EA Sports has announced new icons for FIFA 23. At the same time, there are also 6 names missing that were previously playable legends in FIFA.
Update, September 14, 2022: EA Sports has now updated the “Class of 23”. Now, 2 icons that were previously missing have returned:
- Casillas
- Cafu
Both players are icons that were only added in FIFA 22. Consequently, their absence from the original listing was surprising. Now they are back.
However, the two remaining spots in the “Icon 100” are now filled. Therefore, it is not expected that any more icons will be added before the FIFA 23 release.
The updated icon overview in FIFA 23:
This article is an update after 8 icons were previously listed. From here, the original article continues – however, we have removed Casillas and Cafu from the overview of missing icons below.
These are the new icons: The icon field in FIFA 23 will be expanded by three names – Xabi Alonso, Jairzinho, and Gerd Müller. Learn more about the new icons in FIFA 23 here.
At the same time, EA Sports provided an overview of the “Class of 23,” meaning all icons of FIFA 23.
A total of 100 legends are expected to be included this time in Ultimate Team. However, it is noticeable that only 98 icons have been announced for the game so far. So two more icons are likely to be added.
Furthermore, it is noticeable that there are not only new names, but also some that are missing.
Which icons are no longer in FIFA 23?
These old icons are missing: The most notable name is one that was already expected. Diego Maradona will reportedly not be present in FIFA 23.
In recent years, Maradona has been one of the absolute top players in Ultimate Team and had incredibly strong icon cards. However, Maradona had to be removed from the game in FIFA 22 due to a third-party lawsuit.
Only players who had already drawn Maradona as a card could still use him. However, he was removed from packs, drafts, and the “Soccer Aid World XI Team.” In FIFA 23, he apparently is not available at all anymore, as he is missing from the official list.
Besides Maradona, 7 other names from FIFA 22 are also missing, which likely will not be legends at the FIFA 23 release.
Which icons are still missing in FIFA 23?
Deco: The Portuguese midfielder has been around for a long time, but his cards did not have particularly high stats. The same applies to the next icon.
Giggs: Ryan Giggs also seems to be leaving the game.
Guardiola: Pep Guardiola was added in FIFA 20 but was also considered one of the weaker options in the icon midfield. However, you can now play him as a manager in Career Mode.
Overmars: Marc Overmars is also missing in FIFA 23. However, Overmars had already been banned in FIFA 22 due to a real-life scandal.
Inzaghi: Filippo Inzaghi also no longer has a card in the FIFA 23 icons list. The Italian forward has been considered by many players as one of the weakest icons, as his real-life class was simply not feasible to translate into the game due to weak stats.
It remains open whether the icons have been permanently removed or if they will return to FIFA 23 at a later date.
It has also happened that icons have been transformed into hero cards. However, given the previous announcements, this also seems rather unlikely.
