Top 15 worst defenders in football history: who are they?

Top 15 worst defenders in football history: who are they?

Lewis Injai, Adrianna Simwa
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:58 PM

Defence is one of the most important and impactful positions in football. Its performance is reflective of the whole team's performance. In a make-or-break situation, a good defence can be a team's source of strength, while a bad or poor defence can hugely affect a team. Much attention is given to the best defenders, but today, we will look at some of the worst defenders in football and why they are given these titles that no one wants.

Worst defenders in football history
Photo: canva.com (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Defending remains a top priority for a lot of managers. From consistently putting up poor gameplay and failing to meet their hype and worth to being kept down by frequent injuries. Who are the worst defenders in soccer right now? This article will list the top 15 worst defenders in football and much more, so read along.

Worst defenders in football history

Below is a list of the top 15 worst defenders in football in 2022. They are listed in no particular order.

15. Laurent Charvet - Retired

worst premier league defenders
Laurent Charvet of Newcastle United during the FA Carling Prtemiership match between Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur at St James's Park. Photo: Ross Kinnaird
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Laurent Jean Charvet
  • Date of birth: 8 May 1973
  • Age: 49 years (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Béziers, France

Laurent Charvet first appeared in the Premier League during a loan spell at Chelsea, where he displayed his silky skills, preferably at right back.

Newcastle United was persuaded enough to sign him permanently after that, but things went differently than planned after two seasons. Nonetheless, he signed a contract with Manchester City in 2000. He eventually left the team, leaving a legacy as one of the worst defenders in Premier League.

14. Frank Sinclair - Retired

worst defenders in premier league
Frank Sinclair, assistant manager at Doncaster Rovers ahead of the Sky Bet League One match at the Eco-power Stadium, Doncaster. Photo: Mike Egerton
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Frank Mohammed Sinclair
  • Date of birth: 3 December 1971
  • Age: 50 years (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Lambeth, England
  • Current coach: Doncaster Rovers

Sinclair's defending abilities were lacking, as he was one of the defenders who scored his own goals. After firing backwards, he scored a 40-yard goal on his team. This resulted in Leicester City losing 1-0, solidifying his worst-defender reputation.

13. Marco Materazzi - Retired

worst arsenal defenders
Legend Marco Materazzi poses prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final Draw at Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, Qatar. Photo: Harold Cunningham
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Marco Materazzi
  • Date of birth: 19 August 1973
  • Age: 49 years (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Lecce, Italy

Materazzi was regarded as one of the best central defenders in Inter Milan's history. But, before joining Inter Milan, Materazzi played for Everton during the 1998 season, and he was so bad that he was sent off four times in 27 games. He played for the team for only ten months.

12. Oleg Luzhny - Retired

worst premier league defenders 2022
Oleg Luzhny of Arsenal with the Premier League trophy and the FA Cup Trophy after the match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England. Photo: Stuart MacFarlane
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Oleh Romanovych Luzhnyi
  • Date of birth: 5 August 1968
  • Age: 54 years (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Lviv, Ukraine

Luzhny only made 75 appearances for Arsenal during his four years at the club. In 2003, the former Ukrainian international moved to promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers, which seemed like a better fit. However, his flaws as a footballer were exposed, and he was powerless to prevent the club's relegation from the Premier League.

11. Calum Davenport - Tavistock FC

worst defenders in football history
Calum Davenport of Tottenham Hotspur during a Pre-season Friendly match between Stevenage Borough and Tottenham Hotspur at Broadhall in Stevenage, England. Photo: Tommy Hindley
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Calum Ray Paul Davenport
  • Date of birth: 1 January 1983
  • Age: 39 years (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Bedford, United Kingdom
  • Nationality: English

Calum Davenport had so much potential, but he has now become another forgotten footballer. Spurs signed Davenport as a highly-rated young footballer in 2004 but failed to make the grade in his three seasons at the club. Nonetheless, in 2007 West Ham signed him, and he was equally unimpressive.

