Although strikers are usually the players who most capture the attention of fans in the world of soccer, it is essential to recognize that a team cannot sustain itself with just one type of player. Except, of course, in informal matches, where everyone takes up different positions as needed. Below, we present a list of the greatest defenders of all time in the history of soccer, and we can assure you that it’s quite a story!
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Greatest defenders of all time: centrals and liberoes
A distinctive feature of this position is the freedom given to the defender inside the penalty area.
Moving at a greater range than other defenders, the libero plays a crucial role in disrupting the opposition’s play;
In addition, liberoes can also venture into attack, surprising their opponents with their rapid incursions.
The biggest central defenders take over the role left by the liberos and play a crucial role in building the last line of defense before it reaches the goalkeeper;
Generally recognized as the most aggressive players on the pitch, they don’t hesitate to go on the attack when necessary. Now on to the list of the greatest defenders of all time!
- Franz Beckenbauer
t’s impossible not to have him on the list of the greatest defenders of all time!
Titles: World Cup (1974), European Championship (1972), German Championship (1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1979), among others.
History: Beckenbauer began his career at Bayern Munich and became a legend of German soccer, both as a player and as a coach.
Curiosity: nicknamed “The Kaiser”, he was one of the first defenders to stand out for his technical ability and leadership skills.
- Franco Baresi
The first of many Italians on the list of greatest defenders of all time (spoiler alert), Baresi deserves no less than second place here.
Titles: World Cup (1982), Italian Championship (1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995) UEFA Champions League (1988, 1989, 1993), among others.
History: spent his entire career at AC Milan, where he became captain and leader of the team.
Curiosity: he made over 700 appearances for AC Milan.
- Bobby Moore
West Ham and England legend Bobby Moore takes the bronze medal among the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: World Cup (1966), among others.
History: began his career at West Ham United and became one of the greatest defenders in the history of English soccer.
Curiosity: Captain of the England team the only time they won the World Cup.
- Daniel Passarella
Everything passes, but the memory of Passarella remains! Welcome to fourth place on our list of the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: World Cup (1978), Argentine Championship (1975, 1977, 1979), among others.
History: he began his career at River Plate and stood out as one of the best Argentine defenders of all time.
Curiosity: he was the first defender to score more than 100 goals in his career.
- Fabio Cannavaro
The captain of Italy’s four-times champions in 2006 could not fail to appear among the greatest defenders of all time!
Titles: World Cup (2006), Italian Championship (1994, 1996, 2003), Spanish Championship (2006), UEFA Champions League (1995), among others.
History: Born in 1973 in Naples, Italy, Cannavaro had a remarkable career at clubs such as Parma, Inter Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid, as well as being a pillar of the Italian national team’s defense.
Curiosity: the only defender to be named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2006.
- Ronald Koeman
The top-scoring defender is well deserving of his sixth place on the list of the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: UEFA Euro (1988), Dutch Championship (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988), Spanish Championship (1990, 1991, 1992), Italian Championship (1993), UEFA Champions League (1991), among others.
History: born in 1963 in Groningen, Netherlands, Koeman was one of the best defenders of his generation, known for his powerful shot and defensive skills.
Curiosity: the top scorer among defenders in the history of professional soccer, with over 200 goals.
- Matthias Sammer
Sammer is number 7 in this list of the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: World Cup (1990), German Championship (1990, 1991), UEFA Euro (1996), among others.
History: Born in 1967 in Dresden, East Germany, Sammer was a versatile defender known for his leadership skills and tactical intelligence.
Curiosity: He was the first German to be voted Best Player in Europe by UEFA in 1996, after his performances in the European Championship.
- Gaetano Scirea
Italy’s tradition in defense is clear, and there’s no way Scirea can be left out of the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: World Cup (1982), Italian Championship (1974, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1985), UEFA Champions League (1984), among others.
History: Born in 1953 in Cernusco sul Naviglio, Italy, Scirea is considered one of the greatest defenders of all time, known for his elegance and fair play.
Curiosity: he played over 500 games for Juventus, a record for a defender at the time.
- Alessandro Nesta
The Italian wall deservedly takes ninth place in our list of the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: Italian Championship (1999, 2000, 2003), UEFA Champions League (2002), among others.
History: Born in 1976 in Rome, Italy, Nesta was an elegant and technical defender, known for his ability to anticipate and read the game.
Curiosity: he won the Italian league without conceding a single goal in the 2003-04 season, an extraordinary feat for a defender.
- Fernando Hierro
Unforgettable! Fernando Hierro is still the greatest defender in Spain’s history and the tenth greatest defender of all time on this list.
