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The best defenders in the world will be present this summer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Teams with more stable backlines that avoid making crucial mistakes will advance the most.
So what does it take to be one of the best? For me, there are three traits that separate impressive athletes from the best defenders in the world: awareness, positioning and mentality.
Key Traits for Elite Soccer Defenders
Me fighting for the ball against Memphis Depay of Netherlands during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. (Photo by Ayman Aref/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The best attacking players in the world know how to recognize moments to attack better than the rest. They see if someone is out of position, if they can perfectly time a run for someone’s back shoulder or identify where there is even the slightest bit of space that can be exploited. That comes down to football IQ, the ability to recognize a weakness in a split second.
For a defender, you have to be absolutely tuned in and focused on every second. A big part of that is communication with the rest of the backline. You have to know where your weak side players are or when runners are coming from the other side of the field.
When those things are not communicated properly, mistakes will be made and likely punished at the highest level.
The end of the United States’ first half against Senegal is a great example. Antonee Robinson fumbled further up the field as the Americans led 2-0. That led to a counterattack for Senegal, which ended with a Sadio Mané goal that dampened the excitement in what was otherwise a great first half.
One mistake and the best players will punish you.
Many players are very athletic and clearly quite good. You see those guys and you think, “Hmm, I wonder what’s missing there.” Then you see them in the field and you see a mistake like the one I described above and you think, “Oh, now I get it.”
You see it all the time, when a defender falls asleep at the back post and an attacker runs down his blind side to score. You ask yourself: “What are you doing?” You have to be alert at all times.
At the highest level, there is simply a smaller margin for error. Being in the right position and knowing where you are supposed to be can make up for many other shortcomings. You don’t have to be the most athletic defender to be successful if you’re constantly in the right spots.
My favorite defenders to watch
The first player has an easy answer for me: Virgil van Dijk.
Firstly, I enjoy a centre-back who loves to be attacking-minded and score a great goal from set pieces. Van Dijk has scored some important goals in recent years at club level for Liverpool, and will be a threat from corner kicks and free kicks for the Netherlands at the World Cup. His ability to dominate in the air is a valuable skill on both sides of the field, and I can relate to and appreciate it.
Van Dijk is also very, very clever with his positioning. He is very good tactically in terms of making sure he is well positioned. When he gets caught, I think he’s more agile than people think.
Virgil van Dijk will captain the Netherlands this summer and is one of the best defenders in world football. (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Hakimi has been very good at club level and for Morocco for most of the last decade. He was a key player during Morocco’s run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals and when the country won a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics.
The Paris Saint-Germain right-back is known for his attacking prowess with his impressive pace, but he is very stable defensively. He chooses the perfect moments to be aggressive, but he also knows when to keep it simple in attack and defense.
Obviously it’s easier when you have the physical gifts that Hakimi has. He is one of the fastest players who will be at the World Cup, but he also has impressive size for a full-back.
Few defenders have had as much success at both club and international level as Hakimi, who FOX Soccer ranked as the No. 8 player at this summer’s World Cup. I’m surprised his name doesn’t come up more as an elite defender and in conversations about who some of the best in the world are.