10. Danny Fox - Retired

worst defenders in football history
Danny Fox of Southampton is tackled by Danny Welbeck of Manchester United during the Barclays Premier League. Photo: Alex Livesey
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Danny Fox
  • Date of birth: 29 May 1986
  • Age: 36 years (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Winsford, England

Danny Fox, currently retired, had an unsuccessful career with English clubs spanning nearly a decade and a half, which was merged with poor performances and injuries. He played for the Indian Super League club SC East Bengali, and his performances earned him a disciplinary case.

9. Bebe - Rayo Vallecano

worst defenders in football 2022
Tiago Manuel Dias Correia 'Bebe' of Rayo Vallecano reacts during the LaLiga Santander match between Deportivo Alaves and Rayo Vallecano at Estadio de Mendizorroza. Photo: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Tiago Manuel Dias Correia
  • Date of birth: 12 July 1990
  • Age: 32 years (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Sintra, Portugal
  • Current club: Rayo Vallecano

Despite his rags-to-riches story, this Portuguese player with Cape Verdean roots failed to meet the hype when he signed with Manchester United. He only made seven appearances in his four years with the club, and his legacy with the club supersedes him to this day.

Alex Ferguson wrote in his autobiography that he signed Bebe without seeing him in action in 2010.

8. Emerson Palmieri - West Ham

Who is the No 1 defender in football?
Emerson Palmieri of West Ham United celebrates after scoring their team's second goal during the between West Ham United and FCSB at London Stadium in London, England. Photo: Steve Bardens
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Emerson Palmieri dos Santos
  • Date of birth: 3 August 1994
  • Age: 27 (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Sao Paulo, Brazil

This Brazilian national playing for the Italian National Team was in poor game form at Chelsea, followed by injuries when he moved to his current club Lyon. While at Chelsea, he only made 33 appearances in two years, a testament to his poor defensive skills.

7. Marcos Alonso - Barcelona

Who is the most criticized player in football?
Marcos Alonso of FC Barcelona runs with the ball during the LaLiga Santander match between FC Barcelona and UD Almeria at Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: Eric Alonso
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Marcos Alonso Mendoza
  • Date of birth: 28 December 1990
  • Age: 31 years (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Madrid, Spain

Marcos is considered one of the most overrated defenders in football. The Spaniard has been criticised for having poor defensive skills. In addition, some of the harsh criticism he faces stems from an incident in his personal life. In 2011 Marcos was involved in a car accident while under the influence of alcohol. The driver of the other car sadly passed away.

6. John Stones - Manchester City

Who is the strongest defender in football?
John Stones of Manchester City controls the ball during the UEFA Champions League match between Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany. Photo: Ralf Treese
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: John Stone
  • Date of birth: 28 May 1994
  • Age: 28 years (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Barnsley, England

In 2016 Man City paid $52.2 million for Stones, making him the second most expensive defender in the world at the time, second to David Luiz. However, the English player failed to meet the hype and has been criticised for his poor defensive skills.

5. Eder Militao - Real Madrid

Who is the highest rated defender?
Eder Militao of Real Madrid CF looks on during the LaLiga Santander match between Real Madrid CF and Cadiz CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain. Photo: Silvestre Szpylma
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Eder Gabriel Militao
  • Date of birth: 18 January 1998
  • Age: 24 (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Sao Paulo, Brazil

There is a lot of mixed criticism regarding this 24-year-old's defensive skills. While others say he is a promising player with room for improvement, others downright disagree and say he is a weak defender, which made Liverpool and Manchester United pass on him in 2019. All agree that the $54 million paid for the defender by Real Madrid was a hefty one.

