Ranking the 10 best defenders in the world

#9 Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich)

Hummels is one of the first names of the team sheet for the German national side

Hummels has long been seen as one of the top defenders in the world, to such an extent that he has been compared with Franz Beckenbauer. That may be a step too far, but there is no doubting that Hummels is an excellent defender. This is helped by the fact he is big, physically strong, and excellent in the air.

He is another one who is more than capable with the ball at his feet and has been deployed as a defensive midfielder before. He has enjoyed a lot of success during his career in Germany, having won four Bundesliga titles in his time with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. He is also a former world champion, having been part of Germany’s World Cup winning side in 2014.