10 best ball-playing defenders in EA FC 26 (Ranked)

The best ball-playing defenders in EA FC 26 provide reliability in defense and place deadly passes forward to quickly launch attacking transitions. Including the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Mapi Leon, Leah Williamson, etc., these players can be relied upon in four-back systems.

In this article, we will discuss the best ball-playing defenders in EA FC 26 to help you determine the best partner for your stoppers in the game. Read on to learn more.

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Virgil van Dijk and some of the best ball-playing defenders in EA FC 26

Here are the best ball-playing defenders in EA FC 26:

Players	Position(s)	Overall	Passing	Defending	Interception
Ruben Dias	CB	86	69	86	86
Millie Bright	CB	87	70	87	82
William Saliba	CB	87	68	87	86
Jules Kounde	RB/CB/RM	87	74	86	86
Marquinhos	CB	87	75	89	89
Alessandro Bastoni	CB	87	75	88	88
Leah Williamson	CB	87	73	88	86
Irene Paredes	CB	88	67	88	88
Mapi Leon	CB	89	79	90	90
Virgil van Dijk	CB	90	72	90	91

Since all the players on the list have the Ball-Playing Defender++ role, their ranking is based on their overall ratings.

10) Ruben Dias

Ruben Dias is a top-tier Manchester City defender (Image via EA Sports)

OVR: 86

Ruben Dias is a pillar of assurance in the defensive lineups of both the current Portugal national team and Manchester City. The 86-rated defender has a 69 rating in passing, with 81 and 79 ratings in short and long passes, respectively. Dias also has an impressive 86 rating in both defending and interception, along with an 87 rating in defensive awareness.

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9) Millie Bright

Millie Bright is a great stopper as well (Image via EA FC 26)

OVR: 87

With an 87 rating, Millie Bright, the Chelsea women's star, is among those few players who are perfect for both stopper and ball-playing defender roles. She has a decent 70 passing rating along with an 86 rating for both short and long passes. She is also amazing at defending, with an 87 rating in defense, an 82 rating in interceptions, and a whopping 91 rating for defensive awareness.

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8) William Saliba

William Saliba is a trusted pillar of the Arsenal Defense (Image via EA Sports)

OVR: 87

The French CB is among the biggest assets of Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. Saliba has an overall 87 rating, including 87 in defense, 86 in interceptions, and an 88 rating for defensive awareness. However, he is already quite decent with the ball on his feet. He has a low passing rating of 68, but an 80 in short and a decent 77 in long passes.

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7) Jules Kounde

Kounde is among the top RBs of the game (Image via EA Sports)

OVR: 87

The Barcelona RB is also among the best right-backs in EA FC 26. Kounde has a decent 74 rating in passing and 79 in dribbling. Being an RB, he has a wider passing range compared to most of the other players on the list, with an 82 rating in short passing and a 75 in long passing. Kounde also has an 86 rating in both defense and interceptions, and an 87 in defensive awareness.

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6) Marquinhos

Marquinhos helped PSG in their first-ever UCL triumph (Image via EA Sports)

OVR: 87

Marquinhos, the 87-rated Brazilian CB, is also among the best defenders in the game. He has a 75 rating in passing with 84 and 85 ratings in short and long passes, respectively, meaning Marquinhos is comfortable with the ball. He also possesses an amazing defense stat of 89, with a 90 rating in defensive awareness, which speaks volumes about his ability as a CB.

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5) Alessandro Bastoni

Alessandro Bastoni was a key man in Inter's Scudetto victory (image via EA Sports)

OVR: 87

The Italian CB was one of the key players in Inter Milan's Scudetto triumph last season. The 87 OVR CB has an 88 rating in both defense and interceptions. Bastoni also has impressive 82 and 84 ratings for his short and long passes, respectively, making him a top-tier ball-playing center back for any EA FC 26 team. He also has a defensive awareness rating of 87.

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4) Leah Williamson

Leah Williamson is among the best versatile CBs (Image via EA Sports)

OVR: 87

Leah Williamson, the English ball-playing CB, has an 87 OVR rating, and she can also play as a CDM. Williamson is also among the best CDMs in the game, with an 88 rating in defense, 86 in interceptions, and an immense 90 rating in defensive awareness. However, her passing (73), short passing (83), and long passing (86) ratings make her unique from the rest of the pack.

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3) Irene Paredes Hernandez

Irene is among the pillars of Barcelona women's defense (Image via EA Sports)

OVR: 88

Irene Paredes, the Barcelona women's team's 88-rated star CB, is the third-best option on our list. The ball-playing defender has a low passing stat of 67, but an impressive 83 rating in short passing. Paredes has an 88 rating in both defense and interceptions, as well as a solid 91 in defensive awareness.

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2) Mapi Leon

Mapi Leon card in EA FC 26 (Image via EA Sports)

OVR: 89

Mapi Leon is the second-best player on this list, with an 89 OVR rating, a decent 79 rating in passing, and is also quite impressive at providing short (85) and long passes (84). This ball-playing CB has a 90 rating in defense, including 90 in interceptions and a 91 rating in defensive awareness.

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1) Virgil van Dijk

VVD is among the best defenders in the game (Image via EA Sports)

OVR: 90

Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool's star Dutch defender, is the best ball-playing defender in EA FC 26. He has a 72 rating in passing, including 80 in short passing and an 83 rating in long passing. Furthermore, with a 90 rating in defense, a solid 91 in interceptions, and another 91 in defensive awareness, he is easily one of the best options to complete your team's back four.

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Players like Gabriel Magalhaes, Ibrahim Konate, Jonathan Tah, Inigo Martinez, etc., are some of the best non-Icon cards you can pick when looking for the best ball-playing defenders in EA FC 26.