and there are DAMN few actual world class CBs out there (2026 world class level, not all time world class level)
a maximal list (includes ones who are injured and have not yet shown they will fully recover back to that level, those are in italics)
I am sure even with these there will be a BIG argument on some (I did say this list was maximal)
under 30yo's: (in order of T-Markt valuation)
William Saliba
Alessandro Bastoni
Pau Cubarsí (his valuation is too high though)
Gabriel Magalhães
Dean Huijsen
Willian Pacho
Josko Gvardiol
Dayot Upamecano (had fallen down, now is back to WC level)
Micky van de Ven
Rúben Dias
Murillo
Marc Guéhi
Nico Schlotterbeck
Alessandro Buongiorno
Levi Colwill
Bremer
30yo and overs: (again, in order of T-Markt valuation)
Marquinhos
Virgil van Dijk (but sliding down lately)
José María Giménez (but is so often injured, as he is right now)
Antonio Rüdiger
the 2 ancients who defy father time
Nicolás Otamendi (I used to detest him, but he has aged like fine wine, the past 3 or 4 years he has been amazing, far better than when he was in his 20s)
Thiago Silva
and the closest, IMHO, under 30yos to WC, but not there yet
Ilya Zabarnyi
Leny Yoro
Ousmane Diomande
Jarrad Branthwaite
Castello Lukeba
Joel Ordóñez
Luka Vuskovic (18yo 1.93m Croatian beast who has exploded this season, on loan at Hamburg from, ffs, Spuds)