Football is a global sport that’s loved by millions of people around the world. It’s not just popular, it’s also lucrative and some players have managed to amass massive fortunes through their footballing career. Defenders are often overlooked in terms of pay, but there are some who have broken through these barriers and become some of the richest players on the pitch. In this article, we will be looking at the top ten richest football defenders in the world today. From Alan Shearer to John Terry, these defensive stars have earned their place amongst football’s wealthiest. Find out who made the list!
David Luiz
David Luiz is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team. He primarily plays as a centre-back, but can also be deployed as a defensive midfielder.
Born in Diadema, São Paulo, Luiz began his career at Vitória before moving to Benfica in 2007. He spent four seasons in Lisbon, winning the Primeira Liga title in 2009–10 and appearing in the UEFA Champions League final of 2010. In January 2011, he moved to Chelsea for a fee of £21.4 million, making him then the most expensive defender in history and Chelsea’s fourth-most expensive signing at the time. Luiz won the Champions League and the FA Cup during his first season at Stamford Bridge. In May 2014, Chelsea announced that they had agreed to sell Luiz back to PSG for £50 million – making him once again the world’s most expensive defender – eclipseing the previous record fee of £47 million paid by Manchester United for Rio Ferdinand six years earlier.
Luiz has earned over 60 caps for Brazil since his debut in 2010, and represented them at two FIFA World Cups (2010 and 2014), two Copa América tournaments (2011 and 2015) winning both, Olympic Games (2012), as well as Confederations Cups (2013 and 2017).
Gerard Pique
Gerard Pique is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for FC Barcelona and the Spain national team. He is one of the most decorated defenders in the history of the game, having won 21 major trophies, including four Champions League titles and eight La Liga titles.
Pique began his career with Manchester United, where he made his first-team debut in 2008. He then moved to Barcelona in 2008, where he has since won 21 major trophies. Pique has also represented Spain at three FIFA World Cups, winning the 2010 edition, and two UEFA European Championships, winning the 2012 edition.
Pique is widely considered to be one of the best defenders in the world, and has been included in several FIFA World XI teams. He was also named La Liga’s Best Defender in 2013 and 2014.
Leonardo Bonucci
As of 2020, Leonardo Bonucci is the richest football defender in the world with a net worth of $50 million. The Italian national team captain is currently playing for Juventus, one of the most successful clubs in Italy. He has also played for AC Milan and Inter Milan in the past.
Bonucci began his career with the youth team of Viterbese in 2000. He made his professional debut with Internazionale in 2005. He spent two seasons on loan with Treviso and Pisa before returning to Inter Milan in 2007. He helped Inter win the UEFA Champions League in 2010.
In 2011, Bonucci joined Juventus, where he has won eight Serie A titles and four Coppa Italia titles. He has also won the Supercoppa Italiana twice. In 2017, he was named by Forbes as one of the world’s highest-paid athletes.
Bonucci has represented Italy at three FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships. He was a member of the Italian team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Mats Hummels
1. Mats Hummels – Net Worth: $50 million
Mats Hummels is a German professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the German national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the world, and has been included in several prestigious lists of the best players in his position, including being named in Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid footballers in 2019.
Hummels began his career at Bayern Munich, but failed to break into the first team and was loaned out to Dortmund in 2008. He made over 150 appearances for Dortmund before returning to Bayern Munich in 2016. However, he struggled to establish himself at Bayern Munich and was once again loaned out to Dortmund in 2018. He has since regained his place in the Dortmund starting lineup and has played a key role in their recent success.
In addition to his club career, Hummels has also been an important player for the German national team. He was part of their squad that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and also represented Germany at Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Thiago Silva
Thiago Silva is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Premier League club Chelsea and the Brazil national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the world, and has been included in the FIFPro World XI four times.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Silva began his career with Fluminense before moving to Europe to join Milan in 2009. He spent eight seasons with Milan, winning several honours, including the Serie A title in 2010–11 and Supercoppa Italiana titles in 2011 and 2016. He also reached two UEFA Champions League finals with Milan, in 2010 and 2012, although he was on the losing side on both occasions. In 2012, he signed for Paris Saint-Germain for a reported fee of €42 million, making him then the most expensive signing ever by a French club. During his time at PSG, Silva won eight consecutive Ligue 1 titles, four Coupe de France titles, four Coupe de la Ligue titles, three Trophée des Champions titles and was named to the Ligue 1 Team of the Year five times. With PSG, he also reached two UEFA Champions League finals; however he lost both finals against Barcelona – firstly in 2015 followed by 2017. In 2020, he joined Chelsea on a one-year contract.
