Club World Cup fantasy football should give you plenty to think about when it comes to selection. Just the defenders alone will make you have to decide between famous veterans, young upstarts, and a few ones that you’ve heard are good, but have to do a lot more digging to understand properly.
To help you ease your worries and assist you in reaching the top positions in fantasy football contests, in FootballCoin, for example, here are 10 defenders that you should watch in the group stage of the Club World Cup.
Top 10 Defenders for the Group Stage of the Fantasy Football Club World Cup
10. Pierre Kalulu (Juventus)
Juventus is undertaking a re-rebuild. But don’t let that put you off from Pierre Kalulu. An attacking defender who is just reaching the peak of his maturity, the Frenchman is the kind of player who can score a lot of points for your team.
9. Thiago Silva (Fluminense)
A veteran who often seems to be showing the way to his younger colleagues, Thiago Silva has been very good since returning to Brazil’s Campeonato. And that’s not mere nostalgia talking.
With all the Brazilian team intent on proving a point against these arrogant Europeans, Silva may just be what your CWC fantasy football team needs.
8. Sergio Ramos (Monterrey)
“I can’t believe he‘s still playing!” That’s what you’ll find yourself saying about a lot of the players on this list.
If nothing else, the 2025 Club World Cup is a spectacular occasion to see Sergio Ramos tackle some of the world’s top attackers once more. Early indicators suggest he’s just as ruthless and determined as ever.
7. Vitinho (Botafogo)
Don’t get bogged down by names that sound very similar or are identical to each other. All you need to know is that Vitinho, who is now 25 years old, is playing right-back for Botafogo, and he is on fire at the moment.
At the time of writing, you’re likely to have seen his performance against UCL champs PSG, and you’re likely to want to pick him for your fantasy football team. A wise choice!
6. Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal)
There was once an offer of over 100 million euros for Kalidou Koulibaly. That was issued by Chelsea and promptly rejected by Napoli’s president, Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Funnily enough, Koulibaly still looks like a top defender and Chelsea still look like a team who could be improved by his presence. He should do well in the group stages.
5. Danilo (Flamengo)
Danilo’s resume is simply sensational. He’s played for Real Madrid, Manchester City or Juventus. But, frankly, he doesn’t look like a player studying holiday destinations for retirees. Flamengo have come out swinging at this 2025 CWC and Danilo can still be a great addition to your team.
4. Dean Hujisen (Real Madrid)
Yes, he’s one of the two defenders that Real Madrid has splashed big money for this Summer. The other one is Trent Alexander-Arnold. But it’s the young Dean Hujisen who just might have more to prove at the CWC. Besides that, the Hujisen card is free to use in FootballCoin.
3. Marcos Acuna (River Plate)
There was a time when critics of Marcos Acuna were baffled at the prospect of the super-offensive full-back playing in teams alongside the likes of Lionel Messi. Time has passed, the goals and excellent performance kept rolling in, and there are few asking the same question.
River Plate will bring in the supporters. Acuna is likely to score or create goalscoring opportunities. And, yes, placing his in the Top 3 on this list of the best defenders in Club World Cup fantasy football is no mistake.
2. Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City)
The once infallible business dealings of Pep Guardiola look a bit shaky at the moment. Gvardiol may have been (along with Erling Haaland, of course) the last great transfer coup that City pulled off. There’s no denying that the Croatian is one of the very best defenders in the world.
1. Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain)
Paris Saint-Germain, frankly, played nearly perfect football on its way to winning every trophy put in front of it. Nuno Mendes was the immovable object in front of Gigi Donnarumma’s goal throughout this campaign, and there’s no reason to assume that he still hasn’t got some left in the tank for the final tournament of the season.
Nuno Mendes should help to improve just about any fantasy football Club World Cup team.
