Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in the World, and it continues to gain a large number of new followers as time passes.
While many fans attend games in person, the vast majority prefer to sit in the comfort of their own homes and watch their favorite teams on television, despite his defensive shortcomings.
Essentially, this is a monument to the development of the full-back, whose ideal traits have shifted significantly since the turn of the century and the evolution of rugby in general.
In the past, right-backs were supposed to play a purely defensive position; nowadays, many are expected to contribute equally in the offensive third of their team’s field as they do at the back. To place a great value on the ability to burst forward down the wing and chip in with several assists (and even goals).
When tackling the undoubtedly complex process of rating the top ten most talented players in the position right now, The Premier League’s right-backs are among the best in the World. Although there are several excellent right-sided full-backs in the top leagues, they are not the only ones.
Here is the list of the top 15 Best Right Backs in the World.
Table of Contents
15. Benjamin Pavard
- Bayern München is the Club (Bundesliga)
Benjamin Pavard’s fantastic goal against Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2018 drew the most attention. The goalkeeper was able to get a ruffle out of the back of the net with a half-volley effort. The goal went on to be crowned the tournament’s Goal of the Tournament and was nominated for the Puskas Award due to its subsequent success.
Pavard, who plays for German powerhouse Bayern Munich, is a better defender than an attacking player. In the Bundesliga, he’s made five appearances thus far this year.
Accuracy in the player’s passing and crossing (87.09 percent and 28.57 percent, respectively) In addition to this, he has a 75% success rate in aerial duels. On average, the right-back has completed 86.4 percent of his forward passes in each match.
14. Cesar Azpilicueta
- Chelsea is the Current Club (Premier League)
A Chelsea fan would have laughed in your face if you told them in 2012 that a somewhat unknown Spanish right-back bought from Marseille would go on to win (nearly) everything there is to win in club football with the Blues during nine years.
Cesar Azpilicueta raised the European Cup in Porto, Portugal, in May of 2021, making this a reality.
Because of this, despite his lack of natural athletic ability at the back, Azpilicueta has evolved into a versatile back who can play in four different positions: right back, wing-back, centre back, or left-back. Azpilicueta has fought to become one of the finest defenders in the league.
Check out also: Top 10 Most Popular Best Soccer Teams In World
13. Dani Alves
- Barcelona is the Current Club (La Liga Santander)
Brazilian professional footballer Dani Alves, better known as Dani Alves, is a right Back defender for La Liga club Barcelona and the Brazil national team.
Sevilla, who won two UEFA Cups and a Copa del Rey during his six-year stay, had been Alves’ previous club until he joined Barcelona in 2008.
A year later, he won the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup, and the Spanish league’s Supercopa de Espana in his debut season.
Alves helped them win the Serie A championship, the Coppa Italia, and the Champions League Final in his only season with the team.
A free move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 brought Alves to France, where he won the domestic treble in his debut season and a second league championship the following year.
When he won the Campeonato Paulista, Alves earned his first championship with the club two years later. As a full international since 2006, Alves has been a part of Brazil’s rosters for two FIFA World Cups and five Copa América tournaments, winning the 2007 and 2019 editions of the latter competitions and the 2009 and 2013 FIFA Confederation Cups.
12. Reece James
- Chelsea is the Current Club (Premier League)
These last two years have seen a remarkable ascent for Reece James. In 2020, the Chelsea academy product didn’t even make the shortlist for the W2WC, but he is undisputedly among the best in his position this year.
James is the essence of Chelsea’s do-or-die mentality with his massive strength, wicked crossing skill, and clinical finishing. He is already a master of the wing-back position and has shown to be unplayable at times in 2021.
This season, he has already scored five goals and assisted on four others, and he has been lauded for his defensive brilliance in the Champions League final triumph against Manchester City (significant metric points).
