Top 10 Best Defenders in the World 2025 (Updated Rankings!)

In football, amid the continuous presence of some of the best players & never-ending influx of new prospects, it's always a head-scratching task to choose best defenders in the world in 2025. The top 5 European leagues, like the EPL, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga & Ligue 1, are home to some of the most talented defenders, be it full-backs or center-backs. These defenders can put the oppositions attacker at bay with their on-time defensive contributions & as well as provide line-breaking passes to create goalscoring opportunities for their teammates.

While players like Van Dijk, Bastoni & Marquinhos have already established themselves among the top 10 best defenders in the world year in & year out, young talents like Pau Cubarsi are already making calculated but eye-catching steps forward to stake their claim among the elite defenders of the world. Some of these defenders have already won league titles & even the UEFA Champions League, while others are aiming to achieve the same level of success in order to see themselves among best defenders in the world for years to come.

Since we at Sportsdunia will reveal here the best defender in the world 2025, we have done hours of research & decided to measure up their performances based on ranking factors centred on the defensive metrics of tackles, interceptions & blocks, as our football desk believes in providing an unbiased top 10 list.

List of Top 10 Best Defenders in the World

Now, let's get on the groove & take a look at our list of top 10 best defenders in the world 2025. This list has been created after considering the above-mentioned ranking factors, so their exceptional performances don't go unnoticed. Now, let's find out the answer to the question “Who is the best defender in the world?”.

How We Ranked the Top 10 Best Defenders in the World 2025?

Here we have provided detailed reasons behind choosing the ranking factors mentioned at the beginning of this article. Also, to provide unbiased insights, we have only considered the overall stats of 2024/25 domestic season + 2025 FIFA Club World Cup stats since the 2024/25 season has only recently begun.

Note: Stats are taken from reliable sources like Sportsdunia, Transfermrkt & FBref.

Who is the Best Defender in the World in 2025?

Now, let's understand in detail with stats-backed information why these players belong among the top 10 best defenders in the world 2025.

10. Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool | France)

At No.10, we have Ibrahima Konate, who delivered his best performance as a Liverpool player last season since joining from RB Leipzig in 2021. Konate always had the potential to be counted among best defenders in the world, but injury & inconsistency hampered his progress in his first 3 seasons at the Reds. During the 2024/25 season, Slot's approach to micro-managing players' fitness ensured that Konate was able to play most of the Liverpool matches as a 1st choice center-back.

But as the scousers reading this article know, Ibou's path to stake his claim in the starting XI was not easy. After experiencing a breakout campaign in Jurgen Klopp's final season, the 21-year-old center-back Jarell Quansah started as a 1st choice center-back in Liverpool's opening 2024/25 season EPL match against Ipswich Town. But since they were struggling to win duels & headers, Slot subbed on Konate in place of Jarrel & since then, he never looked back. Slot's decision was spot on as Liverpool's No.5 won an impressive 104 aerial duels overall in 42 appearances. His 4.1 clearances per game showcase his ability to sense danger & clear the ball from their defensive zone. Along with evergreen CB Van Dijk, he ensured the Reds had an impressive defensive record to complement their attacking prowess, as they ended up winning the Premier League in a dominating fashion.

9. Pau Cubarsi (FC Barcelona | Spain)

After enjoying a breakout 2023-24 campaign, the now 18-year-old center-back Pau Cubarsi became the lynchpin of Barcelona's defensive setup in the 2024/25 season. He made 56 appearances across all competitions last season & showed calmness & grit beyond his years as the Blaugrana marched on to complete a domestic treble. Cubarsi was included in the 1st team set up during the 23-24 season when the club faced a defensive injury crisis. As many La Masia players have done in the past, he quickly staked his claim as one of the most important players.

Even the legendary AC Milan manager Arrigo Sacchi praised him in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, solidifying his position further among best young players in the world. He won an impressive 92 aerial duels & recorded 2.7 clearances per game. Though he is not counted among those defenders who score some goals, he did score 1 goal, which was a crucial stoppage time leveller in the 1st leg of the Copa Del Rey quarter-final against Atletico Madrid, which ended in a 4-4 draw. He has continued to build on his rich form as he has already recorded an average rating of 7.0 in the early phase of the ongoing season, justifying why he is in the list of top 10 best defenders in the world 2025.

8. William Saliba (Arsenal | France)

Once again, French defender William Saliba has included himself in our conversation around the best defenders in the world. He is a perfect example of patience reaping rewards, as he returned to the 1st team setup ahead of the 2022-23 season after several loan spells & never looked back since. He has recorded an average rating of over 7 in the last 3 seasons & is among the best Arsenal players currently.

Last season, Arsenal had the best defense in the Premier League, as Saliba, along with Gabriel, achieved an impressive 13 clean sheets. Though the Gunners fell short of the big prize for the 3rd season running, Saliba had a successful campaign as he recorded 130 tackles + interceptions & 3.4 clearances per 90. Also in 2 matches against Manchester City, he was able to contain Haaland, who is the best striker in the Premier League. He started the 2025 season on a great note already, cementing his name among the top 10 best defenders in the world.

7. Jules Kounde (Barcelona | France)

To address the right-back issue during the 2024/25 season, Hansi Flick made the most out of the versatility of French international Jules Kounde, as the 26-year-old became indispensable. He saw his game evolve as he terrorised the rival La Liga teams' defense, along with Lamine Yamal, with his constant overlapping runs on the flanks. With 4 goals & 7 assists in all competitions, he had his best season to date in terms of attacking returns and was instrumental in Barcelona's winning of all the domestic trophies.

