Who are the 10 best centrebacks in football?

[Tomuś]

Re the overall standard. It might look underwhelming, but we are in a transition between the old generation and the next one. Once the likes of Varane, Umtiti, Van Dijk, Koulibaly and De Ligt have had a few years at the top, that'll be a generation that holds its own in a few of the longer term comparisons.

This.

 

[JPB]

Smalling is in there.

 

[Dazzmondo]

Verts is a better all round defender than Toby, I can say that with great confidence.

Both are overrated. Alderweireld was miles better a year ago but he's declined significantly.

 

[AltiUn]

In no particular order:

Koulibaly
Van Dijk
Chiellini
Umtiti
Laporte
Varane

They would be my top picks. Then after that I think it comes down to personal preference and can all be argued for. I agree with the OP, there's only 5/6 names I can say without hesitation are the best. I also don't agree with what some others have said, I don't think this generation is particularly weak, we're just going to have to be patient until they're all reaching their best because a lot of the better CBs around at the moment are still fairly young and the best CBs of the last few years are knocking on a bit.

Pique, Ramos, Silva, Boateng, Hummels, Alderweireld, Vertonghen and Godin have all at times been among the best in the world but I'm not sure they are currently (due to either age, injuries or form). Then you have a batch who you could argue are already there or very nearly are: Skriniar, Akanji, Marquinhos, L.Hernandez, Sule, Stones, Romagnoli and De Ligt. Then you have players I wouldn't know where to place like Manolas, Rudiger, Giminez and De Vrij. Plenty of quality about at the moment IMO.

 

[bosnian_red]

1. Van Dijk
2. Varane
3. Koulibaly
4. Chiellini
5. Godin
6. Ramos
7. Bonucci
8. Umtiti
9. Vertonghen
10. Thiago Silva

Van Dijk is probably the most complete and most dominant defender in world football right now I'd say.

 

[Dazzmondo]

1. Van Dijk
2. Varane
3. Chiellini
4. Godin
5. Umtiti
6. Koulibaly
7. Silva
8. Ramos
9. Giminez
10. Bonucci

De Ligt just missing out

 

[Sjaakmeoff]

This is from september and pretty accurate imo.
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/ranked-10-best-centre-backs-world

 

[SadlerMUFC]

Not sure how Ramos gets into most peoples list. For me, he is one of the most overrated players I have ever seen. He is a good footballer, but not a good defender. A good defender doesn't get caught out of position as often as he does, and doesn't get as many cards as he does. I thought he was great in his early days as a RB, but as a central defender I just don't think he's good enough and I was extremely happy when we didn't sign him like we were rumoured to a couple years ago...

 

[LilyWhiteSpur]

Both are overrated. Alderweireld was miles better a year ago but he's declined significantly.

I don’t think averts is overrated at all, the only people that do are Spurs fans.

 

[GhastlyHun]

Rudiger anyone? He's class.

Rüdiger hardly makes the top 5 of German CBs.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Genuinely curious to see what people think - I reckon you get to about 5 names, then the lists go their separate ways.

Bonucci, Chielini, Varane, Ramos, Koulibaly, Van dijk, Godin, Thiago Silva and Toby Alderwereld/Hummels

 

[Ekeke]

Truthfully I dont think I've seen enough recent matches of some of these players to be that accurate, so I might be relying on what I thought about them a few years ago. I'll give it a go anyway as I assume most people will be in the same boat.

1. VVD
2. Chiellini
3. Koulibaly
4. David Luiz
5. Pique
6. Pezzella
7. Skriniar
8. Maguire
9. Hermoso
10. De Vrij

11-15 would be Ramos, Godin, Smalling, Stones, Hummels in no particular order. Many people will pick Laporte as City's best CB because he's the best on the ball but I think Stones might be a better all rounder, with Otamendi doing the most defensive work but not being as good as the other 2 on the ball. So Stones is for me probably the best including both offensive and defensive ability.

Inter are the only team with 2 CBs on that list which is why Skriniar is 7th. De Vrij is good too so even though Inter's defensive record is very good I don't think I can put him higher than that when he has the best partner out of every CB on the list.

 

[Zes]

Truthfully I dont think I've seen enough recent matches of some of these players to be that accurate, so I might be relying on what I thought about them a few years ago. I'll give it a go anyway as I assume most people will be in the same boat.

1. VVD
2. Chiellini
3. Koulibaly
4. David Luiz
5. Pique
6. Pezzella
7. Skriniar
8. Maguire
9. Hermoso
10. De Vrij

11-15 would be Ramos, Godin, Smalling, Stones, Hummels in no particular order. Many people will pick Laporte as City's best CB because he's the best on the ball but I think Stones might be a better all rounder, with Otamendi doing the most defensive work but not being as good as the other 2 on the ball. So Stones is for me probably the best including both offensive and defensive ability.