11. Andrew Robertson
- Liverpool is the Current Club (Premier League)
As a left-back for Liverpool in the Premier League, Andrew Henry Robertson is a Scottish professional footballer who leads the Scotland national team
.Robertson made his senior debut in 2012 for Queen’s Park before moving to Dundee United.He was selected PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year and made his international debut during his first season as a professional.
He competed in two UEFA Champions League finals in his first two seasons, both of which he lost. During the 2018–19 Premier League season, he was selected for inclusion in the PFA Team of the Year based on his achievements.
In his third season, he played a crucial part in Liverpool’s Premier League title triumph in 2019–20.Robertson was named Scotland captain in September 2018 after making his full international debut in May 2014.
He was a team member that competed in the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.
10. Aaron Wan-Bissaka
- Manchester United is the current club (Premier League)
Many people were surprised when Aaron Wan-Bissaka joined Manchester United for £45 million in 2019, only one year after impressing for Crystal Palace after being converted from right back to the winger.
The transfer to Old Trafford was widely seen as a coup for the club. However, the eager kid continues to progress and seems to be on track to justify his high price tag.
The Japanese player, Wan Bissaka, is already considered one of the World’s most incredible in one-on-one defensive. His tackles are clean and well-executed, and his speed makes it difficult for most wingers to get around him.
However, he has a lot of potentials to grow since he regularly finds himself out of position, which makes him a target for other teams who aim to catch him off guard with fast passes and counter assaults.
He also finds himself out of sorts on the offensive side for Manchester United, although this is due mainly to the fact that the Red Devils have a relatively inactive right flank, with no out-and-out right-sided forwards to relieve some of the load on the youthful Aaron Davidson.
As Wan-Bissaka approaches the conclusion of his second season at Manchester United, he seems to have developed a plethora of new abilities that he did not have when he initially came to the club.
His dribbling has improved, allowing him to penetrate more profound (and more extended time) into the opposing half. His crosses and shooting are becoming more consistent, showing that the England U21 international is growing appropriately.
9. Alessandro Florenzi
- Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1 Uber Eats) is the club’s current home (On loan from Roma)
As a box-to-box midfielder capable of attacking and defending, the Italian international began his professional career there. He was finally moved back to the defensive line, where he has maintained a high level of consistency ever since.
Florenzi is a skilled dribbler capable of delivering a quality cross and cutting passing openings. He can play on either wing and is versatile. Since joining PSG on loan from Roma in the summer of 2016, he has established himself as the club’s first-choice right-back.
8. Dani Carvajal
- Real Madrid is the current club (LA Liga Santander)
After impressing for Bayer Leverkusen, the season before, Dani Carvajal has established himself as a staple in Real Madrid’s backline ever since he returned to the club in 2013.
When you consider that Carvajal is one of Zidane’s generals in the Los Blanco’s dressing room, it’s hard to imagine he isn’t yet in his 30s. Because of his continual pressing and early crosses, he is a constant danger throughout the whole game.
7. Jesus Navas
. Sevilla is the current club (LA Liga Santander)
For most of his professional career, Jesus Navas played as a typical right-winger, terrorizing the opponents with his rapid dribbling and accurate crossing.
Now 35 years old, he has extended his playing career at the highest level by moving to right-back and exchanging his vast amount of knowledge for a fraction of his speed, which he still has in plenty.
6. Kieran Trippier
- Atlético de Madrid is the current club (LA Liga Santander)
Only a few English players decided to relocate outside of the United Kingdom, and even fewer were successful during those periods. Kieran Trippier has been successful in accomplishing this goal.
The 30-year-old has been sensational in the Atlético Madrid defence, which has allowed only 10 goals in 10 games and is presently 10 points ahead at the top of LA Liga standings.
A pinpoint crosser and an expert in the deal-ball, Trippier has elevated his defensive game under Diego Simeone to unprecedented heights.
5. Ricardo Pereira
- Leicester City is the current club in which Pereira play (Premier League)
The £22 million that Leicester spent for Ricardo in the summer of 2018 seems to be a bargain compared to the performances he has put in throughout his stay at the club.
