Best Bundesliga centre-backs of 2026 so far

Every six months, German football publication Kicker publishes its ranking of the best players in the Bundesliga, as well as the top German players competing abroad, with the selections divided by position and further categorised by performance level.

The magazine has now released the first part of its summer rankings, assessing performances from the second half of the 2025/26 season. The centre-back rankings can be found below.

World Class

None. 

International Class

1. Dayot Upamecano, FC Bayern

2. Matthias Ginter, Freiburg

3. Jonathan Tah, FC Bayern

4. Edmond Tapsoba, Bayer Leverkusen

5. Nico Schlotterbeck, Borussia Dortmund.

6. Jeff Chabot, VfB Stuttgart

7. Luka Vuskovic, Hamburger SV (now at Brighton & Hove Albion)

National Class 

8. Nico Elvedi, Borussia Mönchengladbach

9. Waldemar Anton, Borussia Dortmund

10. Nicolas Capaldo, Hamburger SV

11. Albian Hajdari, TSG Hoffenheim

12. Ozan Kabak, TSG Hoffenheim

13. Ramy Bensebaini, Borussia Dortmund

14. Finn Jeltsch, VfB Stuttgart

15. Kim min-Jae, FC Bayern

16. Patrick Mainka, 1. FC Heidenheim

17. Jarell Quansah, Bayer Leverkusen