Best Defensive defenders by Season Rating in 1. Division 2026

The best defensive defenders in 1. Division in 2026, ranked on Field Insider.

Best defensive goalkeepers in 1. Division Best defensive midfielders in 1. Division Best defensive attackers in 1. Division Best defenders in 1. Division Most in-form defenders in 1. Division Top-scoring defenders in 1. Division

At a glance

S. Granheim of Sogndal is the standout for raw talent across defenders in 1. Division, with a Field Insider Rating of 36.3, and I. Jönsson has been the form player this season, grading 26.7, and J. Taaje leads the scoring with 4 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: I. Jönsson has improved his Season rating most, up +21.9 on last season, while F. Riise's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +5 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, I. Jönsson of Egersund is the most valuable name in this group at 5.1.

Stabaek · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

I. Jönsson+21.9SsN

Egersund · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best defendersCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	I. Jönsson Centre-back	Egersund	27	26.7	27456.3%	280.7%
2	E. Hovland Centre-back	Sogndal	37	26.6	2734.3%	111.7%
3	L. Qvigstad Centre-back	Bryne	23	23.9	24319.3%	3610.2%
4	Å. Midtskogen Centre-back	Lyn	27	23.4	23706.9%	2821.1%
5	H. Nilsen Centre-back	Lyn	27	23.4	2391.8%	2822.9%
6	J. Haahr Centre-back	Bryne	24	21.6	2218.5%	367.3%
7	G. Valsvik Centre-back	Stromsgodset	33	21.2	2154.3%	1638.2%
8	J. Taaje Centre-back	Stromsgodset	28	20.7	2142.3%	2828.9%
9	A. Kryger Full-back	Bryne	28	20.5	2120.6%	288.1%
10	E. Nielsen Full-back	Kongsvinger	26	18.4	18384.2%	312%
11	N. Jenssen Full-back	Egersund	24	17	17233.3%	347.4%
12	V. Fors Full-back	Raufoss	27	15.2	15	2621.1%
13	M. Mulac Centre-back	hodd	20	15.2	15	3630.7%
14	S. Haugen Full-back	Lyn	26	15.1	1542.5%	3014.2%
15	J. Pereira Full-back	Ranheim	28	14.6	1514.1%	2521.3%
16	A. Skovgaard Full-back	Bryne	29	14.6	15239.5%	2116.4%
17	S. Granheim Centre-back	Sogndal	19	14.6	15	36
18	O. Jebali Full-back	Moss	26	14	1437.3%	3525.4%
19	N. Næss Full-back	Stabaek	33	14	147.3%	1336.9%
20	E. Blikstad Centre-back	hodd	22	13.6	143300%	362.6%
21	M. Mikhail Full-back	hodd	26	13.4	1311.3%	3113.9%
22	J. Baccay Full-back	ODD Ballklubb	25	13	1333.3%	3317.6%
23	J. Gunnerød Centre-back	ODD Ballklubb	21	13	13	34
24	M. Nielsen Full-back	Stabaek	32	12.3	1221.8%	1421%
25	S. Hanssen Centre-back	hodd	25	12.2	12	3328%
26	F. Riise Centre-back	Stabaek	19	11.8	12461.9%	3616.1%
27	M. Mbow Centre-back	Kongsvinger	22	11.6	12	3312.7%
28	P. Slørdahl Centre-back	Ranheim	25	11.5	1225%	323.1%
29	L. Vilsvik Full-back	Stromsgodset	37	11.5	1263.5%	1043.4%
30	K. Hay Full-back	Raufoss	27	10.6	1121.8%	2523.8%
31	W. Sell Centre-back	Lyn	27	10.5	119.5%	2530.3%
32	E. Steen Centre-back	Asane	32	10.2	1042.7%	1240.6%
33	P. Flo Centre-back	Sogndal	37	10.1	104.1%	642.7%
34	N. Hämäläinen Full-back	Haugesund	29	10	10163.2%	2241%
35	S. Johansen Centre-back	ODD Ballklubb	31	9.7	1054%	1432.1%
36	D. Gaye Centre-back	Bryne	31	8.8	967.9%	1440.5%
37	N. Walstad Centre-back	ODD Ballklubb	29	8.5	934.9%	2028.2%
38	K. Harrison Centre-back	Moss	24	8.5	929.2%	3112%
39	João Barros Centre-back	Raufoss	25	8.3	8186.2%	282.8%
40	A. Hansen Full-back	Raufoss	24	8.3	836.1%	328.6%
41	T. Johansen Centre-back	hodd	23	7.9	810.2%	323%
42	D. Møller Wolfe Centre-back	Asane	26	7.7	838.9%	2714.7%
43	I. Vik Centre-back	Mjondalen	23	7.5	8	3011.9%
44	S. Skjeldal Centre-back	ODD Ballklubb	22	5.8	639.6%	3318.3%
45	K. Haga Full-back	Asane	27	5.3	544.8%	2617.9%
46	M. Cassidy Full-back	Moss	22	5.1	532%	324.3%
47	S. Eriksen Centre-back	Mjondalen	25	4.9	5145%	271.8%
48	M. Welinder Centre-back	Moss	22	4.8	571.4%	307.4%
49	E. Lereng Centre-back	Asane	25	3.6	423.4%	285.4%
50	A. Hadzic Full-back	Skeid	27	2.5	3	2228.3%