The Best Defenders Players in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team
Stopping the ball from ever reaching the goal using Defenders in FIFA 23‘s Ultimate Team is an underutilized facet of the teams composed of superstar athletes from the world’s best soccer competitors. While players might be distracted in Ultimate League through crossovers such as FIFA 23‘s inclusion of AFC Richmond from the TV series Ted Lasso, the roster of athletes present in FIFA 23 is staggering and often could be confusing to navigate. Defenders provide a foundation within Ultimate Team, especially when so many talented athletes are capable of driving through opponents for goals.
Several positions are considered Defenders in FIFA 23, including Wing Backs, Center Backs, Right Backs, and Left Backs. Depending on whether the player runs a back five or back four formations, different athletes cover positions on the pitch, preventing offensive strategies from fooling them. Wing Backs are wider Defenders, backing up a larger region, while the Center Backs support them from behind. Center Backs are sometimes referred to as Stoppers, perhaps best suited to stop the best Strikers in FIFA 23. Right and Left Backs perform as their position suggests, committing their defense to the right and left sides of the pitch, stopping cross set-ups or otherwise disadvantageous plays.
Athletes in FIFA 23 each have an overall Rating that clues players into the strengths and weaknesses they possess. Organized into several categories, Defenders are usually classified through the aptly named Defending stat, broken down into five subsections: Interceptions, Heading, Def. Awareness, Standing Tackle, and Sliding Tackle. Many of these descriptions are self-explanatory, yet others are slightly vaguer. Defenders have various specialties through these extra divisions of the Defending score, unlike the descriptions used for the best Goalkeepers in FIFA 23, so players should pay attention to which traits suit their Ultimate Team.
Picking The Best Defenders in FUT 23
Out of all the Defender positions in FIFA 23, the best Center Back is Virgil van Dijk, João Cancelo is the best Left Back, Trent Alexander-Arnold holds the place for the best Right Back, with either Alexander-Arnold or Cancelo being just as effective as Wing Backs. Van Dijk holds the highest overall Rating of any Defender in FIFA 23, with a total of 90, making great stats all around. Perhaps his most impressive score lies in the Standing Tackle stat, making him an aggressive Defender that doesn’t hesitate to get the ball away from FIFA 23‘s best Dribblers. Boasting a 93 Strength score, players won’t have trouble enforcing their defensive strategy with Van Dijk.
Depending on how many athletes decide to play as Defenders through Ultimate Team, João Cancelo proves to be a versatile tool for whatever decision is made. A proven Defender at either Left Back or Left Wing Back, Cancelo’s overall 88 Rating reflects a 91 Stamina, letting him compete at the same pace throughout a match no matter what adjustments the player chooses to make. Cancelo’s Defending score might be a little underwhelming at an 81; however, stats such as an 87 in Ball Control give Cancelo tools that other Defenders don’t have when engaging an opponent’s offense.
Rounding out the best Defenders as one of the best young players in FIFA 23‘s Career Mode, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold shows incredible promise as a Right Back or Right Wing Back. Meshing well with his overall 87 Rating, Alexander-Arnold has an 83 Interceptions stat combined with a 92 Crossing score. Players that want balls knocked away quickly might find Alexander-Arnold very useful through a five-back defense, as he would support the more experienced athletes and best Defenders in FIFA 23.