FIFA 23 Top 20 Rating Predictions

With the FIFA 23 hype well and truly beginning now we look ahead to the highest rated players in the game, starting off with what I feel will be the top 20 overall. Please note there will be a few more 89 rated players so if someone you expected to be 89 is not included, they could feature in other prediction articles with an 89 rating.
 

 

 

20th. Alisson, 89 overall rating (0), Liverpool

There are multiple keepers that I have decided to be harsh with this year but one that avoids the drop is Alisson, the Brazilian won keeper of the year last season which shows the general opinion on him. I do not think he will achieve the same again during FIFA 23 however at the predicted 89 rating it does mean he is the third highest keeper in the game which I think is fair on evaluation.

 

 

19th. Ngolo Kante, 89 overall rating (-1), Chelsea

Despite finding himself in the TOTY side last season it was a quiet season for both Chelsea and Ngolo Kante during 2021/22 and thus I can see the Frenchman receiving a small upgrade. When you are already rated so highly you need to be excelling to keep that status and although Kante has not been bad, I would not say he has been at the caliber of the elite few, week in week out. 89 rated is still among the best though and thus Kante sneaks into the top 20.

 

 

18th. Casemiro, 89 overall rating (0), Real Madrid

There are several standard players when it comes to the top end of the game, which looks to be fairly rated and thus is unlikely to be either upgraded or downgraded. Casemiro is one of those with the Brazilian doing his usual for Madrid in the middle of the park. He remains one of the best defensive midfielders in the world and thus his rating justifies that. With Real Madrid winning both the La Liga and Champions League titles there is more chance of an upgrade than a downgrade but I just think 89 is fair here.

 

 

17th. Erling Haaland, 89 overall rating (+1), Manchester City

Pre-season has not been the best for Haaland but it was always going to be the case of the Norwegian settling in, with a new style of play to what he is used to. I do think that Haaland will solidify his position as one of the best strikers in the world under City and its going to be an exciting season ahead for him. There is a lot of hype surrounding this one with all eyes on him and after another strong showing in the Bundesliga last season for Dortmund I see no reason why Haaland won’t receive a small upgrade to his rating from FIFA 22.

 

 

16th. Virgil Van Dijk, 89 overall rating (0), Liverpool

After some time out through injury, everyone was unsure if Van Dijk would be able to reach the level, he was previously at, especially soon after returning but the Dutch defender has proved those doubters wrong and continued to excel at the back. There can be arguments made for an upgrade to VVD but for now, I am predicting he will stay at 89, which is still the highest rated CB in the game.

 

 

15th. Joshua Kimmich, 89 overall rating (0), Bayern Munich

Another player who I do not feel needs much tweaking if any at all is Kimmich. The German midfielder continues to do what he does best and despite a disappointing Champions League exit for Munich, in general I think their rating will remain quite similar to that of last season, Kimmich included.

 

 

14th. Sadio Mane, 89 overall rating (0), Bayern Munich

I was close to giving Mane an upgrade however I do feel as though there will be a limited number of 90 plus players and thus, I decided to keep him at 89. A big move to Munich could see him excel if pre-season is anything to go by. No longer will he have to compete with Salah to be the main man and with Lewandowski parting ways from Munich, Mane could easily become the man they rely on and I think he has it in him to take the reins.

 

 

13th. Jan Oblak, 89 overall rating (-2), Atletico Madrid

One of the biggest punts I have made in this prediction is with the goalkeepers, Oblak may well be the highlight of this after receiving a 91 rated card in FIFA 22, making him the highest rated keeper in the game. I am confident that he loses that crown for 23 but I have gone one further and given him a –2 and in turn making him the third highest keeper in the game, something I feel is reflective of where Oblak is currently at.

 

 

12th. Cristiano Ronaldo, 90 overall rating (-1), Manchester United

The Ronaldo saga is currently in full force and where he will end up next season is currently unknown but currently, he is a Manchester United player and if that remains the case, I would expect him to receive a small downgrade and come in at 90. Elsewhere could see a bigger drop but it is still Ronaldo and I would expect 89 to be the lowest they will go with him. Although the Portuguese international didn’t record the stats he has previously managed in Spain he still scored a respectable number for United which does mean the drop will likely be minimal

 

 

11th. Manuel Neuer, 90 overall rating (0), Bayern Munich

I am expecting multiple goalkeeper downgrades this season after big increases to their stats during FIFA 22 simply resulted in them all becoming SBC fodder. One I do expect to avoid the drop however is Neuer. The Munich keeper remains one of the best keepers in the world, with his unique sweeper keeper style catching the eye while also being a superb shot stopper and although the keeper is now 36 years of age, he has shown no signs of age catching up to him.

 

 

10th. Neymar, 90 overall rating (0), PSG

Neymar has so much talent but his injuries and overall decisions of the pitch limit his cap. There are few clubs that would turn down the chance to own the Brazilian, as on his day he would slide into any side. Lack of minutes over the past couple of seasons means we are likely to see a small downgrade but since it is still Neymar, I am sure he will still be around the top 10 and thus a –1 from myself makes him the 10th best player in the game.

 

 

9th. Harry Kane, 90 overall rating (0), Tottenham

Time for the Tottenham Duo now, both were always going to make the top 20 it just depends on whereabouts. Kane once again did exactly what was expected of him, scoring 27 goals in all competitions. With the Englishman likely seeing out his career with Spurs he continues to close in on Shearer’s 260, currently standing at 183 Premier League goals. In terms of strikers, he is slightly behind the likes of Lewandowski and Benzema but deserves to keep his 90 rating and thus stay the same for FIFA 23.

