Here are the 10 best defenders in world football at this moment in time

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We have seen some top defenders in football over the years. The game has changed a lot over the last 20 years, but the art of defending is still the same, and there seem to be less world class defenders than ever. Defenders are, sadly, often overlooked when it comes to looking at the greatest players of all time. Most recently, the achievements and quality of Carles Puyol are looked over because of the talents of the players in front of him.

It is the same when it comes to the individual awards. In the last 30 years, only one defender has won the Ballon d’Or, that being Fabio Cannavaro, who was named the world’s best player after leading Italy to victory at the 2006 World Cup.

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Obviously, defending has changed an awful lot in recent years. Attackers are now faster, more skilful and possibly the biggest challenge for defenders, more prone to going down under pressure.

This is an era where so many managers insist on their players passing the ball out from the back. This is something that has very much come into the game because of Pep Guardiola, whose Barcelona side revolutionised modern football.

10 Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham)

Tottenham have had the privilege in recent years of being able to field a centre back partnership of Alderweireld and his fellow Belgian Jan Vertonghen. The pair have helped form strong foundations in recent years, that has seen them put in their best performances in the Premier League era. They have qualified for the Champions League in each of the last three seasons, having previously played in the tournament just once.

9 Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich)

Hummels has long been seen as one of the top defenders in the world, to such an extent that he has been compared with Franz Beckenbauer. That may be a step too far, but there is no doubting that Hummels is an excellent defender. This is helped by the fact he is big, physically strong, and excellent in the air.

8 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

The most expensive defender in history, and another man who has become one of the top defenders in world football in recent years. Van Dijk has experienced a rather rapid rise to the top in recent years. He initially moved to Britain and Celtic in 2013 for just £2.6 million, and that is where he first made a name for himself before moving on to Southampton in 2015 for £13 million.

7 Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus)

Had this list been written a year ago, there is a good chance that Bonucci would have been in and around the top three spots. However, he moved to AC Milan last summer, a move that didn’t really work out for either party and went so badly that he returned to Juventus this summer.

6 Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)

Many people spoke about the quality and influence of Sarriball in Napoli’s title challenge last season, but their success was really built on the strength of their defence and in particular Koulibaly. He may not play for one of Europe’s big boys, but he has been the subject of interest from the likes of Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Chelsea, but has remained with the Italian side in an attempt to help them win their first Serie A title since 1990.

5 Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)

In an era where we haven’t seen too many top defenders, Chiellini is probably the last ‘over my dead body’ defender left in the world at the moment. At 34, he is the oldest player on this list, but he is still a massive player for Juventus. He is one of those players who you would say enjoys defending, and dealing with opposition strikers.

4 Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

There probably aren’t too many defenders in world football who are as underrated as Azpilicueta. The Spaniard joined Chelsea for just £7 million, making him perhaps one of the best bargains of the past decade. He has spent much of his career as a full back but filled in as a centre back for a couple of years under Antonio Conte, as the Italian implemented a three at the back system at Stamford Bridge.

3 Gerard Pique (Barcelona)

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Sadly, Pique is a bit of a marmite defender in Spain because of comments that he has made about Real Madrid in the past. There is doubting though his talent as a defender though, where he is one of the most capable centre backs in the world. He probably doesn’t get all the glory and attention that he deserves in this Barcelona side, given the wealth of attacking talents, with the likes of Lionel Messi.

2 Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid)

Godin is 32 now, but he just keeps on getting better with age. Diego Simeone is certainly a man who deserves some credit for his success. In an age where almost every manager at top clubs are desperate for their players to pass out from the back, Simeone has kept it simple. He wants his defenders to be as good at defending as possible, and it doesn’t matter how good they are with the ball.

1 Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

Not many centre backs have the same influence in one penalty area as they do in the other, but Ramos is certainly one of them. The Spaniard is a winner, and that is clear every time he walks on the pitch. Much like Pique, he is loved by some, and hated by others, but there can be no arguments, he gets results. His disciplinary record isn’t great, and some of the things he gets up to on the pitch are questionable, but his record of success is incredible.

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