FIFA 23 wonderkids: The 30 best young defenders

Bayern Munich and Canadian wonderkid Alphonso Davies is the highest rated defender in FIFA 23 after being awarded an 84 rated overall base card in the FIFA Ultimate Team game mode.

Davies is also the second highest rated player aged 21 or under in the entire video game, and features top of the list for defenders alone.

He has enjoyed a hugely successful rise to the top of world football following his move from his native Canada to Bayern in 2019. Davies has seen his rating increase by two from his 82 rated card in FIFA 22.

Josko Gvardiol is the second highest rated defender in FIFA 23, with the Croatian handed an 81 rated card after his excellent 2021/22 campaign. The RB Leipzig star was rated 75 in FIFA 22, with his plus six rating testament to his eye-catching performances in the Bundesliga.

Behind Gvardiol comes a quartet of highly talented young defenders, namely Nuno Mendes, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba and Jeremie Frimpong at 80 rated. Of those four players, Frimpong has received the biggest upgrade, jumping up seven ratings from FIFA 22. However, they have all been rewarded with upgrades from the previous edition of the video game.

William Saliba is rated 80 in FIFA 23

Sporting CP centre-back Goncalo Inacio and Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana are both 79 rated in FIFA 23. Both players have received a rating upgrade of one from FIFA 22.

Piero Hincapie is one rating higher than Benoit Badiashile and Sergino Dest, who are in turn one rating higher than the likes of Eric Garcia and Castello Lukeba.

Premier League stars Aaron Hickey, Luke Thomas, Nathan Collins, Valentino Livramento, Djed Spence and Tariq Lamptey are all 75 rated, hence they just make the cut to be a gold card in FIFA 23.

Udinese’s Destiny Udogie and SL Benfica’s Morato are both 74 rated silver cards and complete the top 30.

The 30 highest rated young defenders in FIFA 23