You can find the best young centre backs to sign for your career mode right here.
Leading from the back is the centre back’s mantra and we’ve got the best young players at this key position to sign for your Career Mode.
Choosing FIFA 22 Career Mode’s best young centre backs (CB)
In this article we will be looking at the best young, up-and-coming talent in the centre back position, featuring players like Joules Koundé, Matthijs de Ligt, and Éder Militão.
All the players featured have been selected because of their overall rating, as well as the fact that the their primary position is centre back, and they are all 23 years of age or younger.
At the foot of the article, you’ll find a full list of all of the best young centre backs (CB) in FIFA 22.
Matthijs de Ligt (85 OVR – 90 POT)
Team: Piemonte Calcio (Juventus)
Age: 21
Wage: £69,000
Value: £64.5 million
Best Attributes: 93 Jumping, 93 Strength, 85 Sliding Tackle
Matthijs de Ligt is the starting centre back for Juventus, and boasts an impressive 85 overall rating on FIFA 22 with a potential rating of 90.
The aerial threat of de Ligt is mammoth, with 93 jumping, 93 strength, and 85 heading accuracy. His 85 standing tackle and 85 sliding tackle to go along with 84 reactions help to make him a world-class defender.
The Dutchman moved from Ajax to Juventus for £76.95 million in 2019, a huge fee for a 19-year-old. Since then, de Ligt has played 80 games for Juventus over the course of two seasons, scoring six goals from centre back in that time.
Euro 2020 was de Ligt’s first international tournament. After missing the first game with a groin strain, he played the following three, including the Netherlands’ loss to the Czech Republic in the Round of 16, giving him valuable experience at the international level.
Joules Koundé (83 OVR – 89 POT)
Team: Sevilla
Age: 22
Wage: £73,000
Value: £45.5 million
Best Attributes: 88 Jumping, 86 Interceptions, 85 Reactions
Joules Koundé has recently thrown his hat into the ring as France’s future centre back, and with an overall rating of 83 with a potential of 89 on FIFA 22, it’s easy to see why.
Koundé excels at defending with 86 interceptions, 85 marking, 85 standing tackle, 85 reactions, and 83 sliding tackle. His 81 acceleration and 81 sprint speed help him stand out amongst centre backs.
A key part of Sevilla’s 2020 Europa League win, Koundé has settled well in Spain since moving from Girondins Bordeaux in 2019.
It was his work in Spain which helped him to earn him his first international cap this summer with France. Koundé has played three times for his country, including a game in Euro 2020 in the final group game against Portugal.
Éder Militão (82 OVR – 89 POT)
Team: Real Madrid
Age: 23
Wage: £115,000
Value: £48.5 million
Best Attributes: 86 Jumping, 85 Stamina, 84 Sprint Speed
Stellar performances for Spanish giants Real Madrid have earned Militão an 82 rating on FIFA 22, with an 89 potential rating suggesting that he still has plenty of room for improvement.
Militão is a physical presence on FIFA 22 with 86 jumping, 85 stamina, and 84 sprint speed. As expected, he also excels defensively with 84 interceptions, 83 marking, 83 standing tackle, and 82 sliding tackle.
A single season for FC Porto was enough for Real Madrid to swoop on the Brazilian in 2019. Since the move to Spain he has struggled to earn himself a starting spot, but with Sergio Ramos now gone that should change, and the start of the season has indicated as much.
After playing three out of the four group stage games in the Copa America this summer, Militão would have been frustrated not to play at all in the final, but this gives the Brazilian something to avenge in the future.
Cristian Romero (82 OVR – 87 POT)
Team: Tottenham Hotspur
Age: 23
Wage: £44,000
Value: £37.5 million
Best Attributes: 89 Aggression, 86 Jumping, 84 Standing Tackle
Cristian Romero has an 83 overall rating on FIFA 22 with a potential overall rating of 87, making him one of the best young centre backs in the game.
The Atalanta loanee has 89 aggression on FIFA 22 along with 84 standing tackle, 83 marking, and 83 sliding tackle, all numbers which highlight his defensive prowess. His 86 jumping and 83 heading accuracy also make him a viable aerial threat.
