FIFA 19 Career Mode: Best midfielders (CDM, CM, CAM)

Regardless of what formation or style you play, you need central midfielders. They don't all come in the same form though. Attacking, defensive, and balanced midfielders are all key parts of a teams strategy and play.

How to choose the best midfielders in FIFA 19 career mode

We are looking for the best central midfielders in FIFA 19. These are players with their primary position as either CAM, CM, or CDM and an overall rating of 82 or more. All these players are quality options for any team, but to get them you'll need to be ready to open your wallet and pay the price.

A complete list of all best midfielders can be found at the bottom of the page

Attacking midfielders (CAM)

Kicking us off are the number 10s these are quality players that can unlock the defence.

Kevin De Bruyne (OVR 91 - POT 92)

Age: 27

Positions: CAM, CM

Club: Manchester City

Country: Belgium

Work rate: High/High

Best stats: 93 crossing, 92 short passing, 91 long passing

Cost: £148.3 million

Wage: £348k

Manchester City's creative dynamo Kevin De Bruyne is the best attacking midfielder in FIFA 19. The 27-year-old Belgian is at home behind the striker or in the heart of the midfield, and is one of the best passers in FIFA 19 (92 short pass, 91 long pass) and can even send in excellent crosses (93) if he drifts out wide. De Bruyne is not only a creative genius but has the skill to go past defenders (91 ball control, 86 dribbling) and is deadly in front of goal (91 shot power, 91 long shots, 83 finishing).

Paulo Dybala (OVR 89 - POT 94)

Age: 24

Positions: CAM, CF, ST

Club: Juventus

Country: Argentina

Work rate: High/Medium

Best stats: 92 dribbling, 92 ball control, 88 long shots

Cost: £135.1 million (release fee)

Wage: £189k

Paulo Dybala is one of the best young stars in world football. He has terrific skill on the ball (92 dribbling, 92 ball control) and has good athleticism to allow him to burst into space (87 acceleration, 83 sprint speed, 91 agility). Dybala is excellent at distributing the ball (87 vision, 87 short passing, 82 crossing) and can be deadly in front of goal too (84 finishing, 84 composure, 88 long shots).

Isco (OVR 89 - POT 92)

Age: 26

Positions: CAM, CM, LW

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Spain

Work rate: High/Medium

Best stats: 95 ball control, 94 dribbling, 90 balance

Cost: £128.3 million

Wage: £299k

Isco is one of the main reasons Real Madrid felt they could sell Ronaldo this summer. The young Spanish star is a creative genius who can take on defenders or distribute the ball. He isn't a speedster (69 sprint speed, 75 acceleration) but he is a wizard with the ball at his feet (95 ball control, 94 dribbling). Isco can find a pass in almost any situation (90 vision, 89 short pass, 84 long pass, 86 composure) and is also deadly around the goal (89 long shot, 85 finishing).

David Silva (OVR 89 - POT 89)

Age: 32

Positions: CAM, CM

Club: Manchester City

Country: Spain

Work rate: High/Medium

Best stats: 92 short pass, 92 composure, 92 vision

Cost: 53.2 million

Wage: £251k

David Silva is no spring chicken, but he is still one of the best midfielders in the world. The Spanish star is a creative genius in the centre of the park that can generate chance after chance for the rest of his team. With excellent ball skills (93 ball control, 89 dribbling) and good small-area quickness (92 agility, 90 balance), Silva can slip past defenders to put himself in a goal-scoring position or find a teammate seemingly at will (92 short passing, 92 vision, 81 long passing).

Central midfielders (CM)

The central midfielders are box-to-box players who can make tackles and hit passes.

Luka Modric (OVR 91 - POT 91)

Age: 33

Positions: CM, CDM

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Croatia

Work rate: High/High

Best stats: 94 balance, 93 short pass, 93 ball control

Cost: £73.2 million

Wage: £414k

Luka Modric has long been the model centre midfielder. The Real Madrid man is the perfect distributor (93 short pass, 92 vision, 88 long pass) and has excellent quickness (94 balance, 93 agility) to get himself space. He is brilliant with the ball at his feet (93 ball control, 90 dribbling) and can also score when the opportunity presents itself (82 long shots, 79 shot power, 72 finishing). 

Toni Kroos (OVR 90 - POT 90)

Age: 28

Positions: CM, CDM

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Germany

Work rate: Medium/Medium

Best stats: 93 long pass, 92 short pass, 92 long shots

Cost: £92.6 million

Wage: £312k

Toni Kroos is, like his Real Madrid teammate, a brilliant centre midfielder. A remarkable passer (93 long pass, 92 short pass, 88 crossing), Toni Kroos is also deadly from range (92 long shots, 86 curve, 84 fk accuracy) making him one of the best attacking players in FIFA 19. Kroos can also make tackles when needed (82 stand tackle) and break up opposition attacks (81 interceptions).

