Is Virgil van Dijk the best in the world? Surprising stats reveal ONLY Real Madrid legend trumps him
Virgil van Dijk is statistically better than all center backs in Spain except for a certain 37-year-old.
Virgil van Dijk with the Carabao Cup (Image via TNT Sports)
Virgil van Dijk is at the top of the world. His header in the dying minutes of the 2024 Carabao Cup ensured Liverpool their first trophy of the season. Along with that Liverpool are at the top of the league and one of the favorites to win the FA Cup.
While Liverpool keeps performing, many fans doubt Virgil van Dijk. In the 2022/23, the club finished outside the top four after six years. Van Dijk was also slammed by fans across the world for his performances, with many branding him as “finished.”
The Liverpool captain has now stepped up and has had one of the best seasons of his life. He has kept eight clean sheets in the 30 matches played so far. Along with his defending role, he’s been integral to Liverpool’s attacking prowess, with his abilities on the ball making the team better.
Regarded as one of the best defenders in the world, Squawka decided to compare him to his counterparts playing in the La Liga. They used metrics for both defensive and offensive qualities and it showed that he triumphed over every single center back, except for a certain Real Madrid legend.
Out of the eight center-backs compared to Virgil van Dijk, only Sergio Ramos beat the Liverpool captain. Ramos beats van Dijk when comparing them when they were the same age as well. Gerard Pique, the former FC Barcelona captain, fails to beat him when at the same age. These are the results of the Dutch defender when compared to his counterparts.
- ◎ VVD 5-7 Sergio Ramos
- ◎ VVD 6-7 Sergio Ramos (18/19 – same age as Van Dijk)
- ◉ VVD 8-4 Piqué (18/19 – same age as Van Dijk)
- ◉ VVD 13-0 Antonio Rüdiger
- ◉ VVD 11-1 Ronald Araújo
- ◉ VVD 8-5 Loïc Badé
- ◉ VVD 11-1 Axel Witsel
- ◉ VVD 11-1 Robin Le Normand
- ◉ VVD 9-4 Éder Militão (22/23)
Virgil van Dijk hits out at critics after Carabao Cup win
Virgil van Dijk’s header off a corner in the 118th minute was the difference between Liverpool and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup. Thanks to his goal, Liverpool won the first trophy available for the team.
After a poor 2022/23 season, which saw Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League. Many branded Virgil van Dijk as a “finished” player. Celebrating in the dressing room, Liverpool uploaded a video where the defender called out his critics.
They thought I was finishedVirgil van Dijk said in the video
Since becoming Liverpool captain after Jordan Henderson’s departure, the Dutch defender won his first trophy. Now his eyes are set on the three other trophies up for grabs, like the Premier League, FA Cup and the Europa League.
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Dhruv Kulkarni
(1120 Articles Published)