Real Madrid boasts several top-class defenders, including Antonio Rüdiger, David Alaba, Éder Militão, and Raúl Asensio. But who is truly the fastest among the club’s central defenders? Here’s the answer.
The 2024-2025 season continues with its share of surprises at Real Madrid. Just like last season, which saw multiple serious injuries, the current campaign has also been plagued by major fitness issues in defence. While Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal have been sidelined for several months—and will remain out until the end of the season due to knee ligament ruptures—others like David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger are also suffering from muscular problems. Since November, young Raúl Asensio has emerged as a revelation for Los Blancos and the football world with his outstanding performances.
At 21, the young defender, who previously played for Real Madrid’s reserve team, stepped up impressively in his first minutes with the senior squad following Militão’s injury. In recent days, Raúl Asensio has clearly been the team’s best centre-back, especially after Rüdiger’s injury, which will see him miss the Champions League knockout clash against Manchester City. During the 23rd round of La Liga between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid on Saturday, 8 February, the defender displayed a commanding presence reminiscent of a certain Sergio Ramos.
Raúl Asensio: Real Madrid’s fastest defender
In an article, our colleagues at Marca highlighted Asensio’s top speed, which enables him to deliver outstanding performances in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad. Speaking of speed, we sought to determine the fastest centre-back at Real Madrid. After consulting UEFA’s data, the answer is crystal clear: Raúl Asensio. With a recorded top speed of 34.73 km/h, the new fan favourite at the Bernabéu slightly outpaces Éder Militão, the second-quickest centre-back (34.24 km/h).
In third place is Antonio Rüdiger, who has clocked a top speed of 32.8 km/h. At the bottom of the list is Austrian David Alaba, with 24.09 km/h. Having been out of action for over a year, the former Bayern Munich defender is clearly lacking match fitness and, as a result, cannot compete in terms of pace. At 21, it is no surprise that Raúl Asensio stands as the fastest centre-back in the squad. Given that speed tends to decline with age, it is only natural that Madrid’s new defensive gem ranks ahead of Rüdiger and Alaba.
In the Real Madrid squad, Kylian Mbappé is the fastest player, reaching a top speed of 36.5 km/h, followed by Vinícius Júnior (35.97 km/h). Already an integral part of Real Madrid’s plans, Asensio is expected to be secured by Florentino Pérez with a lucrative new contract and a buyout clause exceeding the current €50 million valuation. Los Blancos can certainly take pride in having such a quick centre-back to compensate for the shortcomings of others in this department.
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