They don’t call it “the midfield battle” for nothing; football games can be won and lost in the middle of the pitch, so here are all of the best midfielders in FIFA 23 to help you come out on top. From the creative force of the number 10 to the deep-lying destroyer shielding your defence, your midfield is a vitally important part of the spine of your team and packing it out with overpowered players will usually set you on the path to victory. However, in FIFA 23 Career Mode there are a couple of problems. Some of the best midfielders from previous games like Denis Zakaria, Franck Kessie and Ryan Gravenberch have just moved onto new clubs or been sent out on loan, making them inaccessible in the first season of your save. To make matters even worse, while a lot of the best strikers in FIFA 23 have had their physical attributes buffed to incredible proportions, many midfielders have seen their speed and strength reduced from the absolutely dominant heights they reached over the last few years. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t tons of awesome players to add to your roster in Career Mode - it just means you will have to look a little harder. CAMs are the creative hooks that link your progressive midfield to your attack, supplying players further up the pitch with the ammo they need to shoot while also arriving late to pick up goals themselves. For these we’ve prioritised speed, agility and passing acumen to sniff out the best deals. Speed is still vitally important for CMs too. But they also need to be great dribblers to shuttle the ball forward without having to launch hopeful balls into the air every time they receive possession. Finally, CDMs do best with a combination of speed to close down even faster attackers, strength to shrug them off the ball and defending to break up play. With a bit of training, and some reliance on dynamic potential, it’s not too difficult to have a midfield full of players with these attributes, but the following players will get you there in a flash. First we’ll run through the best-of-the-best, the highest overall midfielders in FIFA 23 that would slot into even the Galacticos line-up. Next, we’ll list some lower overall CAMs, CMs and CDMs with high potential for the future. These bargains are the ones to look out for in Career Mode, because you don’t really need to be told that Luka Modric is good, right? If you’re specially looking for young players though, we have a full page on FIFA 23 Wonderkids. Finally, we’ll go over the best midfielders to sign in Career Mode for a variety of teams. These are our most-loved players, and each one will make you a very happy manager indeed. So you’re strong in every area of the pitch, check out our other pages on the best strikers and wingers in FIFA 23, the best defenders in FIFA 23 and the best goalkeepers in FIFA 23.
Who are the best midfielders to sign in FIFA 23 Career Mode?
Alan Varela - Boca Juniors - £13.5m Value/ £9,000 Wage - 20 - 76 OVR/ 86 POT - CDM, CM The Argentine league has always produced great midfield talents, and it looks like the next one to walk the well-trodden path is Alan Varela of Boca Juniors. A deep-lying playmaker with brilliant passing stats from the start, he’s well-rounded elsewhere with enough potential to improve his speed and strength too. Manuel Ugarte - Sporting - £24.5m Value/ £10,000 Wage - 21 - 78 OVR/ 85 POT - CM, CDM More expensive than Varela given he’s already made the jump to Europe, Ugarte is yet another South American all-rounder who can mashall a midfield or progress the ball further forward. Enzo Fernandez - Benfica - £34m Value/ £11,000 Wage - 21 - 79 OVR/ 87 POT - CM, CAM, CDM He’s expensive, but as the year goes on and his performances continue to improve, Enzo Fernandez is edging closer and closer to the coveted milestone of 80+ in every stat. Definitely one to watch!
Xavi Simons - PSV - 19 - £11.6m Value/ £9,000 Wage - 75 OVR/ 87 POT - CAM
FIFA 23 threatens to be a breakout year for Xavi Simons, who after a few less than stellar years at PSG has started to pull up trees back in the Netherlands with PSV. A colossal boost to his speed and stamina complement his already great dribbling ability to make him one of the most exciting CAMs to use in-game.
Quinten Timber - Feyenoord - 21 - £6.5m Value/ £6,000 Wage - 73 OVR/ 85 POT - CM, CDM, CAM
The twin brother of Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, Quinten is an awesomely versatile midfield player with great technical and defensive abilities. With a huge amount of key stats already on the cusp of 80 at just 73 overall, he’s a brilliant deal for a reasonable fee. Plus, a starting potential growth of 12 means he should quickly grow into a force to be reckoned with after some sustained minutes on the pitch. And you’ll be doing the Timber household a big help. Family gatherings can’t be nice with Ajax and Feyenoord on either side of the dinner table.
