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#3 Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol's distinctive shaggy hairstyle might have become his trademark, but on the field, he was one of the best defenders of his generation.
A product of the famed La Masia academy, Puyol made his debut for Barcelona in 1999, going on to make nearly 600 appearances in all competitions for the club. A dominant centre-back who was tenacious and aggressive, the Spain international quickly became a leader in the dressing room and was appointed as the club captain in 2004.
The arrival of Gerard Pique indicated that Barcelona had found a successor to Puyol's throne, with the veteran defender mentoring the new signing. The 42-year old retired in 2014, having won every major trophy with both Barcelona and Spain.
#2 Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos might not be everybody's favourite footballer, but there is no denying that the Real Madrid captain is one of the best defenders of all-time.
Originally a right-back during his Sevilla days, Ramos became a centre-back after moving to Real Madrid. A highly physical, technically sound defender with an eye for goal, Ramos's pace and ball-playing ability have been praised often. An efficient leader, the Spain international is the current captain for club and country.
The 34-year is still going strong and has made 650 appearances so far in all competitions for Los Blancos, scoring an astounding 97 goals.
#1 Fabio Cannavaro
The only defender to have won the Ballon d'Or this century, Fabio Cannavaro is considered as one of the greatest centre-backs of all-time.
Having begun his career with Napoli, Cannavaro made his name at club level with Parma, making nearly 300 appearances in all competitions for the club. However, his performances with the Italian national team arguably sealed his legacy, as he captained the nation to victory in the 2006 World Cup and won the Silver Ball in the process.
A Ballon d'Or followed and Cannavaro was also named the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year. At club level, he played for the likes of Juventus, Real Madrid and Al-Ahli, before retiring in 2011. He is currently the manager of Guangzhou Evergrande, having also coached the likes of Al-Nassr and Tianjin Quanjian.
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