In top form at Borussia Dortmund: Is Waldemar Anton displacing Jonathan Tah from the Germany team?

"It actually happens in every game that we shout at each other once," Waldemar Anton recently revealed. But that is not a big problem for either him or Serhou Guirassy, after all both have known each other for "so long that we can tell each other what we think on the pitch too, even if it might sometimes be a bit over the top", said the Borussia Dortmund defender.

Anton had another chance to let Guirassy know exactly what he thought on Saturday evening in the 1-0 win against VfB Stuttgart. When the striker went off in the 74th minute, he was too slow getting to the touchline. Under the new rules, substitute Fabio Silva then had to wait 60 seconds before he was allowed on. BVB played with 10 men for that brief spell, and coach Niko Kovac made no secret of his frustration with Guirassy's sluggishness.

That allowed Anton to keep his focus on the job that matters most. Back at his former club, where fans still boo him loudly every time he touches the ball because of his sudden move to Dortmund two years ago, the 30-year-old had plenty to deal with. Once again, though, neither he nor his team could be beaten.

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Waldemar Anton has a huge share in BVB's upturn

Defensive work has not been in short supply for Borussia's back line since Kovac took charge. Now he has all but perfected that side of his team. Last year BVB already had the best defence in the league with 34 goals conceded. Four matchdays into the new campaign, the Westphalians have kept three clean sheets and sit joint top of that ranking with Bayern Munich on two goals conceded.

Anton has played a huge part in that rise through his individual performances. After a complicated first season, when two muscle fibre tears suffered almost back to back sidelined him for a longer spell than ever before in his career, he has grown into a "total constant" at BVB, as Kovac said about him months ago.

Kovac never misses a chance to praise his protégé, even if Anton himself does not care much for labels like "defensive leader". Speaking before the Champions League opener against Villarreal, Kovac said of Anton: "He is a leader. Someone who leads the way. He thinks, eats, sleeps, drinks football 24/7. Someone who supports his team-mates, never gives up and gives everything for the team - a role model."

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How often was Waldemar Anton in BVB's starting XI in 2025/26?

Anton had already produced an excellent season last year and looked more solid defensively than his partner Nico Schlotterbeck, who was also injured at the start of this year. The "Ironman" (Kovac on Anton) showed remarkable reliability and consistency, and the numbers back it up. Anton was unavailable for only three of 47 competitive matches in 2025/26. In the league and cup, he completed all 35 appearances in full.

Despite his World Cup involvement with Germany, Anton had less preparation time than almost any other Dortmund player before the start of the new season. It barely affected him. Since then, the 15-cap international has simply picked up where he left off, in outstanding form.

His constant availability is only part of what makes Anton so valuable. He leads through discipline, mentality and resilience. Anton plays without fuss, defends relentlessly and robustly, and is a warrior before the Lord. His anticipation has become an outstanding quality. Since Mats Hummels, no one at BVB has defended on the front foot as intelligently and effectively as Anton.

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Waldemar Anton is currently the best German centre-back

The statistics reflect that too: Anton ranks among the league's best for duel success rate, won aerial duels, interceptions and clearances. He is central to Dortmund's stability and has become one of the faces of the upturn under Kovac. On current form and with the way he has started the season, there is no better German centre-back than Anton right now.

That makes it hard to imagine him not playing a decisive role in the national team's restart. Like Kovac, Germany coach Jürgen Klopp wants a style built on a rock-solid defence. Anton brings huge experience, is physically and mentally right up to speed, organises the back line well and offers important support to younger players, in short, almost every quality Klopp needs for his vision of the future DFB team.

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What role will Waldemar Anton play for the DFB under Jürgen Klopp?

Long term, Schlotterbeck's strong left foot and his excellent diagonal balls in build-up play could give him a sporting edge in the national team and make him slightly more suited to the role. But does it really need saying that Bayern Munich's Jonathan Tah remains the set number one centre-back?

One thing is certain: Anton himself is unlikely to do much self-promotion. Kovac once described him as "very calm, very modest, very humble": "Putting his own ego to one side and the team to the fore - simply outstanding." Time will tell how the competition develops for Anton in the Germany squad. At BVB, the current league leaders, he no longer has to deal with any.

Waldemar Anton: his performance data at BVB

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