Portugal has always been a hotbed of footballing talent, producing stars in a variety of positions, and defense is no exception. In today’s article we’re going to talk about the best defenders in Portugal today, who play for the top teams in the league.
Remember that the Portuguese league has the characteristic of launching several historic names into the world in this position. Some of the examples that have stood out in the league are:
- Pepe
- Ricardo Carvalho
- Éder Militão
- David Luiz
But who is currently on this list? Read on and see!
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10 best defenders in Portugal this season: career, titles and records
Here’s a list of the best defenders in Portugal today:
- Gonçalo Inácio
- Antonio Silva
- Ousmane Diomande
- Zeno DebastZ defender
- Nicolás Otamendi
- Tomás Araújo
- Nehuén Pérez
- Sikou Niakaté
- Toni Borevković
- Otavio
Read on and learn about the career and titles of each of Portugal’s best midfielders.
#1 Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting)
Opening our list of Portugal’s best defenders, Gonçalo Inácio, a Sporting defender who was trained in the team’s youth ranks, is a standout when it comes to technical ability and reading the game.
At just 23 years of age, he is already considered a promising player in Portuguese soccer, especially because of his tackling ability and precise passing, which make him a key part of the defense.
Titles for Sporting CP
- Primeira Liga: 2020-21[9], 2023-24
- League Cup: 2020-21 and 2021-22
- Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup: 2021
2. António Silva (Benfica)
António Silva is a promising Portuguese defender, currently playing for SL Benfica. Born in 2003, he excelled in the club’s youth ranks and made his first-team debut in 2022. He has already become a national champion with his team.
Silva is known for his defensive solidity, tackling ability and good reading of the game, as well as his excellent passing. So it’s easy to understand why he’s on this list of Portugal’s best defenders, isn’t it?
Titles for Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2022-23
- Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup: 2023
3. Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP)
Ousmane Diomande is a talented Ivorian defender currently playing for Sporting CP. Born in 2003, the young defender is mainly known for:
- physical strength
- speed
- tackling
Diomande has quickly made a name for himself as one of the promises of European soccer. Despite his young age, he has already won a title for his national team.
In addition, he is a highlight of the Europa League, contributing in goal, but also scoring goals and helping the team progress at continental level.
Titles for Sporting CP
- Premier League: 2023-24
4. Zeno Debast (Sporting CP)
Zeno Debast is a young Belgian defender making a name for himself in European soccer, currently playing for Sporting CP. Born in 2003, Debast is known for his solid defensive and offensive presence.
An example of this is that the defender already has a goal in the current season of Europe’s premier competition, the Champions League.
In addition, one of Portugal’s best defenders, he has been a regular in his national team’s call-up.
5. Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica)
After introducing you to some of the standout young players in the Portuguese league, it’s time to talk about the player with possibly the longest career of any player in the league. Especially when we’re talking about major titles.
Throughout his career, Nicolás Otamendi has won important titles wherever he has played. The main ones are:
- 1x World Champion
- 2x Copa America Winner
- 2x Champion of England
- 4x English League Cup Winner
- 1x Europa League winner
- 4x Champion of Portugal
- 4x Winner of the Portuguese Super Cup
These are just some of the titles won by the 36-year-old, who continues to play a key role in his team.
Another curiosity is that some of these titles were won with Benfica’s great rivals, Futebol Clube do Porto. Where Otamendi played at the start of his career.
Titles for Porto
- Primeira Liga: 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13
- UEFA Europa League: 2010-11
- Portuguese Cup: 2010-11
- Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup: 2011, 2012 and 2013
Titles for Benfica
Primeira Liga: 2022-23
Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup: 2023
6. Tomás Araújo (Benfica)
Tomás Araújo is a Portuguese defender currently playing for SL Benfica. Born in 2002, he began his career in the club’s youth ranks, where he quickly stood out for his defensive ability and tactical intelligence.
Araújo was loaned out for the 22/23 season to Gil Vicente, where he gained more experience and returned to Benfica. He is seen as one of the best defenders in Portugal, and is a great promise for the future, attracting the attention of coaches and fans who believe in his potential.
Titles won by Benfica
Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup: 2023
7. Nehuén Pérez (Porto)
Argentine Nehuen Perez arrived at Porto on loan and in a short time has already shown that he has a lot of potential to help his team and become one of the best defenders in Portugal.
The loan was a crucial opportunity to establish himself in a competitive league like the Primeira Liga, where he has had the chance to develop and contribute to Porto’s defense.
8. Sikou Niakaté (Braga)
Sikou Niakaté is a French defender of Malian descent who currently plays for Braga and is known for his physical strength and tackling ability.
As well as being a central defender, Niakaté can play as a left-back and also has a good ability to finish, constantly surprising opposing defenses.
Titles for Braga
League Cup: 2023-24
9. Toni Borevković (Vitória SC)
Following on from our list of the best defenders in Portugal this season, we can’t fail to mention the Croatian who has simply played every game this season so far, including the Liga Nacional and Conference Ligue.
After his success at Rio Ave, where he had his first experience in Portugal, he was signed by Vitória de Guimarães.
At Vitória, Borevković continued to show his defensive qualities and further developed his reading of the game, making him a reliable option in defense.
10. Otavio (Famalicão)
Otávio developed at Flamengo, where from an early age he showed talent and a vision of the game that quickly caught the eye of the coaches. With a good combination of height, technique and ability to anticipate, Otávio stood out as a modern defender.
In Portugal, Otávio’s first club was Famalicão, also from Portugal.
With his promising career, the defender quickly caught the eye of Futebol Clube do Porto.
He’s increasingly finding his place and showing that he has the potential to become an important player in European soccer.
Now, yes, we’ve finished our list of the 10 best defenders in Portugal today. And, if you’re a fan of Portuguese soccer, read on:
- TOP 5 Best goalkeepers in Portugal: the walls of today’s Liga
- 10 Best right-backs in Portugal this season!
- Top 10 Best left-backs in Portugal this season!
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