Silva has earned over 100 caps for Brazil since his debut in 2008. He represented his country at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and two Cop
Giorgio Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Juventus. He is the captain of the Italian national team. Chiellini began his career with Livorno in 2000 and spent two seasons with the club before joining Fiorentina in 2002. He spent four seasons with Fiorentina, helping the club to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 2006. In 2005, he was named Serie A Young Footballer of the Year.
In 2006, Chiellini joined Juventus and has since made over 400 appearances for the club, winning 13 major trophies, including eight Serie A titles and four Coppa Italia titles. He has also been named in the Serie A Team of the Year five times. Chiellini has represented Italy at three FIFA World Cups and two European Championships. He was a member of the Italian squad that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
As of 2021, Giorgio Chiellini’s net worth is estimated to be $50 million dollars, making him one of the richest football defenders in the world.
Marcelo
Marcelo is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. He is considered to be one of the best left-backs in the world. Marcelo has won four FIFA Club World Cups, four UEFA Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles, two Copas del Rey, and various other domestic and international honours.
In 2009, he was named by The Guardian as one of the ten most promising young players in Europe. He was also voted into the FIFA FIFPro World XI five times, including being part of the team of the year in 2015. In 2013 and 2014, Marcelo was also included in the list of 100 best footballers in the world by The Times. On 23 January 2007, Marcelo made his debut for Fluminense at just 18 years old in a Campeonato Carioca match against Madureira. A month later on 15 February 2007 he scored his first senior goal against Botafogo. In total Marcelo played 16 matches during Fluminense’s 2007 season as they went on to win both the Campeonato Carioca championship and Taça Rio cup competition.
In August 2007, Marcelo was bought by Spanish giants Real Madrid for €6.5 million. This made him the most expensive sale in Fluminense’s history at just 18 years old. He made his official debut for Real Madrid on 26 August 2007 against Getafe CF in a La Liga match
Dani Alves
Dani Alves is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for São Paulo FC. He is widely regarded as one of the best right-backs of all time. Alves has won numerous trophies, including 33 club titles and two Copas América with Brazil.
Alves began his career at Bahia, before joining Sevilla in 2002. He spent six seasons at the club, winning the UEFA Cup in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, he joined Barcelona for €32 million, becoming the most expensive defender in history at that time. He won 23 trophies during his eight-season spell at the club, including three La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles.
In 2016, Alves joined Juventus on a free transfer, winning the Serie A title in his first season with the club. The following year, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year contract. After winning 14 trophies during his two seasons with PSG, he returned to Brazil with São Paulo FC in 2020.
Alves has been named in the FIFA World XI eight times and was selected as part of the UEFA Team of the Year five times. He has also been voted into the Copa América Dream Team on three occasions (2011, 2015 and 2019).
Kyle Walker
In 2017, English professional footballer Kyle Walker was ranked as the world’s richest football defender, with an estimated net worth of $50 million. The 27-year-old Manchester City player is the highest-paid defender in the Premier League, earning a reported salary of $12 million per year. Walker’s wealth is largely derived from his successful football career, but he has also earned income from endorsements and other business ventures. In 2018, Forbes ranked Walker as the seventh highest-paid athlete in the world, with earnings of $47 million.
Walker began his professional career with Sheffield United in 2009. He made his Premier League debut for the club in 2010 and went on to make over 100 appearances for Sheffield United before being sold to Tottenham Hotspur in 2011. Walker established himself as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League during his six seasons with Tottenham and was named in the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions. In 2017, he was signed by Manchester City for a fee of £45 million, making him the most expensive defender in history at that time.
Since joining Manchester City, Walker has won two Premier League titles and an FA Cup. He has also been selected for England’s national team on numerous occasions and was part of the squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
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