Best central midfielders to buy in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team

Ryan Lemay
Jude Bellingham celebrating a goal in EA FC 25

Every strong Ultimate Team needs a group of central midfielders capable of controlling the game on both ends of the pitch, and these are the best options to buy in EA FC 25.

As players construct their dream starting at 11 in FUT, looking at the best budget cards is the best place to start. After that, users will have enough coins to put together their first budget team.

However, when you are finally ready to take on FUT Champs, you will need some of the game mode’s best options to compete at a high level. To help you figure out who they are, we’ve outlined all of the best central midfielders in Ultimate Team, including CDMs, CMs, and CAMs.

Highest-rated Central Midfielders (CM)

RANKPLAYERVERSIONRATING
1Aitana Bonmati Gold91
2Homare Sawa Icon91
3Julie FoudyIcon90
4Kevin De BruyneGold90
5Alexia Putellas Gold90
6Andrea PirloIcon90
7XaviIcon90
8Camille Abily Icon90
9Lothar MatthausIcon90
11Federico ValverdeTOTW89
10Martin OdegaardGold89
11Paul ScholesIcon88
12Federico ValverdeGold88
13Patrick VieiraIcon88
14Nadine KeßlerHero88
15Bernardo SilvaGold88

Our recommendations

  • Aitana Bonmati
  • Homare Sawa
  • Alexia Putellas

Aitana Bonmati is the highest-rated center midfielder in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team and is an absolute steal given her incredible stats. The Barcelona star excels in every category and has no weaknesses in her game, making her an obvious choice for your team.

If you ever have enough coins to afford Homare Sawa, she checks off every box from what you would want from a midfielder capable of spearheading an attack or dropping back and stopping the opposition from advancing. Her 91 Passing makes her a particularly good Playmaker, especially since she has Incisive Pass and Long Ball Pass.

While her below-average Defending and Physical attributes mean you must pair Alexia Putellas with a more defensive-minded midfield pivot partner, the Spaniard is still a top-class talent. With an appropriate partnet, Putellas is a lethal option in the final third or from outside of the box, able to both create plays or easily score depending on what is required of her.

Meta Central Midfielders (CM)

PLAYERCLUBVERSIONRATING
Aitana BonmatiFC BarcelonaGold91
Homare SawaIconIcon91
Julie FoudyIconIcon90
Alexia PutellasFC BarcelonaGold90
Camille AbilyIconIcon90
Lothar MatthausIconIcon90
Federico ValverdeReal MadridGold88
Steven GerrardIconIcon88
Patrick VieiraIconIcon88
Nicolo BarellaLombardia FCGold87
Claudio MarchisioHeroHero87
Grace GeyoroPSGGold86
Aleix Garcia SerranoBayer LeverkusenGold85
Rodrigo De PaulAtletico Madrid Gold84

Our recommendations

  • Nicolo Barella
  • Aleix Garcia Serrano

We have already mentioned Aitana Bonmati as the best CM option, but you should also consider getting Nico Barella and Aleix Garcia. The former is by far the best CM in the Serie A, while the latter is the best value SBC in the game right now.

Aleix Serrano’s SBC only costs 24,000 coins to complete, which is incredible value considering all of his face card stats are 80 or above. You have until the end of October to complete it, but we recommend getting the Leverkusen man as soon as possible.

He’s a little more expensive, but Barella is similar in many ways to Aleix Serrano. He also has very high stats and feels great on the ball. However, a big area where he differs is that Barella has far better physical attributes, which helps mitigate his smaller stature, an area where Serrano can struggle.

Highest-rated Central Attacking Midfielders (CAM)

RANKPLAYERVERSIONRATING
1PeleIcon95
2Zinedine ZidaneIcon94
3Johan CruyffIcon93
4Bobby CharltonIcon92
5Roberto BaggioIcon91
6ZicoIcon91
7Jude Bellingham UCL RTTK91
8Ruud GullitIcon90
9Alessandro Del PieroIcon90
10Jude BellinghamGold90
11Paulo DybalaUEL RTTK90
12Florian WirtzTOTW89
13Kai HavertzUCL RTTK89
14SocratesIcon89
15Adebi PeleHero89
15KakaIcon89

Our recommendations

  • Pele
  • Zinedine Zidane
  • Johan Cruyff

CAM is a loaded position with so many unbelievable cards that any player would want in their Ultimate Team starting 11, so it can be hard to pick exactly who is the best.

