Jordi Alba and Alphonso Davies have been thriving this season as the world’s best left-backs. But the competition for the top player in this position has been up for debate.

Football has evolved over the years to be more tactical. That said, Left backs play a crucial role. Essentially, they’re part of the defensive wall in every team and are somewhat involved offensively.

Simply put, a left-back player is part of the defence, playing on the left side and providing protection from wingers from the opposing team.

Interesting Football ranks the best left backs in the world in 2023.

20. José Luis Gayà

Don José Luis Gayá Peña sus cojones y su sentimiento nos guían el camino, su cara fue la tuya,la mía,la nuestra, leyenda del Valencia,eterno capitán, murciélago inmortal. pic.twitter.com/8wtFGqcmvX

— Vicente Alonso (@Vicentealop) April 28, 2023

Valencia star José Luis Gayà is one of the top names in the Spanish La Liga. The 28-year-old Spaniard is the captain of Valencia.

This season has not turned out as expected, even as the club aims to beat the drop. José has been at the heart of the defence.

19. Mario Hermoso

📊 | Mario Hermoso 🇪🇸 sigue de dulce.

Su #AtletiRealBetis ⤵️

2º en acciones con balón (75)
2º en pases (58)
3º en pases acertados (89,7%)
1º en despejes (5)

[@atletico_stats_]#Atleti #AtleticoMadrid #LaLiga #LaLigaSantander

— ATM Zone (@_atmzone_) April 3, 2023

Atletico Madrid has seen a resurgence in form, and Mario Hermoso has been at the heart of the defence of the Rojiblancos—the turnaround in the form.

He is almost everywhere at the back and can move forward if given the opportunity. Mainly a central defender, he is successfully thriving at left-back for the Rojiblancos as they look to return to top-level football.

18. Nicolás Tagliafico

Nicolas Tagliafico already join Lyon l's training camp.🏅🏃‍♂️👍🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/IlsDh249dV

— Albiceleste News 🏆 (@AlbicelesteNews) January 4, 2023

Nicolás Tagliafico is not an introduction to European football. The former Ajax man, now in the books of Lyon, has been in fine form for the club.

The Argentine was part of the World Cup-winning squad in 2022. In the French Ligue 1, he has been an integral part of Les Gones.

17. Caio Henrique

Caio Henrique has been a crucial player for AS Monaco in the French Ligue 1 this season. Interestingly, he is a good assist-maker and provides up to nine in the league in twenty-nine appearances.

The Brazilian has been in fine form and is a regular starter. He joined the French club in 2020 from Atlético Madrid. He has been exceptional, especially regarding the delivery of the ball.

16. Roger Ibañez

🟨1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣🟥

Hatua muhimu kwa Roger Ibañez usiku wa leo! 👏 #ASRoma #AtalantaRoma pic.twitter.com/IheJtPgYxW

— AS Roma Swahili (@ASRomaSwahili) April 24, 2023

Jose Mourinho arsenal Roger Ibañez is one of the top performers in the Italian Serie A. The Brazilian has been a key part of the defence throughout the season.

15. Raphaël Guerreiro

Portuguese veteran Raphael Guerreiro is one of the most consistent players in the German Bundesliga. The 29-year-old is one of the top performers as Borussia Dortmund go toe to toe with Bayern for the Bundesliga title.

Raphael has been at Signal Iduna Park since 2016. He is loved for his versatility, being able to play as a midfielder occasionally.

14. Joško Gvardiol

Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig, 32); Freisteller, Einzelbild, Aktion, action
Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Do you remember the one-on-one with Lionel Messi at the World Cup in Qatar? Well, that was just another moment for Joško Gvardiol.

He has been a top target for teams in Europe. The Croatian left-back is regarded as the best young defender due to his excellent reputation in the Bundesliga and World Cup.

13. Alejandro Grimaldo

Benfica defensive stalwart Alejandro Grimaldo is one of the standout players in the Portuguese top flight. The 26-year-old left-back has been a top performer at the club since he arrived from the Barcelona B team in 2016.

