Highlights

• Opinions about who the greatest centre-back is will always differ, with Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini and many more seen as the best to play in the position.
• Notable Premier League centre-backs include John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, and Virgil van Dijk, who all had an era-defining impact on the game.
• The article ranks 40 high-profile centre-backs, categorizing them based on their achievements, status within the game, and overall legacy.

Who is the greatest centre-back in football history? Is it the legendary Franz Beckenbauer? The German, who, alongside lifting a record two Ballon d'Or awards as a defender, also led his national team to World Cup victory. Or is it Paolo Maldini? The iconic Rossoneri general who lifted a stupendous five Champions League titles across his illustrious career, and who was once a member of an AC Milan defence that conceded just 17 goals and kept 25 clean sheets across a 38-game campaign.

Heck, you might even think the greatest centre-half ever is John Terry, Rio Ferdinand or the modern great Virgil van Dijk - none would be too outrageous a shout. And that's purely the beauty of it - us football fans needn't all agree on every matter, differences make it interesting. The responsibilities that defenders boast have changed over time. While defending remains the top priority, being an attacking threat is becoming commonplace as the role of being a defender in the modern game continues to be multi-faceted. Some players can hack it, while others cannot.

Today, though, here at GIVEMESPORT, we are focusing on the ranking of 40 high-profile centre-backs that many would deem an elite player in the role. Factoring in their trophy hauls, their status within the game, and overall legacy, we've used the Tiermaker tool and sorted them from 'Pretty Decent' to 'GOAT'. Take a look at our findings below and try to work out how your ranking would differ.

Pretty Decent

Pepe, Jamie Carragher, Diego Godin, Rafael Marquez

We know these four were great defenders, but they never quite achieved the elite level required to rank higher in this list. Sure, they all played for leading European clubs, yet individually they were never quite considered the best around - unlike most of this list. Ex-Liverpool defender Carragher, who is part of the Reds’ all-time academy XI, was a key part, alongside teammate Steven Gerrard, in their famous 2005 Champions League victory. While he is considered ‘Pretty Decent’, he fails to jump any higher for his silverware – or lack thereof.

Present in the legendary XI to have retired from football in 2023, Godin – Atlético Madrid’s ever-reliable man at the back for a nine-year period between 2010 and 2019 – was a supremely talented footballer and relished under the stubborn, defensively-minded boss Diego Simeone.

Pepe enjoyed an extensive stint at Godin’s arch-rivals Real Madrid and formed quite a formidable partnership with Sergio Ramos in the heart of the defence and is still going strong for Portugal powerhouse Porto at the ripe old age of 40. A three-time winner of the Champions League, the Brazil-born behemoth is certainly deserving of his spot, as is former Barcelona titan Marquez, who won two Champions Leagues with the Blaugrana.

Very Good

Sami Hyypia, Sol Campbell, Ricardo Carvalho, Jose Santamaria, Lilian Thuram, Roberto Ayala, John Charles, Alessandro Costacurta, Elias Figueroa, Gerard Piqué

Some outstanding players make up the 'Very Good' category, with several Premier League greats making their appearance. Campbell might be the best of that bunch, however, Carvalho and Hyypia were no slouches in their prime and both enjoyed stellar times in their careers, most notably at Chelsea and Liverpool, respectively.

Formerly of Barcelona, Pique is one of football’s most decorated players in the history of the sport and his name is held in high esteem among footballing echo chambers. Domestically, he won a total of four Champions League titles and strutted his stuff on the international stage, winning Euro 2010, and the 2012 World Cup with Spain.

Named as one of Zinedine Zidane’s toughest ever opponents, Thuram also makes the ‘Very Good’ category and has his brilliant career - domestically and on the international stage – to attest to that. The 142-cap France international played for a myriad of sides but is most notable for his 204-game stint at Juventus, a side that he featured heavily for in Europe’s top table.

Read More: Ranking the 15 best defenders in world football right now after William Saliba's masterclass

Magnificent

Carles Puyol, Fernando Hierro, Marcel Desailly, Laurent Blanc, Giorgio Chiellini, Billy McNeill, Billy Wright, Matthias Sammer, Tony Adams

Now we're approaching the juicy stuff. European Cup winners, World Cup winners and even a Ballon d'Or winner, we've got the lot in this category. The Ballon d'Or winner is Sammer, in case you weren't aware. The German claimed the gong in 1996, after being crowned player of the Euros as his nation became champions.