Even so, Pele, Zinedine Zidane, and Johan Cruyff manage to stand out as the absolute pinnacle players in Ultimate Team. These three legends are incredible CAMs that all have world-class Dribbling, Shooting, and Passing attributes.

Meta Central Attacking Midfielders (CAM)

PLAYERCLUBVERSIONRATING
PeleIconIcon95
Zinedine ZidaneIconIcon94
Johan CruyffIconIcon93
Bobby CharltonIconIcon92
ZicoIconIcon91
Jude BellinghamReal MadridUCL RTTK91
Ruud GullitIconIcon90
Alessandro Del PieroIconIcon90
Abedi PeleHeroHero89
Florian WirtzBayer LeverkussenTOTW89
Enzo FrancescoliHeroHero88
Paulo DybalaRomaGold87
Marek HamsikHeroHero87
Rayan CherkiLyonUEL RTTK87
Landon DonovanHeroHero86

Our recommendations

  • Enzo Francescoli
  • Rayan Cherki
  • Landon Donovan

While Enzo Francescoli doesn’t possess the best Passing attributes, he is still an exceptional attacker. He can utilize his Shadow Striker++ role well thanks to his 88 Shooting and 90 Dribbling, as well as access to meta scoring PlayStyles like Finesse Shot.

Meanwhile, Rayan Cherki has 96 Shot Power and is eligible for more upgrades if Lyon performs well in the Europa League, which could result in him becoming one of the best goalscorers from outside the box in the entire game. Be sure to buy him early before he skyrockets once people catch on.

Landon Donovan only costs around 100,000 coins and is the perfect early game CAM in Ultimate Team. He is fast, feels good on the ball, and has a great shot, making him a strong all-rounder. As a bonus, he will always have maximum chemistry too, as is the case with all Heroes.

Highest-rated Central Defensive Midfielders (CDM)

RANKPLAYERVERSIONRATING
1RodriGold91
2Patri GuijarroGold88
3Xabi AlonsoIcon87
4Declan RiceGold87
5Frank RijkkaardIcon87
6Yaya ToureHero87
7Claude MakeleleIcon87
8Emmanuel PetitIcon87
9Lia WaltiUWCL RTTK86
10Georgia StanwayTOTW86
11Keira WalshTOTW86
12Stephen EustaquioUEL RTTK86
13Pierre Lees-MelouUCL RTTK86
14Michael EssienIcon86
15RamiresHero86

Our recommendations

  • Claude Makelele
  • Yaya Toure
  • Ramires

When you are choosing a CDM for your squad, you’ll want to pick a card that is quick, strong, and a top-tier defender. For this, Claude Makelele is a great option, with the underrated icon having all the attributes needed to shut down opposing attacks, including 86 Defending.

Alternatively, Yaya Toure can score long shots better than most other midfield options and is also a brick wall on defense. This makes him very flexible, with the Ivorian Icon being able to play as a Holding midfielder or a Box-to-Box depending on what your team needs most.

It won’t be cheap, but Ramires does everything required and more for a CDM and is easily good enough to be on your team all year round, so he is worth the investment to set yourself up long-term.

Meta Central Defending Midfielders (CDM)

PLAYERCLUBVERSIONRATING
Patri GuijarroFC BarcelonaGold88
Declan RiceArsenalGold87
Emmanuel PetitIconIcon87
Claude MakeleleIconIcon87
Yaya ToureHeroHero87
Hakan CalhanogluLombardia FCGold86
Michael EssienIconIcon86
RamiresHeroHero86
Stephen EustaquioHeroHero86
Sandro TonaliNewcastle UnitedGold85
N’Golo KanteAl-IttihadGold85
Franck Yannick KessieAl AhliGold82

Our recommendations

  • Patri Guijarro
  • Sandro Tonali
  • N’Golo Kante

For just 30,000 coins, Patri Guijarro is one of the best-value cards in Ultimate Team. The same can be said about Sandro Tonali, who has attributes on par with some Icons yet costs even less than Guijarro.

Ultimate Team fans often regard N’Golo Kante, who performs well above his stats on paper, as one of the best CDMs in the game, and the same can be said again for this title. The Chelsea legend remains a top option even after all of these years, with his 85 Defending and Intercept+ playstyle making him a menace to go up against.

To make your Ultimate Team even better, be sure to check out the best goalkeepersbest defendersbest wingers, and best wingers in EA FC 25. By using all of our guides, you’ll be able to create a side that will dominate everything from Squad Battles to FUT Champs.