From scoring headers to free kicks to high-pressure penalties, the players mentioned on this list had it all and can be regarded as some of the most complete players to grace the beautiful game.
Sergio Ramos, the highest scoring defender in the Champions League has had some amazing goals across his career but where does he count among the Defenders of all time.
Sergio Ramos seems to be the only current playing defender who has been in this list as no other player from recent history made it. This list has also highlighted how rigid has the game become for Defenders who can only manage to score through heading set pieces.
Franz Beckenbauer would not be happy with this approach, who changed the game with his different defending skills. Beckenbauer used to step up in the midfield and attack, helping other players in the build-up and many times scoring goals by himself.
During his playing career, Ronald Koeman scored an incredible 60 goals from free kicks and 113 goals from the penalty spot. With 253 goals at the end of his playing career, the FC Barcelona icon set a record for all defenders in history.
The 10 Highest-Scoring Defenders in Football History | ||
| Rank | Player | Goals |
| 1. | Ronald Koeman | 253 |
| 2. | Daniel Passarella | 175 |
| 3. | Fernando Hierro | 163 |
| 4. | Laurent Blanc | 153 |
| 5. | Sergio Ramos | 140 |
| 6. | James Tavernier | 137 |
| 7. | Graham Alexander | 130 |
| 8. | Steve Bruce | 114 |
| 9. | Paul Breitner | 113 |
| 10. | Roberto Carlos | 113 |
The other defenders on the list were awarded with special set piece duties be it free kicks or penalties but now only forwards are allowed to take on these pressure situations. The game has grown tactically but the freedom in the game has stopped a while ago. Systematic approach has kind of killed the creativity in the game and had made the football more predictable.