Inter are the only team with 2 CBs on that list which is why Skriniar is 7th. De Vrij is good too so even though Inter's defensive record is very good I don't think I can put him higher than that when he has the best partner out of every CB on the list.

De Ligt is already keeping De Vrij out of the Dutch team. Of course De Vrij had played at a much higher level for a much longer time but I think De Ligt is already better than him

 

[Rhyme Animal]

It's so pathetic that we did nothing to get VVD despite having 2 defensive managers in a row in the same fecking league that he was playing in...

 

[Ekeke]

De Ligt is already keeping De Vrij out of the Dutch team. Of course De Vrij had played at a much higher level for a much longer time but I think De Ligt is already better than him

I'm going to stick with players playing regularly in the top leagues. CB is about reliability and consistency and he's being picked every week for Inter in the league with probably the best CBs overall where they have the 2nd best defensive record

International football can be weird. Plenty of very good players miss out due to politics

 

[Janson]

Lindelöf is the best, then Jones, Bailly, Smalling, Rojo, Mctominay, Herrera, Matic, Darmian and Fellaini.

 

[Bergman]

How exactly is Bonucci 2nd and Ramos 8th You can't possibly rate his ability on the ball that high, and you can't possibly rate his ability as a defender since he's bang average at it

Anyways:

Koulibaly, Sergio, Van Dijk, Chiellini... Bonucci, Skriniar, Varane, Umtiti, Pique, Godin?

Koulibaly, Van Dijk and Chiellini the top 3 right now, but i can't bring myself not to put Sergio on their level quite yet, there's no other CB that offers his attacking threat. The others...meh, just random. I'm going with the guys i watch on a regular basis

How is he defensively? Easily the worst of that top 10. It's like saying Perisic is the best winger in the world because he is the most solid defensively.

 

[Sayros]

1. Varane
2. Koulibaly
3. Thiago Silva
4. Van Dijk
5. Umtiti
6. Godin
7. Ramos
8. Chiellini
9. Laporte
10. Marquinhos

 

[diarm]

World Class - Godin, Van Dijk
Top Class - Bonucci, Chiellini, Alderweireld
Very Good - Ramos, Vertonghen, Pique, Varane, Koulibaly

Edit: Meant to add that I think De Ligt, Soyuncu and Gomez will be fighting their way onto this list before long.

 

[Decomposing In Paris]

Reading down these lists, all I can think is "we need one, maybe two of these"...

 

[Zes]

I'm going to stick with players playing regularly in the top leagues. CB is about reliability and consistency and he's being picked every week for Inter in the league with probably the best CBs overall where they have the 2nd best defensive record

International football can be weird. Plenty of very good players miss out due to politics

Fair enough about the first part, I mostly agree except, for me, I've seen both a lot and De Vrij has never impressed me anywhere near the way De Ligt does.
I understand he has to prove it on a weekly basis at a higher level though.
I'm pretty sure there's not politics involved in Koeman's preference of De Ligt though.
He worked well with De Vrij in the past, but just finds De Ligt to be better.
I hope this time next year De Ligt is on everyone's list!

 

[Rossa]

I always rated vertonghen higher than Toby, surprising to not see him on a top 10 list.

Completely agree with this.

 

[giorno]

How is he defensively? Easily the worst of that top 10. It's like saying Perisic is the best winger in the world because he is the most solid defensively.

 

[meninred]

RAMOS
VARANE
VANDYK
GODIN
UMTITI
CHILLENI
BONUCCI
BARZAGLI
KOULIBALLY
TIAGO SILVA/PIQUE/HUMMELS

 

[Nick.]

Bonnuci has been a liability for Juventus defensively this season, although his distribution is still excellent.

 

[thepolice123]

Rüdiger hardly makes the top 5 of German CBs.

Boateng and Hummels are stealing a living off their name. Rudiger will easily make it into the top 5. The only player who can make a case is Sule but I think Rudiger is still the better defender for now.

RAMOS VARANE VANDYK GODIN UMTITI CHILLENI BONUCCI BARZAGLI KOULIBALLY TIAGO SILVA/PIQUE/HUMMELS

Does he even play for Juventus these days.

 

[Andersonson]

Rüdiger hardly makes the top 5 of German CBs.

