Claude Makelele is one of, if not the most influential player of the 21st century. The French midfielder joined the Premier League at a time when almost every team played FC 25 Coins with two central midfielders, often in a 442 formation, and left five years later with almost every team using a three-man midfield instead. This change in midfield shape is largely due to how effective Makelele was at playing in a deep defensive midfield role, a position that is now known as "the Makelele role."

The Frenchman would sit just ahead of the center-back pairing, essentially acting as a protective shield for the backline, which opposition teams found incredibly hard to break down. Makelele's FC 25 stats do a great job of reflecting his influential position, making him a great pick for teams who want their CDM to focus on little more than defense.

Michael Essien played for Chelsea at the same time as Makelele, which, unsurprisingly, made them a brutally difficult team to come up against, as opposition teams had virtually no hope of winning any midfield battles - especially with Frank Lampard being the third midfielder.

While Makelele focused on defense and Lampard looked to score goals, Essien would be the team's workhorse, charging up and down the pitch to help transition defense to attack while also doing his part in both phases. The Ghanaian is suited for just this is FC 25. with his High Defensive and Attacking Work Rates and 94 Stamina letting him fly around the pitch for the full 90 minutes.

Emmanuel Petit is the third French player on this list, which is indicative of how good the country has been and generating top-quality midfielders over the years. Petit is a very well-rounded defensive midfielder in FC 25. exemplified by him having a 90 stat in Short Pass, Stand Tackle, Interceptions, and Long Shots.

Petit also has High Defensive and Attacking Work Rates, which can often see him getting into shooting positions. Petit didn't score goals too often during his playing career, though he did find the buy FIFA Coins net in France's 1998 World Cup victory over Brazil.