There aren't many players who can command the respect of Real Madrid royalty quite like Liverpool's captain. But when one of European football's most decorated modern midfielders sits down to rank the greatest defenders of his generation, Kopites were always going to pay close attention.
When a midfielder who won six European Cups, a FIFA World Cup, and controlled big matches for over a decade speaks about elite defending, every fan stops to listen.
For those of us who attend Liverpool fixtures week in, week out and watching on TV watching Virgil van Dijk operate in the flesh has been an absolute privilege a key pillar behind Liverpool lifting two Premier League titles and a European Cup.
So when Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos sat down on his podcast, Einfach mal Luppen (Luppen TV), with his brother Felix to rank the top five central defenders of the 21st century, it was no real surprise to see Liverpool’s captain prominently placed among football royalty.
Whenever Liverpool and Real Madrid have crossed paths in Europe over the last decade, Virgil van Dijk and Toni Kroos were central to the drama. Between 2018 and 2023, the two icons went head-to-head in six European matches, including two Champions League finals.
Their very first encounter came on the grandest stage of all in Kyiv. Van Dijk, having joined Liverpool just four months earlier in January 2018, anchored the Reds' defence in his first European final. Kroos dictated play from the heart of Real Madrid's midfield as Gareth Bale's spectacular overhead kick and Karim Benzema's opener sealed a 3–1 victory for the Spanish side in Ukraine.
The 2020–21 Champions League Quarter-Finals
The two sides met again behind closed doors during the 2020–21 season, though Van Dijk missed both legs due to his ACL injury, leaving Kroos to pulling the strings in a 3–1 Madrid win in Spain before a 0–0 draw at Anfield saw Real advance.
The 2022 UEFA Champions League Final: Liverpool 0–1 Real Madrid (May 28, 2022)
Four years after Kyiv, Van Dijk and Kroos lined up opposite each other once more in the 2022 final at the Stade de France in Paris. Liverpool dominated large periods of play and registered 24 shots, but Thibaut Courtois produced a masterclass performance in goal.
Kroos completed 76 of his 82 passes to keep Madrid composed under pressure, and Vinícius Júnior tapped in Federico Valverde's cross on 59 minutes to hand Real a 1–0 triumph
Across six total head-to-head battles featuring both players, Real Madrid recorded five wins and one draw. Those grueling European nights gave Kroos an up-close look at Van Dijk's aerial power, defensive organization, and distribution leaving an impression that led the German maestro to place Liverpool's captain firmly on his 21st-century pedestal.
Before Van Dijk's arrival at Anfield in January 2018 for £75 million, Liverpool were an exciting but fragile side, plagued by defensive vulnerability and a three-decade wait for a league title.
Van Dijk didn't just plug a hole he transformed the entire culture of the club. Alongside his eight major trophies at Anfield highlighted by ending the 30-year Premier League title drought in 2020 and lifting the 2019 European Cup in Madrid he was named UEFA Men's Player of the Year in 2019 and finished as runner-up for the Ballon d'Or, missing out to Lionel Messi by just seven points.
He was also named in the FIFA FIFPro World 11 three times, cementing his status as the undisputed benchmark for central defenders.
How Kroos views Van Dijk's game
This was Kroos’ top five list:
- Sergio Ramos
- Paolo Maldini
- Thiago Silva
- Virgil van Dijk
- Alessandro Nesta
Explaining why Van Dijk secured a spot ahead of World Cup winner Alessandro Nesta, Kroos lauded the Dutchman's durability, aerial dominance, and extraordinary composure on the ball:
"At number four, I’ve had Van Dijk there for many, many years now," Kroos said on Luppen TV.
"I’d put it like this: I think he’s gone from being truly outstanding to being more of a very assured, composed defender. You can definitely see that he’s now 33 or 34, and you can see that he’s starting to lack a bit of that pace, that he’s losing some of that speed. You see it again and again."
Kroos added: "He’s also had one or two difficult years with Liverpool recently, and he hasn’t always looked completely assured. But I think if we’re not judging him on last season or the last two seasons, he’s an absolute colossus of a centre-back."
"He’s also very good on the ball, has a top-class ability to switch play, and he’s excellent in the air offensively. Yeah, top-class both offensively and defensively in the air."
The statistic that left Europe stunned
For Liverpool fans, Van Dijk’s aura has always been built on his psychological control over opposing attackers. Kroos admitted he was captivated from afar by the legendary defensive record Van Dijk established during Liverpool’s run to European and domestic glory:
"I think there was a statistic a few years ago in England that over the course of the entire season, you could count on one hand the number of times he was dribbled past," Kroos noted. "That’s an incredible figure, and he’s simply been an absolute constant. You have to say that."
As Liverpool head into a hectic autumn schedule across all competitions after the international break, Van Dijk remains the heartbeat for both club and country.
At 35, he continues to play every meaningful minute for Liverpool and the Netherlands, anchoring Andoni Iraola’s backline with authority.
Praise from a serial winner like Kroos serves as a timely reminder of what we have at Anfield. Managers, rival fans, and midfield royalty all recognise the same truth: Virgil van Dijk transformed Liverpool Football Club, and his legacy alongside Alan Hansen as one of the finest defenders to ever pull on the red shirt is securely written in history.
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