Who is the best full-back in the world?

Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini, Carles Puyol ... all great defenders who have ruled the roost in years gone by, but the debate seems to have reopened with the question of who has shined in defence in order to the take the crown over recent seasons.

Since 2012, the second year in a row that Spain won the Euros, we saw Pique and Ramos at the back as two of the best full-backs in the game. It seemed as though the number one spot would be contested between those two but recently there are new faces on the scene.

Liverpool and Southampton agreed a deal worth 70 million pounds for the Dutchman Virgil van Dijk. That price seemed outrageous, given what the usual going rate is for a defender, but looking back it was definitely worth it.

With great clearance of the ball, a strong aerial game, great positioning and a wingspan that threatens rivals, his top performance at Liverpool was reflected from day one, when he played in the Champions League final against Madrid.

A level which has also been reflected in the Dutch national team, where he is already a leader in the dressing room. The experts of English football crown him as the best centre-back in the world, which is why he is in the running for this duel.

The cases of Ramos and Pique are somewhat unique. The Sevillano has alternated great seasons with really irregular ones, one of the reasons why he has not managed to stay at the very top as the best defense in the world, at least for a long time.

It's a similar situation for the Barcelona man. Although in general terms he has had great seasons, he has seen a slight downturn in form over the last few years which he seems to be picking up again at the moment in big games. Perhaps due to so many years of top level game time, he is starting to suffer physically. Maybe that could have be helped by leaving the Spanish National Team.

One way or another, Piqué is another contender for the throne along with Ramos and Van Dijk. Preferences aside, it only remains to see which of them plays most regularly over the coming months. Other contenders such as Umtiti, Varane and the promising De Ligt could also enter this duel to be the king of defence in European football.