FIFA 23: Manchester United Player ratings and changes

Ahead of the release of FIFA 23 on September 27, 2022, the full ratings for Manchester United’s roster was released, and let’s just say there is a lot of room for improvement in manager career mode.

As someone who gravitates more to Ultimate Team, I will be looking at these players through that lens. I do anticipate when I finally break away from FUT to do some career mode, I will have a lot of fun playing with United. The first season of career mode will just require some patience as I round the guys back into the form I know they’re capable of.

The Notable Rating Slides

We’ll go ahead and address the elephant in the room first. Cristiano Ronaldo only saw his rating drop from a 91 to a 90, but his pace rating has dropped from an 87 to a humbling 81 with his acceleration at 79. As we saw last season, and very much during the beginning of this season, his pace has dropped considerably in real life and his rating finally reflects reality over reputation.

Even without knowing this year’s meta, he is likely to be a very usable gold card, but without the help of some in-form cards, you’ll have to rely on promo cards to play with the CR7 that stans still claim him to be.

Another big slide is Jadon Sancho who drops from an 87 overall to an 84. Last season was a tough year of transition for one of the world’s best young players as he only earned one in-form card which made owners of his Ones To Watch card (me) cry. However, fans of tekkers will still have a lot to love as Sancho keeps his five star skill moves and exceptional dribbling stats.

The early parts of this season have shown that Sancho is capable of cooking in Erik ten Hag’s attack, and, at an 84, has a lot more potential to enjoy growth with a couple in-form cards over the season.

I’m absolutely gutted to report that the Prime Minister, aka Dr. Marcus Rashford MBE has dropped from an 85 to an 81. With noticeable declines in pace, dribbling, and physicality from last season, he won’t dominate early-game metas as much, but he will still be a very usable gold card. Like Sancho, Rashford at a lower rating gives him the runway to earn a couple in-form cards if he can keep up the signs of life shown in August and September.

Rashford has a really good chance to be United’s representative for a Road to the Europa League Final card as he is a popular player in a popular position. If that happens, that card will be worth seeking as United look to make a deep run in the competition again this season.

Basically, every other player on the 2021-22 roster saw their rating drop (except David de Gea who went from an 84 to an 87?). Bruno Fernandes and Raphael Varane will still be very usable players – especially in the early game if you’re lucky enough to pack them – while virtually every other returning midfielder and defender will be borderline unusable and relegated to SBC fodder.

New Kids On The Block

Casemiro is United’s second-highest rated player at 89 and has the distinction of being tied for the highest-rated gold central defensive midfielder in the game alongside Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich. What Casemiro lacks in his 63 pace rating he makes up for with high physical and defensive ratings. Alongside the stats that make him a proper destroyer, his underlying passing and dribbling stats makes sure he can string some decent passes together while not being bullied off the ball – this all remains to be seen in real life, of course.

As someone who got a lot of work out of Fabinho in a double pivot in FIFA 22, there is a lot of room for Casemiro to work in-game before going into an Icon or Player of the Month SBC later in the season.

Antony and Lisandro Martinez have an opportunity to be really good early game performers. At 82 and 81 respectively, they should be cards you see relatively frequently in packs.

Antony is the fastest United player by a country mile in this year’s game and he pairs that with five star skill moves. He certainly will be a player that causes rage quits in the opening weekends of Div Rivals. Martinez has really nice underlying stats in defense and possession as he also has the ability to play in the midfield. He also has a 91 jump rating paired with a solid 84 aggression and 83 defensive awareness so get your short jokes out of here. Both players’ Ones To Watch cards have real potential if you’re able to get your hands on one or both.

Christian Eriksen is far off from some of his eye-watering Tottenham cards, but he is still a respectable central midfielder at 82 overall, albeit with a pace rating in the low-60s. Basically, Eriksen won’t likely be a player you see often, but he is gonna be the player that lives in your head rent free because of your mate or an online opponent who doesn’t rely on high-pace players.

The Dane is a better sniper than Bob Lee Swagger and his passing is still ludicrously high. I don’t look forward to playing my friend Sean who is a god-tier free kick taker in FIFA and a massive Eriksen fan from his Tottenham days.

At 79 overall, but with 85 pace, Tyrell Malacia will be a good, if forgettable by November, outside back. He could really benefit from a Ones To Watch card to maintain relevance.

Ultimately, if you’re an Ultimate Team player, United doesn’t have many gold cards that will stay in your starting xi by the time of the first kick of the World Cup. However, casuals will still find a lot to like in the base cards – especially if they are more obtainable this year because of the dip in ratings.

Of course, keeping the popularity of United in mind, several players will find themselves featured in stat-altered promos throughout the season which will keep the club relevant in the meta and fans happy who just want to use their favorite players in game.

Full list of first team players and their overall rating:

Cristiano Ronaldo - 90

Casemiro - 89

David de Gea - 87

Bruno Fernandes - 86

Raphael Varane - 84

Jadon Sancho - 84

Antony - 82

Christian Eriksen - 82

Lisandro Martinez - 81

Marcus Rashford - 81

Harry Maguire - 81

Fred - 80

Scott McTominay - 80

Victor Lindelof - 80

Anthony Martial - 80

Luke Shaw - 80

Martin Dubravka - 80

Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 80

Donny van de Beek - 79

Tyrell Malacia - 79

Diogo Dalot - 78