Football club and player rankings
The best clubs and players in world football, ranked every nightOur own rankings, over the last twelve months of club football. Every result in 131,441 matches, weighed by who it came against and where. The top 50 of each, free to read; every ranked club and player by API.
The best defenders in the world
Ranked over the twelve months to 29 October 2026. Narrow it to a country and it shows that country's best, with each player's place in the world beside it.
| 1 | new | MM M. MittelstädtVfB Stuttgart · GER · 15 in the world | DEF | 3,599 | 7 | 5 | 80.6 | Open |
| 2 | new | NS N. SchlotterbeckBorussia Dortmund · GER · 21 in the world | DEF | 3,227 | 6 | 1 | 76.9 | Open |
| 3 | new | DU D. UpamecanoBayern München · GER · 24 in the world | DEF | 3,265 | 4 | 3 | 74.8 | Open |
| 4 | new | ŠC Štěpán ChaloupekSlavia Praha · CZE · 26 in the world | DEF | 2,211 | 9 | 3 | 74.3 | Open |
| 5 | new | JC João CanceloBarcelona · ESP · 30 in the world | DEF | 2,262 | 5 | 6 | 73.8 | Open |
| 6 | new | CR C. RomeroAtletico Madrid · ESP · 34 in the world | DEF | 2,448 | 6 | 2 | 73.0 | Open |
| 7 | new | FS F. SjøvoldBodo/Glimt · NOR · 35 in the world | DEF | 3,837 | 5 | 4 | 72.9 | Open |
| 8 | new | NM Nuno MendesParis Saint Germain · FRA · 40 in the world | DEF | 2,715 | 3 | 4 | 72.4 | Open |
| 9 | new | AD A. DaviesBayern München · GER · 46 in the world | DEF | 1,527 | 4 | 8 | 71.3 | Open |
| 10 | new | DR D. RaumRB Leipzig · GER · 55 in the world | DEF | 2,963 | 2 | 7 | 69.5 | Open |
| 11 | new | RB R. BensebaïniBorussia Dortmund · GER · 62 in the world | DEF | 1,729 | 5 | 2 | 68.2 | Open |
| 12 | new | MS Massire SyllaUnion St. Gilloise · BEL · 64 in the world | DEF | 1,020 | 1 | 0 | 68.0 | Open |
| 13 | new | MG M. GuéhiManchester City · ENG · 70 in the world | DEF | 4,093 | 5 | 4 | 67.6 | Open |
| 14 | new | TB T. BischofBayern München · GER · 73 in the world | DEF | 2,021 | 4 | 4 | 67.4 | Open |
| 15 | new | LV L. VuškovićBrighton · ENG · 77 in the world | DEF | 3,066 | 6 | 1 | 66.9 | Open |
| 16 | new | JG J. GvardiolManchester City · ENG · 88 in the world | DEF | 1,964 | 3 | 5 | 65.9 | Open |
| 17 | new | MS M. SenesiTottenham · ENG · 94 in the world | DEF | 2,791 | 0 | 3 | 65.6 | Open |
| 18 | new | KM Kevin Mac AllisterUnion St. Gilloise · BEL · 96 in the world | DEF | 2,973 | 2 | 1 | 65.4 | Open |
| 19 | new | DK D. KrčíkPardubice · CZE · 97 in the world | DEF | 2,455 | 9 | 2 | 65.3 | Open |
| 20 | new | RA R. Aït-NouriManchester City · ENG · 101 in the world | DEF | 1,585 | 0 | 7 | 64.7 | Open |
| 21 | new | NW N. WilliamsNottingham Forest · ENG · 103 in the world | DEF | 3,950 | 2 | 4 | 64.6 | Open |
| 22 | new | GM Gabriel MagalhãesArsenal · ENG · 104 in the world | DEF | 4,179 | 3 | 3 | 64.6 | Open |
| 23 | new | NO N. O'ReillyManchester City · ENG · 106 in the world | DEF | 3,802 | 9 | 5 | 64.6 | Open |
| 24 | new | JV J. van HeckeTottenham · ENG · 108 in the world | DEF | 3,270 | 3 | 3 | 64.5 | Open |
| 25 | new | JH J. HillBournemouth · ENG · 114 in the world | DEF | 2,886 | 0 | 3 | 64.3 | Open |
| 26 | new | KT K. TierneyCeltic · SCO · 117 in the world | DEF | 3,489 | 7 | 10 | 64.2 | Open |
| 27 | new | JT J. TavernierMaccabi Tel Aviv · ISR · 122 in the world | DEF | 2,546 | 6 | 4 | 63.9 | Open |
