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The position that secures the game
Today is a special day for football – and, purely by coincidence, for the Ballon d’Or too. It is the birthday of two of the world’s best centre-backs: Marquinhos, the Brazilian captain of Paris Saint-Germain, turns 32. Rúben Dias, the Portuguese player at Manchester City, turns 29.
Both have previously been nominated for the Ballon d'Or.
Marquinhos received his nomination in 2019, the year in which his intelligence and technical quality helped PSG win Ligue 1 and the Trophée des Champions. It was also in 2019 that he lifted the Copa América with the Brazilian national team – displaying that quiet, steadfast leadership that would become one of his trademarks. In 13 seasons and over 500 appearances for the club – a record – the São Paulo native has helped PSG win 38 trophies. The most special of these came last year: the first Champions League title in the club’s history, a moment Paris will not forget in a hurry. And there is another final ahead, at the end of the month, against Arsenal.
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Rúben Dias, meanwhile, has been nominated three times – in 2021, 2023 and 2024. A physically dominant and tactically sophisticated defender, he built his reputation at Manchester City, where he arrived in 2020 and has since helped the club win 11 titles, including four consecutive Premier League titles and the long-awaited 2023 Champions League. For the Portuguese national team, he was a key player in their Nations League victories in 2019 and 2025.
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The Ballon d’Or and recognition of great defenders
Marquinhos and Dias are part of a very exclusive club.
Since the first Ballon d’Or in 1956, only three defenders have won the award.
The first was Franz Beckenbauer – twice: in 1972, after leading West Germany to glory at the European Championship, and in 1976, as the driving force behind Bayern Munich’s European Cup victory.
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Twenty years later, in 1996, it was Matthias Sammer’s turn, recognised for his performances for Borussia Dortmund and for leading Germany to the European Championship title.
And then, in 2006, Fabio Cannavaro – captain, leader, a wall – led Italy to their fourth World Cup title, conceding just two goals throughout the tournament.
In short, of the 69 Ballon d’Or awards presented since 1956, only four have gone to defenders. Just over 5 per cent.
And since Brazilian players began competing for the award in 1995, only six defenders from the country have been nominated.
The first was Júlio César, in 1995, for his outstanding defensive performances for Borussia Dortmund, with whom he won consecutive Bundesliga and DFL-Supercup titles.
Then came Lúcio in 2002 – a national team legend, World Cup winner with Brazil and a key figure in Bayer Leverkusen’s unlikely run to the Champions League final. He finished 19th in the Ballon d’Or, level on points with the 2000 winner, Luís Figo.
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In 2005 and 2006, it was Cris who received the honour. Nicknamed "Le Policier" (‘The Policeman’), the imposing and authoritative defender became a Lyon legend over eight seasons, winning four consecutive Ligue 1 titles and lifting the Copa América with Brazil in 2004.
Thiago Silva was nominated in 2013, after leading PSG to the Ligue 1 title and the Trophée des Champions, and Brazil to victory in the Confederations Cup. The veteran has continued to collect titles throughout his career – and just this month added another: the Primeira Liga, with Porto.
David Luiz joined in 2014, after impressing for Chelsea, PSG and the Brazilian national team at the World Cup, where his dedication and finishing ability earned him a place in the tournament’s “Dream Team”.
And then, Marquinhos, in 2019.
Other players who occasionally played as centre-backs also received nominations – such as Edmílson and Fabinho – as did some full-backs. But among the natural centre-backs, these are the six.
As for Portugal, four natural centre-backs have been nominated for the Ballon d’Or.
The first was the imposing Germano, in 1961, after helping Benfica win the Primeira Liga and the European Cup. A central figure in the club’s ‘golden era’, he played alongside Eusébio – winner of the 1965 Ballon d’Or – for five glorious seasons.
Ricardo Carvalho came along in 2004, a key player in one of the most successful periods in Porto’s history: the Primeira Liga and the Champions League in the same year.
Pepe received two nominations. The first in 2008, following a brilliant season with Real Madrid and a 26th-place finish in the rankings, level with Karim Benzema, who would go on to win the award 14 years later. The second in 2016, after helping Real Madrid win the Champions League and, perhaps more importantly, after leading Portugal to their first major international title – the European Championship. A moment that went down in history.
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And then Rúben Dias, three times: 2021, 2023, 2024.
Two other names deserve a mention – Brazilian or Portuguese defenders nominated at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, but in other categories.
In 2023, António Silva was nominated for the Kopa Trophy. At just 18 years old, the Portuguese player broke into Benfica’s first team and helped the club win the league title in his debut season.
In 2024, Tarciane was nominated for the Women’s Ballon d’Or, after playing a key role in the Brazilian national team that won the silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
The value that goes beyond the awards
Today is an important day to reflect on the role that defenders have always played in football. They may not get the limelight at the end of the match – an honour almost always reserved for ruthless strikers, brilliant midfielders or even acrobatic goalkeepers – but they are the wall that stands between the opposition and the penalty area. They protect, lead and organise. It is through their strength, their agility, their quick thinking and their vision that so many of the most important achievements in the history of football have been made possible.
Marquinhos and Rúben Dias are two players who, whilst still active, have already left a mark that few manage to leave – for their clubs, for their national teams, and for all the centre-backs who have come after them – showing that consistency, talent and a love for the game can build long careers filled with extraordinary achievements.
And now a new generation is emerging, chasing the same dream.
Brazilian or Portuguese centre-backs nominated at the Ballon d’Or ceremony
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1961 – Germano (Portugal, Benfica – Ballon d’Or nominee)
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1995 – Júlio César (Brazil, Borussia Dortmund – Ballon d’Or nominee)
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2002 - Lúcio (Brazil, Bayer Leverkusen - Ballon d’Or nominee)
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2004 - Ricardo Carvalho (Portugal, Porto / Chelsea - Ballon d’Or nominee)
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2005 - Cris (Brazil, Olympique Lyon - Ballon d’Or nominee)
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2006 - Cris (Brazil, Olympique Lyon - nominated for the Ballon d'Or)
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2008 - Pepe (Portugal, Real Madrid - nominated for the Ballon d'Or)
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2013 - Thiago Silva (Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain - nominated for the Ballon d'Or)
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2014 - David Luiz (Brazil, Chelsea / Paris Saint-Germain - Ballon d'Or nominee)
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2016 - Pepe (Portugal, Real Madrid - nominated for the Ballon d'Or)
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2019 - Marquinhos (Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain - Ballon d'Or nominee)
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2021 - Rúben Dias (Portugal, Manchester City - nominated for the Ballon d'Or)
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2023 - Rúben Dias (Portugal, Manchester City - nominated for the Ballon d'Or)
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2023 - António Silva (Portugal, Benfica - nominated for the Kopa Trophy)
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2024 - Rúben Dias (Portugal, Manchester City - nominated for the Ballon d'Or)
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2024 - Tarciane (Brazil, Houston Dash - nominated for the Women’s Ballon d’Or)
