The 29 defenders BETTER than Virgil van Dijk

Robin Bairner

• 26 Feb 2024 08:52 CST
• 3 min read

Virgil van Dijk was the hero of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup victory over Chelsea on Sunday.

Not only did the centre-back score the winning goal in extra-time, he had a goal disallowed during the first half and marshalled his team to victory.

Van Dijk’s performance led to claims on social media that he is the best in the world currently, with some fans even getting carried away by suggesting he is the best of all time.

But what does the data say? Surprisingly, the 32-year-old Liverpool star does not fare so well.

FootballTransfers’ list of the best defenders in the world is compiled with SciSports, which analyses hundreds of in-game data points to produce a definitive list of the best in the world.

The best defenders in the world

Surprisingly, coming out on top is Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni, with the 24-year-old edging Manchester City’s John Stones into second spot.

The leading places are dominated by Premier League players, with Ruben Dias completing the podium ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is Liverpool’s leading entry in fourth.

Arsenal’s starting back four are all in the top 10, with William Saliba, Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel making the grade in that order.

LaLiga’s best defender, meanwhile, is Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger while the first Bundesliga entry does not come until Alejandro Grimaldo in 17th.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the list is that Van Dijk does not appear until 30th.

This comparatively low rating is, no doubt, something of a hangover from the difficult 2022/23 campaign, but the Dutchman has rebuilt his form and confidence this term, which has been reflected in a positive leap in his SciSkill rating that is described as “significant”.