| 28 | new | BV B. van RooijTwente · NED · 123 in the world | DEF | 3,569 | 1 | 6 | 63.8 | Open |
| 29 | new | JP Joel PereiraLech Poznan · POL · 126 in the world | DEF | 3,133 | 1 | 9 | 63.6 | Open |
| 30 | new | MW M. WiefferBrighton · ENG · 136 in the world | DEF | 1,780 | 3 | 2 | 62.9 | Open |
| 31 | new | MG M. GinterSC Freiburg · GER · 138 in the world | DEF | 4,774 | 7 | 10 | 62.9 | Open |
| 32 | new | FB F. BjørkanBodo/Glimt · NOR · 141 in the world | DEF | 2,892 | 6 | 3 | 62.7 | Open |
| 33 | new | SE S. El KarouaniBenfica · POR · 143 in the world | DEF | 2,784 | 1 | 9 | 62.6 | Open |
| 34 | new | BM B. MelingFC Copenhagen · DEN · 144 in the world | DEF | 1,414 | 5 | 3 | 62.6 | Open |
| 35 | new | EG Eric GarcíaBarcelona · ESP · 149 in the world | DEF | 3,599 | 1 | 2 | 62.4 | Open |
| 36 | new | JT J. TarkowskiEverton · ENG · 151 in the world | DEF | 3,270 | 3 | 4 | 62.4 | Open |
| 37 | new | H HermosoAS Roma · ITA · 153 in the world | DEF | 2,867 | 6 | 2 | 62.4 | Open |
| 38 | new | HH H. HeggheimViking · NOR · 154 in the world | DEF | 2,269 | 6 | 3 | 62.3 | Open |
| 39 | new | WA W. AntonBorussia Dortmund · GER · 157 in the world | DEF | 3,865 | 2 | 1 | 62.2 | Open |
| 40 | new | CN Chibuike NwaiwuTrabzonspor · TUR · 158 in the world | DEF | 2,383 | 4 | 1 | 62.1 | Open |
| 41 | new | AT A. TruffertBournemouth · ENG · 160 in the world | DEF | 3,411 | 1 | 5 | 62.1 | Open |
| 42 | new | WO W. OrbánRB Leipzig · GER · 161 in the world | DEF | 3,510 | 4 | 1 | 62.0 | Open |
| 43 | new | JC J. ChabotVfB Stuttgart · GER · 164 in the world | DEF | 3,743 | 1 | 0 | 61.9 | Open |
| 44 | new | AA A. AndradeLask Linz · AUT · 167 in the world | DEF | 3,111 | 2 | 4 | 61.7 | Open |
| 45 | new | PH P. HincapiéArsenal · ENG · 168 in the world | DEF | 3,004 | 1 | 2 | 61.7 | Open |
| 46 | new | KL K. LaimerBayern München · GER · 172 in the world | DEF | 3,039 | 2 | 9 | 61.6 | Open |
| 47 | new | CA Carlos AugustoInter · ITA · 176 in the world | DEF | 2,776 | 6 | 2 | 61.5 | Open |
| 48 | new | BM Brandon MecheleClub Brugge KV · BEL · 189 in the world | DEF | 4,093 | 6 | 0 | 61.1 | Open |
| 49 | new | BW B. WhiteArsenal · ENG · 191 in the world | DEF | 2,400 | 1 | 5 | 61.0 | Open |
| 50 | new | OB O. BoscagliBrighton · ENG · 192 in the world | DEF | 2,105 | 1 | 2 | 61.0 | Open |
Four things decide a place
Our method is our own and we keep the detail to ourselves. This is what goes into it, in plain words.
Results
Every win, draw and defeat, and by how much. A club is judged on what it did, not on its name or its wage bill.
Who it came against
Beating a strong side counts for more than beating a weak one, and the level of the competition counts too, so a European night weighs what it should.
How recent
Twelve months, rolling, with the latest matches counting for the most. Last spring still matters; last week matters more.
For players, the minutes
What a player did with his time on the pitch, judged against others in the same role, at the level he did it, and how his side fared while he played.
The same rankings, one call away
Four endpoints on the Live & Archive plan. Pick one to see the call and what it answers tonight.
Put the rankings in your own product
Every ranked club and player, by country, competition, club or role, with a history you can chart. Rebuilt every night before you wake up.