They perform the grunt work. Defenders collide with adversaries, shoo them off the ball, outmuscle them in the air, make tackles, and stop threatening shots. Defenders include both center-backs and full-backs when used together. The latter, though primarily charged with holding down the fort at the back, is much more involved in the offensive side of things. A strong defensive line is a need for every football club with aspirations. A team has already completed half of its work if its defenses are solid. Consistency is the secret to a great defender. The athletes we’ll be discussing today have all earned a lot of recognition by consistently performing at the highest level for many years. Find the list of the top 10 defenders of all time below.
#10 Gaetano Scirea
One of history’s greatest “liberos” is Gaetano Scirea. A player that lines up directly behind the rest of the defensive line is known as a “libero.” His responsibility is to step in when the backline is violated. In the early 1980s, Scirea was the finest in the industry. He holds the distinction of having taken home every club trophy from a continent that FIFA and UEFA recognize. Scirea was a key player in Italy’s victory at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. Between 1974 and 1988, the Italian spent 14 years with Juventus. He won seven Serie A championships, two Coppa Italias, a European Cup, a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, a UEFA Super Cup, and an Intercontinental Cup during that time.
#9 Alessandro Nesta
In the early 2000s, Alessandro Nesta was the finest defender in the entire globe. He was a component of the AC Milan backline, which was very tough to get past. In addition to being a powerful and athletic presence at the back, Nesta was also a technically gifted player. He displayed good ball control, was capable of making precise passes, and was therefore essential to his teams’ play out of the back. Nesta also possessed excellent tactical intelligence and positional awareness, which significantly aided him in his latter years when he had lost a yard of speed..
#8 Philipp Lahm
One of the few “one-club” players of the contemporary period is Philipp Lahm. With the exception of a loan with Vfb Stuttgart, the German international played his whole club football career with Bayern Munich. Lahm was able to play on either wing and, towards the end of his career, was even used as a defensive midfielder. In 2013, he led Bayern Munich to a trifecta on the continent. He played for the German team that advanced to the World Cup semifinals in 2006 and 2010 before winning it in 2014. With the Bavarians, Lahm won eight Bundesliga championships, six DFB Pokals, one Champions League, and one FIFA Club World Cup and will always be known as one of the top 10 defenders of all time.
#7 Sergio Ramos
Arguably the best central defender of the twenty-first century is Sergio Ramos. The most decorated defender in the history of the sport is the Spanish international, who has had a distinguished career. Ramos is not just a monster at the back, but he also makes a tonne of contributions on the other side of the game. He has exceptional aerial duels skills and is a very accurate ball header. Ramos has made 721 club appearances and scored 105 goals, which are exceptional stats for a center-back.
#6 Giacinto Facchetti
One of the best goal-scoring defenders of all time is Giacinto Facchetti. In the 1960s, Facchetti played for the ‘Grande Inter’ team that dominated the Italian first division. He is regarded as one of the best fullbacks who can attack in history. Facchetti, who began as an attacker, applied all he had learned up to that point to develop into a dangerous force on the sides. He was able to excel for both club and nation thanks to his pace, intellect, mobility, physicality, and stamina. At the 1968 European Championship, Italy was victorious under Facchetti’s leadership. Additionally, he played for the Italian team that placed second in the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
#5 Daniel Passarella
Daniel Passarella was a goal-oriented defender like Facchetti and Ramos. Up until a certain Ronald Koeman came along, Passarella was the highest-scoring defender with 182 goals in 556 games. The Argentine was a man of leadership. He was four times the Argentine Premier League champion. The center-back’s most notable accomplishment, though, was leading La Albiceleste to a World Cup victory in 1978. In a ranking of the toughest football players in history, The Times put him at number 36. In a public spat, he accused Diego Maradona and coach Carlos Bilardo of ignoring him at the 1986 World Cup. But Passarella is unique in that he played for Argentina in both of their World Cup appearances.
#4 Bobby Moore
The Englishman Bobby Moore is a hero. He served as the team’s captain when England won the 1966 FIFA World Cup. Moore is frequently recognized as the best West Ham United player in history. Moore is the best defender Moore has ever faced, according to the legendary Pele. Because Moore is such a well-known character in English football, a bronze monument of him was built in front of Wembley. He was a center-back with exceptional skill, superb game reading, and tremendous game intelligence that makes him the only English player on the list of top 10 defenders of all time.
#3 Franco Baresi
A time in history existed when Italian defenders were absolutely unbeatable. The legendary AC Milan player Franco Baresi. He served as the team’s captain for 15 years and is regarded as one of the all-time best center-backs. Throughout his 20-year club career, he only ever played for AC Milan. He won six Serie A championships, three UEFA Champions League championships, four Supercoppa Italiana championships, two European Super Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups throughout that span. With the Italian national side, Baresi also captured the FIFA World Cup in 1982. He led Italy on their journey to the 1994 FIFA World Cup final, which they ultimately lost to Italy. On a historic night, Baresi regrettably missed his penalty in the shootout.
#2 Franz Beckenbauer
Simply put, Franz Beckenbauer was the best defender of the 1970s. The German international won the Ballon d’Or twice throughout his playing career and was a dominant force in defence for both club and nation. Der Kaiser, which translates to “The Emperor,” was his nickname because to his hegemonic nature, graceful playing style, and leadership abilities. Beckenbauer began his career as a midfielder before switching to center-back. He excelled in his new capacity and is credited with creating the job of the sweeper or “libero.”
#1 Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini had a successful 25-year career, the entirety of which he spent at AC Milan. He participated in 902 games for AC Milan altogether. He also played 126 times for Italy and is ranked first because of the incredible consistency he displayed over a period of 2.5 decades. On the pitch, “Il Capitano” was nothing short of a sensation and encouraged a generation of players to play defense. He was a player with exceptional technical ability who could make the same move with either foot and tops our list of the top 10 defenders of all time. Maldini began his career as a right-back but was switched to the other flank at AC Milan to make room for Mauro Tassotti.
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