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Even a nasty spate of review bombings from disgruntled fans could stop this year’s installment from proving as popular as ever in terms of sales and revenue, meaning that there will still be vast numbers of players looking to take to the field and crush their rivals into the dirt. Doing that, of course, requires the best team possible. Start a game of FIFA 23 with any of these sides and victory is practically a formality.
10 Manchester United - Overall Rating: 82
It still seems strange to live in a world in which Manchester United isn’t one of the dominant forces in European football, but that’s the bitter reality that fans of the Red Devils have been coming to terms with since Sir Alex Ferguson departed the club in 2013. Part of these struggles has stemmed from horrible recruitment, United’s management signing players at the wrong time to play in the wrong position and usually for the wrong price.
These days, however, United’s squad is one of unquestionable pedigree. The current frustration for the Old Trafford devoted is that on paper, the team’s assemblage of talent is practically second-to-none. Heavyweight names like Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphaël Varane, Christian Eriksen, and Bruno Fernandes should be setting the world alight, and even if they can’t do it on a real-life pitch, such a wondrous constellation of stars makes for a very effective FIFA side.
9 Atlético Madrid - Overall: 83
Still one of the most overlooked and underrated teams in world football, Atlético often struggles to command the respect and affection shown to the club’s Primera Division rivals. Many outside of Spain still regard Atlético as merely the ‘other’ team of Spanish club football, a label that’s sure to infuriate the faithful at the Estadio Metropolitano.
In fact, Atlético’s is one of the most balanced squads in the entire game, not boasting any astonishing strengths in any particular fields but crucially harboring no real weaknesses either. Strong ratings of 84, 83, and 83 remain pretty consistent across the board thanks to the talents of José Giménez in defense, Koke captaining the midfield, and the likes of Álvaro Morata, João Félix, and Antoine Griezmann in attack. Atlético Madrid is an acquired taste, but get Los Colchoneros firing and the rewards are great.
8 Inter Milan - Overall: 83
Inter Milan’s resurrection has been a long time coming. Still, after ten years of wandering the footballing wilderness, Simone Inzaghi is finally bringing the Italian giants back to where they belong at the sharp end of club football. It was, after all, Inter who broke Juventus’ decade-long monopoly of the Italian domestic league to finally give fans outside of Turin something to shout about.
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It’s not hard to see how I Nerazzurri nearly recaptured the glory days of the late 2000s when Jose Mourinho was at the club’s helm and legends such as Wesley Sneijder, Diego Milito, and Samuel Eto’o were making Inter the dominant force in both Italy and Europe. Shrewd recruitment has seen the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, and Nicolò Barella arrive at the San Siro, making Inter one of the most formidable squads in all of club football.
7 FC Barcelona - Overall: 84
A few years ago, FC Barcelona’s virtual side would unquestionably follow its real-life counterpart at the pinnacle of the FIFA rankings. Barca’s 2010s club side was arguably the best domestic team ever assembled, the talents of Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Pique, and David Villa combining to create something that looked like it had been artificially assembled in a FIFA career mode anyway.
Things haven’t gone so well since then for the Catalan giants thanks to financial troubles and an unsettled squad of what often seems to be misfit players unsure how to play the side’s very specific brand of football. Nevertheless, some exceptional recruitment in the form of Robert Lewandowski, Jules Koundé, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, and Franck Kessié makes Barcelona extremely strong and well worth picking up and playing. On paper, at least.
6 Chelsea - Overall: 84
Chelsea is a team in a funny place right now. The London side’s shock victory over Premier League rivals Man City in the 2020/2021 Champions League final is far from ancient history, yet it must feel like a lifetime ago for a side still struggling to recapture the glory days of true domestic and European dominance.
Still, Chelsea still holds court as one of the finest club sides on the planet, even with some tricky goings-on behind the scenes. Dependable stars like N’golo Kante, Thiago Silva, and Jorginho keep the ratings high, whereas new signings Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana, and Marc Cucurella ensure a formidable starting eleven.
5 FC Bayern München - Overall: 85
The highest-rated attack in FIFA 23 goes not to PSG’s deadly front three but to the Bavarian supergiants instead. Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé make for an impressive lead trio, but it’s the likes of Sadio Mané, Serge Gnabry, Thomas Müller, Leroy Sané, and Kingsley Coman who make Bayern the ultimate proposition up top. If nothing else, the Bundesliga champions probably boast more attacking depth than any other side in the world.
Bayern’s squad isn’t bad elsewhere on the pitch either. Exceptional midfield cover comes in the form of Leon Goretzka and Marcel Sabitzer, whereas Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Kimmich, and Dayot Upamecano round out a formidable defensive unit. There’s a reason Bayern has been practically untouchable in the Bundesliga for the past few decades.
4 Liverpool - Overall: 85
The Klopp era has been one of the greatest in Liverpool’s history, a time defined by both domestic and European success, high-pressure attacking football, and, most crucially, the return of optimism and good times at Anfield after so many years in the wilderness.
The team that Klopp has managed to build at Liverpool is exceptional and stands up as one of the all-time great squad restructurings. The German inherited a side featuring the likes of Nathanial Clyne at right-back, Simon Mignolet in goal, and Mamadou Sakho at center-back to create a team of world-beaters by bringing in the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Andy Robertson, and Mohammed Salah. Sadio Mané might be gone, but Luis Díaz, not to mention Diogo Jota, Darwin Núñez, and Fábio Carvalho, look more than ready to fill the gaping hole the Senegalese leaves behind.
3 Real Madrid - Overall: 85
It’s scary to think that the European champions aren’t even in their final form right now. One could be forgiven for thinking that Real would sit at the top of the FIFA 23 club rankings thanks to the side’s snaring of both the La Liga domestic title and the Champions League, but the Spanish side was very much the underdog going into many of its European matchups.
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That isn’t to say that the current Real Madrid team is in any way bad, but rather that the side overachieved when nabbing Los Blancos yet another Champions League trophy and continuing a run of dominance no other club side has come close to matching. Massively-rated stars such as Thibaut Courtois, Karim Benzema, Luka Modrić, and David Alaba all ensure a colossal overall rating, all bolstered by some exceptional talent among the subs.
2 Paris Saint-Germain- Overall: 85
In terms of raw talent, it’s very hard to see past French giants and current Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain. PSG is a squad assembled with almost no concession to budgetary restraints or even concerns about tactics or squad chemistry, instead focusing on getting the biggest names and brightest stars and just letting them figure it out for themselves.
It’s not a strategy that has led to the European success that the French club ultimately prizes above all else, but it has left would-be FIFA managers with an incredible squad to play with. A front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe could barely be improved upon, whereas stars such as Marco Verratti, Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos, and Pablo Sarabia litter the rest of the field. Forget croissants and the Eiffel Tower, Paris is the number one destination for players seeking out the best French club side in FIFA 23.
1 Manchester City - Overall: 85
It’s a close-run thing, but Manchester City just clinches the FIFA 23 top spot. The most dominant domestic side in England at the moment is easily one of the best teams to play on FIFA 23, a dynamic and incredibly exciting prospect for would-be managers packed to the brim with some of the most technically gifted players on the planet.
City’s squad doesn’t have any discernible weaknesses to speak of, and while some criticized the lack of a star striker last season, this campaign is already set to be defined by the exploits of the Norwegian powerhouse Erling Haaland as he sets his sight on every Premier League record ever laid down. With Haaland leading the line, Kevin de Bruyne pulling the strings, and Ederson stopping the shots, Manchester City is a force to be reckoned with and a joy to take command of.
FIFA 23 is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
