5 strong defenders to watch out for | AP
The 31-year-old had a stellar season at Atalanta, which finished fourth in Serie A and won the Europa League. | X
He was rock solid at the back when the team beat Liverpool 0-3 at Anfield in the Europa League quarterfinals and in the final, when it ended Bayer Leverkusen's incredible unbeaten run. Djimsiti is a strong, honest defender, who is also comfortable on the ball. | X
The 25-year-old plays primarily in defence for the Czech Republic, but is also capable of playing in the midfield. | AFP
Athletic and technically sound, he is also a goal threat, having netted over 40 times in the last four seasons for the country's most successful club, Sparta Prague. The club captain is also an accomplished penalty-taker. Admittedly, he is yet to be tested at the highest level, but the Euros could be just what he needed. | X
In Frenkie de Jong's absence, Dutch attackers may have to fall back on their backline to win matches. Luckily, their defence led by captain VVD is more dependable than the attack. | AP
The 32-year-old rediscovered the form that made him the world's best defender in 2019 and will have to be at his best to guide his country through tricky waters. | AFP
He has been a top-class centre-back for the best part of a decade, having played over 190 games for Inter Milan before his move to PSG. | Reuters
A strong tackler, who is good in the air and on the ball, with positional intelligence, 29-year-old Skriniar has to lead from the back as 48th-ranked Slovakia attempt to beat the odds. | X
He is gearing up for Euro 2024 at home after having won the UCL, Supercopa and La Liga with Real Madrid. Despite being an injury-ravaged season, Real managed 22 clean sheets this season, and at the centre of their defence stood Rudiger. | Reuters
At 31, Rudiger is aggressive, quick and strong -- ever-reliable to deliver key long passes up front when needed. | AP