Titles: La Liga (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002), UEFA Champions League (1999, 2001), among others.
History: Born in 1968 in Vélez-Málaga, Spain, Hierro was one of the best Spanish defenders of all time, known for his defensive skills and ability to score goals.
Curiosity: is Real Madrid’s second-highest scorer among defenders, with over 100 goals for the club.
- Marcel Desailly
Eleventh on the list of the greatest defenders of all time is Laurent Blanc’s defensive partner, Marcel Desailly.
Titles: World Cup (1998), European Championship (2000), Italian Championship (1993), French Championship (1996, 1999, 2000), UEFA Champions League (1992, 1993), among others.
History: Born in 1968 in Accra, Ghana, Desailly has represented both France and Ghana internationally, but is best known for his contributions to the French national team and clubs such as Milan and Chelsea.
Curiosity: Desailly was the first player to win the UEFA Champions League in consecutive years for different clubs (Olympique de Marseille and AC Milan).
- Daniel van Buyten
A Bayern legend, van Buyten also deserved his place on the list of the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: German Championship (2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013), French Championship (1999), among others.
History: Born in 1978 in Chimay, Belgium, van Buyten had a successful career at clubs such as Standard Liège, Olympique de Marseille, Hamburg and Bayern Munich.
Curiosity: he played more than 300 Bundesliga games for Bayern Munich.
- Carles Puyol
Few have played with Puyol’s determination, which is why he is ranked thirteenth among the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: World Cup (2010), European Championship (2008, 2012), La Liga (2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012), UEFA Champions League (2005, 2008, 2010), among others.
History: Born in 1978 in La Pobla de Segur, Spain, Puyol was one of the best defenders in the history of Barcelona and the Spanish national team, known for his leadership and commitment.
Curiosity: Nicknamed “Tarzán” because of his long hair and aggressive playing style, Puyol was admired for his determination and devotion to the club.
- Alessandro Costacurta
In fourteenth place among the greatest defenders of all time, warrior Alessandro Costacurta couldn’t be missing!
Titles: UEFA Champions League (1988, 1989, 1993, 2002, 2006), Italian Championship (1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2003).
History: Born in 1966 in Jerago con Orago, Italy, Costacurta was one of the pillars of AC Milan’s defense for many years, contributing to the club’s successes at both national and international level.
Curiosity: Costacurta is known for his longevity in soccer, playing professionally until the age of 41 and maintaining a high level of performance throughout his career.
- Gerard Piqué
As well as being Shakira’s ex-husband and a major figure in Spain’s triumph in 2010, Piqué takes fifteenth place here in the list of the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: World Cup (2010), European Championship (2012, 2020), UEFA Champions League (2008, 2010, 2014), La Liga (2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017).
History: Born in 1987 in Barcelona, Spain, Piqué is a product of Barcelona’s youth academy, where he became one of the best defenders in the world.
Curiosity: he is the founder of a video game company called Kosmos Studios.
- Jürgen Kohler
Another German completes our list of the greatest defenders of all time: Kohler is sixteenth!
Titles: World Cup (1990), UEFA Champions League (1996), Bundesliga (1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996), Italian Championship (1994).
History: Born in 1965 in Lambsheim, Germany, Kohler was one of Germany’s leading defenders in the 1990s, representing clubs such as Cologne, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
Curiosity: he played over 400 games in the Bundesliga and over 100 games for the German national team.
- Sol Campbell
The English defender is here to take our seventeenth place in the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: UEFA Champions League (2007), English Championship (2001, 2003), among others.
History: Born in 1974 in Plaistow, England, Campbell had a successful career in English soccer, representing clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Portsmouth.
Curiosity: first player to score in six different UEFA soccer tournaments.
- Laurent Blanc
How can you not remember the French team of 1998? Laurente ranks eighteenth among the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: World Cup (1998), European Championship (2000), French Championship (1988, 1991, 1992, 1993), English Championship (2002), English Championship (1999).
History: Born in 1965 in Alès, France, Blanc was an elegant and technical defender who represented clubs such as Montpellier, Napoli, Barcelona, Manchester United and Inter Milan.
Curiosity: he is remembered for his golden goal in the last 16 of the 1998 World Cup against Paraguay, which took France to the next stage of the tournament.
- Oscar Ruggeri
A giant on the pitch, the Italian takes nineteenth place here in the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: World Cup (1986), Copa America (1991), Argentine Championship (1983 Metropolitano, 1985), Spanish Championship (1988), Copa Libertadores (1986), among others;
History: Born in 1962 in Corral de Bustos, Argentina, Ruggeri was a renowned central defender who stood out for his leadership and aggressiveness on the pitch.
