One of the most evolving positions on the football field is the full-back position; thanks to modern football and coaching tactics, it is sometimes difficult to identify full-backs in their positions.
More often than not these days, full-backs now play further upfront, like in the midfield and attack. The days of Gary Neville, Paolo Maldini, Javier Zanetti, Roberto Carlos, and more are long gone.
However, the current crop of full-backs can even play as a winger or an attacking midfielder and are often seen going up and down the wings, attacking and defending at the same time.
It is currently regarded as the hardest position to play as a footballer. Today, you will find out the top 10 best full-backs in football in 2024.
1. Achraf Hakimi
At just age 25, Achraf Hakimi has become an elite full-back in almost everything you need for someone who plays in that position.
He’s got big-game experience. He has played for a some of the best football clubs in Europe, having played for Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and now PSG.
He has won every trophy possible in club football and recently helped Morocco to the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup.
Hakimi is also known to be versatile and not just in defense alone but can also play on the wing and in the midfield.
The former Real Madrid and Dortmund player is very dependable when it comes to set pieces, and not many full-backs ahead of him in the game.
2. Trent Alexander-Arnold
In the next couple of seasons, Trent Alexander-Arnold may not be considered a full back anymore because both Jurgen Klopp and England manager Gareth Southgate adopted the Liverpool player in a more forward position like the midfield, and since the experiment started in the 2022/2023 season, he hasn’t put a foot wrong.
Arnold is very good when it comes to crosses, set-pieces, corner kicks, and free kicks, passing game.
Although, some might argue that he doesn’t possess strong defensive qualities as a full-back. Nevertheless, the Englishman still does a decent job in defence, while being remarkable in attack, making home one of the best full-backs currently in world football.
He is regarded as one of the top attacking full-backs in football at the moment. He is known for his crossing, dead ball specialty, work rate, range of passing, and providing assists.
In the 2021/22 Premier League season, Trent provided an impressive 12 assists from his full-back position.
3. Alphonso Davies
Alphonso Davies packs the speed and the energy to play the left-back position and the wing-back role. The Canadian is barely 23, but he has already contributed to Bayern Munich’s dominance as a forward.
He was highly instrumental as the Canadian national team played at the 2022 World Cup for the first time in a long time. Alphonso Davies is not restricted to the left-back position, as he also bumps forward a couple of times.
His strength and agility also come into play, and when you add it to his speed, it becomes one of the most difficult defenders to get past and beat.
4. Kyle Walker
At the age of 33, Manchester City and Guardiola found it difficult to let England defender Kyle Walker exit the club.
Perhaps it was because they found out that it would be a grave mistake, and just like they admitted last week, replacing Kyle Walker would have been difficult to replace.
For the last 6 years, Kyle Walker has been England Manchester City’s first-choice right-back, and he even had to push world-class João Cancelo to the left-back and subsequently out of the team.
Not many players can manage to match Kylian Mbappe’s pace for pace, and not many full-backs in the league possess the pace that Kyle Walker has.
And lately, due to his age, he has been more content with sitting back and defending than attacking.
He is arguably one of the best defenders in football at the moment.
5. Dani Carvajal
Versatile, hardworking, technical, fast, and skillful. Those are the words used to describe former Real Madrid full-back Dani Carvajal.
Ironically, Carvajal doesn’t get the recognition he rightly deserves, as his more famous teammates gets the praises for Real Madrid’s title wins
This season, he showed just how important he is to both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team.
At the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals, he scored the winning penalty which led Spain to their first UEFA Nations League title. His crucial goal helped Madrid clinch their 15th UCL title and his sixth, as well as his string of impressive displays which led to another La Liga win.
Dani Carvajal is not one of the easiest defenders to beat, as his tackling ability is top-notch, and the fact that he plays both sides of the defense efficiently is a jaw-dropper.
He also loves to attack and often supports the winger in his lane; when he’s not doing that, he’s crossing the ball and causing problems for the opposition’s defense.
