FIFA 23 ratings: Five players who can replace Lionel Messi as king
By Bryan Nelson
This was quite a year for global football. My favorite team, Newcastle United, had the most improbable comeback in Premier League history, and Cristiano Ronaldo rejoined Manchester United. Heck, Lionel Messi even went to Paris Saint-Germain. With a crazy shakeup in the balance of the sport so do the balance of the ratings in the biggest sports gaming franchise in history: FIFA. Here are some of our predictions for FIFA 23.
Lionel Messi still top of the ratings?
Lionel Messi completed his free-agent move to Paris Saint-Germain at the beginning of this past season, and he didn’t exactly kill it. In 26 matches for the French champions, he contributed 6 goals and 14 assists. Not exactly Lionel Messi numbers, though he did continue his Champions League form by contributing 5 goals in 7 matches.
This has to be the year that Lionel Messi is no longer the most coveted player in FIFA. Even Cristiano Ronaldo, who managed to score 18 goals in 30 Premier League appearances will likely be losing his prestigious place in FIFA’s rankings. For the first time in more than a decade, there is a chance neither Messi or Ronaldo will be FIFA’s best. But who are the players that can replace Messi and Ronaldo as the FIFA Gods?
It’s important to know that FIFA 23’s ratings have yet to be revealed, and leaks are non-existent at the moment. So all we have is speculation, but here are five players I think have the potential to be rated higher than Lionel Messi next season.