Curiosity: in addition to winning the 1986 World Cup with Argentina, Ruggeri was one of the few players to have won the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup for the same club, River Plate, in 1986.
- Carlos Alberto Gamarra
The Paraguayan legend of the 90s has earned his place on our list of the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: Copa América (1999), Paraguayan Championship (1990, 1992, 1993, 1996), Copa do Brasil (1994), Brazilian Championship (1998, 1999), Copa Libertadores (1999), among others.
History: Born in 1971 in Luque, Paraguay, Carlos Alberto Gamarra was one of the greatest defenders in the history of Paraguayan soccer.
Interesting fact: he holds the record for the most games played for the Paraguay national team, with more than 110 international matches during his career.
- Lúcio
Our main defender in winning the penta is in twenty-first place in the list of the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: World Cup (2002), Confederations Cup (2005, 2009)
German Championship (2004, 2005, 2007), Brazilian Championship (2010), Paulista Championship (2013), among others.
History: Born in 1978 in Brasília, Brazil, Lúcio Ferreira da Silva, known as Lúcio, was one of the most outstanding defenders in Brazilian and world soccer.
Curiosity: he was a key member of the Brazilian national team, representing the country in three World Cups (2002, 2006, 2010).
- Sérgio Ramos
A Real Madrid legend, Sergio Ramos has always loved controversy… but that’s not why he’s being left out of the greatest defenders of all time!
Titles: World Cup (2010), European Championship (2008, 2012), UEFA Champions League (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017), La Liga (2006, 2007, 2011, 2016), among others.
History: born in 1986 in Camas, Spain, Sergio Ramos García is one of the most renowned defenders in soccer history, having spent most of his career with Real Madrid.
Interesting fact: he holds the record for the most caps for Spain among defenders, as well as being the defender with the most goals in Real Madrid’s history.
- Juan
Twenty-third on the list of the greatest defenders of all time is ex-Flamengo player Juan.
Titles: Copa América (2004, 2007), Campeonato Brasileiro (1999, 2000, 2001, 2009), Campeonato Carioca (1999, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2009), Copa do Brasil (2006), among others.
History: Born in 1979 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Juan Silveira dos Santos, known as Juan, was an outstanding defender who spent most of his career with Flamengo and also represented the Brazilian national team.
Curiosity: he is considered one of the most successful defenders in the history of Brazilian soccer, winning numerous titles with both Flamengo and the Brazilian national team, including the Copa América in 2004 and 2007.
- Ricardo Rocha
Our eternal tetra defender is in twenty-fourth place among the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: World Cup (1994), UEFA Champions League (1986), Portuguese Championship (1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988), among others.
History: Born in 1962 in Lisbon, Portugal, Ricardo Alexandre Martins Rocha was a talented defender who enjoyed a successful career in both Brazil and Portugal.
Curiosity: he was one of the highlights of the São Paulo team that won the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup in 1992 and 1993, respectively, as well as being a starter in the Brazilian defense when they won the 1994 World Cup.
- Ronaldão
Ronaldão, Ricardo Rocha’s defensive partner in the tetra triumph, rounds off our list of the greatest defenders of all time.
Titles: World Cup (1994), Brazilian Championship (1990, 1998), Paulista Championship (1991, 1992, 1998), Copa Libertadores (1992, 1993), among others.
History: Born in 1965 in Campinas, Brazil, Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, known as Ronaldão, was an outstanding defender who enjoyed a successful career both at club level and with the Brazilian national team.
Curiosity: is the only Brazilian player to have won the World Cup, the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup, making him one of the most successful defenders in the history of Brazilian soccer.
List of the greatest defenders of all time
- Franz Beckenbauer
- Franco Baresi
- Bobby Moore
- Daniel Passarella
- Fabio Cannavaro
- Ronald Koeman
- Matthias Sammer
- Gaetano Scirea
- Alessandro Nesta
- Fernando Hierro
- Marcel Desailly
- Daniel van Buyten
- Carles Puyol
- Alessandro Costacurta
- Gerard Piqué
- Jürgen Kohler
- Sol Campbell
- Laurent Blanc
- Oscar Ruggeri
- Carlos Alberto Gamarra
- Lúcio
- Sérgio Ramos
- Juan
- Ricardo Rocha
- Ronaldão
So, who tops your list of the greatest defenders of all time? Tell us!
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