Puyol Names His Best Defender In The World

By Max Wise

Former Barcelona defender Carles Puyol has revealed who he thinks is the best central defender in the world.

The debate as to who commands the back most efficiently has raged on for some time with Virgil Van Dijk, Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Gerard Pique and Raphael Varane considered by many as fitting the bill.

Asked by Marca who he thinks is the best of the lot, Puyol named Barcelona defender, Gerard Pique as his favourite.

“Gerard Pique, without a doubt," Puyol answered.

“Yes, he's the best central defender in the world," he added.

"We're different. He is key to Barcelona in everything he contributes, in his leadership.

“He's a phenomenon and a great friend.”

Puyol appeared alongside Pique as Spain won the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, and the pair were also instrumental in the Barcelona sides that conquered Europe in 2009 and 2011.

Pique announced his retirement from the Spanish national team after the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, winning 102 caps in the process, but recently turned out for Catalonia in a 2-1 friendly win against Venezuela on Monday.

The 32-year-old former Manchester United defender has made 39 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona this season, scoring six goals, with the Blaugrana in with a chance of winning a treble.

Barcelona have a Copa del Rey final date with Valencia to look forward to, while they lead the La Liga table with a healthy 10-point advantage and a Champions League quarterfinal clash with Manchester United in a fortnight.