FIFA 22 Wonderkids: Best Young Centre Backs (CB) to Sign in Career Mode

Having an elite-tier centre back and a strong pairing is the cornerstone of just about every successful team in football. So, it makes sense that FIFA players continually seek the best centre back wonderkids to develop into their future brick walls at the back.

On this page, you’ll find all of the best CB wonderkids to sign in FIFA 22 Career Mode.

Choosing FIFA 22 Career Mode’s best wonderkid centre backs (CB)

Boasting the likes of Wesley Fofana, Maxence Lacroix, and Joško Gvardiol, there’s an ocean of CB wonderkids to try to sign in Career Mode this year.

To narrow down the selection, for a centre back to make it onto this list of the best wonderkids in FIFA 22, they have to be 21-years-old or under, have a minimum potential rating of 83, and have CB as their best position.

At the base of the article, you can see the full list of all of the best centre back (CB) wonderkids in FIFA 22.

1. Joško Gvardiol (75 OVR – 87 POT)

Team: Red Bull Leipzig
Age: 19
Wage: £22,500
Value: £11 million
Best Attributes: 87 Sprint Speed, 84 Strength, 83 Jumping

With an 87 potential rating at the age of 19, Joško Gvardiol stands as the best CB wonderkid in FIFA 22’s Career Mode, and isn’t too bad off the bat with a 75 overall rating.

As far as starting XIs go, the 75 overall rating may seem a bit low, but the Croatian’s 83 jumping, 84 strength, 78 acceleration, and 87 sprint speed make him a very usable defender already.

To replace the lost wonderkids Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konaté, RB Leipzig reinvested in a couple more high-ceiling centre backs, with Gvardiol coming in alongside Mohamed Simakan. However, since joining the East Germany side, the versatile defender has predominantly been deployed at left back.

2. Gonçalo Inácio (76 OVR – 86 POT)

Team: Sporting CP
Age: 19
Wage: £5,500
Value: £13 million
Best Attributes: 80 Sprint Speed, 79 Defensive Awareness, 79 Stand Tackle

Boasting solid ratings in the key areas for a centre back, Gonçalo Ináciois a good addition for now and an even better one for the future, with his 86 potential rating him making him a high-end wonderkid.

As he develops towards his ceiling, the Portuguese defender looks set to become a stalwart centre-half. Inácio already has 80 sprint speed, 78 acceleration, 79 defensive awareness, 79 stand tackle, 78 slide tackle, and 76 reactions.

He established himself as a starting centre back just past the halfway mark of last season. Now, the Almada-native is a defending Liga Bwin, Taça da Liga, and Portuguese Super Cup champion, and will remain a core piece of the Leões in the 2021/22 campaign.

3. Jurriën Timber (75 OVR – 86 POT)

Team: Ajax
Age: 20
Wage: £8,500
Value: £10 million
Best Attributes: 86 Sprint Speed, 82 Jumping, 80 Acceleration

Already capped several times for the Netherlands, it doesn’t come as a surprise that 20-year-old Jurriën Timber makes it onto the list of the best wonderkid centre backs in FIFA 22.

The Dutchman’s already a strong player thanks to his 86 sprint speed, 80 acceleration, 78 defensive awareness, and 75 overall rating. The fact that all of these already high ratings will continue to improve makes Timber all the more appealing as a transfer target.

Timber proved himself to be a versatile member of Ajax’s defence last season, filling in at right back several times, but mostly earning his stripes at centre back. He’s very much a go-to starter now, and continues to be called up to the national team.

4. Maxence Lacroix (79 OVR – 86 POT)

Team: VfL Wolfsburg
Age: 21
Wage: £36,000
Value: £28.5 million
Best Attributes: 93 Sprint Speed, 83 Strength, 83 Interceptions

Not only is Maxence Lacroix among the very best CB wonderkids in FIFA 22 by way of potential ratings, but he also boasts the highest overall rating of the bunch.

At 79 overall from the start, the 6’3’’ Frenchman can already lay claim to a starting spot, even at some elite clubs, and he’s got the attribute ratings to back-up such a stance. His 93 sprint speed, 83 strength, 83 interceptions, 81 acceleration, 81 jumping, and 83 defensive awareness are all very user-friendly.

Lacroix is already an undisputed, every game starter in the Bundesliga. The 21-year-old has played over 40 games for VfL Wolfsburg, netting twice and teeing up another by his 43^rd appearance.