The 32-year-old defender has always been considered to be one of the best full-backs in Europe, and best right-backs in the world.
As a traditional full-back, Carvajal is able to time his forward runs well. However, his tactical sense, positioning, and defensive skill make him impressive while defending.
6. Joshua Kimmich
Although you need speed to play a full back role, but speed is not necessarily the main asset Joshua Kimmich has got.
The full-back is very capable of playing as a defensive midfielder, and is even said to be one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
He is one of the best full-backs Germany have and has improved from just defending to being a good passer of the ball and a beast at set pieces, corner kicks, and free kicks.
Did you know? On 28 October 2023, Kimmich received his first-ever straight red card in his senior career in the 4th minute of a match that ended in an 8–0 victory over Darmstadt.
His 2023/24 season was decent as he scored the decisive goal in a 1–0 victory over Arsenal, securing a 3–2 aggregate win in the quarter-finals. This victory propelled Bayern Munich into the semi-finals of the 2023/24 season.
Kimmich’s defensive qualities are often underrated, but also puts in a good shift defensively. He is adept in making crucial blocks, tackles, and winning back possession.
7. Álex Grimaldo
Perhaps Álex Grimaldo one of the few players who are built to play as wing-backs originally instead of full-backs.
The player himself reckons that defending is the major priority of a wing-back or a full-back, but he doesn’t shy away from taking quick bursts of pace to get into the opposition box.
The 28-year-old plays for Bayer Leverkusen and is one of the reasons why his team went unbeaten for the entire Bundesliga campaign.
Since joining Leverkusen, Grimaldo has been considered one of the best left wing-backs in world football.
He finished his first season at Leverkusen in 2023–24 as top assist provider in Bundesliga with a staggering 13 assists.
The Spanish defender has excelled in the role brilliantly over the years, but remained criminally underrated.
He is very good in defense and equally capable in attack and so important to how Leverkusen plays.
8. Theo Hernández
Theo Hernandez plays as a left-back for Serie A club AC Milan and the French national team, and he is known for his speed, dribbles, and goalscoring ability; he is regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world.
Having a player with the vision of Theo Hernandez helps a modern football manager as the player himself did reveal that he sees himself more as a playmaker in line with how more attack-minded the full-backs are expected to play.
In the 2021/22 season, Theo Hernandez dribbled from his own half to score a wonder goal that was named the best Serie A goal that year.
Therefore, It is not surprising that Theo has always been in the opposition box until now, but this does not leave a gap in his defensive duties.
9. Jules Koundé
Originally a centre-back, Jules Koundé has switched to playing as right-back for both club and country, nonetheless, he has managed to cement his place as one of the best full backs in the world.
Although Barcelona did not have a great campaign last season, Koundé shone brightly for the Blaugrana and was consistent in his performances.
He is an energetic and hardworking full-back who, more often not, can be found in the opposition’s half helping out his team in building an attack.
He is one of the best crossers in the Spanish La Liga and contributes defensively too.
10. Joško Gvardiol
You might be forgiven if you think that this name is that of an attacking player.
However, Joško Gvardiol is a full-back for Manchester City and has been a defensive linchpin for the Citizens, showcasing his exceptional versatility and skill throughout the 2023/24 season.
Gvardiol is a remarkably adaptable player; he excels not only as a traditional left-back but also as a center-back and even further up the field as a left-sided wing-back.
His ability to read the game and his comfort on the ball make him a standout defender in modern football. During the 2023/24 season, Gvardiol’s performances have been nothing short of stellar
The Croatian hit an impressive scoring form late last season which helped Manchester City lift the EPL title.
Gvardiol’s playing style is characterized by his exceptional positioning, physicality, and technical skills. He is adept at breaking up play and launching counter-attacks, making him a critical asset in Pep Guardiola’s system.
The 22-year-old is regarded as one of the best left-footed centre-backs, as he is comfortable on the ball with his superb passing range.
