Best defenders in FIFA 22 Career Mode: Top prospects & cheap players

FIFA 22 Career Mode gives fans the ultimate freedom of building a club from the ground up, meaning managers will be looking for the top talent to keep things tight at the back. We’ve put together an in-depth guide of the best FIFA 22 Career Mode defenders you should sign.

Even though Ultimate Team remains the FIFA series’ biggest draw, Career Mode is also a favorite among the community. Taking control of your favorite team and leading them to glory has always been one of FIFA’s greatest appeals, long before packs and coins.

In FIFA 22, EA has gone even further by adding the ability to create a club from scratch, which makes picking out the right players even more important.

A team is only as strong as its defense, so here are the top defenders you sign in Career Mode.

Best defenders in FIFA 22 Career Mode

While attackers get the headlines, a strong defense is vital to the success of any team – real-life or virtual.

• Read more: FIFA 22 Ultimate Team: Best strikers you can buy

Center-backs are about sheer stopping power and provide the foundation for the rest of the starting 11 on. Meanwhile, the full-backs can inject some much-needed pace into both defense and attack.

These are the best defenders you can buy in EA’s FIFA 22 Career Mode.

Player Name	Position	Age	Club	Overall Rating
Virgil van Dijk	CB	30	Liverpool	89
Joshua Kimmich	RB	26	Bayern Munchen	89
Rúben Dias	CB	24	Man City	88
Sergio Ramos	CB	35	PSG	87
Marquinhos	CB	27	PSG	87
Andrew Robertson	LB	27	Liverpool	87
Frankie de Jong	CB	24	Barcelona	87
Trent Alexander-Arnold	RB	22	Liverpool	87
Giorgio Chiellini	CB	36	Juventus	86
Mats Hummels	CB	32	Borussia Dortmund	86
Jordi Alba	LB	32	Barcelona	86
Kalidou Koulibaly	CB	30	Napoli	86

Best young defenders in FIFA 22 Career Mode

The main aim of any Career Mode is to end up with the world’s best players in your club, but this doesn’t always happen overnight.

Thanks to the development system found in the mode. Sometimes it’s a better move to think long-term and sign a youngster will bags of potential, then watch them grow into a rock at the back.

• Read more: FIFA 22 Ultimate Team: Team of the Week 10 predictions

These are the wonderkid defenders you should look to sign in this year’s Career Mode.

Player Name	Position	Age	Club	Potential Ratings
Trent Alexander-Arnold	RB	22	Liverpool	90
Achraf Hakimi	RB	22	PSG	89
Matthijs de Ligt	CB	21	Juventus	90
Theo Hernández	LB	23	Milan	90
Aaron Wan-Bissaka	RB	23	Manchester United	86
Alphonso Davies	LB	20	Bayern Munchen	90
Jules Koundé	CB	22	Sevila	89
Dayot Upamecano	CB	22	Bayern Munchen	90
Cristian Romero	CB	23	Tottenham Hotspur	87
Éder Militão	CB	23	Real Madrid	89
Nordi Mukiele	RB	23	RB Leipzig	85
Noussair Mazraoui	RB	23	Ajax	86

Best cheap defenders in FIFA 22 Career Mode

While watching a prospect blossom into a world-beater is satisfying, it does often come at a cost. Like in the real game, teams will demand huge transfer fees for their best players and their young talent.

• Read more: How to earn a free FIFA 22 Next Generation Ultimate Team card

If you’re at a club that isn’t quite at the top just yet, or you’re just looking for a solid backup, paying big bucks might not make sense. Thankfully, there are plenty of options in defense that won’t break the bank.

Player Name	Position	Age	Club	Price
Becir Omeragic	CB/RB	19	FC Zürich	€2.5M €3K
Leonidas Stergiou	CB	19	FC St. Gallen	€2.5M €2K
Levi Colwill	CB	18	Huddersfield Town	€2.4M €1K
Álex Balde	LB	17	Barcelona	€2.4M €1.5K
Jarred Branthwaite	CB	19	Everton	€2.1M €9K
Amar Dedić	RB/LB	18	Wolfsberger AC	€2.1M €1.3K
Julián Aude	LB	18	Lanús	€2.1M €1.3K
Valentín Barco	LB	16	Boca Juniors	€1.3M €500
Rav van den Berg	CB	16	PEC Zwolle	€675K €500

Those were our guides to the very best defenders to sign in FIFA 22 Career Mode, whichever gap you’re trying to fill.

For more on all things FIFA 22, check out our similar guide to the best goalkeepers you should sign in Career Mode.

Image Credits: EA