Also, Juventus' Chiellini, who is one of the cleverest footballers to ever live, was named the world's best defender in 2021 and was a mainstay for both the Old Lady and the Italy national team for decades, earning his rightful spot in the ‘Magnificent’ category. The less familiar names on the list include Billy McNeill, who led Celtic’s ‘Lisbon Lions’ to their European Cup victory in 1967. He was also the first footballer in the world to earn 100 international caps - which is an impressive feat in itself, despite it typically being brushed under the carpet.

Mr. Arsenal Tony Adams also makes the list. The Englishman is no doubt the north Londoners’ greatest-ever defender, and it’ll take some doing to match his influence. Not only was he trusted with the armband at 21 years of age, but he retained the responsibility of leading his team out onto the battlefield for 14 years – magnificence in its simplest form.

World-class

Thiago Silva, Jaap Stam, Nemanja Vidic, Vincent Kompany, Alessandro Nesta, Ronald Koeman, Gaetano Scirea, Daniel Passarella, Fabio Cannavaro

Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic is one of the greatest Premier League players ever, known for his no-nonsense approach and tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve. Stam and Vidic were two feared Manchester United warriors back in the day and are rightly still loved at Old Trafford. They join fellow Premier League great Kompany, albeit he was loved by the sky-blue half of the football-crazed city.

Italian Alessandro Nesta and Dutchman Ronald Koeman are the other two recognisable names that make this tier and may consider themselves unlucky to not be ranked higher. On the flip side, Juventus hero Gaetano Scirea and Argentine Daniel Passarella will likely be less known amongst youngsters, but their records and statistics tell us all that we need to know. The former was a World Cup winner in 1982 with Italy and made 550 appearances for the Bianconeri.

The latter, however, is the second-highest goalscoring defender – proving there’s more to it than just defending. Standing at just five feet eight, he was a potent goal threat, hitting the back of the net on 175 occasions and was the highest-scoring defender before Ronald Koeman - also considered to be 'World-class' - took over.

Still earning his corn at 39 – the most expensive in his age category – Silva continues to prove himself as one of Chelsea’s brightest players and is the epitome of a player ‘ageing like fine wine’. Very few players are able to compete in such a fast-paced league at such an age, though the Brazilian, who has enjoyed spells at some of Europe’s top clubs such as AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, makes it look like a walk in the park. Proper legend.

Era-defining

Virgil van Dijk, Sergio Ramos, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Bobby Moore, Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi

Now we're into the best eight to ever do it. Maldini was untouchable and could easily have claimed number one spot, and it actually pains us not to put the great man up as the GOAT thanks to his extensive 25-year career brimming with honours. His former teammate Baresi had a solid shout too, but he's more of a top five contender in our eyes.

Some will no doubt be quick to point out the inclusion of Van Dijk, who, in comparison to the rest of this category, has won very little, but our response to that would simply be: use your eyes. The level of performance he attained prior to rupturing his ACL was easily one of the greatest we've ever seen in the Premier League, alongside the likes of Ferdinand and Terry.

That leads us poetically into two other names that also find their home in this category: Terry and Ferdinand themselves. Both certainly 'era-defining' players of the early 21st century, the influence they had on their respective English top-flight clubs was irreplaceable. The Chelsea legend, Terry, was named as one of Ben Foster’s greatest defenders, as was the Manchester United icon.

Ferdinand, included in Sir Alex Ferguson’s most-used team based on appearances, worked with Vidic in tandem and was the calmer half of one of the Premier League’s best central defensive duos. If you need more proof of his 'Era-defining' status, his six Premier Leagues and one Champions League medal in his cabinet do just that. There's not really much we need to say about Sergio Ramos. The former Real Madrid has an excellent career with the likes of Los Blancos and Paris Saint-Germain, winning just about everything he possibly could.

Read More: 20 Greatest Defenders In Premier League History (Ranked)

GOAT

Franz Beckenbauer

There can only be one, and we’re giving this to the German hero, Beckenbauer. The late, great Bayern Munich cult hero claimed the Ballon d’Or in 1972 and 1976, after captaining West Germany to the 1974 World Cup. Nicknamed ‘Der Kaiser’, Beckenbauer is not only considered one of the greatest defensive-minded defenders of all time, but also one of the best Germans to ever play the game.

Certainly an emperor of European football, the icon is credited with revolutionising the art of defending and pioneering the ‘sweeper’ role on European soil. He presented an immovable object at the centre of the German defence for years and performed to an unthinkable level. The two-time Ballon d’Or winner set a precedent for defenders to follow and is woven into the fabric of football’s all-timers. A very worthy winner and the solitary name in our ‘GOAT’ category.

You can check out our full Tiermaker below. Be sure to let us know what changes you would make in our social media comments.