Tommaso Pobega - AC Milan - 22 - £14.6m Value/ £39,000 Wage - 76 OVR/ 85 POT - CM
With a name sure to make you double-take, Tommaso Pobega is an athletic midfielder who can do just about everything (remind you of anyone). High starting stamina makes him a useful addition to any midfield, however, it’s his +9 starting potential that’s really tantilising. His speed, dribbling, passing, shooting, strength and defending are all nearly 80. With almost no weakspots, some consistent minutes with the balanced training plan with have all of his key areas over 80 in no time.
Mohammed Kudus - Ajax - 21 - £20.2m Value/ £11,000 Wage - 77 OVR/ 85 POT - CAM, CM
Injuries have hampered Mohammed Kudus’ progress in real life and stunted his potential somewhat in FIFA, but he’s still an amazing pick-up and a cracking player in-game. As he’s already shown in this year’s Champions League, his pace, strength and energy make him tough to deal with. Plus he’s the perfect CM thanks to some decent tackling stats.
Weston McKennie - Juventus - 23 - £27.1m Value/ £77,000 Wage - 80 OVR/ 85 POT - CM
The American Weston McKennie tends to polarise opinions, but in FIFA 23 he’s an almost flawless all-rounder who can do everything well. With the magical quintet of 80 pace, 80 strength, 80 dribbling, 80 passing and 80 tackling, he’s a fantastic option for any club that can afford him. With Zakaria trapped in a loan at Chelsea and Franck Kessie just transferred to Barca, McKennie is your next best bet.
Renato Sanches - PSG - 24 - £27.1m Value/ £62,000 Wage - 80 OVR/ 85 POT - CM
Okay, I’m breaking my own rules here since Renato Sanches has just joined PSG, but I had to bring to your attention how incredible his stats are in FIFA 23. As you climb the divisions or start to challenge for titles in future seasons, definitely take a look at picking him up. Basically all of his physical stats are in the mid-80s or approaching 90, and with good starting potential to even further increase his ratings he can grow his 85 dribbling, 80 passing and 75 defending to be truly dominant.
Szymon Zurkowski - Fiorentina - 24 - £9.9m Value/ £34,000 Wage - 76 OVR/ 81 POT - CM, CDM
For a much cheaper option who has a similar aptitude to quickly beast all that stand before him, Szymon Zurkowski has tons of key stats in the mid-70s or approaching 80. Solid minutes will have all of his best attributes in the 80s in no time, and a starting stamina of 90 means he can star week-in-week-out.
Martin Baturina - Dinamo Zagreb - 19 - £3.5m Value/ £500 Wage - 70 OVR/ 86 POT - CM, CAM
A classy, diminutive Croatian midfielder? Where have I seen that before? Martin Baturina is a brilliant Road to Glory-style signing for lower league or rising clubs. Sure, it’s not very realistic, but his stats - including nearly 80 dribbling on a 69 overall - are too good to pass up.
Enock Mwepu - Brighton - 24 - £10.3m Value/ £42,000 Wage - 76 OVR/ 82 POT - CM, CDM, CAM
Unfortunately, at the start of this season Enock Mwepu was forced to retire due to a heart condition. While this means he might get removed from FIFA 23 in a future update, for now we can still enjoy his quietly excellent stats with great physical, technical and defending attributes for a very fair fee.
Nicolas De La Cruz - River Plate - 25 - £14.2m Value/ £16,000 Wage - 78 OVR/ 79 POT - CM, CAM, CDM
The poor man’s Kante may not have a lot of starting potential anymore but, with the performances he’s likely to turn in, dynamic potential should see to that pretty quickly. An unreal shuttler with huge pace, stamina and dribbling, De La Cruz is very small, but has high aggression and good tackling stats that make him surprisingly dogged in defence. A lot of fun to use.
