Every great football team in history has almost always been built around a world-class central defensive midfielder.
Think Roy Keane at Manchester United, Claude Makélélé at Chelsea, Sergio Busquets at Barcelona—all players who did the dirty work, controlled the tempo, and let the stars shine.
In EA FC 26, it’s no different. A good holding midfielder can make or break your team. Without one, your defence will leak goals—but with the right player shielding your back line, you’ll win the ball back, transition faster, and dominate the middle of the park.
With that in mind, here are the 15 best men’s central defensive midfielders in EA FC 26, based on their official ratings at launch.
15. Thomas Partey (Villarreal)
Rating: 83
The Press Proven PlayStyle is one of the most valuable in EA FC 26, allowing players to hold onto the ball under pressure—and Thomas Partey has it.
Combine that with his strength, aggression, and defensive composure, and you’ve got one of the toughest midfielders in the game to dispossess.
14. Morten Hjulmand (Sporting CP)
Rating: 83
If one word summed up Morten Hjulmand in EA FC 26, it’d be solid.
He’s not flashy, but he’s not poor at anything either. With the Relentless PlayStyle and elite stamina, he’ll also keep running all game long and never let your midfield lose its shape.
13. Lucas Torreira (Galatasaray)
Rating: 83
At just 5’5”, Lucas Torreira doesn’t exactly fit the typical mould of a defensive midfielder—at least not in EA FC 26.
He can be bullied off the ball by bigger players, but actually getting near him is the hard part. His low centre of gravity and quick turns make him incredibly evasive under pressure.
12. Manuel Locatelli (Juventus)
Rating: 84
With seven PlayStyles and solid all-round stats (bar a touch of missing pace), Manuel Locatelli is a dependable, if unspectacular, choice at holding midfield.
He won’t set the world alight, but he’ll quietly do everything well.
11. Rúben Neves (Al Hilal)
Rating: 84
Rúben Neves is slow—and that will instantly put off many players when choosing a CDM.
But if you prefer possession-based football and patient build-up play, his world-class passing makes him an excellent fit.
Plus, his dead-ball ability remains one of the best in EA FC 26.
10. Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid)
Rating: 84
At first glance, Aurélien Tchouaméni’s stats might not leap off the screen, but once you play with him, it all makes sense.
The Real Madrid star's height, body type, acceleration profile, and PlayStyles combine to make him feel incredibly smooth, composed, and dominant in-game.
Sometimes, you just have to trust EA’s algorithms.
9. Granit Xhaka (Sunderland)
Rating: 85
“Shoooot!”
That’s really all that needs to be said about Granit Xhaka, whose powerful long shots make him one of the game’s biggest threats from range.
And if shooting isn’t on? “Pass!”—because he’s excellent at that too.
8. N'Golo Kante (Al Ittihad)
Rating: 85
Yes, N’Golo Kanté is still around—and yes, he’s still one of the best holding midfielders in both world football and EA FC 26, even at 34.
His two-star skill moves and relatively low passing are slight drawbacks, but if you want a small, agile destroyer who wins tackles and wriggles out of danger, Kanté remains elite.
7. Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)
Rating: 85
With plenty of room to grow in Career Mode, four-star weak foot and skill moves, superb dribbling, a 6’3” frame, decent pace, and a Controlled Lengthy body type—Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch takes some serious stopping when he gets going.
Though listed as a defensive midfielder, he actually performs better slightly higher up the pitch, where he can make use of his ball-carrying ability.
6. Sandro Tonali (Newcastle United)
Rating: 86
Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali excels in all the right areas in EA FC 26—passing, tackling, and intercepting most notably—but truthfully, there’s very little he doesn’t do well.
A four-star weak foot makes him equally comfortable going left or right, and his high work rate ensures he’s everywhere you need him.
5. Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan)
Rating: 86
Hakan Çalhanoğlu isn’t the kind of holding midfielder who’ll spend all game breaking up opposition attacks—instead, he’s the one launching them.
With four-star skill moves, a five-star weak foot, and world-class passing and vision, he can dictate play from deep and transition effortlessly into attack.
Just like in real life, he’s also deadly from set pieces—a hugely valuable asset for any team.
4. Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Rating: 87
With superb PlayStyles—including the coveted Relentless+—and excellent stats across the board, from passing and tackling to stamina, Declan Rice is a force to be reckoned with in EA FC 26.
3. Moises Caicedo (Chelsea)
Rating: 87
From a purely defensive standpoint, Moisés Caicedo is hard to beat in EA FC 26. His standing and sliding tackles, stamina, aggression, and interceptions are all top-tier, making him a nightmare for opposing attackers.
That said, his poor shooting stats don’t quite reflect real life—where he’s been known to smash in the occasional (or more lately, regular) belter.
2. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Rating: 89
On paper—aside from his slightly underwhelming strength—Joshua Kimmich has just about everything you could want from a defensive midfielder.
Aggressive, intelligent, tireless, and boasting elite passing ability, he’s just as capable of launching attacks as he is at shutting them down.
In EA FC 26, the Bayern Munich man is the complete package.
1. Rodri (Manchester City)
Best CDMs in EA FC 26
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The 15 Best Defensive Midfielders in EA FC 26—Official Ratings.
