Best Bundesliga centre-backs of 2025 so far

Here are the best Bundesliga centre-backs of 2025 so far, according to German football magazine Kicker.

Every six months, Kicker publishes a rankings of the best players in the Bundesliga, as well as the best German players abroad, divided into a number of categories. 

Today, the German football magazine has published the first part of its summer rankings, reflecting performances from the second half of the 2024/25 season. Below are the centre-back rankings.

World Class

None. 

International Class

1. Nico Schlotterbeck, Borussia Dortmund

2. Jonathan Tah, Bayer Leverkusen (now FC Bayern)

3. Robin Koch, Eintracht Frankfurt

4. Matthias Ginter, Freiburg

5. Piero Hincapié, Bayer Leverkusen

National Class 

6. Marco Friedl, Werder Bremen

7. Dayot Upamecano, FC Bayern

8. Eric Dier, FC Bayern (now AS Monaco)

9. Chrislain Matsima, Augsburg

10. Arthur Theate, Eintracht Frankfurt

11. Jeff Chabot, Stuttgart

12. Emre Can, Borussia Dortmund

13. Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, Augsburg

14. Patrick Mainka, Heidenheim

15. Denis Vavro, Wolfsburg

16. Willi Orban, RB Leipzig

17. Cedric Zesiger, Augsburg

18. Waldemar Anton, Borussia Dortmund

19. Dominik Kohr, Mainz