Nicolo Fagioli & Fabio Miretti - Juventus - 21 & 18 - £6.5m & £4.7m Value/ £40,000 & £17,000 Wage - 73 & 72 OVR/ 85 & 87 POT - CAM, CM, CDM
Two young midfielders have been making a name for themselves in Turin this season, and both are worth adding to your squad if you can get them. Both capable of playing anywhere through the spine of the pitch, Fagioli is the more offensive player with better dribbling and 81 short passing already at just 73 rated. Miretti is much cheaper and more of a deep-lying playmaker with decent pace, stamina and passing.
Florian Wirtz - Leverkusen - 19 - £56.8m Value/ £33,000 Wage- 82 OVR/ 91 POT - CAM, CM
A huge talent that perhaps doesn’t quite have the same profile outside of Germany as other high potential players, Florian Wirtz is one to remember if you’re playing as one of the world’s richest clubs - 91 potential is no joke.
Davide Frattesi - Sassuolo - 22 - £20.2m Value/ £25,000 Wage - 77 OVR/ 86 POT - CM, CDM
A class and technical deep-lying playmaker, Davide Frattesi had a great season for Sassuolo last term and has been linked to a host of Premier League teams. With around 80 pace, stamina, dribbling and passing, it’s easy to see why. He’s also got good enough defending to put in a shift at CDM.
Khephren Thuram - Nice - 21 - £24.5m Value/ £28,000 Wage - 78 OVR/ 85 POT - CM, CDM
Strong, solid and dependable with the technical proficiency to back it up, Khephren Thuram is the son of World Cup-winning defender Lilian Thuram who, alongside his brother Marcus at Monchengladbach, would make the best family five-a-side team ever.
Konrad Laimer - RB Leipzig - 25 - £33.1m Value/ £55,000 Wage - 83 OVR/ 84 POT - CDM, CM
Rapid, dogged, and linked with a move away, Konrad Laimer is yet another excellent, if expensive, option to anchor the midfield of one of Europe’s top sides in FIFA 23. It’s not in his listed positions anymore, but he’s an excellent RB cover as well.
Eliot Matazo - Monaco - 20 - £4.1m Value/ £18,000 Wage - 72 OVR/ 83 POT - CM, CDM
For a less eye-wateringly pricey deal, take a look at Eliot Matazo in Ligue 1, who, despite taking a downgrade to some of his physicals, has a good crop of mid-70s technicals to make up for it at a decent price.
Alex Scott - Bristol City - 18 - £3m Value - 69 OVR/ 87 POT - CAM, CM
Alex Scott is a classic Road to Glory player. English, with huge potential and some good stats already. A pretty much must-buy in the lower leagues, the best bit about him is that his good stamina makes him usable right from the start of your save, unlike a lot of youngsters.
Carlos Alcaraz - Racing Club - 19 - £3.8m Value/ £6,000 Wage - 71 OVR/ 84 POT - CAM, CM
Another very, very good Road to Glory player, Alcaraz is speedy and agile with 80 dribbling already on a 71 overall player. Again, 70 stamina makes him decently usable straight away.
Gianluca Busio & Tanner Tessmann - Venezia - 20 - £6.5m & £1.6m value/ £3,000 & £1,000 Wage - 73 & 66 OVR/ 86 & 80 POT - CM, CDM
The two Americans at Venezia are both interesting options at the base of midfield. Busio has good stamina and jumping, as well as good passing and agility to wriggle out of trouble. Tanner Tessmann on the other hand is a great option if you’re strapped for cash. While many of his stats aren’t much to write home about, good stamina and 83 strength are standouts for a very cheap fee.
Wouter Burger - Basel - 21 - £2.2m Value/ £4,000 Wage - 68 OVR/ 78 POT - CDM
Again, if you need someone on the cheap, Wouter Burger is a really good deal given his speed, strength and passing ability.
Ibrahim Sangare - PSV - 24 - £30.5m Value/ £17,000 Wage - 81 OVR/ 86 POT - CDM
Back to the upper echelons of the game, Ibrahim Sangare is an awesome destroyer who can shield even the world’s best defences admirably. Linked with a move away from the Netherlands alongside teammate Cody Gakpo, a transfer never materialised - but a big deal is surely not far away for this truly top player.
Highest Overall midfielders in FIFA 23
Lower Overall, high Potential midfielders in FIFA 23
