With over 300 million players globally, FIFA is far and away the world’s most popular football video game series. As a veteran FIFA gamer and Social Media Marketing guru with over 10,000 hours gameplay experience, I‘ve mastered all aspects of building a world-class Ultimate Team.
And if building a competitive FUT squad has taught me anything, it’s that defense wins championships. You can have Messi and Ronaldo up front, but that won’t save you if your backline can’t make a tackle.
So let‘s dive deep into the top defenders you need in FIFA 23, whether for your Weekend League competitive squad or career mode Chelsea rebuild. I’ll be sharing detailed analysis and stats on the best CB, LB, RB and wingback options in FIFA 23, along with need-to-know intel on defensive tactics.
Stick with me and leverage my decade of expertise playing FIFA at an elite level to construct an impenetrable backline!
Top 10 Defenders in FIFA 23
Let‘s kick things off with the 10 highest rated defensive players in FIFA 23 (source: EA Sports‘ official database), ranked by their overall rating:
Liverpool‘s Virgil van Dijk headlines as the #1 overall defender with a 91 overall rating. But 7 of the top 10 are CBs, so let’s break things down more granularly by position….
Key Attributes for FIFA Defenders
Before diving into the top players themselves, let‘s analyze the crucial defensive attributes that separate elite defenders:
Defending (DEF) – The most vital rating that reflects positioning, tackling, reactions and defensive awareness.
Physicality (PHY) – A measure of strength, aggression, stamina and jumping reach.
Pace (PAC) – Straight line speed to recover when beaten or chase down fast attackers.
Dribbling (DRI) – Agility and ball control abilities, especially useful for playing out of the back.
Now let‘s break down the top performers by position and why they are FIFA gods…
Best CBs in FIFA 23
These central defenders possess the perfect blend of size, physicality, tackling mastery and reading attacks to shut down strikers:
1. Virgil van Dijk (90)
Simply put, Van Dijk is the ideal modern center back. At 6‘4" he has the elite size and aerial presence to win most headers, while also possessing underrated mobility. His 91 defending rating reflects his mastery of:
- Standing/sliding tackles
- Interceptions
- Positioning
- Marking danger men
Van Dijk‘s 88 short/long passing and 82 long shots also make him a threat to switch the point of attack or bang long shots.
2. Marquinhos (89)
While the 6’0” PSG captain Marquinhos can‘t match Van Dijk’s size, he makes up for it with outrageous agility (85) for a CB and 90 reactions…
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