 

 

8th. Heung Min Son, 90 overall rating (+1), Tottenham

Son has seriously impressed in the Premier League for multiple seasons now which has seen his rating continuously increase over the years. We are reaching his peak now but after lifting the golden boot (joint) last season it speaks wonders for the level the Korean is currently at and with Tottenham becoming a real force, pushing towards continuous Champions League positions he just gets more exposure. Once again, I can see an upgrade coming his way with a plus one being the realistic option here

 

 

7th. Thibaut Courtois, 90 overall rating (+1), Real Madrid

Goalkeepers were very highly rated last FIFA and although it is hard to guess what the standing point will be for them this year one thing that I feel does need to happen is that Courtois takes the crown of the highest rated one, or at least joint highest. The Belgian played a huge role in Madrid’s success, especially in Europe and really did show his class. The Belgian should pick up the best keeper of the year and it’s widely acknowledged that this is likely to be the case. A plus one at least should be on the way for him.

 

 

6th. Mohamed Salah, 91 overall rating (+2), Liverpool

Salah has been just behind the front runners for many seasons now despite recording numbers that are among the very best. Once again, I feel that he will narrowly miss out on that elusive TOTY spot, especially after Liverpool ended up losing the Champions League final and finishing second in the league. Although the Egyptian is likely to miss that side, I do feel that he has done enough for another upgrade and thus a plus two takes him up to 91.

 

 

5th. Kevin De Bruyne, 91 overall rating (0), Manchester City

De Bruyne is always a difficult one as his talent is clear to see but the Belgian spends a lot of the season out with injury which limits his ability to perform week in week out. When he is fit it's clear to see that he is among the best in the world, especially when it comes to what he shines at. His creative ability is unmatchable and due to the lack of game time it's almost guaranteed that he won’t be upgraded. I don’t think that he will go the other way either and thus is likely to stay at his 91 rating.

 

 

4th. Karim Benzema, 91 overall rating (+2), Real Madrid

Karim Benzema has really shown his class the past season for Real Madrid, helping the Spanish giants to lift both the Champions League and La Liga titles, while playing a pivotal role in allowing that to happen. A plus two is a rarity when you are talking about players which are already so highly rated but the Frenchman could go on to win the Ballon D’or from his performances over the past year and thus I feel it’s hard to argue against the Frenchman getting a decent sized upgrade on last season's card.

 

 

3rd. Lionel Messi, 91 overall rating (-2), PSG

Although a two drop in rating may be a little harsh, I do feel that EA will want a clear winner in the overall ratings and thus I feel the two drop is more realistic that the potential gain from the number one spot. It’s no secret that Messi has not met the heights expected of him since moving from Barcelona and although he has by no means been bad, his performances have been hard to justify his best in the world status, especially with his own teammate outperforming him at times. Despite that, a high rating is inevitable for the Argentine and his legacy will remain forever as what he has done in his career is simply magnificent and a 91 rating is still nothing to be upset about.

 

 

2nd. Robert Lewandowski, 92 overall rating (0), Barcelona

The 92-rating given to Lewandowski last season was a surprise with EA historically not boosting players towards the end of their career but Lewandowski more than justified it. The Polish striker secured a rather controversial transfer to Barcelona over the summer and given the fact he is now 33 years of age to pay 50 million is astronomical, even for a club with no financial worries, let alone Barcelona. In terms of rating, I think that he more than justified his upgrade last year and recorded impressive numbers for Munich once again. How he will tackle his new challenge is yet to be seen and thus I expect Lewandowski to keep his 92 rating.

 

 

1st. Kylian Mbappe, 92 overall rating (+1), PSG

For quite some time now the debate has been Ronaldo against Messi but with the Frenchman making the cover his own now and the past showing EA being favourable towards their cover star. I think it may be finally time to hand the reigns over and I can’t see the Frenchman losing it anytime soon. With both Ronaldo and Messi heading into the final chapters of their careers, I can’t see them regaining control of the number one spot either. Despite the heavy Real Madrid links PSG managed to secure Mbappe with a new contract which will likely see Mbappe spend the majority if not the rest of his career with the French champions 

 

 

 

Rank	Player	Club	Rating
1	Kylian Mbappe	PSG	92 (+1)
2	Robert Lewandowski	Barcelona	92 (0)
3	Lionel Messi	PSG	91 (-2)
4	Karim Benzema	Real Madrid	91 (+2)
5	Kevin De Bruyne	Manchester City	91 (0)
6	Mohamed Salah	Liverpool	91 (+2)
7	Thibaut Courtois	Real Madrid	90 (+1)
8	Heung Min Son	Tottenham	90 (+1)
9	Harry Kane	Tottenham	90 (0)
10	Neymar	PSG	90 (0)
11	Manuel Neuer	Bayern Munich	90 (0)
12	Cristiano Ronaldo	Manchester United	90 (-1)
13	Jan Oblak	Atletico Madrid	89 (-2)
14	Sadio Mane	Bayern Munich	89 (0)
15	Joshua Kimmich	Bayern Munich	89 (0)
16	Virgil Van Dijk	Liverpool	89 (0)
17	Erling Haaland	Manchester City	89 (+1)
18	Casemiro	Real Madrid	89 (0)
19	Ngolo Kante	Chelsea	89 (-1)
20	Alisson	Liverpool	89 (0)