Gaming

The best defensive midfielders to sign in FC 26 Career Mode

From Carlos Baleba to Adam Wharton, here's a curated list of the best young central midfielders to buy on EA FC 26 Career Mode

SCOUTED

19 Sep 2025 — 8 min read

Adam Wharton, one of the best CDM wonderkids you can sign on EA Sports FC 26 Career Mode

SCOUTED is a magazine about youth football. Turns out, all that knowledge is perfect for FC 26 Career Mode.

We’ve picked out a few of our favourite young defensive midfielders that would be suitable signings on your EA FC 26 Career Mode saves. From Jorthy Mokio to Nathan De Cat, these are some of the best young CDMs in the game.

If you’re looking for older players, we have you sorted too, with a collection of the ten highest overall defensive midfielders at the start of your save. If you want more DMs to sign, browse our magazine.

Who are the best defensive midfielders (CDMs) in FC 26 Career Mode?

The best defensive midfielders in FC 26 Career Mode are those with the highest overall rating. Here's a handy list, including their overall at the start of the game, and their highest possible potential rating (in brackets):

Rodri - 90 (90)
Joshua Kimmich - 89 (89)
Moisés Caicedo - 87 (89)
Declan Rice - 87 (88)
Hakan Çalhanoğlu - 86 (86)
Sandro Tonali - 86 (88)
Ryan Gravenberch - 85 (88)
N'Golo Kanté - 85 (85)
Granit Xhaka - 85 (85)

Look, these are all great options...we guess. But aside from perhaps Caicedo, none of these players have much space to grow - and he's already been signed for £100 million once. We love N'Golo Kanté, but we're not sure he's a long-term option.

This is SCOUTED, a magazine about the future of football. To that end, here's our list of the actual best defensive midfielders to sign on Career Mode - those youngsters you can pick up on the cheap and turn into superstars.

The six best young defensive midfielders (CDMs) to sign and develop in FC 26 Career Mode

For easy reference, here's our list. Don't worry - we'll dive into detail momentarily. As before, their rating is included alongside their potential (in brackets) and there should be a player suitable for every Career Mode budget.

Carlos Baleba - 81 (87)
Adam Wharton - 79 (86)
Jorthy Mokio - 70 (89)
Ibrahima Sory Bangoura - 70 (84)
Matias Siltanen - 65 (83)
Nathan De Cat - 63 (83)

There we have it. Let's get into the details, and explain why these are the best CDMs to sign in your Career Mode.

Carlos Baleba

Position: CDM, CM
Club: Brighton & Hove Albion
Nation: Cameroon
Market Value: £34.5m

Carlos Baleba's skillset is based on four core basics: covering big distances with speed, carrying with drive and directness, tackling with bite and aggression and kicking the ball with power and accuracy. It sounds simple, that those traits make him the CDM every wants to sign in real life.

It's no different in game. Baleba will be the first CDM every Career Mode player tries to sign. He's already rated 81 so will start for most teams and he can become one of the best in the game. You won't find many defensive midfielders with 85 Shot Power, 82 Dribbling, 83 Interceptions and 82 Stand Tackle. He's a monster.

Overall: 81
Potential: 87
Potential Growth: +6

Player stats provided by Sofascore

Adam Wharton

Position: CDM, CM
Club: Crystal Palace
Nation: England
Market Value: £30m

You will never get bored of Adam Wharton punching passes through the lines with both feet. Wrapping them into a number ten's feet is his favourite thing to do. He told us himself.

In your Career Mode, he would be the perfect complement to someone like Baleba. 84 Long Pass, 83 Short Pass, 83 Vision and 82 Composure make him the ultimate distributor from deep.

Overall: 79
Potential: 86
Potential Growth: +7

Player stats provided by Sofascore

Jorthy Mokio

Position: CDM, CM, LB, CB
Club: AFC Ajax
Nation: Belgium
Market Value: £3.4m

Jorthy Mokio is a do-it-all, swiss-army-knife talent: what else would you expect from a coveted Ajax prodigy? If we could include a big flashing sign here that says 'BUY HIM NOW', we would do it.

Mokio will likely become the most-signed Career Mode player. He can play in four different positions, making it easier to find minutes to get him to that 89 rating - Rodri is the only CDM who can scale to greater heights. Get him early and rest easy knowing that you have secured a player that will become one of the best on the game, regardless of position.

Overall: 70
Potential: 89
Potential Growth: +19

Player stats provided by Sofascore

Follow your EA FC 26 Career Mode wonderkids IRL on the Sofascore app.

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Ibrahima Sory Bangoura

Position: CDM, CM
Club: Genk
Nation: Guinea
Market Value: £3.3m

If for some reason you miss out on Jorthy Mokio, you might turn your attention to Genk's Ibrahima Sory Bangoura instead: for a similar price, you'll get a player very capable of developing into a great midfielder.

Another project CDM, the +14 potential growth is a delightful pay-off for a player that starts Career Mode with 82 Strength. Bangoura will develop into one of the strongest CDMs on the game.

Overall: 70
Potential: 84
Potential Growth: +14

Player stats provided by Sofascore

Matias Siltanen

Position: CDM, CM
Club: Djurgårdens IF Fotboll
Nation: Finland
Market Value: £700k

Matias Siltanen is a tight and technical passer with huge potential IRL and a profile that will appeal to Premier League giants looking to get in on a high-value ‘asset’ - as well as good clubs in the mid-tier leagues with a history of and means to developing prospects.

On FC 26, his 77 Balance and 77 Stamina are the standout traits of a well-balanced profile that could be used however you like.

Overall: 65
Potential: 83
Potential Growth: +18

Player stats provided by Sofascore

Nathan De Cat

Position: CDM, CM
Club: Anderlecht
Nation: Belgium
Market Value: £1.1m

Nathan De Cat's combination of hulking size and athletic power gives him a significant advantage in quickly chopping down counter-attacks and resolutely screening his defence. But don't let that take away from his jaw-dropping passing range.

In Career Mode, get De Cat's development right and you will oversee one of the largest rating improvements on the game, especially for the CDM position. You can take this 6 foot 4 wonderkid from 63 to 83 and have one of the most complete players, technically and physically, sitting at the base of your midfield.

Overall: 63
Potential: 83
Potential Growth: +20

Player stats provided by Sofascore

There you have it! The best young defensive midfielders to sign for you FC 26 Career Mode save. You could even check out the players that featured on last year's list, we've included their rating (and potential) for EA FC 26 below: