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Virgil van Dijk is the top defender in FIFA 20
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Check out these 8 defenders on FIFA 20 Ultimate Team for under 500k
Looking to improve your defence? Here’s a list of elite defenders, all under 500k, who you can use to bolster your team’s quality
Written by Phillip Ekuwem
5 min readPublished on
A solid defence is the foundation of any good team. You could have the best attack in the world, but without a strong defensive set-up, you’ll struggle to consistently win games in Division Rivals and the Weekend League.
Winning isn't everything, goes the adage, but it can get in the bin: bashing 'em in and pulverising opponents on FUT is everything.
On that note, here’s a look at eight elite defenders you could sign for under 500k on FUT.

Virgil Van Dijk

Virgil Van Dijk is a bargain, considering how solid his card is
Virgil Van Dijk is a bargain, considering how solid his card is© EA
Price: 490k
It’s pretty rare for a gold card to stay relevant past the first few months of a new FIFA release, but last year, Virgil Van Dijk’s NIF card remained amongst FIFA 19s most elite defenders right until the end of the game's cycle.
The same thing is set to repeat itself on FIFA 20 considering how overpowered Van Dijk’s NIF card currently is.
Standing at 6’4" with a 90-rated jumping stat, the Liverpool man is an unreal defensive powerhouse on FIFA 20.
He’s borderline impossible to beat in the air as he’s able to leap higher than most players on the game.
With a shadow chemistry style, Van Dijk has 89 pace and 98 defending, making him arguably the best NIF defender on Ultimate Team.

Mid-Icon Frank Rijkaard

Rijkaard once served as a central defender with Ajax
Rijkaard once served as a central defender with Ajax© EA
Price: 490k
Frank Rijkaard is fondly remembered for being a world-class holding midfielder. However, earlier in his career, the Dutchman was deployed as a centre-back at Ajax before crossing paths with legendary AC Milan manager, Arrigo Sacchi.
Rijkaard’s mid-icon card is a flashback to his time as a centre-back at Ajax, where he first began to make a name for himself on the European football scene.
On FIFA 20, Rijkaard’s centre-back card has a massive 6’2" frame which makes him incredibly dominant in the air.
The Dutchman boasts 78 pace and 88 defending without a chemistry style – with a shadow chem style he’ll receive a +12 boost to his pace and a +8 boost to his overall defending stat, taking both attributes to 90 and 96 respectively.

Raphael Varane

Varane is both fast and cheap, a killer combination
Varane is both fast and cheap, a killer combination© EA
Price: 155k
Like Van Dijk, NIF Varane proved to be a consistent performer right until the end of the FIFA 19 cycle. He was even referred to as ‘prime icon Varane’ by members of the FIFA community due to how good he was on last year’s iteration of the game.
Varane is just as good on FIFA 20, primarily due to his pace, as he’s one of the fastest centre-backs on the game with a pace rating of 83 which will go up to 95 with a shadow chemistry style.

Mid-Icon Fabio Cannavaro

Cannavaro won the Ballon d’Or once, the third defender to get the accolade
Cannavaro won the Ballon d’Or once, the third defender to get the accolade© EA
Price: 470k
Cannavaro enjoyed an illustrious career at Real Madrid and as captain of the Italian national team, winning multiple La Liga trophies as well as the World Cup in 2006.
Cannavaro’s role in Italy’s World Cup victory earned him the Ballon d’Or award, making him only the third defender ever to win the accolade.
His achievements warranted nothing short of an elite icon card on FIFA, and EA Sports did not disappoint on that front.
Unlike most centre-backs on FIFA, Cannavaro is nimble on the ball due to his height (5’9") and his high agility rating (80).
Whilst Cannavaro isn’t dominant in the air, he’s incredibly difficult to get past as he boasts 96 interceptions and 91 defensive awareness, without a chemistry style.

Mid-Icon Ronald Koeman

Koeman could be the most versatile CB in FIFA 20
Koeman could be the most versatile CB in FIFA 20© EA
Price: 489k
Ronald Koeman is by far the most versatile centre-back in the game. He’s good enough to feature as a full-back, or even as a midfielder thanks to his rare combo of pace (77), shooting ability (86), defensive awareness (84), passing (86) and physicality (83).
He’s the type of defender you could score goals with if need be as he boasts 97 shot power and 80 finishing. Considering he’s the highest scoring defender in European football with 256 career goals we’d argue his finishing needs to be a bit higher, but it’s still decent enough to stun your opponents.
He made a name for himself at Barcelona as a set-piece specialist, scoring 26 free-kicks in his time at the Nou Camp, so it’s no surprise that his free-kick accuracy is rated 95 on FIFA 20.

Clement Lenglet

Lenglet could cost you just 29k, a bargain
Lenglet could cost you just 29k, a bargain© EA
Price: 29k
Lenglet is one of the most overpowered defenders on FIFA 20. He received a tidy upgrade on his 82-rated card from FIFA 19 which pretty much transformed his card into an elite-level defender.
His composure and reactions stats which are rated 82 and 84 respectively are key reasons why Lenglet is so OP on FIFA 20. His composure prevents him from making mistakes under pressure while his reactions stat makes him feel more responsive in-game than the average player.
For just 29k coins, he’d be an excellent addition to your lineup.

Ultimate Scream Alessio Romagnoli

Alessandro Romagnoli had a Halloween upgrade in FIFA 20 which made him one of the best defenders in Serie A
Romagnoli's spooky upgrade has made him one of the best in Serie A© EA
Price: 82k
Romagnoli received an incredible upgrade as part of EA’s Halloween promo making him one of the best Serie A defenders you can buy on Ultimate Team.
Standing at 6’2", Romagnoli poses an aerial threat from set-piece situations. His height also allows him to be able to defend against crosses, providing your team with increased defensive solidity.
With a base pace rating of 81, a shadow chemistry style will grant Romagnoli 93 pace, making him capable of marking pacy forwards.

Baby-Icon Sol Campbell

Big on strength, Campbell doesn't mess about at the back
Big on strength, Campbell doesn't mess about at the back© EA
Price: 480k
With 91 strength and 84 aggression, Baby-Icon Sol Campbell is a no-nonsense defender capable of winning a physical duel against pretty much any player on the entire game.
At 6’2" tall, you don’t have to worry about conceding headers with Campbell manning your backline. His impressive jumping stats (84) combined with his height allow him to leap higher than most players on the game.
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