The best defenders at the 2022 World Cup on current form

As the World Cup gets firmly underway, fans can finally sink their teeth into the long-awaited festival of football in Qatar. So much has changed since the last tournament four years ago in Russia, and while defending champions France still come in as one of the favourites when making a World Cup bet, the games so far have been defined by big goals, so Karim Benzema is a massive loss for them.

Indeed, the Real Madrid man, who won the Ballon d’Or earlier in the year, was ruled out with injury which could be significant in the French retaining their title. Already the likes of Gareth Bale and Harry Kane have shown their influence, but it has meant that defenders have been slightly overlooked. A solid backline is the difference between World Cup success and failure, and with that in mind, read on as we take a look at the most in-form defenders at Qatar 2022.

Virgil van Dijk – Netherlands

Kicking things off with perhaps the best defender on the planet — Virgil van Dijk. Despite some setbacks after a long time out with injury, the Dutchman was quick to remind everyone what Liverpool were missing during his absence last season as he helped the Reds win the domestic double, making over 50 appearances throughout the campaign.

While his back four has suffered with injuries and inconsistency, Van Dijk overcame an error on Liverpool’s opening day against Fulham to ensure the Reds qualified for their Champions League group as well as help the Netherlands book their place on the plane for Qatar with a series of dominant performances in the famous orange jersey.

Kim Min-jae – South Korea

South Korea are one of the dark horses for a World Cup run this year and while a lot of the headlines are on Tottenham Hotspur’s Heung-Min Son, it has allowed Napoli defender Kim Min-jae to slip under the radar. That shouldn’t take anything away from his performances though.  The 26-year-old has been imperious since arriving in Italy from Fenerbahçe and has been one of the signings of the season as Napoli remain unbeaten in Serie A. Earning the nickname of ‘Korean monster’ Kim’s physicality makes him an aerial threat and his pace is deceptive given his tall stature. He is certainly one to watch in Qatar.

William Saliba – Arsenal

While it’s still unclear how many minutes William Saliba will play for France especially as World Cup tips have them as favourites, Didier Deschamps has a gem at his disposal with the young centre-back. Comfortable in possession and a Rolls Royce when it comes to individual battles, it looks as if Saliba has hardly broken a sweat as Arsenal top the Premier League at the turn of the new year.

Having formed a solid partnership with Gabriel, the Gunners defence looks brand new and while Saliba signed at the Emirates Stadium back in 2019, he only made his debut this year. Two loan spells back in France have helped the 23-year-old develop his game, and having won Young Player of the Year for Marseille last term, he feels like a new signing in England. Let’s hope that form continues for Les Blues.