Romero’s high aggression on FIFA 22 is reflective of his tendency to accumulate yellow cards over his career. Last season, he picked up ten of them in 30 games, earning him three suspensions throughout the campaign.
The Argentine scored in just his second game for his country in a 2-2 draw with Colombia in June this year. Unfortunately for Romero, injuries kept him out of the national side’s knockout stage game in the Copa America, but he was able to get some minutes in the final.
Dayot Upamecano (82 OVR – 90 POT)
Team: Bayern München
Age: 22
Wage: £60,000
Value: £55 million
Best Attributes: 90 Sprint Speed, 90 Sliding Tackle, 88 Strength
The big money move to Bayern München over the summer has earned Upamecano an 82 rating on FIFA 22, with a huge potential overall rating of 90.
Though Upamecano only has 70 acceleration on FIFA 22, his 90 sprint speed is what separates him from the pack. Partner that speed with a 90 sliding tackle and he’s adept at tracking back and making a tackle. His 88 strength, 87 jumping, and 83 aggression all demonstrate what a great physical defender he is.
Upamecano took his form at Red Bull Salzburg, where he won two consecutive league titles, to RB Leipzig in 2017, helping to propel the side into Europe for the first time in their history.
After making his debut for France and playing the subsequent two games, injuries and action with the under-21 team have prevented the talented defender from playing further minutes in the national team, though at just 22 years of age he still has plenty of time to make an imprint for his country.
Edmond Tapsoba (81 OVR – 88 POT)
Team: Bayer Leverkusen
Age: 22
Wage: £42,000
Value: £42 million
Best Attributes: 84 Standing Tackle, 83 Interceptions, 82 Heading Accuracy
Edmond Tapsoba finds his way on this list courtesy of an 81 overall rating and an impressive 88 potential overall rating.
The Burkina Faso international is an aerial threat standing at 6’4”, boasting a power header trait, and 82 heading accuracy. His 84 stand tackle, 83 interceptions, and 82 marking can only get better with his 88 potential.
Since joining Bayer Leverkusen in January 2020, Tapsoba has established himself in the first team, playing 61 games and scoring two goals.
The man from Ouagadougou made his international debut at just 17 years old for Burkina Faso, but a ligament tear has prevented him from playing for club and country since July.
Alessandro Bastoni
Team: Inter Milan
Age: 22
Wage: £66,000
Value: £38 million
Best Attributes: 84 Standing Tackle, 83 Interceptions, 81 Stamina
Bastoni’s current overall rating of 80 is the lowest on this list, but a potential of 89 means he could be a great player going forward.
With an 84 standing tackle, 80 marking, and 80 sliding tackle, Bastoni is also a good short-term option, and his 89 potential will see those defensive statistics ultimately reach the upper echelon of players in his position. The Italian is also strong in the air with 81 heading accuracy.
Inter Milan paid big money for Bastoni before loaning him out at Atalanta and Parma. Since his return to Milan in 2019, the 22-year-old has cemented a first team position at centre back. Last season he played 33 games in Serie A and created three assists in that time.
All of the best young centre backs (CB) on FIFA 22
In the table below you will find a list of all of the best young centre backs in FIFA 22 sorted by their overall rating.