Aside from defensive solidity, the Portuguese player carries an aggressiveness that allows him to go forward and attempt the rare shot.
Pereira has been demoted to the bottom of our ranking after just recently recovering from a catastrophic ACL injury, but he already seems to be on the verge of regaining his old form.
4. Kyle Walker
- Manchester City is the current club (Premier League)
Even though Kyle Walker’s demeanour may make him a controversial figure, his defensive acumen is never in question. Walker is a difficult opponent to deal with on the field because of his aggressive nature, which is most evident when charging at you.
Despite approaching the age of 31, he remains one of the World’s most dynamic players, with a burst of speed that is practically unmatchable in the sport.
Walker’s positional awareness has improved as he has aged, enabling him to play as a right-sided Centre-back as well as a right-sided defender. That is a frightening idea, given his speed and physical strength.
3. Ashraf Hakimi
- Inter Milan is the current club in which he plays (Serie A TIM)
Ashraf Hakimi believes that the sky is the limit. With his technical ability and technique expertise, the young Moroccan can play on either side of the football and excel at full-back and wing positions.
In the summer of 2018, after a two-year loan term at Borussia Dortmund (2018-20), Hakimi joined Inter Milan for a reported €40 million from Real Madrid.
Hakimi showed his versatility as a complete wide winger during his two-year loan stay at Dortmund. In the current season, he is a vital member of Antonio Conte’s squad, whose 3-man defensive style plays directly into the hands of Hakimi (or legs).
2. Joao Cancelo
- Manchester City is the current club (Premier League)
Astonishingly, it’s taken this long for Joao Cancelo to establish himself as one of the essential full-backs in European football, given his talent and versatility.
Although Cancelo’s first season at Manchester City was a mixed bag, the former Benfica, Valencia, Inter Milan, and Juventus midfielder has been ruthless with Pep Guardiola’s new system, which was expressly designed to play to Cancelo’s abilities.
The unorthodox four-man defence that Guardiola wants to use is Cancelo’s preferred right-back position, but he can also play down the left flank.
Cancelo prefers to play in this position since it allows him to be more creative. Later, the full-back on the opposite side of the defence generally tucks towards the Centre-backs to create what is known as a comprehensive three-man defence, which enables Cancelo to drift into midfield alongside Guardiola’s chosen defensive pivot for that particular match.
Playing from the middle enables Guardiola to use Cancelo’s close dribbling and passing ability while also emphasizing his speed and aggression.
Joao Cancelo seems to be poised to continue to be a mystifying danger to Premier League clubs for many years to come since he plays in a rebuilt defensive system with suitable young players that have allowed just 13 goals in the Premier League this season, according to the BBC.
1. Trent Alexander-Arnold
- Liverpool is the current club (Premier League)
Alexander-Arnold is not the most passable defensive player in the World regarding defensive posture and tackling, at least not yet. Although Trent has a lot of offensive momentum, Jürgen Klopp’s style encourages his full-backs to do the same, which they do well.
Beyond his ability to handle the ball from a dead ball position, Trent is also widely regarded as one of soccer’s top passers today, with his passing skill often being likened to that of David Beckham. The attacking midfielder does not travel far into the opponent’s half, preferring to deliver his passes early, which is a tempting proposition considering his passing capabilities.
Trent’s abilities are generally considered to be such that he will ultimately be turned into a midfielder, but for the time being, he demonstrates that he is more than capable of holding down the right side of the defence. Having missed much of the season because of injuries to Liverpool’s center-backs, Trent Alexander-season Arnold’s has been a little disappointing thus far.
I believe he is entitled to a few days off at 22. Over the next 10-15 years, his career trajectory will be one of the most interesting to follow because of his unique background.
Top 10 Lists of the people, things, places, most expensive, animals, most popular, luxury and high rankings of world. World's Top Insider focuses on the top ten lists of best, greatest and top rankings in the world.