Injury in the closing stages of the 2024/25 season, when Barcelona was also in contention to win the Champions League, meant that he missed the crunch 2nd leg against the eventual runners-up Inter Milan, as they lost in a thrilling encounter which ended in a 4-3 (7-6 aggregate) defeat of the Catalans. But experiencing the best campaign of his career on a personal level means that he deserves to be in the list of best defender in the world 2025.

6. Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal | Brazil)

It goes without saying that losing Brazilian Center Back Gabriel due to injury in the final few months of last season was likely one of the reasons behind Arsenal coming close to winning a trophy or two rather than actually winning it. Along with Saliba, he is the cornerstone of Arsenal's near-impregnable defense. He made 42 appearances across all competitions & recorded 1.34 blocks & 3.3 clearances per game, which shows his defensive awareness in critical situations.

Though he was delivering exceptional defensive performances week after week, one trait that got under the radar last season was that he had a passing accuracy of almost 90%. This highlights how his game has developed over the years, from a no-nonsense defender to a ball-playing aggressive defender. He has been one of Arsenal's best players in the last 5 years and also deservedly belongs in the list of the top 10 best defenders in the world 2025.

5. Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan | Italy)

Since joining Inter Milan from Parma in 2019, the 26-year-old CB Alessandro Bastoni has been a mainstay in their defensive setup. He has delivered an avg. rating of more than 7 in each of his seasons with the Nerazzurri. Barring two UCL finals heartbreak, he has enjoyed a successful spell with Inter so far, in the form of winning 2 Serie A's and 2 Coppa Italia. Due to his consistent performance week in & week out, he is among the best Italian football players currently.

He has showcased his ground & aerial prowess by producing 153 tackles + interceptions & winning 84 aerial duels in total in the 2024/25 season. Not only has he been a constant foil to the plans of attackers of rival clubs, but he also chips in with attacking contributions in between, as he did last season by delivering a return of 1 goal & 6 assists. However, he couldn't prevent Inter Milan from finishing last season trophyless despite coming close to retaining Serie A and as well as winning the UCL. In the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, they got eliminated in the Q/Fs. As a result of these near misses, we have ranked him 5th among best defenders in the world.

4. Nuno Mendes (PSG | Portugal)

After a couple of injury-hit seasons, the Portuguese left-back Nuno Mendes finally found his groove last season as he made 53 appearances across all competitions. He played a starring role along with several other PSG players as they ended up achieving the quadruple, which included the club's maiden UCL triumph.

He registered 6 goals & 10 assists in all competitions, including his 2 goals & an assist across two legs against Aston Villa in the UCL Q/Fs, which pretty much settled the tie in their favour. But that's not all, as his most notable improvement was seen in his defensive contributions. He recorded a staggering 177 tackles + interceptions throughout the season, along with 1.10 interceptions & 1.80 clearances per game. As a result of this, not only he is among the top 10 best defenders in the world, but also one of the best PSG players at present.

3. Achraf Hakimi (PSG | Morocco)

Sometimes, football turns out to be a cruel game, as many players after reaching their peak see their form dip. But that's not the case with Morocco Captain Achraf Hakimi. The tireless right-back carried his 2023 season form (5G & 7A) into the 2024 season as well. He delivered a return of 9 assists and 12 goals in all competitions as PSG wrecked teams across Europe in the form of achieving the quadruple & staked his claim as one of the best defenders in the world.

Though he also won the UEFA Super Cup this year with PSG, but couldn't achieve the sextuple as they lost to Chelsea 3-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup Final. His excellent form also earned him a place among the 2025 Ballon d'Or nominees, which is a big achievement, as only a handful of defenders have seen their name in this prestigious list in the history of the game.

2. Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool | Netherlands)

Any guesses what the Liverpool captain Van Dijk & players like Francesco Totti, Del Piero, Maldini have in common? It's the fact that all of them are players of high calibre & are responsible for playing a major role in changing the fate of the club they represent, or represented. The Reds center-back has been a transformative & era-defining signing since arriving in January 2018 from Southampton. Along with key players like Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Trent Alexander-Arnold & Alisson, he was instrumental in Liverpool winning the Premier League & as well as the Champions League during Klopp's reign.

Although a Cruciate ligament tear during the 2020/21 season threatened to derail his career, he came back strongly and is still performing at an exceptionally high level without suffering even a minor setback since then. His intimidating but calm presence at the back was instrumental in Liverpool winning the 2024/25 Premier League in the debut season of Arne Slot. He was among the defenders with the highest number of Aerial duels won (162) & his more than 4 clearances in every match give a glimpse of his composure & consistency while clearing the ball out of the danger zone. Had Liverpool progressed into the latter stages of UCL, the big Dutchman for sure would have been crowned as the best defender in the world 2025 instead of settling for 2nd position.

1. Marquinhos (PSG | Brazil)

By now, it's obvious that PSG skipper Marquinhos is the answer to your question, “Who is the best defender in the world?”. The 31-year-old Brazilian played 48 times in all competitions and led Les Parisiens to Champions League glory. His tactical acumen, positional awareness & timely defensive contributions make him the best defender in the world 2025.

In the UCL Semi-final clash against 2024/25 EPL runners-up Arsenal, he performed like an unshakeable defensive wall. He continued his fine form in the 2025 Club World Cup as well, but ended up as the losing finalist. He had maintained his rich vein of form in the 2025/26 season as well, and he has an average rating of 7.7 in the early stages of this campaign.