilian former... more - 51,437964
Bobby Moore
United KingdomRobert Frederick Chelsea Moore OBE (12 April 1941 – 24 February 1993) was an English... more - 6920562
Cesare Maldini
ItalyCesare Maldini (Italian pronunciation: [ˈtʃeːzare malˈdiːni, ˈtʃɛː-]; 5 February 1932 – 3... more - 71,076898
Frank Rijkaard
NetherlandsFranklin Edmundo Rijkaard (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈfrɑŋk ˈrɛi̯kaːrt] (listen); born 30... more - 8999877
Giacinto Facchetti
ItalyGiacinto Facchetti (Italian pronunciation: [dʒaˈtʃinto fakˈketti]; 18 July 1942 – 4 September... more - 911160
Pietro Rava
ItalyPietro Rava (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpjɛːtro ˈraːva]; 21 January 1916 – 5 November 2006) was... more - 10690600
Daniel Passarella
ArgentinaDaniel Alberto Passarella (born 25 May 1953) is an Argentine retired footballer who played as... more - 11639410Alessandro "Billy" Costacurta (Italian pronunciation: [alesˈsandro ˈbilli ˌkɔstaˈkurta]; born... more
128433Richard Gough
Sweden, ScotlandCharles Richard Gough (born 5 April 1962) is a Scottish former footballer, who played as a... more- 133,0771,088
Alessandro Nesta
ItalyAlessandro Nesta (Italian pronunciation: [alesˈsandro ˈnɛsta]; born 19 March 1976) is a... more - 14938522
Lilian Thuram
FranceRuddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien (French pronunciation: [li.ljɑ̃ ty.ʁam]; born 1 January 1972) is a... more - 15339271
Mauro Tassotti
ItalyMauro Tassotti (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmauro tasˈsɔtti]; born in Rome, 19 January 1960) is... more - 16330288
Fulvio Collovati
ItalyFulvio Collovati (Italian pronunciation: [ˈfulvjo kolloˈvaːti]; born 9 May 1957) is an Italian... more - 1710760
Roy McFarland
EnglandRoy Leslie McFarland (born 5 April 1948) is an English former football manager and former... more - 182,6091,558
Sergio Ramos
SpainSergio Ramos García (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈseɾxjo ˈramoz ɣaɾˈθi.a]; born 30 March 1986) is... more - 19454317
Giuseppe Bergomi
ItalyGiuseppe "Beppe" Bergomi (Italian pronunciation: [dʒuˈzɛppe ˈbɛrɡomi]; born 22 December 1963)... more - 201,325866
Thiago Silva
BrazilThiago Emiliano da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [tʃiˈaɡu ẽmiliˈɐ̃nu dɐ ˈsiwvɐ]; born 22... more - 21276262
Alan Hansen
United KingdomAlan David Hansen (born 13 June 1955) is a Scottish former football player and BBC television... more - 22386331
Claudio Gentile
Libya, ItalyClaudio Gentile (Italian pronunciation: [ˈklaudjo dʒenˈtiːle]; born 27 September 1953 in... more - 23441374
Lucio
BrazilLucimar Ferreira da Silva (born 8 May 1978), commonly known as Lúcio, is a Brazilian... more - 24248194
Paul Breitner
West Germany, GermanyPaul Breitner (born 5 September 1951 in Kolbermoor, Bavaria) is a former German footballer,... more - 25303289
Jürgen Kohler
West Germany, GermanyJürgen Kohler (born 6 October 1965) is a World Cup-winning German footballer and manager, who... more