5. Leonidas Stergiou (67 OVR – 86 POT)

Team: FC St. Gallen
Age: 18
Wage: £1,700
Value: £2.1 million
Best Attributes: 86 Jumping, 74 Strength, 71 Stamina

Joining the list of the best CB wonderkids in FIFA 22 is another player with an 86 potential rating, Swiss defender Leonidas Stergiou.

At 67 overall and 19-years-old, Stergiou isn’t the most serviceable wonderkid to sign from this list. His only green attributes at the start are his 86 jumping, 74 strength, and 71 stamina.

For FC St. Gallen, Stergiou has been a first-choice centre back for the last few seasons. This season, he remains a reliable face along the backline and looks set to record his 100^th appearance for the club.

6. Wesley Fofana (78 OVR – 86 POT)

Team: Leicester City
Age: 20
Wage: £49,000
Value: £25 million
Best Attributes: 83 Interceptions, 80 Sprint Speed, 80 Strength

Followers of the Premier League won’t be surprised that Wesley Fofana received a huge boost for FIFA 22 and now sits among the best young centre backs in the game.

Standing 6’3’’ with a 78 overall rating, Fofana’s already a presence at the back. Add to this his 83 interceptions, 80 strength, 79 aggression, and 79 defensive awareness, and the Frenchman’s certainly a tough competitor to face in Career Mode.

The Marseille-native was very much one of the top breakout stars of last season – his first in the Premier League – with an untimely medial ligament injury stopping him from starting this campaign as one of Leicester’s starting centre backs.

7. Eric García (77 OVR – 86 POT)

Team: FC Barcelona
Age: 20
Wage: £61,000
Value: £18.5 million
Best Attributes: 80 Interceptions, 79 Composure, 79 Short Pass

Rounding off the 86 POT Club is Barcelona’s Eric García, whose wonderkid credentials will certainly be called upon as the club seeks to rebuild while spending as little as possible.

With a 77 overall rating from the first day of Career Mode, García is a solid rotation piece for the starting XI. His 80 interceptions, 79 short pass, 79 defensive awareness, and 78 stand tackle all set him up as a solid CB in the seasons to come.

Having been plucked from the Barça youth system in 2017, García returned to his local team as a free agent, but at its lowest point in decades. If the FIFA wages are to be taken even with a pinch of salt, the youngster’s wage of £61,000 per week is a prime example of why the club is in dire financial straits.

All of the best young wonderkid centre backs (CB) in FIFA 22

See below for all of the best CB wonderkids in FIFA 22, listed in order of their potential ratings.

Player	Overall	Potential	Age	Position	Team
Joško Gvardiol	75	87	19	CB	RB Leipzig
Gonçalo Inácio	76	87	20	CB	Sporting CP
Jurriën Timber	75	86	20	CB	Ajax
Maxence Lacroix	79	86	21	CB	VfL Wolfsburg
Leonidas Stergiou	67	86	19	CB	FC St. Gallen
Wesley Fofana	78	86	20	CB	Leicester City
Eric García	77	86	20	CB	FC Barcelona
Mario Vušković	72	85	19	CB	Hamburger SV
Armel Bella-Kotchap	71	85	19	CB	VfL Bochum
Sven Botman	79	85	21	CB	LOSC Lille
Tanguy Kouassi	71	85	19	CB	Bayern Munich
Mohamed Simakan	75	85	21	CB	RB Leipzig
Ozan Kabak	76	85	21	CB	Norwich City
Micky van de Ven	68	84	20	CB	VfL Wolfsburg
Morato	68	84	20	CB	Benfica
Jarrad Branthwaite	66	84	19	CB	Everton
Marc Guehi	73	84	21	CB	Crystal Palace
Chris Richards	71	84	21	CB	Hoffenheim
Odilon Kossounou	73	84	20	CB	Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Benoît Badiashile	76	84	20	CB	AS Monaco
William Saliba	75	84	20	CB	Olympique de Marseille (on-loan from Arsenal)
Jean-Clair Todibo	76	84	21	CB	OGC Nice
Nehuén Pérez	75	84	21	CB	Udinese
Rav van den Berg	59	83	17	CB	PEC Zwolle
Ravil Tagir	65	83	18	CB	Istanbul Başakşehir FK
Ziga Laci	68	83	19	CB	AEK Athens
Becir Omeragic	67	83	19	CB	FC Zürich
Marton Dardai	69	83	19	CB	Hertha BSC
Nico Schlotterbeck	73	83	21	CB	SC Freiburg
Eduardo Quaresma	71	83	19	CB	Tondela
Perr Schuurs	74	83	21	CB	Ajax