As all of history’s greatest squads show, no team can excel in football without an elite CB. Of course, that rings even more true in EA FC 26 Ultimate Team, considering how meta-focused the higher divisions can be.
But believe it or not, there are actually many budget defenders capable of excelling and, in many cases, putting up a fight against the already well-known 1M+ cards. Here are the best center-backs (CB) you can acquire for under 10K, 50K, and 100K in EA FC 26 Ultimate Team.
- Keep in mind that we won’t include SBC players here, given their time-gated fashion.
Table Of Contents
The Best CBs For Under 10K In EA FC 26
His standout 87 PAC and complete selection of defensive PlayStyles make Gold Rare Roger Ibanez the best choice when looking for a cheap starting CB in FC 26. So, you can get a back two with less than 6K. He is then followed by Ronald Araujo, who pairs similar strengths to our top pick with a much easier-to-link league. You can check out a full overview of our picks below, as well as a few other great alternatives:
| Player | Face Stats | PlayStyles | Average Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Rare Roger Ibanez (82 OVR / CB) | 87 PAC, 32 SHO, 47 PAS, 61 DRI, 83 DEF, and 85 PHY | Precision Header, Long Ball Pass, Jockey, Block, Intercept, Slide Tackle, and Aerial Fortress | 4K on both consoles and PC |
| Gold Rare Ronald Araujo (83 OVR / CB) | 80 PAC, 53 SHO, 63 PAS, 61 DRI, 81 DEF, and 83 PHY | Precision Header, Jockey, Block, Anticipate, Slide Tackle, and Aerial Fortress | 1,8K+ on consoles and PC |
| Gold Rare Nico Schlotterbeck (85 OVR / CB) | 74 PAC, 60 SHO, 75 PAS, 73 DRI, 85 DEF, and 82 PHY | Slide Tackle+, Long Ball Pass, Jockey, Block, Anticipate, and Long Throw | 4.5K+ on both consoles and PC |
| Gold Rare Piero Hincapié (83 OVR / CB) | 84 PAC, 41 SHO, 65 PAS, 72 DRI, 84 DEF, and 82 PHY | Slide Tackle+, Jockey, and Block | 4.6K+ on consoles / 3.8K on PC |
The Best Under 50K CBs in EA FC 26
If you are working with a bigger budget but still looking to spend wisely, I consider Gold Rare Marquinhos to be the best cost/benefit CB under 50K in EA FC 26. When looking at the best of the best, however, Ultimate Scream Juan David Cabal has been making the waves lately via his Anticipate+ PlayStyle and ability to outperform as both a CB and LB.
Even if still overpriced, Gold Rare Willian Pacho is also a great alternative due to his Bruiser+ PlayStyle and high PAC/DEF/PHY baseline. You can check out an overview of all of the mentioned players below:
| Player | Face Stats | PlayStyles | Average Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Scream Juan David Cabal (85 OVR / CB) | 82 PAC, 50 SHO, 80 PAS, 76 DRI, 85 DEF, and 80 PHY | Anticipate+, Long Ball Pass, Block, Intercept, and Slide Tackle | 40k+ on consoles / 45K+ on PC |
| Gold Rare Willian Pacho (86 OVR / CB) | 80 PAC, 34 SHO, 62 PAS, 62 DRI, 86 DEF, and 86 PHY | Bruiser+, Jockey, Block, and Anticipate | 45K on consoles / 50K on PC |
| Gold Rare Marquinhos (87 OVR / CB) | 78 PAC, 56 SHO, 75 PAS, 74 DRI, 89 DEF, and 80 PHY | Intercept+, Jockey, Anticipate, and Aerial Fortress | 27K+ on console / 32K+ on PC |
The Best Under 100K Center Backs In EA FC 26
To no one’s surprise, Gold Rare Virgil van Dijk is by far the best CB under 100K coins in EA FC 26, as he pairs his already known physical presence with a complete selection of PlayStyles, including Intercept+ and Pinged Pass. The latter also enables him to excel as a Ball-Playing Defender, making the Liverpool Captain the perfect fit for almost all formations and tactics.
As alternatives, Saliba is van Dijk’s best partner under our budget, with his Anticipate+ PlayStyle managing to make up for his lack of standard ones. To give you a better look, here’s an overview of the stats of both players, as well as three alternatives for those looking to also buff their bench.
| Player | Face Stats | PlayStyles | Average Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Rare Virgil van Dijk (90 OVR / CB) | 73 PAC, 60 SHO, 72 PAS, 72 DRI, 90 DEF, 87 PHY | Intercept+, Precision Header, Pinged Pass, Jockey, Anticipate, Aerial Fortress, and Bruiser | 70K+ on consoles / 65K+ on PC |
| Gold Rare William Saliba (87 OVR / CB) | 77 PAC, 39 SHO, 68 PAS, 72 SRI, 87 DEF, and 83 PHY | Anticipate+, Long Ball Pass, and Jockey | 55K+ on consoles / 50K+ on PC |
| Ratings Reload Wendie Renard (86 OVR / CB) | 75 PAC, 63 SHO, 71 PAS, 72 DRI, 88 DEF, and 84 PHY | Anticipate+, Precision Header, Long Ball Pass, Jockey, Slide Tackle, and Aerial Fortress | 90K+ on consoles / 100K on PC |
| Base Hero Jürgen Kohler (89 OVR / CB) | 71 PAC, 51 SHO, 63 PAS, 62 DRI, 91 DEF, and 90 PHY | Block+, Precision Header, Jockey, Anticipate, Slide Tackle, and Bruiser | 70K+ on both consoles and PC |
| Rating Reload Leny Yoro (86 OVR / CB) | 80 PAC, 50 SHO, 74 PAS, 75 DRI, 86 DEF, and 83 PHY | Long Ball Pass, Jockey, Block, Anticipate, and Relentless | 90K on consoles / 86K on PC |
With your defenders taken care of, make sure to also take a look at who are The Best Strikers (ST) For Under 10K, 50K, and 100K in EA FC 26 Ultimate Team. After all, you do need to score goals to win.
