Who is the best North American defender of all time?

Rugged stoppers, elegant sweepers, and tenacious fullbacks from across CONCACAF — some who conquered Europe's toughest leagues, others who led their nations at the World Cup. Where do you stand?

1

Alexi Lalas

Iconic red-bearded USMNT center-back who became the face of American soccer at the 1994 World Cup and played in Serie A with Padova.

2

Marcelo Balboa

Versatile USMNT defender of the 1990s known for his bicycle-kick goals and strong defensive performances at multiple World Cups.

3

Carlos Bocanegra

Reliable USMNT captain and central defender who played in the Premier League and captained the team to several Gold Cup titles.

4

Oguchi Onyewu

Powerful center-back who played for Standard Liège and AC Milan, a commanding presence in the USMNT defense in the 2000s.

5

Rafael Márquez

Mexico's most decorated defender ever, who played alongside Xavi and Iniesta at Barcelona and captained El Tri at four World Cups.

6

Claudio Suárez

Mexico's most capped player and unflappable center-back nicknamed 'El Emperador', who anchored El Tri for nearly two decades.

7

DeAndre Yedlin

Electrifying right-back who played for Tottenham, Newcastle, and Inter Miami, the first American outfield player to win the EPL.

8

Paul Caligiuri

USMNT right-back and midfielder best known for the 1989 goal that qualified the USA for their first World Cup since 1950.

9

Alphonso Davies

Canada's electric left-back who became a global star at Bayern Munich, winning multiple Bundesliga titles and the 2020 Champions League.

10

Maza Rodríguez

Mexico's composed center-back Francisco Javier Rodríguez, a long-serving El Tri captain who starred in the Bundesliga.

11

Ricardo Osorio

Aggressive right-back and central defender who was Mexico's defensive anchor at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

12

Aaron Long

USMNT center-back and captain who rose to prominence with the Red Bulls and became a key figure in the current US defensive setup.

13

Walker Zimmermann

Nashville SC center-back who became the starting USMNT central defender and was praised for his performances at the 2022 World Cup.