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Top 10 Best Soccer Defenders Right Now As We Speak

By Sierra Perez July 15, 2020
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It’s time to show defenders some love; here’s our top 10.
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Making the list of the top 10 best soccer defenders at this very moment in time proved to be somewhat difficult, partly because of our worldwide pandemic and because defenders hardly get any love. And as a defender myself, I can confirm that. 

Sure, attackers win games, but defenders make or break games. No one likes to talk about the goals saved by the defensive line, it’s always ‘goal scorer this’ or ‘amazing assists that’ and never ‘wow, great block’ or ‘bloody amazing game savers.’ So today we’re gonna spread the love to our defensive heroes; here’s the 10 best soccer defenders right now. 

Best Soccer Defenders In Men's Football

Luke Shaw, Manchester United

This one might be a hot take, but Luke Shaw is on our list of best defenders. Shaw is one of those left defenders that likes to get into the attack. He has spunk going forward, both by passing and dribbling. 

He’s had an impressive buildup in his soccer abilities recently, but still sometimes catches himself under fire. Shaw is one of three players to start all of Manchester United’s matches since the restart.

Matthijs de Ligt, Juventus

Juventus center back Matthijs de Ligt is another unsung hero on the list of best soccer defenders. He’s had his fair share of brutal injuries that he has had to overcome, resulting in a rocky start to his career. Still a relatively young lad in the league, de Ligt is creeping up on people. An overwhelming amount of support has flown in from senior players and management.

De Ligt likes to play short passes and has a completion rate of 89 percent, a paramount figure for defenders. He has a mountain of potential.

Mats Hummels, Borussia Dortmund

Center defender Mats Hummels is making waves in the Bundesliga. Hummels takes control of the defensive line, as a center defender should. He comes up strong in tackles and interceptions. 

Diego Godín, Inter Milan

Inter Milan’s center defender Diego Godín is stellar at his job. He’s also got an eye for goal, tallying up a total of 41 goals in his career. He’s also brilliant out of the air, both in defense and offense. Godín is a reliable defender and a secret weapon in the attack.

Theo Hernández, AC Milan

Left defender Theo Hernández, 22, is a hero for the AC Milan squad. Hernández was sold to Milan for €20 million and has proven to be a key player. One of his most impressive strengths is his ability to get forward. He has recorded six goals and two assists this season, an obvious rising star. OK, so I made fun of tallying goals and assists earlier, but tallying goals and assists for defenders is totally different. They have a lot more ground to cover and a lot fewer chances.

Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid

Is it just me, or is Sergio Ramos amping up his play … again. Real Madrid captain and center defender never fails to entertain. My only complaint is his poor discipline at times. But by no means does this take away from the fact that he is a world-class defender. 

Aside from his talent at taking penalty shots, which do require discipline, Ramos also comes in clutch with goal-line saves. Maybe that’s the trade-off for fouling.

Ricardo Pereira, Leicester City

Leicester City’s right defender Ricardo Pereira is a difference maker on the field. He has strength and tenacity going forward into the attack. We love to see defenders saving and scoring. 

Pereira has three goals and two assists this season.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool

Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of my favorite right defenders to watch. He has reignited Liverpool’s back line. Sure, he might be on the smaller side for defenders, but he makes up for it in assisting ability. He has a total of 14 assists this season; what an unselfish and severely underrated player.

Alexander-Arnold is young, which means he has a lot of room to become even better than he is now.

Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool

Virgil van Dijk is another underappreciated center defender. He’s like a brick wall in the back line but also surprisingly speedy. Van Dijk holds down the fort and is an almost impenetrable force, both in the air and on the ground. Van Dijk also records an 89-percent passing completion. Overall he is just the heart of Liverpool defense

Any attacker should fear taking on such a hulk.

Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich

Coming in as our final best soccer defender right now is Canadian footballer Alphonso Davies. At just 19 years old, Davies is a left defender for Bayern Munich, and a brilliant one at that. He is the fastest player in the league, reaching speeds of 22.7 mph, meaning he can recover on defense and get up into the attack. He was named Bundesliga Rookie of the Year.

Davies is making waves, and we’re having fun watching him. 

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