Kicker magazine just dropped their first summer rankings, looking back at the second half of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season. And listen up, because the biggest headline is a shocker: absolutely *zero* centre-backs earned the coveted ‘World Class’ distinction. Like, NONE. For a league that prides itself on top talent, that’s a serious head-scratcher. Every six months Kicker puts out these lists, and for the top German league to not have a single defender in the highest tier? You gotta wonder what’s going on at the very top of the game there.
The ‘International Class’ Carrying the Banner
So if nobody’s ‘World Class,’ who *did* make the cut at the top? We’re looking at the ‘International Class,’ which is still stacked with serious talent, but clearly a step down from what Kicker considers truly elite. Dayot Upamecano from FC Bayern leads the charge, and his teammate Jonathan Tah is right there at number three. These are the guys we expect to anchor a defense, right? Matthias Ginter from Freiburg snagged the second spot, showing he’s still a top performer. Edmond Tapsoba for Bayer Leverkusen and Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund round out the top five. You’ve also got Jeff Chabot from VfB Stuttgart and Luka Vuskovic, who was at Hamburger SV but now plays for Brighton & Hove Albion, in this tier. These are fantastic players, don’t get it twisted, but for none of them to break into ‘World Class’ sends a message.
The ‘National Class’ and The Road Ahead
Below the international talents, Kicker has a solid list of ‘National Class’ defenders. This tier is packed with guys who are consistent, reliable, and key for their clubs. Nico Elvedi from Borussia Mönchengladbach starts off this group, followed by Waldemar Anton from Borussia Dortmund. Nicolas Capaldo from Hamburger SV, Albian Hajdari and Ozan Kabak from TSG Hoffenheim, and Ramy Bensebaini also from Borussia Dortmund all made the list. Rounding out this category are Finn Jeltsch from VfB Stuttgart, Kim min-Jae from FC Bayern, Patrick Mainka from 1. FC Heidenheim, and Jarell Quansah from Bayer Leverkusen. These are the workhorses, the players holding down the fort week in and week out. They’re good, but the gap to ‘World Class’ seems immense right now, with not even one of their higher-ranked peers making the leap.
This ranking is a serious gauntlet thrown for the upcoming season. Who’s gonna step up and finally prove they’re in that truly elite, ‘World Class’ tier? This list from Kicker is a wake-up call, and every single one of these guys has to be eyeing that top spot for the next set of rankings.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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