FIFA 23 World Cup Hero Al Owairan Player Review

Commotion was rampant among my club this weekend as the addition of World Cup Hero Al-Owairan was largely overshadowed by the arrival of Darwin Núñez to training in a beanie.  As FUT Manager I insisted he take it off but he refused, stating that he would reveal a new haircut for the first Weekend League match. 

The stage was set and to the squad's surprise, Núñez revealed that he had shaved his head entirely bald as part of his fashion forward haircut… an interesting statement but certainly left no confusion on the pitch when standing next to the newcomer Al-Owairan.

With the haircut distraction put to bed the focus could be placed back on Saeed Al-Owairan who is constantly growing in popularity among the FUT community… and I truly wish I didn’t sell soon after this review. It is clear to see why he is so widely liked and I was hoping this review would add to those positive vibes.

Which new World Cup 2022 player do you want @MaeNine_ to review next? 🤔

— FUTBIN (@FUTBIN) November 11, 2022

I opted to play Al-Owairan as the striker in my 4-2-2-2 formation and hoped that his overall pace and dribbling would allow the DEADEYE chemistry style to take care of any shooting and passing deficiencies.

Al-Owairan proved himself a player to Marvel at all weekend long, the Hero throughout the Weekend League grind in the following squad:

Starting Formation

In-Game Formation

Overall 

Rating: 9.5/10

Pace Rating: 10/10

Dribbling Rating: 9/10

Shooting Rating: 9.5/10

Passing Rating: 9.5/10

Physical Rating: 9/10

Defending Rating: N/A

Why oh why didn’t I hold onto this card?!? Look at the rise from what I paid for him.  It might have to do with selling literally everything I could get my hands on to get PTG Vinícius Júnior in my squad… but it would have been a nice coin boost if it worked out.

21 goals and 9 assists for 30 goal contributions in 15 matches is a massive return. This card is literally everywhere and all-action from start to finish of every match.

It is interesting that one of the only things holding this card back from complete dominance all weekend was CBs with the LENGTHY player type… while they still struggled to catch Al-Owairan when through on goal, it did happen. I can only wonder what cards can hold this man back now?

Main Statistics – On The Ball

Pace Rating: 10/10

Dribbling Rating: 9/10

Skills: ★★★★

The CONTROLLED player type is actually perfect for this card and allowed the incredible in-game 98 ACCELERATION & 99 SPRINT SPEED to flourish. The blistering pace left Al-Owairan needing the goggles from his image to keep the tears out of his eyes. It was the best of both worlds and caused defenders a ton of problems.

It would be one thing if this card was simply lightning quick… but he is class on the ball as well. The 94 DRIBBLING & 90 BALL CONTROL keep Al-Owairan’s pace unhindered when running at pace… and generally the ball was touch tight at all times.

The close control and blistering pace is then accompanied by the ability to stop and change direction abruptly and is a direct result of the 91 AGILITY & 87 BALANCE. The FOUR STAR SKILLS add just one more weapon and near perfect results when Al-Owairan has the ball at his feet.

Value/Coins

Value/Coins Rating: 5/5

An ever growing price tag… currently sitting at a staggering 680k as the meta seems to be shifting in real time. From everything I experienced, he is still worth every coin. While not offering a lot in terms of league links, the fact that you do not need to do anything to get this weapon on full chem in your squad carries value for sure.

Good vs. Bad

Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

Going to avoid doubling down on the pace and dribbling in this category… and stil there is a lot to like.

+ The 4 STAR WEAK FOOT feels “heavy” and I mean this in the best way possible. The 97 SHOT POWER is not lost on his “weaker” right foot and rips through the ball with fantastic velocity. The 97 FINISHING is slightly different, working brilliantly on the left and then a little less accurate on the right… hence the slightly lower rating.

+ The DEADEYE strikes again with this review and just reaches 99 SHORT PASSING which was pinpoint in delivery… while the 89 VISION, 86 CROSSING & 81 LONG PASSING never let me down minus the odd mishap.

+ This card moves in a way that a 184cm | 6’0 card should not… Yet you still benefit from the size addition to the 74 STRENGTH and at some point you just start to realize that this card is a cheat code.

Minor issues did arise during the review, and I suppose these are becoming more important as the card rises in price by the hour.

- The lack of the OUTSIDE FOOT trait is more important given the recent nerf to the trivela meta… The importance of this on card popularity will be made more clear in the coming weeks. In fact the complete lack of traits at all is truly the biggest omission on an otherwise brilliant card.

- Small issue, but the lack of a good league connection does mean that Al-Owairan is more of a self-sustaining card in squads.

Closing Words

Even when you mention the lack of league connections, it feels like Al-Owairan makes up for it with a wide position selection, offering his services as a CAM, ST, RW & RM.

I have quite enjoyed the World Cup Heroes addition to this promo and overall they have brought a unique dynamic to the game. When the Marvel collaboration was announced I was a little skeptical on a gimmicky result… but it has been a unique and welcome inclusion overall.

Enjoyed every moment with this card, envy those that received him in their World Cup Heroes pack, and hope to one day bring him back for a few cameos before the end of the year.

Definitely a must try!