15.05.2026 - 14:54 | source: Transfermarkt | Reading Time: 2 mins
France
William Saliba
Top 20 list revealed 

Germany 7th, Türkiye 17th - Which nation has the most valuable collection of defenders?

Top 20 nations with best defenders revealed ahead of World Cup
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It’s a familiar adage in football that a resolute defence provides the platform for a team to be successful and that’s been proven true regularly over the years. Sir Alex Ferguson famously stated that ‘attack wins you games, defence wins you titles’ and it’s difficult to argue against the advice of the legendary Manchester United manager. The requirements of defenders have evolved substantially over the decades with increased emphasis on being good in possession.



Defenders from previous generations were renowned for fearsome tackling, physicality and heading ability. While those traits are still greatly desired, elite defenders are now required to be comfortable with the ball and expected to build attacks. For many leading teams, full-backs provide width with wingers inverting and the role of defenders has changed greatly in recent years. In the next part of our series looking at which nations have the most valuable collection of players in each position, we’ve examined defenders.


Which nation has the most valuable collection of defenders?


We’ve used Transfermarkt’s renowned market values and combined the valuations of every defender from that nation to formulate the results. Spain is the nation with the most valuable collection of defenders in the world with 1,407 players totalling a market value of €1.63 billion. In Pau Cubarsí (€80 million), Dean Huijsen (€65m) and Álvaro Carreras, Spain have three defenders in the top twenty most valuable in the world. As the graphic below illustrates, England occupy second place at €1.58b with Marc Guéhi (€65m), Trent Alexander Arnold (€65m) and Reece James (€60m) amongst the top twenty most valuable defenders.


It’s imperative to highlight that the amount of defenders in our database varies massively between countries and that’s a major factor behind the results. William Saliba is the most valuable defender in the world at €90m and he contributes to France completing the top three. Interestingly, 12 European nations feature in the top twenty list with Brazil leading the way for South America, Morocco for Africa and the United States for North America.


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euanbooth
Euan Booth Robertson
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UK Content Manager at Transfermarkt

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Pau Cubarsí
FC Barcelona
Pau Cubarsí
Date of birth/Age:
22/01/2007 (19)
Nat.:  Spain
Current club:
FC Barcelona
Contract until:
30/06/2029
Position:
Centre-Back
Market Value:
€80.00m
Dean Huijsen
Real Madrid
Dean Huijsen
Date of birth/Age:
14/04/2005 (21)
Nat.:  Spain Netherlands
Current club:
Real Madrid
Contract until:
30/06/2030
Position:
Centre-Back
Market Value:
€65.00m
William Saliba
Arsenal FC
William Saliba
Date of birth/Age:
24/03/2001 (25)
Nat.:  France Cameroon
Current club:
Arsenal FC
Contract until:
30/06/2030
Position:
Centre-Back
Market Value:
€90.00m
Reece James
Chelsea FC
Reece James
Date of birth/Age:
08/12/1999 (26)
Nat.:  England
Current club:
Chelsea FC
Contract until:
30/06/2032
Position:
Right-Back
Market Value:
€60.00m
Marc Guéhi
Manchester City
Marc Guéhi
Date of birth/Age:
13/07/2000 (25)
Nat.:  England Cote d'Ivoire
Current club:
Manchester City
Contract until:
30/06/2031
Position:
Centre-Back
Market Value:
€65.00m
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Real Madrid
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Date of birth/Age:
07/10/1998 (27)
Nat.:  England
Current club:
Real Madrid
Contract until:
30/06/2031
Position:
Right-Back
Market Value:
€65.00m
Álvaro Carreras
Real Madrid
Álvaro Carreras
Date of birth/Age:
23/03/2003 (23)
Nat.:  Spain
Current club:
Real Madrid
Contract until:
30/06/2031
Position:
Left-Back
Market Value:
€60.00m
Alex Ferguson
Retired
Alex Ferguson
Date of Birth/Age:
31/12/1941 (84)
Nat.:  Scotland
Current club:
Retired
Current Position:
Manager
Spain
Total Market Value:
1.31bn
Competition:
World Cup
Squad size:
27
England
Total Market Value:
1.32bn
Competition:
World Cup
Squad size:
26
France
Total Market Value:
1.47bn
Competition:
World Cup
Squad size:
26
Brazil
Total Market Value:
905.70m
Competition:
World Cup
Squad size:
26
Italy
Total Market Value:
833.50m
Squad size:
28
Netherlands
Total Market Value:
763.00m
Competition:
World Cup
Squad size:
25
Germany
Total Market Value:
1.01bn
Competition:
World Cup
Squad size:
26
Argentina
Total Market Value:
762.50m
Competition:
World Cup
Squad size:
29
Portugal
Total Market Value:
965.00m
Competition:
World Cup
Squad size:
26
Morocco
Total Market Value:
235.80m
Competition:
World Cup
Squad size:
29
Ivory Coast
Total Market Value:
516.90m
Competition:
World Cup
Manager:
Emerse Faé
Squad size:
26
Nigeria
Total Market Value:
160.70m
Squad size:
32
Mexico
Total Market Value:
83.60m
Competition:
World Cup
Squad size:
12
United States
Total Market Value:
356.70m
Competition:
World Cup
Squad size:
27
Turkiye
Total Market Value:
525.20m
Competition:
World Cup
Squad size:
35
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