The central defensive midfield position has become one of the most important roles in the modern game. With many teams todaypressing high up the pitch in a 433 formation, the defensive midfielder is tasked with a plethora of defensive duties to allow the offensive players the most creative and attacking freedom possible.
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That’s not all modern defensive midfielders are expected to do, however, as when their team is in possession, the CDM also helps the team play out from the back and progress the ball forward into more attacking areas. Suffice to say; the CDM position is an important one to get right in terms of recruitment, as their performance can make or break some teams. Thankfully,FIFA 22has a range of current and former players who can win midfield battles almost single handily. Here are some of the best CDMsFIFA 22has to offer, in order of their overall rating.
Updated June 06, 2025, by Henry Moore:As with the real beautiful game, FIFA 22 Ultimate Team is always changing, with new benefits and costs to the different systems players might implement to win their matches. The same can be said with player choice, and, as the game has evolved, so too have some of the choices for the best CDM in FIFA 22. Be it a new inform variant that has been released, or a special card that completely changes Ultimate Team and its market, players must always adapt their style if they want to stay on top. Indeed, with a slew of new and special cards on offer, it’s once again time to take a look at the best defensive midfielders in FIFA 22’s Ultimate Team mode.
14Matteo Guendouzi (Winter Wildcard Version)
While his Arsenal career may have fizzled out due to a series of arguments with manager Mikel Arteta, Matteo Guendouzi has shown his worth in France, bossing the midfield for a strong Marseille team. This is reflected in his 86 rated Winter Wildcard, which, with its High/High work rates and affordable price, is an underrated pickup for any player’s CDM position.
It is really the combination of physicality and dribbling that makes this card something special. Perfect for a 433 formation, where he is expected to take the ball from the defense and move it quickly up the pitch. Add this card’s impressively cheap price, selling for between 50,000 and 80,000 coins, and players have themselves a fantastic CDM choice.
13Franck Yannick Kessie (Rulebreakers Version)
Frank Kessie has had a stellar season for AC Milan, as they look to overcome their local rivals to win the league. This season has seen Kessie receive a number of great cards, but none are better than his 87-rated Rulebreakers one. With fantastic defending stats and an impressive passing range, this is a card that players will not want to miss out on.
With only one of his six main stats coming in under 80, Kessie is an all-rounder. With 86 passing and 85 defending he is the perfect modern CDM. Add his mouthwateringly low prince to the mix, currently costing less than 30k on all platforms, he makes the perfect CDM to partner with any Serie A midfielder.
12Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso’s playing career is best remembered for two things: he was part of one of the greatest AC Milan teams of all time, and he had a notorious temper, which is reflected inFIFA 22by his nearly maxed-out 96 Aggression stat.
It’s Gattuso’s aggression that made him such a special player, as opposition midfielders would fear coming up against him. The Italian’s aggression is reflected well in Ultimate Team - as although he won’t be getting into any fights in the game - he will charge around the pitch, making tackles, winning duels, and recycling possession to the wide areas or forward players.
11N’Golo Kanté
N’Golo Kanté makes it onto this list as a current player with a base card, which speaks volumes as to how great the Frenchman has been since Leicester City’s famous title-winning season.
With 97 Stamina and a High Defensive Work Rate, Kanté is a perfect option for teams that need a hard-working CDM who can single-handily cover large areas of the pitch to snuff out opposition momentum and preventcounter-attacks. After all, there’s a reason why fans and admirers of Kanté have coined the phrase “70% of the Earth is covered by water, the rest by N’golo Kanté.”
10Casemiro (Rulebreakers Version)
Casemiro is another active player on this list, though it’s the Rulebreakers version of his card that makes the cut. The experienced Brazilian midfielder began his professional career at São Paulo before moving toReal Madridin 2013, where he has remained since - barring a loan move to Porto in 2014.
Casemiro’s Rulebreakers card emphasizes his shooting ability, giving him an incredible 97 Shot Power and 94 Long Shot. This doesn’t seem to have tempted many people, however, as Casemiro’s card is very cheap compared to the other CDM’s on this list, making him agreat budget option.
9Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola is best known for his work as a manager rather than his illustrious playing career, which illustrates just how impressive his time in the technical area has been.
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As a player, Guardiola emphasized the ball-playing aspects of the defensive midfield position by playing in the so-calledquarterback rolewhere he would sit deep, and ping passes all over the pitch from central positions. This ability to spread passes with frightening accuracy is what makes Guardiola so effective inFIFA 22,as he can turn defense into attack in an instance.
8Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélélé is one of, if not the most influential player of the 21st century. The French midfielder joinedthe Premier Leagueat a time when almost every team played with two central midfielders, often ina 442 formation, and left five years later with almost every team using a three-man midfield instead. This change in midfield shape is largely due to how effective Makélélé was at playing in a deep defensive midfield role, a position that is now known as “the Makélélé role.”
The Frenchman would sit just ahead of the center-back pairing, essentially acting as a protective shield for the backline, which opposition teams found incredibly hard to break down. Makélélé’sFIFA 22stats do a great job of reflecting his influential position, making him a great pick for teams who want their CDM to focus on little more than defense.
7Michael Essien
Michael Essien played for Chelsea at the same time as Makélélé, which, unsurprisingly, made them abrutally difficultteam to come up against, as opposition teams had virtually no hope of winning any midfield battles - especially with Frank Lampard being the third midfielder.
While Makélélé focused on defense and Lampard looked to score goals, Essien would be the team’s workhorse, charging up and down the pitch to help transition defense to attack while also doing his part in both phases. The Ghanaian is suited for just this isFIFA 22, with his High Defensive and Attacking Work Rates and 94 Stamina letting him fly around the pitch for the full 90 minutes.
6Emmanuel Petit
Emmanuel Petit is the third French player on this list, which is indicative of how good the country has been and generatingtop-quality midfieldersover the years. Petit is a very well-rounded defensive midfielder inFIFA 22, exemplified by him having a 90 stat in Short Pass, Stand Tackle, Interceptions, and Long Shots.
Petit also has High Defensive and Attacking Work Rates, which can often see him getting into shooting positions. Petit didn’t score goals too often during his playing career, though he did find the net in France’s 1998 World Cup victory over Brazil.
5Frank Rijkaard
Dutch midfielder Frank Rijkaard emphasizes the defensive element of defensive midfield. All of Rijkaard’s key defensive stats are around the 90 mark, which can make it very difficult for opposition teams to get at the center-backs.
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Following his playing career, Frank Rijkaard went on to have a stellar managerial career, particularly at Barcelona where he led the team to five trophies and played a significant part in the development ofLionel Messi.
