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

A. Sieb of Los Angeles FC is the standout for raw talent across players in Major League Soccer, with a Field Insider Rating of 70.7, and L. Messi has been the form player this season, grading 86.1, and A. Martínez leads the scoring with 19 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: P. Judd has improved his Season rating most, up +60.6 on last season, while H. Synchuk's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +12.6 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, Felipe Andrade of Houston Dynamo is the most valuable name in this group at 14.9.

CF Montreal · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

P. Judd+60.6SsN

San Jose Earthquakes · 24/25→25/26

Felipe Andrade14.9val

Houston Dynamo

50 players · ranked by best defendersCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	R. Porteous Centre-back	Los Angeles FC	27	65.2	65343.5%	3922.5%
2	E. Segura Centre-back	Los Angeles FC	29	62.9	6366%	321.6%
3	N. Tafari Full-back	Los Angeles FC	29	57.7	5887.9%	3110%
4	Felipe Andrade Centre-back	Houston Dynamo	24	52.9	5387.6%	4610.1%
5	M. Woledzi Centre-back	Nashville SC	25	52.5	536.1%	452.5%
6	Antônio Carlos Centre-back	Houston Dynamo	33	51.9	52540.7%	1660.2%
7	É. Ocampo Full-back	Vancouver Whitecaps	22	50.5	5136.1%	483.6%
8	A. Resch Centre-back	Houston Dynamo	23	49.3	49	46
9	D. Lovitz Centre-back	Nashville SC	34	46.6	4740.4%	167.1%
10	M. Mbokazi Centre-back	Chicago Fire	20	46.4	4682%	4480.4%
11	Sergi Palencia Centre-back	Los Angeles FC	30	45.3	45±0%	2222.3%
12	M. Laborda Full-back	Vancouver Whitecaps	26	44.6	4519.6%	469.5%
13	J. Palacios Full-back	Nashville SC	32	44.3	4490.9%	209.9%
14	M. Duah Centre-back	San Diego	21	42.6	43305.7%	466.7%
15	T. Johnson Centre-back	Vancouver Whitecaps	21	42.2	4245%	497.2%
16	R. Hollingshead Centre-back	Los Angeles FC	35	40.4	4018.5%	1313.5%
17	L. Bombino Full-back	San Diego	20	40.4	408.6%	4310.3%
18	C. McVey Centre-back	San Diego	29	40.1	402%	2913.1%
19	N. Tolo Centre-back	Seattle Sounders	29	39.6	4066.4%	315.8%
20	S. Hefti Full-back	DC United	28	39.3	39110.2%	3628.9%
21	A. Roldan Centre-back	Seattle Sounders	30	39.2	3946.8%	2212.9%
22	R. Roberts Centre-back	San Jose Earthquakes	22	38.7	39360.7%	4930.9%
23	B. Ceballos Centre-back	CF Montreal	25	38.4	38±0%	3323.5%
24	M. Fofana Centre-back	New England Revolution	28	37.5	3815%	354.2%
25	T. Blackmon Centre-back	Vancouver Whitecaps	30	36.8	3729.1%	2915%
26	A. Najar Full-back	Nashville SC	33	36.6	3710.6%	1615.9%
27	K. Rowles Centre-back	DC United	28	36.5	3726.3%	342.1%
28	N. Harriel Full-back	Philadelphia Union	25	36	3624.8%	457.7%
29	A. Gutman Full-back	Chicago Fire	29	35.4	3531.6%	299.8%
30	D. Polvara Centre-back	St. Louis City	26	34	34153.7%	4216.1%
31	J. Elliott Full-back	Chicago Fire	31	33.1	3332.9%	274.7%
32	Leonardo Barroso Centre-back	Chicago Fire	21	32.9	33219.4%	425.3%
33	M. Duggan Centre-back	Minnesota United FC	25	32.6	33101.2%	458.5%
34	J. Díaz Centre-back	Minnesota United FC	25	31.9	3227.1%	431.8%
35	A. Markanich Full-back	Minnesota United FC	26	31.9	329.4%	424.2%
36	J. Waterman Centre-back	Chicago Fire	30	31.8	3276.7%	237.2%
37	W. Sands Centre-back	New England Revolution	26	31.5	32258%	4227.3%
38	R. Holding Centre-back	Colorado Rapids	30	31.3	31404.8%	2536.9%
39	J. Travis Full-back	Colorado Rapids	22	31.3	31595.6%	4313%
40	Micael Centre-back	Inter Miami	26	30.9	3127.7%	4030.7%
41	N. Norris Centre-back	FC Dallas	21	30.1	30393.4%	4512.7%
42	B. Kikanovic Full-back	San Jose Earthquakes	26	29.6	30	4030.9%
43	J. Ragen Centre-back	Seattle Sounders	27	29.6	3024.4%	361.4%
44	D. Munie Centre-back	San Jose Earthquakes	26	29.6	3079.4%	4317.7%
45	T. Gray Centre-back	New York City FC	24	29	29±0%	458.2%
46	E. Morales Full-back	CF Montreal	22	28.7	29156.3%	4516%
47	O. Svatok Centre-back	Austin	31	28.6	298.7%	230.9%
48	K. Kurokawa Full-back	DC United	29	28.5	294%	349.7%
49	S. Moore Centre-back	FC Dallas	29	28.1	2810.2%	321.6%
50	F. Surman Centre-back	Portland Timbers	22	28	281.4%	46±0%