Kim Min-jae crowned world’s top central defender this season

Kim Min-jae, the central defender for Bayern Munich and the Korean national team, has been named the highest-performing center-back in world football this season, according to the International Center for Sports Studies (CIES) Football Observatory.

On Monday, CIES Football Observatory released its rankings for the top 10 central defenders of the 2024-2025 season, placing Kim Min-jae first with an impressive score of 91.1 out of 100—the only player to surpass the 90-point mark. Following Kim were Ruben Dias of Manchester City with 89.7 points and Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool with 89.5 points. Kim’s Bayern Munich teammate Dayot Upamecano ranked sixth, scoring 88.9 points.

In his first season with Bayern in the German Bundesliga, Kim has started in all 10 league matches, playing a total of 858 minutes with seven full-time appearances and scoring one goal. His strong performance has anchored Munich’s defense, helping the team secure eight wins and two draws while conceding only seven goals across 10 matches, placing them at the top of the league with a total of 33 goals scored.


김정훈 기자 hun@donga.com