The best FIFA 23 centre backs in career mode will help you concede fewer goals and lift your team to the summit of the game. Whether you’re looking to win the top flight with Tottenham Hotspur (good luck with that) or rise Harrogate Town up through the leagues, there are plenty of quality centre backs in the football game to add to your team, no matter your budget.
If you’re looking to add the best centre backs to your FIFA 23 career mode team, we’ve done the scouting so you don’t need to. We’ve unearthed some diamonds in the rough along with some star names at all price points that you’ll want to transfer as soon as possible.
Best centre backs £50m+
The best centre backs in FIFA 23 are found at prices above £50m. These are the best of the best and the signings you should look to make for your team, in and around the top of the table and competing in Europe’s top competition.
Allesandro Bastoni
The 23-year-old Italian is the most expensive centre back to sign based on his potential rating of 90. At such a young age, he’s already rated 84 and is a capable player in full back thanks to a high sprint speed of 77. A ball-playing CB, Bastoni comes with good passing stats and can be a handful attacking set-pieces thanks to his 82-rated heading accuracy and 75 jumping. All this comes at a market value of just £52m and £65k a week wage demands.
Rúben Dias
Man City’s Portuguese star packs an overall rating of 88 and the potential to rise to 91, making him technically the best centre back in FIFA 23. At just 25, Dias is good for nine or ten digital seasons, so, of course, this comes with a hefty price tag. Dias has a market value of £92.5m and a wage that demands £195k a week. Thanks to his 92 aggression, 89 strength, and 90-rated defensive awareness, though, he’s more than worth it.
Best centre backs £20-£50m
You can bag a top defender between £20m and £50m in FIFA 23. The best centre backs at this price point, though, come with lower potential ceilings or are ageing international stars. These are the players you should look into signing for Europe/cup competitions.
Raphaël Varane
Varane is a top player and the 29-year-old still has plenty of legs in him yet. His overall rating of 84 is backed up by the potential to rise to 85. This CB is imposing at the back thanks to his height, 80-rated jumping, 87 strength, and 84 interceptions. Thanks to his 84 sprint speed and 77 acceleration, too, Varane can use his pace to sweep up danger and keep up with quick forwards. His market value of £39m and £145k a week wages shouldn’t be too damaging to top flight sides, either.
Maxence Lacroix
With a market value of £25.5m and £30.5k a week wage demands, Lacroix is one of the cheaper centre backs available at this price point and something of a bargain. The 22-year-old Frenchman has an overall rating of 77 coupled with a potential of 86. Another CB with pace to burn thanks to his 89 sprint speed, Lacroix is also a good defender thanks to 80-rated interceptions, 82 strength, and 78 standing tackle stats.
Joško Gvardiol
At just 20-years-old, this Croatian CB has plenty to offer any career mode team for over a decade of digital seasons. Gvardiol has a starting overall rating of 81, but has the potential to rise to 89. The RB Leipzig ace is one of the fastest centre backs you can find, too, with 84 sprint speed and 75 dribbling, meaning he’s a good shout at full back too. All this comes at a cost of a market value of £45.5m and surprisingly low wage demands of just £35k a week.
Best centre backs £5-£20m
The best FIFA 23 centre backs for career mode between £5m and £20m consist of lesser-known younger players who have been making small waves in the real-life game over the last couple of seasons. You will find some bargains of ready-made stars too, however. These are the CBs you should look to sign to add some much-needed strength in depth and to quickly improve your starting 11 should your team be new to the top flight.
César Azpilicueta
The Chelsea legend may be getting older at 33, but he still demands a place in your team. His overall rating of 82 is great at his affordable market value of £12.5m. Wage demands of £99k a week though do mean that you’ll need to be in the top flight already to afford him. A quick-fix player that will add strength to your team as he can perform well as a CB, LB, RB, and DM.
Castello Lukeba
This 19-year-old CB has an overall rating of 76 and the potential to rise to 86. Thanks to his market value of just £13m and a weekly wage of £21.5k, Lukeba is too good a prospect to ignore. With a standing tackle stat of 79 and sliding tackle of 76, the young Frenchman is already a solid defender that will keep on improving for years to come.
Morato
While we could have gone for someone more well-known here like Bonnuci or Piqué, Benfica’s Morato deserves to be on this list for being a bargain with a market value of just £7.5m. This 21-year-old Brazilian CB has a base rating of 74 but has the potential to rise to 84. With wage demands of just £12.5k a week, too, he’s too good a prospect to turn down. His defending stats can do with some work, but his 88 strength and 82 aggression make for a good base to build on.
Best centre backs under £5m
If you’re looking to add some quality on the cheap, the best centre backs in FIFA 23 career mode under £5m offer plenty of value. These are the players you can sign without breaking the bank.
Giorgio Scalvini
With a market value of £3.3m and wage demands of £2.4k a week, Scalvini is surprisingly affordable. At just 18, this 6’4’’ Italian CB has an overall rating of 70 and the potential to rise to 86. While he’s a work-in-progress player, sign him up quick, get him in your starting eleven and he should improve rapidly. A must-sign player for teams in the lower leagues.
César Montes
A free agent with wage demands of £20k, Montes is a must-sign and you need to snap him up right away. With a rating of 77 and the potential to rise to 82, Montes is the best free CB in FIFA 23. The 25-year-old boasts 75 agility, 77 defensive awareness, and 84 jumping. The Mexico international will make a great signing for whatever team you’re playing as. Get him in now.
The best career mode centre backs in FIFA 23 are all worth signing, and bringing any of the players listed above into your team will do you a world of good and improve your backline. If you’re looking for a real career mode journey as a low-league side, the best wonderkids are what you should be looking for. The best midfielders in FIFA 23 will help improve your career mode squad too.