Ranking the 5 best defenders in world football this year (2021)
It's been an interesting year for the footballing world, be it attackers, defenders, goalkeepers or football lovers in 2021. The UEFA Champions League produced an intense battle between European heavyweights in the second half of last season. Chelsea eventually triumphed 1-0 in the final over domestic rivals Manchester City.
The Euros and the Copa America also came in in time to give us top-class entertainment in the summer. Italy and Argentina grabbed those titles respectively.
Moving forward, it's been an entertaining start to the 2021-22 campaign, both at continental levels and across the top-rated domestic leagues in the football world. Many players have kept us glued to our screens with their eye-catching displays for club and country from January to December.
While attackers and midfielders often take the plaudits, no one can deny the fact that defenders have equally impressed us this year. To honor these players, we've decided to compile a list of the top five defenders in 2021. They are as follows:
#5 Marquinhos
Marquinhos being named among the best defenders in world football in 2021 is no fluke. The centre-back has been a rock-solid presence at the heart of the Paris Saint-Germain defense since the beginning of the year. He has put up decent performances for the club as well as his country Brazil.
Silva Lauds Marquinhos as a ‘Top 3’ Defender in the World Today psgtalk.com/2021/07/silva-…
The 27-year-old followed it up with a scintillating outing with Brazil in the Copa America this summer. Thanks in part to his brilliance, the Selecao conceded just three goals throughout the tournament. However, they ended up on the losing side to Argentina in the final.
Marquinhos has entered the current campaign on the front foot. The defender has made 20 appearances for PSG in all competitions so far, recording three goals and one assist to his name.
#4 David Alaba
The Austrian has surpassed expectations since leaving Bayern Munich to join Real Madrid on a free transfer during the summer transfer window. David Alaba has wasted no time in making his impact felt, quickly establishing himself in the starting lineup at the Santiago Bernabeu.
David Alaba registers an assist in his first Real Madrid league appearance 🅰️
𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧. https://t.co/u44Vg9mjgX
He has made 37 appearances this year scoring twice. The defender has been the messiah for Los Blancos at the heart of the defense. He has helped them cover the hole left behind following Sergio Ramos's departure. So far, he's made 23 appearances for the Spanish giants across La Liga and the Champions League, bagging two goals and three assists.
He also had a return of two goals and seven assists for Bayern last season. Hence, it becomes easy to understand see why he belongs among the best defenders in 2021.