World Cup 2018: Top 20 centre-backs in the tournament

2. Sergio Ramos

Sergio Ramos

Oh Sergio Ramos- Real Madrid defender and the most hated man in all of Liverpool (except for perhaps Goodison Park). Over the past few weeks, the centre-back has (rightly or wrongly) been vilified in a manner not seen since Luis Suarez’s last bite. The centre-back continues to be in the news as the Spanish captain has been reported to have pleaded with the Spanish football association to save manager Julian Lopetegui’s job. It is easy to forget amidst all this hoopla that Ramos is among the best defenders (if not among the best players) in the world. The Real Madrid defender had an excellent player rating of 7.09 in La Liga last season. Despite playing for a relatively attacking Real Madrid side, Ramos had excellent defensive statistics as he averaged 1.5 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 3.2 clearances per game. Aerially, the Spaniard has always been dominant and this didn’t change last season as the Real Madrid man only won 63.5% of his aerial battles. Ramos has also managed to effectively use that aerial dominance in attacking set pieces as he has developed a reputation as a goal scorer in key moments, contributing 11 goals over the past two seasons in La Liga. What propels Ramos above compatriot Pique is his performances in the Champions League over the past three years where the central defender’s player ratings have been 7.56, 7.26, 7.10 in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 respectively. Such performances bode well for the World Cup especially as Ramos will be playing alongside the more error-prone Pique. Ramos would be ranked first in this list if it were not for his disciplinary problems. While Ramos’s aggressive style of play is usually an asset for his team, it can become a liability when Ramos goes too far (as he may have with the Salah challenge). Such a disciplinary mistake could be fatal to Spain’s chances (if Lopetegui’s firing hasn’t already) and that separates Ramos from the top spot.

1. Diego Godin

Diego Godin

There is perhaps no defender who has scored more crucial goals over the last half-decade than Diego Godin (apart from perhaps Sergio Ramos). It was Godin who equalized for Atletico Madrid in the decisive match of the 2013-14 La Liga season against Barcelona. It was Godin who scored the opening goal of the 2014 Champions League final. And of course, it was Godin whose goal for Uruguay eliminated Italy in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Usually when defenders make a habit of scoring such important goals, they tend to get overrated because of the emphasis is on their goals rather than actual defending. This couldn’t be farther from the truth when one discusses Diego Godin. In fact, the Uruguayan remains underrated perhaps as a result of playing for the relatively low-profile Atletico Madrid. Godin has been the unquestioned leader of one of the best defensive teams in Europe. Even as a 32 year old, Godin had a player rating of 7.07 in La Liga last season which ranked third among centre-backs. Godin averaged an excellent 1.7 tackles and an even more impressive 2 interceptions per game. The Uruguayan was also extremely efficient with his play, winning 71% of his tackles and 59% of his aerial duels. Moreover, the Atletico Madrid defender’s aforementioned penchant for crucial goals and his big-game performances will be crucial for Uruguay in the World Cup and are also what propel him to the top of these rankings.