He is an experienced player, especially his impressive statistics for the Eagles in the Champions League. An intriguing fact about the Spanish defender is the number of assists he could provide.

This season, he scored four goals and provided eight assists in all competitions, including the Champions League, where he was on target twice.

12. Mário Rui

Some credit for Napoli’s success in the Italian Serie A should be reserved for Mário Rui. He is a game-changer in the backline alongside South Korean Serie A revelation Kim Min-Jae.

The Italian defender has been top-notch for Luciano Spalletti’s side throughout the season.

11. João Cancelo

It took just 𝟏𝟒 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 for João Cancelo to get his first assist in the Bundesliga 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ghh7TXMFdJ

— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) February 5, 2023

Little or no guaranteed place in Pep Guardiola’s team this season was behind João Cancelo’s move to Bayern Munich on loan. The Portuguese had been one of the biggest additions to the team since his arrival at Benfica.

A class of brilliance, João Cancelo continues his impressive performance in the Bundesliga, where he is gradually creeping into the first team amid the change of guard. Well, only time will tell regarding his future, and we can see his best form him.

10. Ben Chilwell

Ben Chilwell is arguably one of the best defenders in the Premier League who has consistently been at the top of his game. The England international has contributed significantly to the club.

However, Chelsea has endured a troubled season, and his performance has also been jittery. he has always been at his best whenever he is on the pitch. That said, Chilwell is one of the best in his position.

9. Nuno Mendes

🚨 Marco #Verratti 🇮🇹 and Nuno #Mendes 🇵🇹 both trained. 🏃‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/os2cPQnKZH

— PSGnews (@NewsOfPSG) April 20, 2023

Nuno Mendes, what potential does he have? The Portuguese defender is one of the best players in the left back position for Paris Saint-Germain. The French giants were attracted by his impressive statistics at Sporting CP.

The 20-year has been part of the team since 2022. The club’s top hierarchy signed the youngster as they looked through the future.

The Parisians spent a staggering transfer fee of 40 million euros for his services. Fast forward to 2023, he is considered one of the best defenders in the French Ligue 1. Nuno Mendes makes the club defense secure for the foreseeable future.

8. Jordi Alba

The new project under Xavi Hernandez appears to be on the right part, and possibly Joan Laporta took the suitable stand to retain Jordi Alba, who has won every trophy with the club.

Alba has been in the books of Barcelona since twenty-twelve, more than a decade, and he looks to be getting better by age.

He could be behind the club’s return as a European superpower after a sharp decline. The once-highly-rated star continued to show his usual composure and accurate passes.

7. Ferland Mendy

Ferland Mendy compared to top LB's of La Liga (Alba, Gayà, Lodi) based on stats per 90 this season:

Pass accuracy (1st)
Take-on success (1st)
Blocks (1st)
Long pass accuracy (1st)
Aerial duels success (2nd)
Ground duels success (2nd)
Fouls won (2nd)

🇫🇷👑 pic.twitter.com/cw9mPCLwuO

— 🕊️ (@musabavarian) March 1, 2021

Is Ferland still good enough for this position? Well, a series of spells on the sidelines has quashed his chances of playing at a top level for the Los Blancos this season.

The Frenchman joined Real Madrid from Lyon in 2019 and has since established himself as the number-one player in the left back position for Los Blancos.

He is a good player known for his pace, crosses, and stamina. Especially in the biggest games, the Frenchman has stood out to be a leader in the defence.

6. Nathan Ake

It is often said opportunity given is taken as this best describes Nathan Ake’s journey in the English Premier League. The former Chelsea star could not settle at Stamford Bridge and was made to spend time on loan.

However, a good showing at AFC Bournemouth paved the way for a move to Manchester City. Luckily, the Dutchman broke into City’s first team and gradually cemented his position as one of the most preferred options.

