FIFA 22 TOTY Defenders: Back line comes to packs with insane PSG trio

Team of the Year is dominating FIFA 22 Ultimate Team, with the Ultimate XI being drip-fed throughout the week.

The Defenders and Goalkeeper have now made their way into packs, with their stats being officially revealed for the first time.

Check out all the latest Team of the Year news below, including leaks, rumours, and who makes up the TOTY Defenders.

Latest - Defenders in packs

After Attackers and Midfielders came and went from packs, it is now the time for the Defenders and Goalkeeper to become available.

FIFA 22 TOTY Defenders and Goalkeeper
expand image
SOLID AT THE BACK - TOTY Defenders and Goalkeeper are now in packs

This is also the first time EA has revealed the full stats for the players, which show that all the leaks were correct!

You can start cracking open your packs now if you want, but we would recommend holding off until Friday, 28 January, when the full Ultimate XI should be available.

Release Date

The Team of the Year Defenders and Goalkeeper were released into packs on Tuesday, 25 January, at the usual time of 1pm ET / 6pm GMT.

We expect the five new TOTY items to be in packs until Friday, 4 February, after being joined by the rest of the Ultimate XI and the 12th Man on Friday, 28 January.

TOTY Schedule

With the official release date of the full Team of the Year yet to be announced, these are the dates we know so far.

TOTY Schedule:

  • Friday, 7 January - Forward Nominees revealed
  • Saturday, 8 January - Midfield Nominees revealed
  • Sunday, 9 January - Defender & Goalkeeper Nominees revealed
  • Monday, 10 January - Voting begins
  • Tuesday, 18 January - Voting closes
  • Thursday, 20 January - TOTY revealed
  • Friday, 21 January - Attackers released in packs
  • Sunday, 23 January - Midfielders replace Attackers in packs
  • Monday, 24 January - 12th Man vote opens
  • Tuesday, 25 January - Defenders & Goalkeeper replace Midfielders in packs
  • Friday, 28 January - Ultimate XI and Honourable Mentions in packs (predicted), 12th Man released

Ultimate XI announced

The votes have been counted and EA has announced the Team of the Year Ultimate XI.

It's much as we expected, with the full XI leak proving to be true, which means Mohamed Salah is a big name missing out.

Despite showing us the team and their ratings, we don't know even the basic stats of the cards, so EA still has that detail left to reveal.

Deadly Defenders

Last year 18 defenders made the 70-man shortlist, which was then cut down to just four.

Liverpool secured two spots, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk making the cut after their superb year.

They were joined by Real Madrid stalwart Sergio Ramos and Bayern Munich Roadrunner Alphonso Davies.

That is a tough year to beat, especially the centre-backs.

Take a look at the four winners below.

Joao Cancelo

Joao Cancelo has been phenomenal for Manchester City, transforming how we view a full-back can play.

Often you could mistake him for a CAM, as he drifts infield and becomes a playmaker.

Surprisingly, his numbers aren't off the scale, but the chances he creates are outstanding.

We haven't seen confirmation, but think he'll likely be given the left-back position.

Ruben Dias

Just as Virgil van Dijk fixed Liverpool's defence, Ruben Dias has done the same for Manchester City, helping them win the Premier League title and get to the Champions League final.

A powerhouse at the back, Dias is no-nonsense but also calm and composed on the ball to play out from the back the way Pep wants.

Once one of City's biggest weaknesses, their defence is now formidable, conceding the fewest chances in the league and gaining many clean sheets.

Marquinhos

A FUT favourite, Marquinhos looks picked up the other centre-back position, although there are probably more deserving players.

Captaining PSG he is a rock at the back for them and is skilled enough on the ball to play as a CDM when needed.

Despite not winning the league title, PSG did get to the semi-finals of the Champions League, and he was also key to the Brazil squad that lost in the final of the Copa America.

Achraf Hakimi

Achraf Hakimi was crucial for how Inter played to claim the Serie A title, individually picking up seven goals and 11 assists in the season.

He started this season with a bang after moving to PSG, picking up three goals and three assists in the opening seven games, but things have dried up for him since then.

Despite that, he claims a position in TOTY and will have a strong link to Marquinhos.

FIFA 22 Team of the Year Defenders Shortlist

  • Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
  • Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
  • Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
  • Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
  • Jesus Navas (Sevilla)
  • Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United)
  • Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
  • Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
  • Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea)
  • Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)
  • Marquinhos (PSG)
  • Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)
  • Giorgio Chiellini (Piemonte Calcio - Juventus)
  • Leonardo Bonucci (Piemonte Calcio - Juventus)
  • Simon Kjaer (Milan)
  • Milan Skriniar (Inter)
  • David Alaba (Real Madrid)
  • Jules Kounde (Sevilla)
  • Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
  • Reinildo Mandava (Lille)
  • Christian Gunter (Freiburg)
  • Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)
  • Theo Hernandez (Milan)
  • Jordi Alba (Barcelona)
  • Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma)