Talking or choosing the best center-banks in the world is a difficult task. Often the best defenders do the least amount of work. Most rated center-backs 2024.
There are few who have mastered the role over the years, even fewer who still playing.
The role of center-back stands as one of the crucial components of any team’s spine. Pillars in any line-up, they are the ones who hold the line.
Who is then a center-back? A center-back is a football player who defends the area in front of the goal and tries to stop the opposing team from scoring.
They are also known as central defenders or center-halves. Center backs are responsible for: blocking shots, tackling, intercepting passes, contesting headers and marking forwards.
Center backs are usually tall and are positioned to win duels in the air. They need to have a combination of physical strength, aerial prowess, positional awareness, and tackling ability. They also need to be agile, fast, and have a consistent work ethic.
In modern football, center-backs are also and important part of the team’s attacking efforts. They need to get open to receive passes and control the build-up.
The role of the center-back developed from the center-half position in the early 20th century. As the game developed, the center-half role was moved backwards, and the full-backs were pushed out wider to create the right-back and left-back positions.
Now let us talk about the most outstanding and rated center-backs in Europe 2024.
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5. Ruben Dias (Portugal & Man city)
Manchester City invested a huge sum of money to price Dias from Benfica in the summer of 2020 and he has been a top addition at the heart of pep’s defense.
Being named the premier league player of the season in his first season, the Portuguese compromises peace and power with superb composure on the ball.
He commands the center-back with the required ball-playing skills. He only gotten better in years since winning four successive premier league titles and helping city to a first ever champions league title.
Alongside Rodri, Dias has arguably been city’s most important addition in recent years.
Dias is a physically strong, right-footed center-back, who usually features on the left-hand side of the central defense, due to being comfortable at passing the ball with the both feet.
4. Alessandro Bastoni (Italy & Inter Milan)
It is obvious that Bastoni’s role at Inter Milan is very unique, he is not just a center-back, he has to roam into midfield during build-up, defend zonally and man-mark. He is a good chance creator.
The 25-year-old is the first name on the team-sheet for his country, he is seen as the heir to Chiellini and he is something completely different for a new generation.
Bastoni is an established presence in Inter’s defense and he enjoyed a brilliant 202/21 campaign in their serie A title winning season.
He won the title once again in 2023/24 as he continues to dazzle in Milan. The Italy international impresses with the timing of his challenge and boasts immense calmness under pressure. He remains a hugely an underappreciated talent.
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Bastoni is an outstanding left-footed central defender who can also play out from the back, he is equipped with vision a good set-piece ability.
He is good in the air as well and has the right combination of physicality and discipline despite being an assertive defender.
He doesn’t pick up many cards from referees and has been sent off just once in his career. That is to say that he is humble player in the making.
Bastoni started his career as a full-back, but is also capable of playing a central-back. A role which he became increasingly deployed as his career progressed.
He is mainly known for his passing ability and ball control, while his height and ability to exploit spaces allows him to be effective in the air, which makes him a goal threat from inside and opponents box.
3. William Saliba (France & Arsenal)
Saliba has truly been a transformative figure in the gunners defense since returning from couple of loans in ligue 1.
He has a good pace which can match many premier league attackers and he has already established a formidable partnership with Gabriel at the back.
He remains one of the most graceful center-backs you will see and he is firmly among the best in the world following an extraordinary quick ascent in the north London.
Arsenal has hit a new level since the arrival of Saliba and has established himself as a mainstay alongside Gabriel Magalhaes in Mikel Arteta’s back four.
The Frenchman is everything a modern world-class center-back needs to be strong and technically accomplished.
He is a promising young defender who has a lot of years ahead of him and with time and consistency he will become one of the most feared center-defenders in the world.
Saliba is proactive defender who likes to step out of defense and steal the ball from the forward rather than stand off and try to shepherd play back the way it came.
He is clever in the way he positions himself to use his body to manoeuvre opponents away from play in order to steal the ball.
2. Antonio Rudiger (Germany and Real Madrid)
Antonio Rudiger is a kind of player who is uncompromising and bullish, he doesn’t take any prisoners.
He is a kind of player that often bullies forwards into submission, attackers dread playing against him.
He has occasionally proven his worth over the years for both Chelsea and Real Madrid, winning the Champions League with Chelsea and helping Madrid to another European glory in 2023/24.
Having earned a move to Real Madrid he has developed into a truly world class center-back under Carlo Ancelloti.
He was present and contributed selflessly as Madrid won La Liga the Champions league in 2023/24.
He showed immense consistency as Madrid struggled with a central defensive injury crisis.
Rudiger is a versatile defender, who is capable of playing a full-back on either flank. He was described as tall, quick and athletic defender who is comfortable with the ball at his feet.
His Chelsea profile described him as a tough tackler and a commanding presence in the air.
In addition to aggressive playing style, he is also known for his leadership qualities and passing ability.
1 . Virgil Van Dijk (Netherlands & Liverpool)
It is safe to say that one of the signing that transformed Liverpool under Klopp is Virgil Van Dijk.
During Liverpool’s title winning run in 2020, the Dutchman was unbeatable. He went 50 games without being dribbled past.
Though couple of injuries seemed to have rocked the 32-year-old. He no longer seemed to have that domineering presence he once had.
But however, he returned to his very best during the 2023/24 season, epitomized by leading Liverpool’s side to a Carabao Cup glory by scoring a late winner against Chelsea.
Being handed the captain armband, it appears to have given the Liverpool star a new lease of life at the heart of Anfield. Following Arne Slot’s arrival, he has only gotten better too.
Van Dijk is not a defender that opposition forwards relish coming up against.
Following his recent performance and consistency he has reclaimed his place as the best center-back in the world.
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Van Dijk is a physically strong, right-footed defender, who usually features on the left-hand side of the central defense.
Although he can also play as a right-sided center-back, he is gifted with pace, good technique and an eye for goal.
This year, Van Dijk revealed that while his childhood favorite team used to be Barcelona, his greatest inspiration as a defender was Ac Milan’s Center back Alessandro Nesta.
He had also named Ronaldinho as his favorite player of all time , who in turn called Van Dijk the best defender of his generation.
