Best Right-Backs to sign in FIFA 22 Career Mode (2024)

• 07/10/1998
• Liverpool (ENG)
• England

What more can be said about Trent Alexander-Arnold? Quite simply, the English right-back is one of the most gifted creative full-backs to have ever played the sport, and he is still just 22 when you start your Career Mode save.

Extraordinary passing stats underpin his skillset, but he is not let down by his technical or defensive qualities either. His lack of strength is the primary concern, although it must be counterbalanced with the other qualities he brings to the table. The main negative is really his hefty price tag and wage.

• 87 OVERALL
• 90 POTENTIAL

• 04/11/1998
• Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
• Morocco

After an unbelievable season with Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain pulled off one of the moves of the 2021 summer by securing the services of Moroccan right-back Achraf Hakimi. While like Alexander-Arnold, he won’t come cheap, Hakimi is the pace merchant’s right-back off choice.

He has an incredible 93 acceleration and 95 sprint speed. Yes, his defensive attributes could be better, but with wheels like that, who needs to know how to make a tackle? He can burn past almost every player in the game.

• 85 OVERALL
• 89 POTENTIAL

• 08/12/1999
• Chelsea (ENG)
• England

If Alexander-Arnold is the pass master, and Achraf Hakimi is the speed demon, then Reece James is the solid all-rounder. His physical attributes, notably his strength, are really impressive for a full-back that starts your FIFA 22 Career Mode save aged just 22.

With no major deficiencies for a defender, and coming in at a more affordable price than the other two, James is a solid option at right-back that won’t let you down in any scenario. He could even be a dyanmic presence on the right-side of a back-three system, offering defensive solidity and attacking verticality.

• 83 OVERALL
• 87 POTENTIAL

• 27/02/2004
• Sporting CP (POR)
• Portugal

Goncalo Esteves made a controversial switch in 2021, leaving FC Porto to join their rivals Sporting, citing the latter’s more favourable development pathways for young players. And he has been rewarded with over 500 senior minutes despite starting the season aged 17.

Esteves starts FIFA 22 Career Mode saves from a low base, but has the potential to explode into a high quality attacking full-back. He does have his limits though, especially his height at just 5’7”.

• 68 OVERALL
• 84 POTENTIAL

• 12/11/2002
• Southampton (ENG)
• England

A recent ACL injury has curtailed what has been an incredible breakout season for Tino Livramento at Southampton, after leaving Chelsea in the summer of 2021.

Livramento has been highly rated for a long time as he progressed through Chelsea’s Cobham academy, and it is reflected in game. His good speed and dribbling qualities are already evident at age 18, and his other attributes have a lot of room to develop in a few seasons’ time.

• 71 OVERALL
• 85 POTENTIAL

• 18/01/2003
• AFC Ajax (NED)
• Netherlands

Already starring for Ajax as a teenager, Devyne Rensch might be the most low-key Ajax academy graduate to emerge in recent seasons – at least as far as hype is concerned. But what you get with Rensch is a very functional footballer that can play multiple positions and is equally strong on both feet.

Blessed with good speed and the technical quality one would expect from an Ajax youth product, Rensch also has quite a solid foundation both physically and defensively to build on as he develops into one of the best right-backs in FIFA 22’s Career Mode.

• 73 OVERALL
• 85 POTENTIAL

Wonderkids are what every Career Mode manager looks for in FIFA. They’re young prospects – usually aged 16 to 19 – that have elite-level potential in the game. Freddy Adu is a prominent example for older managers, while Youssoufa Moukoko is a current case. They’re the superstar youngsters that are must-buys on every save.

But it’s also subjective. A wonderkid at Accrington Stanley is completely different to a wonderkid at Manchester City. Essentially, the surroundings dictate the status.

A lot of FIFA gameplay is reliant on speed, meaning you ideally want a fast and agile right-back that is capable of dominating an entire flank by himself, much like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Achraf Hakimi do.

If you can find an all-rounder right-back, like Reece James, you’re in business. Having someone that can contribute to every phase of the game, not just specialise in one or two aspects, will make your team much more balanced.

You can do so by utilising the player search tool, which enables you to specify the certain variables you’re looking for in your player – from age to specific attributes.

Make the most of your scouts, too. Send them to look for the best young right-backs by defining their criteria – specifying under-23, four-start potential, etc. Alternatively, just scour the Scouted Football website.

As always, pathways are paramount. You have to make sure that your youngsters have access to meaningful minutes at the appropriate levels. If you have afirst-team ready talent, phase him into the team gradually, during pre-season ideally.

If your prospect needs a bit more polishing, theloan system is a valuable tool. But pathways to senior level minutes are key. Assess your youngsters on a case-by-case basis, decide what they need, and enact your decision.