| Name | Overall | Potential | Age | Position | Team | Value | Wage |
| Matthijs de Ligt | 85 | 90 | 21 | CB | Juventus | £64.5M | £70K |
| Jules Koundé | 83 | 89 | 22 | CB | Sevilla FC | £45.6M | £28K |
| Éder Militão | 82 | 89 | 23 | CB | Real Madrid | £48.6M | £112K |
| Dayot Upamecano | 82 | 90 | 22 | CB | FC Bayern München | £55M | £60K |
| Edmond Tapsoba | 81 | 88 | 22 | CB | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | £41.7M | £42K |
| Alessandro Bastoni | 80 | 89 | 22 | CB | Inter | £38.3M | £66K |
| Sven Botman | 79 | 85 | 21 | CB | LOSC Lille | £21.9M | £23K |
| Maxence Lacroix | 79 | 86 | 21 | CB | VfL Wolfsburg | £28.4M | £36K |
| Lisandro Martínez | 79 | 85 | 23 | CB, LB, CDM | Ajax | £21.5M | £14K |
| Fikayo Tomori | 79 | 85 | 23 | CB | Milan | £21.5M | £30K |
| Gabriel | 79 | 84 | 23 | CB | Arsenal | £20.6M | £56K |
| Wesley Fofana | 78 | 86 | 20 | CB | Leicester City | £24.9M | £49K |
| Dan-Axel Zagadou | 78 | 84 | 22 | CB | Borussia Dortmund | £17.6M | £36K |
| Ibrahima Konaté | 78 | 86 | 22 | CB | Liverpool | £25.4M | £63K |
| Ezri Konsa | 78 | 84 | 23 | CB, RB | Aston Villa | £17.2M | £43K |
| Ronald Araujo | 77 | 86 | 22 | CB | FC Barcelona | £18.9M | £74K |
| Ibañez | 77 | 85 | 22 | CB | Roma | £18.9M | £32K |
| Eric García | 77 | 86 | 20 | CB | FC Barcelona | £18.5M | £61K |
| Evan N’Dicka | 77 | 84 | 21 | CB, LB | Eintracht Frankfurt | £17.2M | £16K |
| Felix Uduokhai | 77 | 82 | 23 | CB | FC Augsburg | £12.5M | £18K |
| Axel Disasi | 77 | 82 | 23 | CB | AS Monaco | £12.5M | £32K |
| Ben Godfrey | 77 | 85 | 23 | CB, LB | Everton | £18.9M | £48K |
| Gonçalo Inácio | 76 | 86 | 19 | CB | Sporting CP | £12.9M | £6K |
| Jean-Clair Todibo | 76 | 84 | 21 | CB | OGC Nice | £13.3M | £17K |
| Mohamed Salisu | 76 | 84 | 22 | CB | Southampton | £13.3M | £33K |
| Sebastiaan Bornauw | 76 | 82 | 22 | CB | VfL Wolfsburg | £9.5M | £34K |
| Benoît Badiashile | 76 | 84 | 20 | CB | AS Monaco | £13.3M | £25K |
| Nikola Milenković | 76 | 83 | 23 | CB, RB | Fiorentina | £12M | £31K |
| Ben White | 76 | 85 | 23 | CB, CM | Arsenal | £13.3M | £45K |
| Olivier Boscagli | 76 | 81 | 23 | CB, LB, CDM | PSV | £8.6M | £12K |
| Mingueza | 75 | 83 | 22 | CB, RB | FC Barcelona | £10.3M | £65K |
| Attila Szalai | 75 | 83 | 23 | CB, LB | Fenerbahçe SK | £9.9M | £28K |
| Jurriën Timber | 75 | 86 | 20 | CB, RB | Ajax | £9.9M | £9K |
| Joško Gvardiol | 75 | 87 | 19 | CB, LB | RB Leipzig | £10.8M | £23K |
| Dávid Hancko | 75 | 85 | 23 | CB, LB | Sparta Praha | £9.9M | £731 |
| Mohamed Simakan | 75 | 85 | 21 | CB, RB | RB Leipzig | £10.3M | £31K |
| Juan Foyth | 75 | 83 | 23 | CB, RB, CDM | Villarreal CF | £9.9M | £19K |
| Facundo Medina | 75 | 80 | 22 | CB | Racing Club de Lens | £6.9M | £18K |
| Takehiro Tomiyasu | 75 | 85 | 22 | CB, RB | Arsenal | £10.3M | £42K |
| Harold Moukoudi | 75 | 80 | 23 | CB | AS Saint-Étienne | £6.5M | £20K |
| Kristoffer Ajer | 75 | 83 | 23 | CB | Brentford | £9.9M | £28K |
Found any other gems? Let the 游戏会 team know in the comments.
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