World Cup champion identifies the best central defender in the world today

13/10/2025 00:09:00 FieldFrenzy

Legendary center-back Alessandro Nesta believes that his junior, Virgil van Dijk, is currently the best central defender globally.

Virgil van Dijk has won numerous titles with Liverpool since joining from Southampton in 2017 for £75 million. At 34, he remains an essential part of Arne Slot’s plans at Merseyside after signing a new contract at Anfield in April 2025, choosing not to move to Saudi Arabia or MLS to "wind down" his career.

Currently, the Premier League has many excellent options at center-back, including William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ruben Dias (Man City), Murillo (Nottingham)... but according to former star Alessandro Nesta, Van Dijk is still the most impressive player.

Van Dijk lớn tuổi vẫn quan trọng với Liverpool - Ảnh: UEFA — Van Dijk remains vital to Liverpool despite his age - Photo: UEFA

During his playing days, Nesta was among the world’s best defenders. The former Italian international maintained an incredibly consistent level for many years. Now, he is equally impressed by how Van Dijk performs, praising him as the best defender in the world right now.

Nesta’s opinion is as follows: "For me, Van Dijk is currently the best defender at this moment. Why? Because every year we see him demonstrate such class. Van Dijk is still playing in the Premier League, the biggest league in the world. To me, it is also the toughest league. It’s very demanding, so in my view, he is the best player."

Van Dijk vẫn còn muốn tung hoành ở châu Âu - Ảnh: @uefa — Van Dijk still aims to excel in Europe - Photo: @uefa

Virgil van Dijk is currently focused with the Netherlands squad for the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers. After completing national duties, Van Dijk will return to England to rejoin Liverpool. The reigning Premier League champions are struggling with form, having lost three consecutive matches across all competitions. In the Premier League, two successive defeats to Chelsea and Crystal Palace have cost Liverpool the top spot to Arsenal.

Van Dijk emphasized: “Liverpool’s difficulties are not only due to on-field issues but also off-field matters. Now, we must get through this period together. The past week was tough, but we can turn things around."