He's been terrific under Sarri

 

[tentan]

1. Varane
2. Bonucci
3. Ramos
4. Van Dijk
5. Godin
6. Umtiti
7. Thiago Silva
8. Chiellenni
9. Alderweireld
10. Vertonghen

 

[meamth]

Not sure how Ramos gets into most peoples list. For me, he is one of the most overrated players I have ever seen. He is a good footballer, but not a good defender. A good defender doesn't get caught out of position as often as he does, and doesn't get as many cards as he does. I thought he was great in his early days as a RB, but as a central defender I just don't think he's good enough and I was extremely happy when we didn't sign him like we were rumoured to a couple years ago...

To be fair he is talismanic. Sometimes being a big game player can make you a great defender down in history list.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

1. Van Dijk
2. Koulilbaly
3. Chiellini
4. Godin
5. Thiago Silva
6. Laporte
7. Umtiti
8. Akanji
9. Ramos
10. Alderweirld

 

[TehRed]

In no particular order:

Van Dijk
Koulibaly
Thiago Silva
Godin
Chiellini
Ramos
Umtiti
Hummels
Skriniar
De Ligt

 

[Theonas]

To be fair he is talismanic. Sometimes being a big game player can make you a great defender down in history list.

He will easily go down as one of the greatest in history. His trophy haul, big game impact and the level at which he performed is extremely rare even when compared to players from previous generations.

 

[meamth]

He will easily go down as one of the greatest in history. His trophy haul, big game impact and the level at which he performed is extremely rare even when compared to players from previous generations.

Exactly, achievements vs abilities, we debate that the whole time.

But Ramos certainly proves that, sometimes all it takes is pure determination to be one of the greatest player in football history.

Anyone would put prime Ramos in their team.

 

[gingerless]

not pique

 

[Theonas]

Exactly, achievements vs abilities, we debate that the whole time.

But Ramos certainly proves that, sometimes all it takes is pure determination to be one of the greatest player in football history.

Anyone would put prime Ramos in their team.

He will always be underappreciated by fans who look for that old school warrior in a defender à la Vidic or Gódin. It is very unfair on him though as he is playing for a team where the defender's job is probably the hardest in the world. Cannavaro was a Ballon d'Or winner before he joined them and look how he fared. We just never seen the likes of Chiellini, Vidic, Gódin or many others who get routinely labeled as top "pure" defenders playing as high as Ramos has to and in teams where the full backs bomb forward as much. There simply has been no defender in this generation who would have done better for Spain and Real than him.

 

[QoS]

1. Godin
2. Van Dijk
3. Varane
4. Koulibaly
5. Ramos
6. Umtiti
7. Chelini
8. Thiago silva
9. Laporte
10. Marquinhos

In order...

 

[Keeps It tidy]

He will always be underappreciated by fans who look for that old school warrior in a defender à la Vidic or Gódin. It is very unfair on him though as he is playing for a team where the defender's job is probably the hardest in the world. Cannavaro was a Ballon d'Or winner before he joined them and look how he fared. We just never seen the likes of Chiellini, Vidic, Gódin or many others who get routinely labeled as top "pure" defenders playing as high as Ramos has to and in teams where the full backs bomb forward as much. There simply has been no defender in this generation who would have done better for Spain and Real than him.

Not really true since over that period of time Pique was a better defender than him Spain. And he was outplayed by Pepe when they were a CB partnership.

 

[Theonas]

Not really true since over that period of time Pique was a better defender than him Spain. And he was outplayed by Pepe when they were a CB partnership.

I was thinking about Piqué and I think he has a similar impact defensively in terms of how he handles such an offensive set up but Ramos's impact in the biggest games give him an edge for me. Pepe might have had a season or two that were better defensively but his job was easier to replace than Ramos's. I think Varane had more impact on their recent trophy haul.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

Hard to choose top 10. But my top 3 will be:

Chiellini
Varane
Van Dijk

I think we can all assume that Juventus has the best defense right now in the world, both Chiellini & Bonucci are the best one right now. But I have to put Chiellini ahead since last season even without Bonucci, he was able to show brilliant performance. Varane a CL winner, had a lot of La Liga winners previously, and also world cup winner & he's also one of the most complete centre back at the moment. Van Dijk wouldn't even be in my top 5 last season, but this season he has stepped to another level of the top 3. Playing next to inexperienced defender like Gomez or the donkey Lovren, and he still capable to show solid performance.

The rest:
Godin
Thiago Silva
Bonucci
Koulibally
Ramos
Pique
Vertonghen

Godin & Thiago Silva might be out of top 10 soon. Getting too old.

 

[RedRonaldo]

Chiellini
Godin
Ramos
Varane
Van Dijk
Bonucci
Umtiti
Koulibally
Vertongen
Alderweireld


In no particular order