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No team can win a World Cup without a strong defence. We talk about France's best attack in this tournament, but now that we're in the knockout stages, keeping goals is as important as scoring goals. For example, England will need to tighten up their defense compared to games against Croatia and Ghana. The game will be tough and close, even for the top teams - big scores we won't see. There have been a lot of goals so far, which have not happened in any other World Cup, but some of the defenses have already impressed me and when I think the strongest, maybe the Dutch are the best. I like the entire Dutch defense, including Denzel Dumfries, Jan Paul van Hecke, Virgil van Dijk and Miki van de Ven, and almost all of them have had very good seasons. The only one you can say hasn't been at his best with the club is Virgil, but I'd say that's because of Liverpool's problems. Virgil is still the leader of that Dutch defense and has talented players around him, with lots of pace, strength and physicality. He's 34, almost 35 now, but we've already seen some superstar attackers who have made a big impact in this tournament at a much older age, and I think he's still at the top of his game. Van Dijk has played every minute of the Netherlands' three matches at this World Cup. Virgil is a player I know very well. I know he refers to me as his toughest opponent - he calls me 'the bogeyman' because I scored against him - but we have a mutual respect. I'd put him in the top three defenses I've faced, along with Spain's Sergio Ramos and Portugal's Pep, and we've had great rivalries over the years. In the past, my friends have shown me a funny picture of him that always makes me laugh - you can see it below - where we are having a physical fight. I think I won it! I just chested the ball and felt quite calm and prosperous, when Virgil jumped over me, and fell like that. I want it to happen every time we play each other - but it's maybe once in 10 times we win a duel and so it's fun. There must be many other pictures where he is standing, and this is me lying on the ground! That photo was taken in 2018 and Virgil has had some injuries since then, but he's still going strong and of course he's still as smart and thriving as ever. This is probably his last chance to win the World Cup and I'm sure he knows his team is also counting on his leadership to go far in the tournament, which is another aspect he brings. Apart from being the captain, he is now like a big brother to his national team who is needed to lead the way and set an example on the field, and I know he has the character to handle the multiple pressures on his shoulders. I still don't see the Dutch among the favorites for this World Cup but they have some talented players and maybe we should talk more about them. No matter what they do from here on out, Virgil is still their main man. He is so experienced and has won so many trophies. He will know that the Dutch have not reached a World Cup final since South Africa in 2010. Sixteen years is a long time, Virgil - so maybe it's time to fix it! Another defender I'm a big fan of at this World Cup is Germany's Antonio Rudiger, who has been one of the toughest defenders I've played with, not against! I hated playing against him in training at Chelsea because he was just as game - well, maybe a bit more careful and a bit less crazy, but he still pinches you and annoys you like that! If he is in good condition, he is the best. He has not started every match so far but if he is fit, he is a good combination with Jonathan Tah at the back. They look strong together. The most important thing for any defense is team balance. It doesn't matter how good you are because you also need midfielders who will protect you. If you are open, and you are against pacey players, it becomes very difficult. Argentina's midfield is really strong that way, because they know they have to cover some ground for Lionel Messi, who doesn't have the legs to do that. Messi is never chasing the opposition, pressing, but behind him, if their midfield is working hard to protect the backline without the ball. Frenkie de Jong does it for the Netherlands and Brazil have that balance with Bruno Guimaraes and Casemiro. We did it with France when we won the World Cup in 2018 with our midfield of N'Golo Kante, Paul Pogba and Blaise Matuidi. They all worked hard, but if anyone left a gap, N'Golo compensated for it. This time, France are playing with one more attacking player there, so we'll see if we can still score more goals than our opponents, without losing that cover deep down the pitch. I feel we can score at any time in a game but if we can also protect our lead with a good defence, that is a huge asset for any team. --- ## Related Articles 1. [Japan Coach Moriyasu Aims for World Cup Victory](https://pitchpulsemedia.com/en/news/japan-coach-moriyasu-aims-for-world-cup-victory) 2. [Canada Win: Defeat South Africa in Round of 16 of 2026 Football World Cup](https://khidarikhabran.com/khabran/2026-116-7)