The FIFA 23 ratings show many players with high values. However, it already seems that some top players from real life will struggle once again in the game. This time, it is again the most important FIFA value that is in question.
Over the last few days, EA Sports has gradually released more ratings. The best Premier League players are known, just like the top cards from the Bundesliga, the highest-rated players in FIFA 23 and more.
And yes, there are some heavy players again. Mbappé as an over-card, a significantly improved Christopher Nkunku, Sadio Mané as a Bundesliga newcomer – these are the cards that many FIFA players will be looking at hopefully after the release of FIFA 23 .
But at the same time, the new ratings also bring a certain sobering realization. The problem: Even now, it is becoming apparent that some top players in FIFA 23 will once again end up on the bench. The reason: They are simply rated as too slow.
Top players in the Bundesliga, but too slow in FIFA 23?
The example of the Bundesliga: If you look at FIFA 23: Best Bundesliga Ratings, five cards stand out particularly when looking at slow speed values.
- Marco Reus with 70 speed
- Thomas Müller with 69 speed
- Kimmich with 68 speed
- Hummels with 53 speed
- Haller with 65 speed
All 5 players are known for strong performances in the Bundesliga. However, these values could pose difficulties in FIFA 23. There is already criticism in the FIFA subreddit:
- “A new year, a new useless Müller,” one comments (via reddit).
- “Reus is definitely faster than that. I don’t know how much faster, but definitely faster” (via reddit).
- “Has EA never seen Bayern play? These ratings make no sense. Müller and Kimmich are not slow” (via reddit).
Thomas Müller is a prime example of the importance of speed because: For years, the Bayern offensive player has consistently delivered strong performances in the Bundesliga and is among the best players there.
In FIFA, however, he has been highly rated for years but ultimately useless. Why is that?
The big FIFA problem with speed
“He is completely unplayable” – this sentence is often heard in the FIFA community when it comes to slow players. But it is not surprising, since over the years speed has become an increasingly decisive factor in FIFA.
Exaggerated, the echo on such players often goes as follows:
- A player has over 90 speed, masters shooting and dribbling? Then he is not only useful on the field but also expensive on the transfer market.
- A player has 60 speed, but has great passing and defensive values? Then he may serve as a placeholder until a faster player arrives. Or as fodder for the next SBC.
Things like positioning, anticipation, passing intelligence, which are important factors in real-life football, translate only partly into gameplay in FIFA. Much of that is handled by the hands on the controller anyway. High speed, on the other hand, is a clear, measurable factor: Either a player has it or he does not.
The problem is that high speed combined with strong dribbling is often enough to make a player at least usable in FIFA. If more good values are added, it’s a nice bonus – and if all values plus speed are high, a card immediately becomes an object of desire.
A good example is Nkunku – a fast, dribbling strong attacker, to whom a player in the FIFA subreddit says: “Nkunku just looks ridiculous (in a good way)” (via reddit).” That a Thomas Müller is rated higher than Nkunku in overall rating becomes completely irrelevant in light of the value distribution.
On the other hand, slow players can easily become completely lost. The best defensive attribute of a defender is of little use when the opposing striker is at least four meters away and cannot be caught. At the same time, you need fast players on the wings and in attack to get past the defense – otherwise, you will be quickly intercepted.
That’s why fast players, who were often inferior in almost all values, enjoyed greater popularity than their better-rated competitors in the past. So, you take Diaby instead of Gnabry or Werner instead of Müller.
The question is: Can other strong values like dribbling, good passes, or perfect positioning compensate for a lack of speed in FIFA 23? The developers of FIFA 23 have at least emphasized that they worked on speed.
Whether it will help remains to be seen when the game is out. But the experiences of the last few years make it seem rather unlikely.
What do you think about the issue of speed in FIFA? Do you find the current system good? Or would you prefer a change? Let us know in the comments!
Do you want to start working on your team even before the release of FIFA 23? Here you can find out everything about the launch of the FIFA 23 Web App.
