Best Defensive players by Season Rating in Major League Soccer 2026

The best defensive players in Major League Soccer in 2026, ranked on Field Insider.

Best defensive goalkeepers in Major League Soccer Best defensive defenders in Major League Soccer Best defensive midfielders in Major League Soccer Best defensive attackers in Major League Soccer Best players in Major League Soccer Most in-form players in Major League Soccer

At a glance

L. Foster of Houston Dynamo is the standout for raw talent across players in Major League Soccer, with a Field Insider Rating of 74, and L. Messi has been the form player this season, grading 89.1.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: J. Bond has improved his Season rating most, up +60.1 on last season, while J. Mijatović's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +13.5 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, D. Edelman of St. Louis City is the most valuable name in this group at 15.6.

New York City FC · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

J. Bond+60.1SsN

Houston Dynamo · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best defendersCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	M. Woledzi Centre-back	Nashville SC	25	61.4	6124%	452.8%
2	R. Porteous Centre-back	Los Angeles FC	27	59.3	59303.4%	3821.9%
3	E. Segura Centre-back	Los Angeles FC	29	58.1	5853.3%	310.6%
4	É. Ocampo Full-back	Vancouver Whitecaps	22	54.1	5445.8%	506.2%
5	A. Resch Centre-back	Houston Dynamo	23	52.9	53	46
6	M. Laborda Full-back	Vancouver Whitecaps	27	51.1	5137%	4515.5%
7	Felipe Andrade Centre-back	Houston Dynamo	24	50.3	5078.4%	459.2%
8	J. Palacios Centre-back	Nashville SC	32	49.3	49112.5%	209.9%
9	N. Tafari Centre-back	Los Angeles FC	29	48.5	4958%	306.8%
10	D. Lovitz Centre-back	Nashville SC	35	47.1	4741.9%	1512.4%
11	R. Hollingshead Centre-back	Los Angeles FC	35	47.1	4738.1%	148.4%
12	T. Johnson Centre-back	Vancouver Whitecaps	21	46.6	4760.1%	497.7%
13	M. Duah Centre-back	San Diego	21	42.2	42301.9%	479.5%
14	T. Blackmon Centre-back	Vancouver Whitecaps	30	42.1	4247.7%	3016.6%
15	A. Najar Full-back	Nashville SC	33	40.4	4022.1%	1711.1%
16	N. Tolo Centre-back	Seattle Sounders	29	39.1	3964.3%	302.7%
17	R. Holding Centre-back	Colorado Rapids	31	38.3	38517.7%	2643%
18	S. Hefti Full-back	DC United	28	37.6	38101.1%	3531.1%
19	Antônio Carlos Centre-back	Houston Dynamo	33	37.5	38363%	1552%
20	N. Harriel Full-back	Philadelphia Union	25	36.8	3723.2%	457.5%
21	K. Rowles Centre-back	DC United	28	34.7	3520.1%	331.5%
22	R. Roberts Centre-back	San Jose Earthquakes	22	34.6	35311.9%	4724.5%
23	M. Fofana Centre-back	New England Revolution	28	33.6	3423.8%	354.5%
24	Y. Cheberko Centre-back	Los Angeles FC	28	31.9	3252.6%	321.3%
25	A. Markanich Full-back	Minnesota United FC	26	31.8	329.7%	411.5%
26	K. Kurokawa Full-back	DC United	29	31.3	315.4%	3312.4%
27	D. Polvara Centre-back	St. Louis City	26	30.9	31130.6%	4217.2%
28	T. Gray Centre-back	New York City FC	24	30.7	315.5%	457.2%
29	C. McVey Centre-back	San Diego	29	30.7	3121.9%	2815.5%
30	K. Thompson Full-back	Colorado Rapids	23	30.5	3151%	43±0%
31	L. Bartlett Centre-back	DC United	29	30.4	3049.8%	314.7%
32	M. Duggan Centre-back	Minnesota United FC	25	30.1	3085.8%	447.1%
33	J. Löffelsend Full-back	San Diego	29	28.4	28688.9%	288.1%
34	M. Navarro Full-back	Colorado Rapids	27	28.4	2812.3%	3416.7%
35	W. Sands Centre-back	New England Revolution	26	27.9	28217%	4227.3%
36	J. Díaz Centre-back	Minnesota United FC	25	27.7	2810.4%	423%
37	J. Elliott Centre-back	Chicago Fire	31	27.4	2710%	248.1%
38	A. Long Centre-back	Los Angeles FC	33	27	2775.3%	132.4%
39	N. Norris Centre-back	FC Dallas	21	26.9	27341%	4613.4%
40	F. Westfield Full-back	Philadelphia Union	20	26.7	2713.3%	485.7%
41	J. Fory Full-back	Portland Timbers	24	26.7	2710.3%	445%
42	J. Dean Full-back	Chicago Fire	29	26.6	2743.8%	272.2%
43	B. Vera Centre-back	CF Montreal	27	26.5	2728.6%	378.8%
44	F. Surman Centre-back	Portland Timbers	23	26.4	267%	471.3%
45	O. Verhoeven Centre-back	San Diego	20	26.3	26130.7%	456.2%
46	S. Moore Full-back	FC Dallas	29	26.1	262.4%	322.3%
47	D. Munie Centre-back	San Jose Earthquakes	26	25.8	2656.4%	4214.9%
48	Micael Centre-back	Inter Miami	26	25.6	265.8%	3833.9%
49	A. Roldan Centre-back	Seattle Sounders	30	25.3	255.2%	2212.5%
50	E. Kohler Centre-back	New England Revolution	20	25.1	25	4624.1%