10 Best Defenders In The History Of Football

Football is a game of 11 people, but in this game, all the spectators keep an eye on the strikers. But one of the main conditions for the team to win is the performance of the defenders. The stronger the team's defense, the more likely it is to win. Good things can never be done with a good striker if the defense of that team is not strong.

Proof of which was found in the 2018 Russia World Cup. Despite being one of the best strikers in the world, teams like Argentina and Germany have had to leave the group stage and the second round due to their shaky defense. In today's event, 10 such defenders have been described whose names are written in gold letters in the pages of history.

10. Philipp Lahm, Germany

Philipp Lahm is one of the best footballers in the history of German football and one of the best defenders in the history of football. Philipp Lahm was born on November 11, 1983, in Germany.

Philipp Lahm may not be well-known on the list of the best in the history of football, but he was known for his defense, his excellent dribbling, accurate tackling, and his short stature.

9. Kafu, Brazil

Kafu is one of the best defenders of all time in the history of Brazilian football. He played in 142 international matches for the Brazilian national team, the record for most matches played for a national team in Brazilian history.

Kafu represented Brazil in four FIFA World Cups (1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006), winning two World Cups (1994, 2002). Kafu is also the only player to have played in three consecutive World Cup finals.

8. Ruud Krol, Netherlands

Ruud Krol was born on March 24, 1949, in the Netherlands. He is one of the best footballers in the history of football. Ruud Krol usually played left-back on the field, but he was also quite adept at playing in the backline or midfield.

He won 83 caps for the national team. For most of his career, he played for his home club Ajax and after retirement, he became a coach at the club.

7. Carles Puyol, Spain

Carles Puyol is one of the best footballers of all time in the history of Spanish football and one of the best defenders in the history of football.

. The legend was born on April 13, 1978, in Spain. He usually played on the field in central defense, from where he was very good at playing on both the right and left sides.

He was considered the best defender of his generation. Carles Puyol played for Spanish club Barcelona at club level and won nearly 20 major titles, including La Liga and the Champions League. He also won the 2010 FIFA World Cup for Spain.

6. Giacinto Facchetti, Italy

Born in Italy on July 18, 1942, Giacinto Facchetti is one of the best footballers in Italian history. He played as a defender in his football career and the best defender in the history of football.

He played 634 games for the Italian club Internazionale and scored 75 goals. He also won many major titles for the club. At the international level, he played for the Italian national team and his team was runners-up in the 1970 World Cup.

5. Bobby Moore, England

Bobby Moore was born in England on April 12, 1941. He was a professional English footballer and the best defender in the history of football

He captained West Ham United for more than 10 years and captained England to the 1966 World Cup. Bobby Moore is considered the best defender of all time in history.

4. Gaetano Scirea, Italy

Gaetano Scirea was born in Italy on September 3, 1953. He was a professional Italian footballer. One of the top five players in European football history was Gaetano Scirea, who won all the titles in European football.

At the international level, he played for the Italian national team for more than a decade. He played as the main defender of the national team. Gaetano Scirea was a member of the Italian national team that won the 1982 World Cup. He also represented the Italian national team in the 1978 World Cup and Italy finished fourth.

3. Franco Baresi, Italy

Born in Italy on May 8, 1960, Franco Baresi is a former defender for Italian club AC Milan and the Italian national team. He played for AC Milan for almost 20 years, winning three UEFA Champions League titles, six Series A titles, two European Super Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups for the club.

He won the 1982 FIFA World Cup for the Italian national team. He also represented the Italian national team in the 1994 World Cup. Franco Baresi is one of the best defenders in history.

2. Franz Beckenbauer, West Germany

Franz Beckenbauer is a former professional footballer from Germany, he always played in defense. Franz Beckenbauer was born on September 11, 1945, in Germany. He was the best player of his time and one of the best defenders in the history of football.

Franz Beckenbauer played 103 matches for West Germany and 3 FIFA World Cups. Under his leadership, West Germany won the World Cup in 1974 and again helped Germany win the title by becoming the manager of the German team in the 1990 World Cup.

1. Paolo Cesare Maldini, Italy

Paolo Cesare Maldini is considered to be the best defender in the history of football. He was born on 26 June 1968 in Italy. He was good at playing defensively. Throughout his 25-year football career, he played for Italian club AC Milan and won three clubs World Cups, five UEFA Champions League titles, one Italian club title, and 7 series A. 

Paolo Cesare Maldini played in four FIFA World Cups for the Italian national team and was instrumental in helping Italy reach the final of the 1994 World Cup. He led the Italian runners-up to the European Championships in 2000.