Ake’s primary role is as a centre-back for the Premier League, but he is often deployed as a left back, and he has been successful. This season, he has featured fifteen times in the Spanish La Liga, and in these games, his performance was exceptional.

5. Alphonso Davies

Checking the stats of one of my favorites LB, Alphonso Davies, focusing on passing, under assist, you get xA (expected Assist), which measures the likelihood that a pass becomes a goal assist. The types of passes captured make you wonder why anyone would be questioning pic.twitter.com/AlFLNIJtvS

— 𝚄𝚗𝚊𝚙𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝙽𝚒𝚌𝚔© (@domynych) July 13, 2022

The 8-2 defeat of Barcelona at Camp Nou would be one of the greatest moments in the career of Alphonso Davies. Signed through the DC United Development setup, the Canadian rose to become a star in European football.

Alphonso Davies is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in world football due to his creativity and exceptional pace. The 22-year-old has established a strong presence in Bayern Munich’s defense and is currently indispensable in the team.

With enormous contributions, he played a significant role as the Canadian Men’s National team qualified for the World Cup and starred for the team after previously helping the team to the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Davies can play as a left back or a full-back which was evident as he’s been deployed in an attacking role consistently, especially during national team duty.

4. Andy Robertson

Liverpool might be enduring a troubled season, but Robertson has been effective for the Reds. The Scottish footballer has shown to be a reliable player in the defence.

One touch, reliable crossing, speed, and accurate passes are some of the few descriptions of the Liverpool defender, even though lately, he’s had some lapses, which are sometimes inevitable.

But that said, Robertson’s impact at Anfield cannot be ignored. He joined the Premier League giants from Hull City in 2017.

3. Theo Hernandez

AC Milan’s defensive wall in the last three seasons, Theo Hernandez, looks like he is not stopping anytime soon. The Rossoneri might say thank you to Real Madrid for allowing the Frenchman to join the club back in 2019.

One good aspect of Theo Hernandez is his ability to make goal contributions. According to statistics in the current campaign, the 25-year-old has scored three goals and provided three assists in 26 Serie A outings.

Arguably, he is one of the standout players in AC Milan this season. Especially the way he’s helped the club maintain a healthy record.

One of the highest points of his AC Milan career this season has been in the Champions League, which was crucial for Milan in the knockout stages.

2. Luke Shaw

We need to speak about this Luke Shaw performance.. 😮 pic.twitter.com/oKRAAVGG3u

— UtdPlug (@UtdPlug) April 27, 2023

Again and again, Luke Shaw keeps improving in his position, and this season is no different. Maybe Erik ten Haag’s touch makes the difference.

Not mincing words, Luke Shaw is one of the most impactful players at Manchester United this season. You can see his work rate whenever he is available for selection.

His performance in the left back position at Old Trafford has helped the wingers have more access to the ball. United fans would not forget the England international’s crucial role en route to the Carabao Cup.

Although he’s had some lows, you cannot take it away from Luke Shaw as one of the best players at Manchester United.

1. Oleksandr Zinchenko

#Stats 📊: Le saviez-vous ?

Oleksandr Zinchenko 🇺🇦 a le MEILLEUR pourcentage de victoires de tous les joueurs de l'histoire de la Premier League avec plus de 50 apparitions.

Arsenal savait ce qu'il faisait 🔥 pic.twitter.com/aRjNh1RBio

— Footballdayy (@Footballdayy10) January 24, 2023

The Ukrainian deserves to take this position with the enormous work he has put into the Arsenal project. The 26-year-old defender joined the Gunners from Manchester City and wasted no time before breaking into the first team.

Zinchenko has started some of the counterattacks and Arsenal buildup from the defence. And some which had led to a goal for the team.

I would say Oleksandr Zinchenko should be Arsenal’s best signing lately. The stats reveal his work rate on the pitch. He has successfully driven the ball from the left side to the centre and near accurately distributes quality passes to the midfielders.

Arsenal’s success at the end of the season would be a crowning moment for him.