Best Young Central Defenders in EA FC 25

There’s plenty of choice when it comes to young, talented centre backs in EA FC 25.

William Saliba is one of EA FC 25's finest young stars. | IMAGO/News Images

With every passing year, the EA FC franchise (formerly known as FIFA) continues to grow in popularity, bringing a host of improvements with each new edition—including in EA FC 25, which was released in September 2024.

Whether you’re an Ultimate Team fan, a Career Mode aficionado, or a Pro Clubs advocate, there’s plenty to get stuck into—even if this isn’t the latest iteration.

No matter your game mode of choice, it’s always important to know who the best and brightest players are—and in EA FC, young talent is one of the most valuable assets you can have.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the best young central defenders (aged 23 or under) in EA FC 25.

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Best Young Centre Backs in EA FC 25

Ousmane Diomande is a star in the making in EA FC 25. | IMAGO/Maciej Rogowski

We’re including any player who has a starting position of centre back in EA FC 25, with one standing head and shoulders above the rest.

Arsenal defender William Saliba is far and away the strongest young centre back in the game, with the Frenchman rated at 87 overall. Some would argue that’s still too low. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven boasts an impressive 82 rating—an upgrade of four from EA FC 24.

The best young women’s centre back is Colombian Manuela Vanegas, who also comes in at 82 for Real Sociedad Femenino. She has a potential of 88.

The impressive performances of Piero Hincapié for 2023-24 Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen resulted in an 81 rating, while his teammate Odilon Kossounou—who’s on loan at Atalanta—is the same rating. They both have 86 potential and can develop into world-beaters with good physical attributes.

There is something in the water in Lisbon, with four Sporting CP players and one Benfica man making the 20 highest-potential young centre backs in EA FC 25. Ousmane Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio, Eduardo Quaresma and Zeno Debast all represent the 2023-24 Primeira Liga champions.

Manchester United have two high-potential young centre backs—one for the men’s and one for the women’s team—with Leny Yoro and Maya Le Tissier both having mammoth potentials. The latter can reach as high as 88 overall.

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Young Centre Backs with Best Career Mode Potential in EA FC 25

Player	Club	Rating	Potential	Age
William Saliba	Arsenal	87	89	23
Pau Cubarsí	Barcelona	72	88	17
Manuela Vargas	Real Sociedad Femenino	82	88	23
Maya Le Tissier	Manchester United Women	81	88	22
Giorgio Scalvini	Atalanta	78	88	20
António Silva	Benfica	79	87	20
Gonçalo Inácio	Sporting CP	80	87	23
Lucas Beraldo	Paris Saint-Germain	77	86	20
Luka Vušković	Westerlo	64	86	17
Ousmane Diomande	Sporting CP	78	86	20
Leny Yoro	Manchester United	78	86	18
Cristhian Mosquera	Valencia	77	86	20
Micky van de Ven	Tottenham Hotspur	82	86	23
Castello Lukeba	RB Leipzig	79	86	21
Piero Hincapié	Bayer Leverkusen	81	86	22
Zeno Debast	Sporting CP	76	86	20
Eduardo Quaresma	Sporting CP	76	86	22
Jarrad Branthwaite	Everton	79	86	22
Odilon Kossounou	Atalanta	81	86	23
Ana Tejada	Utah Royals	77	85	22

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Cheap Wonderkid Centre Backs in EA FC 25 Career Mode

Pau Cubarsi has a bright future. | IMAGO/SOPA Images

Barcelona’s superstar wonderkid Pau Cubarsí is valued at just £4.6 million despite having 88 potential, though he’s almost certainly going to cost you more in EA FC 25. However, there are a host of other defenders valued at under £15 million worth examining.

Westerlo’s Luka Vušković and FC Nürnberg’s Finn Jeltsch are definitely worth scouting immediately in Career Mode, with low current ratings but enormous potential. Both are valued at as little as £1.4 million and are smart additions for a long-term project.

If you’re delving into women’s football—in Career Mode for the first time ever—then Chelsea’s Maelys Mpomé is valued at £14 million and has a potential rating of 85 overall. The French defender is already a strong performer at 76 overall.

Player	Club	Value	Potential
Pau Cubarsí	Barcelona	£4.6m	88
Luka Vušković	Westerlo	£1.4m	86
Zeno Debast	Sporting CP	£13m	86
Eduardo Quaresma	Sporting CP	£13m	86
Mario Gila	Lazio	£13m	85
Mika Mármol	Las Palmas	£13m	85
Maelys Mpomé	Chelsea Women	£14m	85
Finn Jeltsch	FC Nürnberg	£1.4m	84
Otávio	Porto	£10m	84
Christian Mawissa	Monaco	£5m	84

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