We all know a defender’s primary function in a team is to keep the opposition out, and that is no different in FM26.
However, occasionally, certain defenders become adept at helping out at the other end of the pitch. Now, I am not talking about some cheat corner routine where your defender scores 10+ goals per season.
What made me think about this was one of my defenders in my latest save scored 13 goals and produced 16 assists. This is a record from a player who played as a left-back and also centre-back. Here are some other dangerous defenders in attack on FM26:
Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen)
The Spanish international left wing-back is renowned for his attacking abilities in real life. Not only can he bomb forward from his usual position to help out in attack, but he is also a master of taking free-kicks.
In the 2025/26 season, the 30-year-old scored 12 goals and also provided 11 assists in all competitions.
His attacking qualities are reflected perfectly in his FM26 stats. His rating for 13 is high for a so-called defensive player, while he also has a 20 rating for free-kicks and 16 for his long-range shooting.
Although he has predominantly played as a wing-back in recent seasons, he is still highly productive from left-back if utilised in the right way.
Alex Valle (Como)
Grimaldo’s compatriot is regarded as an up-and-coming young full-back in the European game.
The 22-year-old helped Como to make history by finishing fourth in Serie A in 2025/26 and qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their history. He scored once and produced four assists for Como in Serie A during the campaign.
However, he always manages to be far more productive for me when it comes to producing assists. I am not sure if it’s that my tactics get the best out of him, but he will regularly contribute double figures in assists for a few straight seasons.
He has decent stats at the start of the game, but nothing is overly spectacular or impressive, although he does have a crossing rating of 14. However, the fact that Valle’s stats tend to grow pretty quickly tends to help him become a danger to the opposition.
Luka Vuskovic (Hamburg on loan from Tottenham)
The Croatian international centre-back, who recently joined Brighton from Tottenham in a potential deal worth £50m, starts the game on loan at Bundesliga team Hamburg.
However, I always sign the youngster at some point, as his all-around stats grow very rapidly, and his starting stats are already excellent anyway.
He becomes a top centre-back or even central midfielder in FM26. However, he doesn’t only contribute defensively, as he has a knack for weighing in with goals too.
The fact that Vuskovic scored six goals for HSV last season in the Bundesliga wasn’t a massive surprise. His attacking stats on FM26 are nothing special, although he does have a 13 rating for long shots, which is high for a defender.
His 16 rating in heading obviously contributes to him scoring lots of goals from set-pieces. The majority of his goals for me came from set-pieces, although he did contribute a few long-range goals when playing as a defensive midfielder.
Danilho Doekhi (Union Berlin)
It was the Dutchman’s seven goals for Union Berlin in real life that actually persuaded me to sign him on FM26. I signed him more for his defensive ability, as he has solid stats for a player who will cost less than £12m.
However, the fact that he could contribute in attack was a bonus. I wouldn’t say he was prolific, but he ended up with +7 goals in each of his three seasons in my first team.
I think the two most crucial stats in his goalscoring exploits were his heading and jumping reach, which were both 17. As I say, I don’t have any cheat corner tactic, just big players who can head the ball very well.
Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague)
Ogbu falls into the same category of player as Doekhi, as he is a player you can sign for a reasonable fee, and he won’t let your team down. The fact that he weighs in with a few goals here and there only adds to his appeal.
The Nigerian centre-back is another surprisingly effective centre-back in the opposition area. Looking at his real-life statistics, it looks like he has scored just six goals in his whole career, which has spanned over 100 games in Norway and Czechia.
However, for me, Ogbu matched that tally in one season. He was only really a regular starter for that campaign in my team, but was a big threat to the opposition defence.
Unsurprisingly for a centre-back, some of his best attributes are his heading and jumping reach, rated at 15, which are obviously key in aerial duels in defence and attack.
