As the name implies, your defenders in FIFA 23 are your last line of defense to stop the opposition from getting into your 18-yard box and getting a clear shot at goal. They block shots, deliver crunching tackles, out-muscle their opponents, and jump the highest to prevent crosses from getting inside the box. However, this is one of many functions a defender can serve on your team.
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Some defenders can provide an additional attacking outlet with excellent pace and long and short passing abilities, known as ball-playing defenders. A ball-playing defender must stop the opponent's attack and prevent goals. Still, after they steal the ball from an opponent, they can pick out the right pass, which allows the rest of the team to start a counterattack and quickly move up the pitch to get a goal.
10 Thiago Silva
Thiago Silva is a veteran Brazilian footballer who plays as a center-back for the top Premier League club, Chelsea FC. He has had a storied career and has won many trophies.
At the start of FIFA 23, Silva is 37 years old and past his prime; however, his 85 overall rating and impressive stats still put him up as one of the game's best ball-playing defenders. He has impressive short-passing and long-passing stats above 80, which allows him to progress the ball up the pitch beautifully, and his 86-rated composure will enable him to control the ball under pressure from his opponents calmly.
9 Matts Hummels
Matts Hummels is an experienced German defender who plays the center-back role for Dortmund in the German top-flight league. Hummels is 33 at the start of FIFA 23 and has an overall rating of 83. He is an impressive defender and an efficient asset against the opposition's attack.
As a ball-playing defender, Hummels can utilize his 81-rated short passing to distribute the ball to his fellow defenders and the midfielders; he can also use his 83-rated long passing to progress the ball further up the pitch to the forwards and start the attacking move for his team.
8 Aymerick Laporte
Aymerick Laporte is a Spanish defender who plays as a central defender for Manchester City, the most dominant team in the English Premier League and one of the best teams in FIFA.
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At the start of FIFA 23 career mode, Laporte is 28 with an overall rating of 86 and a potential rating of 87. He is a solid player who can be deployed in any position across the back line and contribute defensively and offensively as a ball-playing defender with 83 short passing, 81 long passing, and 84 composure.
7 William Saliba
William Saliba is a young French defender who is an integral part of the Arsenal FC team in the Premier League, where he features as a central defender. Saliba is only 21 at the start of FIFA 23 and has an overall rating of 83 and 89 potential.
He is easily one of the best young players in the game and is a solid choice at center-back for any team. His short passing stat of 83 and long passing stat of 76 allow him to progress the ball up the pitch quickly. Saliba also has a good pace, with his sprint speed at 86 rating and acceleration rating at 78. He can go on long marauding runs from the defense to the opponent's box.
6 Antonio Rudiger
Antonio Rudiger is one of the top players in world football and has played for some of the biggest clubs in the world. The German defender plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish top flight, La Liga. At the start of FIFA 23, Rudiger is in his prime at 29 with an overall rating of 86, which is the same as his potential.
As a ball-playing defender, the German's 80 short passing and 78 long passing are vital factors. Still, his 91 sprint speed provides the most significant threat. Rudiger can go on impressive runs into the opponent's half of the pitch and still return to his position as a defender if his team loses the ball.
5 Alphonso Davies
Alphonso Davies is one of the most exciting prospects in world football and FIFA. The Canadian is a versatile footballer who plays for Bayern Munich in the German top flight, where he is deployed as a left-back but can also feature further up the pitch as a left midfielder. Davies is 21 at the start of career mode and has a rating of 84 overall and an impressive potential rating of 89 overall.
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The pacey left-back is an almost unbeatable obstacle for any forward when his team does not have the ball. While in possession, Davies can carry the ball far up the field with little resistance due to his 95-rated pace and 85-rated dribbling. With his 85 crossing stat, he can deliver dangerous passes into the box for the forwards to latch onto and get a goal.
4 Virgil Van Dijk
Virgil Van Dijk is one of the most famous defenders in modern football. The Dutch center-back plays for Liverpool, where he is the squad's captain, and for the Dutch national team. Van Dijk starts FIFA 23 in his prime as a 30-year-old central defender with an overall rating and potential of 88.
He cuts an imposing figure in the back line with his 6' 4 frame and is a problem for any attacker to get past in FIFA. Van Dijk also contributes heavily to his team's offense by sending out long balls with his 86-rated long passing stat, which makes him an ideal ball-playing defender.
3 David Alaba
David Alaba is an Austrian defender who plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish top division. He is a versatile player that can provide quality performances when deployed in any defensive position and is one of the best defenders in FIFA 23. At the start of FIFA 24, Alaba is in his prime. He is 30 years old, with an overall and potential rating of 86.
Alaba is one of the best players you can have in your back line, stopping goals from going in, and he is also one of the best players you can have starting the attack and progressing the ball. He has an impressive 89-rated short passing and 80-rated long passing, making him an ideal ball-playing defender. He can also provide a goal-scoring threat with 82 shot power and 78 long shots, making him one of the best defenders FIFA offers.
2 Achraf Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi is a young, versatile Moroccan defender who plays for PSG in the first division of French football. He is primarily a right-back but can be just as effective as a right-wing-back, requiring more forward runs and increased attacking duties.
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Hakimi is 23 at the start of FIFA 23 and has an overall rating of 84, with a potential of 87 overall. The pacey defender provides invaluable assistance to any defense when preventing goals and is just as effective for the offense when getting goals. He has an impressive 92-rated pace, 84-rated crossing, 81-rated short passing, and 92 stamina, allowing him to go from offense to defense at full throttle throughout the match.
1 Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold is a young, versatile English footballer who primarily plays as a right-back for Liverpool FC in the Premier League. At the start of FIFA 23 career mode, Trent is 23 and has an overall rating of 85 and a potential rating of 88 overall.
Trent is a solid defensive player and brings a lot of positives to the back line. As a ball-playing defender, his 89 overall passing stats are some of the highest in the game. He has an impressive 91-rated crossing, 87-rated short passing, and 91-rated long passing, which he uses to provide lethal attacking outlets throughout a match.
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