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There is always going to be a debate regarding the best players in each position, with football changing at an exponential rate. In the world we now live in, opinions can change almost daily, with players going from obscurity to highly-rated in the span of just a couple of weeks.
With that being said, keeping in mind the criteria such as performance levels and importance to the side, here's a look at the best defender from each continent in world football.
Asia - Hiroki Sakai (Japan and Marseille)
As always, we start with Asia, and this was quite possibly the trickiest selection of them all. Despite Iran being almost certainly the best Asian national team defensively, the best individuals hail from the likes of South Korea and Japan. There are some good defenders playing for these countries but in the end, it is Hiroki Sakai, who just edges everybody else.
Hiroki Sakai is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Marseille and the Japan national team. A versatile and hard-working full-back with a great engine, Hiroki has been with Marseille since 2016. He has won 47 caps for the Japanese national team and is the backbone of their team. He is certainly at the top when it comes to selecting the best defender from the Asian continent.
Africa - Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal and Napoli)
Kalidou Koulibaly is a Senegalese footballer who plays as a defender for Napoli and the Senegal national football team, usually as a centre-back.
Born in France, but capped 28 times by Senegal since 2015, Koulibaly is a towering centre-back who does the simple things brilliantly. Hellishly strong, brilliant in the air and positionally intelligent, Koulibaly has been with Napoli since 2014, where he has twice made the Serie A Team of the Year.
He is without any doubt the best defender from the African Continent.
North America - John Brooks (USA and Hertha BSC)
The toughest choice along with Asia was undoubtedly North America. Most of the standout candidates, such as Hector Moreno, Miguel Layun and Nestor Araujo, all hail from Mexico, but ultimately my pick is a United States international in the form of John Brooks.
John Brooks is an American football player who plays for VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga as a defender and represents the United States national soccer team internationally.
Brooks was born in Berlin, to a German mother and an American father. He chose to represent the nation of his father in 2013, and he has won 33 caps since then. A widely underrated centre-back, Brooks stands at 6’4”, he is tremendously strong, very quick once he gets up to speed and defensively astute. After five years at Hertha Berlin, he joined Wolfsburg in 2017, and I expect the 25-year-old to keep improving.
Australia/Oceania - Winston Reid (New Zealand and West Ham United)
No nation has dominated their continent more than Australia. However, it is refreshing to see that despite being the dominant team in the region, a New Zealand native in the form of Winston Reid is regarded as the best defender in the region. In fact, Reid takes this one pretty comfortably. On the verge of going into his ninth season with West Ham, Reid was the 2012-13 Hammer of the Year, but never has he faced such stiff competition for a starting berth in the West Ham side as this season. Injuries have also not helped his cause but despite that fact, he is still without a doubt the best defender in the continent.
Europe - Virgil Van Dijk (Netherlands and Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Liverpool and captains the Dutch national team.
Since arriving from Southampton for a record-breaking fee which made him the most expensive defender of all-time, Virgil van Dijk has completely turned around the fortunes of Liverpool's back-line. He is a leader of men and his presence is of utmost importance especially for the Liverpool backline.
The towering (6 ft 4 in) defender is a smooth ball-playing defender who possesses aerial prowess, skills from dead ball situations, and also has very strong leadership qualities. It would not be wrong to say that the defender has single-handedly transformed the leaky defence of Liverpool football club ever since he moved to Liverpool from Southampton.
South America - Diego Godin (Uruguay and Atlético Madrid)
Diego Godín is an Uruguayan professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Atlético Madrid and the Uruguay national team as a central defender.
The 32-year-old is brave, alert and smart with his positioning. Technically speaking, in terms of his ability to bring the ball out from the back and play an intricate pass, Godin leaves a lot to be desired, but purely defensively, he’s probably the best player on the planet.
The Uruguayan has been the prime reason behind Atlético Madrid being able to challenge the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona in both the Spanish League and Champions League.
He has also been won an impressive 122 caps for the Uruguayan team and has been the lynchpin behind Uruguay reaching at least the knockout stage of the previous three World Cups.
