FEBRUARY 2014 UPDATE: This list has seen recent changes to more reflect the current.
Once again I'm doing position by position rankings and first to go are the central defenders.
My rundown containing various thoughts on the players and their rankings has started and can be followed on the Twoplustwo Sporting Events Forum RIGHT HERE the coming days.
I will also be doing Forwards, Midfielders, Right/Left-backs and Attacking midfielders/Wingers all in due time.
Those lists can be found here:
Top 150 Attacking midfielders/Wingers
Top 70 Right and Left-backs
Top 100 Forwards
The completed list:
End of 2012/13 - Mid-2013/14 Top 70 Central Defenders in the World
70 Martín Demichelis - Argentina - Malaga/Manchester City
69 Fabian Schär - Switzerland - Basel
68 Daniel Van buyten - Belgium - Bayern München
67 Federico Fernandez - Argentina - Getafe/Napoli
66 Brede Hangeland - Norway - Fulham
65 43 Ashley Williams - Wales - Swansea
64 Bruno Martins Indi - Netherlands - Feyenoord 49
63 Sokratis - Greece - Werder Bremen/Dortmund
62 Stefan De Vrij - Netherlands - Feyenoord
61 50 Nicolas Otamendi - Argentina - Porto
60 Aleksandar Dragovic - Austria - Basel/Dynamo Kiev
59 Vlad Chiricheș - Romania - Steaua Bucharest/Tottenham
58 Aymeric Laporte - France - Athletic Bilbao
57 32 Benedikt Höwedes - Germany - Schalke 04
56 31 25 Holger Badstuber - Germany - Bayern München
55 Iñigo Martínez - Spain - Real Sociedad
54 30 22 Dede - Brazil - Vasco da Gama/Cruzeiro
53 Luisao - Brazil - Benfica
52 Niklas Moisander - Finland - Ajax
51 Rever - Brazil - Atletico Minerio
50 27 15 Thomas Vermaelen - Belgium - Arsenal
49 19 21 Younes Kaboul - France - Tottenham
48 39 Kyriakos Papadopoulos - Greece - Schalke 04
47 29 10 Eric Abidal - France - Barcelona/Monaco
46 Marquinhos - Brazil - Roma/PSG
45 25 17 Adil Rami - France - Valencia
44 33 Javier Mascherano - Argentina - Barcelona
43 13 31 Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa - France – Newcastle
42 35 Chico - Spain - Swansea
41 44 27 Mamadou Sakho - France – PSG/Liverpool
40 17 14 Rio Ferdinand - England - Manchester United
39 23 20 Fabricio Coloccini - Argentina – Newcastle
38 28 23 Daniel Agger - Denmark – Liverpool
37 24 Leandro Castán - Brazil - Roma
36 42 Nicolas N'Koulou - Cameroon - Marseille
35 26 30 Jonny Evans - Northern Ireland - Manchester United
34 38 Sylvain Distin - France - Everton
33 08 06 Carlos Puyol - Spain - Barcelona
32 37 28 Andrea Barzagli - Italy - Juventus
31 48 Eliaquim Mangala - France – Porto
30 36 Phil Jagielka - England – Everton
29 32 Hugo Campagnaro - Argentina – Napoli/Inter
28 34 Leonardo Bonucci - Italy – Juventus
27 40 Matija Nastasic - Serbia - Manchester City
26 18 13 Branislav Ivanovic - Serbia – Chelsea
25 Gary Cahill - England - Chelsea
24 NR 26 John Terry - England – Chelsea
23 14 18 Neven Subotic - Serbia - Dortmund
22 41 Jerome Boateng - Germany - Bayern München
21 22 16 David Luiz - Brazil – Chelsea
20 Dejan Lovren - Croatia Southampton
19 20 05 Nemanja Vidic - Serbia - Manchester United
18 Mehdi Benatia - Morocco - Udinese/Roma
17 10 08 Gerard Pique - Spain – Barcelona
16 07 Gonzalo Rodríguez - Argentina - Fiorentina
15 09 12 Pepe - Portugal - Real Madrid
14 06 09 Giorgio Chiellini - Italy - Juventus
13 Javi Martinez – Spain – Bayern München
12 11 Dante - Brazil - Bayern München
11 45 Diego Godín - Uruguay - Atletico Madrid
10 15 Miranda - Brazil - Atletico Madrid
09 21 Per Mertesacker - Germany - Arsenal
08 47 Raphael Varane - France - Real Madrid
07 03 11 Jan Vertonghen - Belgium - Tottenham
06 16 Ezequiel Garay - Argentina - Benfica
05 05 03 Vincent Kompany - Belgium - Manchester City
04 04 02 Sergio Ramos - Spain - Real Madrid
03 12 07 Laurent Koscielny - France - Arsenal
02 02 04 Mats Hummels - Germany - Dortmund
01 01 01 Thiago Silva - Brazil - PSG
