The acronym “CDM” wouldn’t sound out of place in any documentary or film about the 2008 financial crisis.
But CDMs and CDOs are two very different things. One, thanks to EA Sports, has entered the football lexicon to describe a holding midfielder, while the other was a key enabler in ensuring the US housing market crashed 16 years ago. Well yes, two very different things.
No one would have described Claude Makelele as a ‘CDM’ (Central Defensive Midfielder) at his peak. It’s a modern phenomenon, and although it’s more prominent in football slang, it’s not a phrase you’ll hear coaches in pre-match and post-match conferences.
But hey, it works for EA and the acronym is still a part of their latest game.
Here are the ten highest rated midfielders EA FC 25including those with ‘CDM’ listed as an alternative position.
Liverpool did not sign Alexis Mac Allister in 2023 with the intention of playing him in a holding role, but their inability to bring in a priority holding midfielder that summer meant the Argentine was pushed into a deeper position.
While Mac Allister is far from a perfect No.6, he performed capably in a holding position during his debut campaign, but was at his best when he was able to affect proceedings in the second phase and beyond up the pitch.
Hakan Calhanoglu is certainly not without confidence and was rated as the best CDM in the world in February.
His transition from inconsistent playmaker to dazzling starter has been quite remarkable, but EA has yet to put him on the pedestal that the player himself believes he belongs on.
Even so, a score of 86 places it among the best.
Granit Xhaka has come a long way in a short time. The Swiss international had a score of 79 as recently as FIFA 23.
That last season at arsenalduring which he was used in a more advanced role by Mikel Arteta, he has proved to be the creation of Xhaka in the midst of his prime. He moved to Bayer Leverkusen ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and has been used as part of a midfield pivot for the German champions.
He has been a contributor at every stage in the Bundesliga, with Xhaka starring for Xabi Alonso’s side in his first season with the club. The midfielder’s pace of 50 will deter many, however.
There are few midfielders who profile like Lena Oberdorf in the women’s game. Most of the early starters, like Keira Walsh and Patricia Guijarro, are technical performers whose brains are critical to their success.
However, German international Oberdorf is cut from a slightly different cloth.
She is an immensely powerful operator capable of overwhelming her opponents through sheer physicality. Among EA FC 25 defensive midfielders, only Joao Palhinha (90) has a higher physical rating than Oberdorf (89).
The 86-rated Bayern Munich women’s star is an elite destroyer.
Nicolo Barella can do it all. He’s always been a guy who can take games by the scruff of the neck.
The Italian may appear quite rugged in appearance and his game can seem cheeky at times, but at heart Barella is a cultured midfield operator capable of dictating at the base and wreaking havoc between the boxes.
Simone Inzaghi has pushed him into leadership roles as one of the Interof the elder statesmen and gives performances from time to time that remind you of his undoubted majesty.
EA have kept their faith in Frenkie de Jong despite another injury-plagued campaign for the Dutchman. De Jong remains an 87 rated EA FC 25 midfielder.
The Barcelona The man missed the end of last season and Euro 2024 with an ankle injury, but his influence is almost always felt when he takes to the pitch.
A dynamic client who was once heralded as Sergio Busquets’ successor in Catalonia, it remains to be seen whether De Jong will ever reach his potential at the base of midfield.
Ilkay Gundogan has proven to be a master of multiple midfield roles, even excelling as a false nine during his first spell at Manchester City.
The German was mainly used in an attacking midfield role at Barcelona last season, but an impressive return to Manchester means Pep Guardiola could deploy Gundogan in a midfield position.
The stoic midfielder shone as a No.6 during City’s 2018/19 and 2022/23 title triumphs and Rodri’s long-term injury means Guardiola requires mitigation at the base of midfield.
Many see a midfield position as Declan Rice’s best, but Arteta got a lot out of the Englishman by playing more in front of the ball last season.
The Englishman switched between the #6 and #8 roles for the Gunners during his first campaign at the club and enjoyed the most productive season of his career in the final third.
However, given his athleticism, physicality and ability to defend against the counter, Rice is poised to drop into a deeper position as the 2024/25 season progresses. EA lists it as CDM, and it’s very good.
Rice’s 87 card is well balanced, but his 73 pace is tough.
Patricia Guijarro’s rating has dropped to 87 after scoring 88 last year, but the Barcelona Feminino midfielder remains the highest-rated midfielder in the women’s game.
The cultured Spaniard is a shrewd operator at the base of Barça’s vintage 4-3-3, which serves as the metronome of the team that conquers it. Guijarro’s work with and without the ball allows the likes of Aitana Bonmati to thrive.
An ACL injury means fans may not see much more of Rodri this season, but EA FC 25 users can get the most out of his impressive 91 card.
He is the best defensive midfielder on the planet by some distance and the difference in ratings between the best CDM and the rest makes that clear. Rodri is in a league of his own.
Manchester City’s axis rarely misses football matches, while few have ever produced so often from the base of midfield.
He is absolutely dominant without the ball and rarely wastes a touch when he does. The Spaniard is the scorer of great goals, and he does his job in a fitted shirt, surely worthy of a couple of ratings in itself.