Paul Pogba (OVR 88 - POT 91)

Age: 25

Positions: CM, CDM

Club: Manchester United

Country: France

Work rate: High/Low

Best stats: 90 long pass, 90 ball control, 90 stamina

Cost: £123.7 million (release clause)

Wage: £242k

Paul Pogba has been around forever and yet is only 25. The Manchester United midfielder is a powerful player (90 stamina, 89 strength) and excellent on the ball (90 ball control, 87 dribbling). Pogba can make every pass (90 long pass, 87 short pass, 87 vision) and can score too (90 shot power, 85 volleys, 81 long shots, 73 finishing). Pogba isn't great without the ball, but his strength allows him to muscle others off the ball and he is decent tackler (70 stand tackle, 68 slide tackle).

Marek Hamsik (OVR 87 - POT 87)

Age: 31

Positions: CM

Club: Napoli

Country: Slovakia

Work rate: High/Medium

Best stats: 88 short pass, 88 positioning, 87 ball control

Cost: £53.2 million

Wage: £110k

Marek Hamsik is Napoli's creative force in the middle of the park. A strong passer (88 short pass, 86 vision, 83 long pass) who can pose a threat to goal (83 long shots, 82 shot power, 80 curve, 79 finishing), Hamsik is one of the most complete forward-thinking midfielders in FIFA 19. He is well-rounded too, capable of playing without the ball (75 marking, 73 stand tackle).

Defensive midfielders (CDM)

Central defensive midfielders are vital to keeping the midfield ticking. These players act as the engine room, shield the defence and connect the attack.

N'Golo Kante (OVR 89 - POT 90)

Age: 27

Positions: CDM, CM

Club: Chelsea

Country: France

Work rate: Medium/High

Best stats: 96 stamina, 92 interceptions, 91 stand tackle

Cost: £73.2 million

Wage: £202k

Ngolo Kante is the best defensive midfielder in FIFA 19. He is a workhorse who can run forever (96 stamina) and is a master at breaking up opposition attacks (92 interceptions, 91 stand tackle, 90 marking, 85 slide tackle). Kante can also participate going forward as well (86 short pass, 81 long pass), making him one of the most complete midfielders around.

Casemiro (OVR 88 - POT 91)

Age: 26

Positions: CDM

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Brazil

Work rate: Medium/High

Best stats: 90 stand tackle, 89 strength, 88 marking

Cost: £71.4 million

Wage: £273k

Casemiro doesn't fit the stereotype of a Real Madrid midfielder, but every team needs their water carrier, and his presence allows the likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos to play with more of an attacking mindset. Casemiro's physicality (89 strength, 87 stamina, 87 aggression) and brilliant tackling ability (90 stand tackle, 87 slide tackle) make it tough to navigate the ball around him as he shields the back four, and thanks to good passing stats (85 short pass, 82 long pass) he can launch attacks after winning the ball back.

Sergio Busquets (OVR 88 - POT 88)

Age: 30

Positions: CDM, CM

Club: Barcelona

Country: Spain

Work rate: Medium/Medium

Best stats: 90 marking, 88 short pass, 87 interceptions

Cost: £58.2 million

Wage: £286k

Sergio Busquets performs the same job for Barcelona as Casemiro does for Real Madrid. As the defensive shield, Busquets can track attackers and pick off passes well (90 marking, 87 interceptions) even if he isn't as strong in the tackle as others (86 stand tackle, 80 slide tackle, 77 strength). Busquets is able to launch attacks well too (88 short pass, 86 vision, 79 long pass).

Nemanja Matic (OVR 86 - POT 86)

Age: 30

Positions: CDM, CM

Club: Manchester United

Country: Serbia

Work rate: Medium/High

Best stats: 87 interceptions, 86 short pass, 85 stand tackle

Cost: £42.6 million

Wage: £185k

Nemanja Matic has followed Jose Mourinho to Old Trafford and immediately done everything his manager could want. An expert at breaking up attacks (87 interception, 85 marking, 85 stand tackle), Matic is also a capable passer (86 short pass, 84 long pass) and is also an aerial threat at set pieces (74 heading accuracy). He's got good physicality (85 strength, 84 stamina) too, making him a very well rounded player.

All the best Attacking Midfielders (CAM) in FIFA 19

All the best central midfielders (CM) in FIFA 19

All the best defensive midfielders (CDM) in FIFA 19