We’re going position-by-position on the Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026 game, picking out the best players ahead of Round 1.
We continue our guide with a look at the $5.0m+ defenders, where there are plenty of viable options to consider.
The best $4.0m-and-under defenders are covered in a separate article here.
NUNO MENDES ($5.8m)
Mendes looks set to be a really popular option, and justifiably so.
Portugal have favourable matchups in both Round 1 and 2, facing off against DR Congo and Uzbekistan.
Roberto Martinez’s men rank fifth on our clean sheet odds list for the first fixture:
With the potential to rack up clean sheets and attacking returns, Mendes had five shots and 10 key passes in just four qualifying matches, getting forward at every opportunity.
The left-back also has a share of dead-ball duties, another string to his bow.
Portugal certainly aren’t lacking in defensive talent, but they did allow seven goals in six qualifying matches, with four of those goals coming in two matches against Hungary.
With an average of 0.83 non-penalty expected goals conceded (xGC) per 90 minutes, they ranked 16th among all teams in the European qualification phase.
Nonetheless, you’d expect at least one clean sheet in the group stage, considering the level of opposition.
JOSHUA KIMMICH ($5.5m)
Germany top the clean sheet odds list for Round 1, when they face tournament minnows Curacao.
Die Mannschaft have kept five clean sheets in their last eight matches, including Sunday’s 4-0 friendly win over Finland.
Kimmich was notably one of the standout performers in that game, with one assist and four key passes.
The German captain subsequently offers multiple routes to points – through clean sheets, assists and goals.
Indeed, three attacking returns (two goals, one assist) arrived in five qualifying matches.
He has a share of set plays and could be second in line for penalties, too.
Given how much possession Germany are expected to have, particularly against Curacao, Kimmich is likely to be heavily involved from right-back.
MARC CUCURELLA ($5.1m)
Priced up at only $5.1m, Cucurella is currently the fourth most popular defender in the game, with an ownership rate of 22.4%:
He unlocks a place in the Spain back four, who have Cape Verde up first.
Of the nine group winners in African qualification, the Blue Sharks were the second-lowest scorers.
After that, Luis De La Fuente’s men, who are one of the favourites to lift the trophy next month, will encounter Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
Crucially, Spain are in very good defensive nick, having kept clean sheets in seven of their last eight matches.
Considering they are expected to dominate their early opponents, Cucurella’s ability to overlap from left-back could prove to be a key weapon.
In qualifying, he both scored and assisted in five matches.
DENZEL DUMFRIES ($5.7m) / VIRGIL VAN DIJK ($5.5m)
The Netherlands’ group is not entirely straightforward.
Japan are probably the toughest opponent, so Dumfries and van Dijk could perhaps wait until the second round.
That said, Dumfries remains a constant attacking threat, so it would be foolish to write him off.
The full-back/wing-back, who loves to bomb forward down the right flank, delivered four attacking returns in qualifying (two goals, two assists).
He racked up 14 shots in that time, too, the fourth-most of any defender.
Above: Denzel Dumfries’ shot map in qualifying
van Dijk is an alternative with his set-piece threat, but with no tackle/recovery bonus on offer for defenders, Dumfries feels like the superior pick.
GABRIEL MAGALHAES ($5.5m)
A major threat from set-pieces, Gabriel will be an excellent choice from Round 2, when Brazil face Haiti and Scotland.
There is a case for waiting until that point to invest, especially with Morocco up first.
Remember, the North African nation reached the last four of the 2022 World Cup, and ‘officially’ won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) earlier this year.
Nevertheless, opting for Gabriel as a ‘set-and-forget’ option from the off isn’t a terrible idea: even facing Morocco, Brazil are still relatively well-ranked (13th) on our clean sheet odds list for Round 1.
Brazil have underachieved in recent times, but there is a growing sense of optimism under Carlo Ancelotti, who only took over in May 2025.
ACHRAF HAKIMI ($6.0m)
He’s the priciest defender in the Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026 game, yet PSG right-back Hakimi is so attacking that early investment could still pay off.
Morocco’s first match is against Brazil, which is somewhat off-putting.
However, subsequent clashes against Scotland and Haiti carry haul potential.
Hakimi supplied three assists in qualifying, with 25 (!) combined shots and key passes across six matches, the most of any teammate.
Consistently one of the best full-backs in world football, Hakimi also has a share of set-pieces.
As for Morocco, they reached the semi-finals of the last World Cup, a feat mostly attributed to their rock-solid defence.
MANUEL AKANJI ($5.0m)
One of the best $5.0m options, Akanji has some really nice fixtures to tap into, with Qatar, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada in Group B.
Switzerland were unbeaten in qualifying, with four clean sheets in six matches.
They conceded only twice, and with an average of 0.57 NPxGC per 90 minutes, they ranked eighth among all teams in the European qualification phase:
Former Manchester City centre-back Akanji carries a threat from set-pieces and is certainly one to consider.
Indeed, he’s already popped up in a couple of our experts’ early team drafts.
REECE JAMES ($5.2m) / MARC GUEHI ($5.1m)
England square off against Croatia in Round 1, which admittedly isn’t the easiest on-paper fixture.
However, Thomas Tuchel’s men won all eight of their qualifying games, and remarkably didn’t concede a single goal on the way.
They also recorded the lowest NPxGC figure among all European nations in qualifying (0.22 per 90 minutes).
It suggests the Three Lions could go deep into the tournament, which naturally enhances the appeal of their defensive assets.
James, one of Tuchel’s favourites, provides creativity from right-back, having supplied one assist and six key passes across six qualifying matches.
There is, however, a slight concern that James could be rested for the juicy Panama fixture in Round 3, particularly if qualification to the knockout stage has already been secured.
Centre-back Guehi feels more nailed-on. He’s a threat from set-pieces, too, having already netted against Serbia in qualifying.
OTHERS
- Jules Kounde ($5.4m): It’s not the most straightforward of groups for France. Iraq is the stand-out fixture in Round 2, but on either side, they face Senegal and Norway, so there’s an argument that there are better defensive options elsewhere in the group stages. That said, Kounde is a secure route into Les Blues’ backline and racked up seven attacking returns for Barcelona across all competitions in 2025/26.
- Andrew Robertson ($5.0m): Scotland’s best fixture is up first, when they face Haiti in Round 1. Robertson has a share of dead-ball duties and supplied two assists in six qualifying matches. He also racked up 11 key passes, the most of any teammate.
- Ritsu Doan ($5.1m): One of Japan’s most influential players, the Eintracht Frankfurt man scored three goals and supplied three assists in 12 qualifying matches. He could be second in line to take penalties, too.
- Kim Min-Jae (£5.0m): The Bayern Munich centre-back isn’t particularly attacking, but South Korea face the Czech Republic and South Africa in Group A, which naturally increases their defenders’ appeal. They enjoyed a strong qualifying campaign, going unbeaten across all 16 matches and recording nine clean sheets.
- Antonee Robinson ($5.0m): Co-hosts USA saw great success with a back three formation in Sunday’s 3-2 friendly win over Senegal. Robinson is likely to benefit from playing as a wing-back if this tactic continues.
