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The game-changers of soccer are often the goalscorers and playmakers &꧃mdash; players that can put the ball in the back of the net with pace and precision. However, these game-changing players aren’t always the strikers or wingers that can score loads of goals. In fact, the players that make the biggest difference are the complete opposite.
More often than not, it’s the defenders that keep teams in the game long enough for the goalscorers to do their jobs. Center backs are the backbone of the team. They’re responsible for preventing (and sometimes scoring) goals, connecting passes between the midfield, and providing structure to the team’s formation. The best center backs in FIFA 23 accomplish all of those things.
Updated on May 31, 2023, by Branden Lizardi: FIFA 23 has been out a while, and what classifies as good or not has been solidified. What may have been the best CB in FIFA 23 might have changed. Or at the least, the level of potential they have might. To make sure that everything stays up to par and accurate, we've given this list another look. We also made some minor quality-of-life improvements to help improve readability. Good luck with your team!
10 Matthiꦚjs De Ligt, FC Bayern Munich
Dutch center back Matthijs de Ligt holds down the back line and makes for 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a show-stopping Anchor. His ability to mark players out of the game, step quickly to the ball, and find his m♉idfielders with decent Short Passing make him an all-around defender.
De Ligt is an 85 overall. He has the potential to become an 89 overall in Career Mode, making him a viable signing with fantastic longevity over multiple seasons. He will improve with each season, and his base stats ensure he will make an immediaꦏte impact on your team.
9 Kalidou Koulibaly, Chelsea F.C 💖
Kalidou Koulibaly is a center back 🉐for Chelsea F.C. and the Senegal national team. This guy is a force to be reckoned with on defense. He’s tall with titanic Strength stats &ꦯmdash; 85 overall Physicality — and is one of the fastest in his position with 82 Pace.
Koulibaly won’t be developing in Career Mode (his potential is capped at his current 86 overall), but he’s invaluable in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:FIFA Ultimate Team or in Co-Op Seasons. Given the opti𒊎on, you should always make him a start in your back line, regardless of your formation.
8 Thiago 𝔉Silva, Chelsea F.C.
Thiago Silva is a veteran center back for the Brazil national team and has spent a couple of seasons at Chelsea F.C. after two long stints at PSG in France’s 🎀Ligue 1 and AC𓆉 Milan in Italy’s Serie A.
Silva’s greatest attribute is his ability to properly win balls wit🐽h an 89 Interception stat. What he lacks in his unfortunately low 49 Pace, he makes up for with stellar stats in Marking (89), Long Passing (82), and Standing ꦺTackle (86). Silva is a lockdown defender with a high Defensive Work Rate.
7 ♋ David Alaba, Real🧔 Madrid F.C.
David Alaba is a name any soccer fan is familiar with. The Austrian international is moܫst famous for his time spent at Bayern Munich, where he made 400 appearances for the club, winning ten Bundesliga titles and twoඣ UEFA Champions League titles. Talk about a winner.
David Alaba is𝄹 a speedy center back for Real Madrid with impressive stats across the board. He’s strong, defends well, and even has great Free Kick Accuracy. If anything, you can at least sub him on to net yourself a goal from just outside the penalty box.
6 Milan Skriniar, Inter ꦿMilan ෴
Inter Milan’s recent success can be partially attributed to their outstanding center back, Milan Skriniar — no, he’s not named a🌳fter his club. Skriniar joined Inter in 2017 and has since helped lead the team to its 2020-2021 Serie A championship.
Skriniar is a rock-solid defender with an incredible eye for the ball. Even when you&rsqu🤡o;re not controlling him, he always seems to be in the right place at the right time. His 86 overall is impressive and perhaps ev♏en a bit low. With a decent 78 Pace, not much gets past this guy.
5 Aymeric Lapor🌊te, Manches𒀰ter City
Spanish international Aymeric Laporte has an 86 overall rating, matching his highest stat: Defense. Laporte has been integral in Manchester City’s exceptional Premier League form and against some of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the best teams in the world during Champions League play.
Laporte’s ability to not only defend but also score goals is part of what makes him so valuable. At 6’3”, he stands tall on defense and inside the box on b♎oth sides of the field, clearing balls away and putting them in the back of the net with 84 Heading Accuracy.
4 ༺ Antonio Rudiger, Real Madrid F.C. 🌞
Real Madrid is lucky to have signed such an exceptional player from Chelsea F.C. At 86 overall and the potential to move up to an 87 😼during Career Mode, Rudiger boasts high-quality stats that can only get better.
The German center back has an intimidating 92 Aggression, making for some vicious tackles on the opposition. And with 91 Sprint Speed, Rudiger can catch up to some of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the fastest strikers and wingers in the game.
3 💛 𓄧 Marquinhos, Paris Saint-Germain
Marquinhos is an amazing fit for any team in FIFA 23. You can use♔ him in any mode, and he will always make a difference on defense and can even score goals. He has some of the highest defensive stats in the game.
His 89 Defending Average, 90 Marking, and 89 Tackling make you fully confident that you will win the ball back in your defensive third. His high Defensive Work Rate sees him put defen꧋ding ahead of attacking. In Career Mode, he starts as an 88 and can reach a 90 overall over the span of a season or two.
2 Ruben Dias, Manchester City ✱
One of the biggest names in the Premier League for the past two seasons is Ruben Di🎐as. The Portuguese international won Manchester City’🥀s Player of the Season in his debut 2020-2021 campaign, all as a center back.
He must have a unique skill set to pull that off, right? His 88 overall includes an 88 in Physicality and Defense. His ability to muscle opponents off the ball and ൩put in a game-changing tackle just minutes after sets him apart from other defenders in the game.
1 🐎 Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool F.C. 🥂
Perhaps the most prolific center back in modern-daꦍy soccer is Virgil van Dijk. Known for catapulting Liverpool into such a successful string of seasons over the past four years, van Dijk is the best defender in any FIFA 23 mode.
H🅰e maintains stable defensive positioning and is able to win the ball in any area of the field–either in the box for a header or at midfield to stop a counterattack. Virg🅘il van Dijk is one of those players you can count on to win you games on both sides of the pitch.