4. Victor Lindelöf - Manchester United

worst premier league defenders
Victor Lindelof of Manchester United during the UEFA Europa League match between Real Sociedad v Manchester United at the Estadio Reale Arena in San Sebastian Spain Photo: David S. Bustamante
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Victor Jörgen Nilsson Lindelöf
  • Date of birth: 17 July 1994
  • Age: 28 (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Vasteras, Sweden

Who is the most criticised player in football? Victor Lindelöf was voted the worst defender of 2018 by the Spanish publication Marca. Ever since he joined Manchester United in 2017, this Swedish play has been full of poor game form, which even his teammates have admitted before. However, despite his hard work ethic, he has constantly failed to get positive criticism.

3. Samuel Umtiti - Barcelona

worst defenders in premier league
Samuel Umtiti of US Lecce during the Serie A match between AS Roma and US Lecce at Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy. Photo: Giuseppe Maffia
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Samuel Yves Um Titi
  • Date of birth: 14 November 1993
  • Age: 28 (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Yaoundé, Cameroon

Once a contender for the best defender in La Liga, this French star's fall from grace was rather a sad one. When he arrived in Barcelona from Lyon, he was in excellent physical form in his first season with the club. He suffered a knee injury and could not show a sustainable physical fitness record. This saw him lose a place in the starting team of his National team France and his club, Barcelona.

As of 2022, Sam is still with Barcelona but has taken a significant pay cut to enable the team to hire new talents.

2. Shkodran Mustafi - Levante

worst arsenal defenders
Shkodran Mustafi during the match between FC Barcelona and Levante UD, corresponding to the week 7 of the Liga Santander, played at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: Urbanandsport
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Shkodran Mustafi
  • Date of birth: 17 April 1992
  • Age: 30 (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Hessen, Germany

Mustafi was off to a great start and had an upward career trajectory. With so much buzz around him, eventually, the big teams took notice of him, and in 2016 he signed with Arsenal from Valencia. However, once at Arsenal, the German national failed to shine, and his games were constantly error-prone.

The situation did not improve, for he complained and blamed his poor performances on online criticism. At the beginning of 2021, Arsenal eventually failed to renew his contract, dropping him from the team. The criticism got so bad that he was labelled one of the worst Arsenal defenders.

He then went on to sign a contract with the German outfit Schalke. He was also dropped for bad conduct after making only 13 appearances because he led a revolt against the team manager.

1. Phil Jones - Manchester United

worst premier league defenders 2022
Phil Jones of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Carrington Training Ground in Manchester, England. Photo: Matthew Peters
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Phillip Anthony Jones
  • Date of birth: 21 February 2022
  • Age: 30 years (as of 2022)
  • Place of birth: Preston, England

When Phil signed with Manchester United in 2011, he was in excellent shape and form and was even touted as one of the greatest players the club had ever seen by former coach Alex Ferguson.

However, two seasons later, problems started. Constant injuries saw a tremendous reduction in his physical form over the year. Unfortunately, this also saw him go from somewhat of a great defender to a poor one for the club.

To the surprise of many, having been away from the pitch for over two years, in January 2022, he was named in the first eleven in the game of Man United against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Who are the worst premier league defenders in 2022?

Some of the worst Premier League defenders are Wout Faes, Thiago Silva, Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo and Lisandro Martinez.

Who is the No 1 defender in football?

Who is the strongest defender in football? According to Sports Bible, Paolo Maldini is considered one of the best defenders in football. He is an Italian former professional footballer who played for AC Milan and the Italy national team.

Who is the highest-rated defender?

Virgil Van Dijk is one of the highest-rated and best defenders. He was also the best-rated defender in FIFA 21 and retained his spot at the top.

With the case of the worst defenders in football above, you must have learned a thing or two about why the players are regarded as some of the worst.

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Authors
Lewis Injai photo
Lewis Injai
Adrianna Simwa photo
Adrianna Simwa
Adrianna Simwa is a content writer at Sports Brief, where she has worked since mid-2022. She has written for many periodicals on a variety of subjects, including news, celebrities, and lifestyle, for more than three years.