FIFA 23 FUT BALLERS DIAZ PLAYER REVIEW - COP OR FLOP?

EA have balled out in FUT and given us one of the best promo concepts we’ve had in a long time! 

However, in typical fashion it’s been executed in an incredibly odd manner. Only Premier League cards have been released so far and it’s tough to see how they could really open up the promo to other leagues without extending it into FUT Birthday next week. 

The first SBC we’ve been supplied with is Luis Diaz (or as I’ve been reliably told it’s pronounced Loosh Dish). The base card, an 86, is fine but we’ll be focusing on the upgraded 88 version today.

In order to unlock the 88 rated version, you just need to score a finesse shot with the 86 rated version in 5 separate matches.

And, as a teaser, you don’t actually need to have the 86 to complete the 88…

Check out the card! - Luis Diaz 88

Luis Diaz FUT Ballers SBC Requirements

#1 - Luis Diaz
Liverpool Player - Min 1
Squad Rating - 83

Total Cost from scratch ~ 37K

An 83 rated squad used to be a 10k squad. Not any more. At least boards are worth something! Currently 83 rated players are 3.5k and you need 9 of them to complete this SBC. If we get similar SBC’s for the rest of the week, 83’s could rise and rise and rise, so it’s good that EA have provided us with a half decent upgrade grind to go alongside these daily SBC’s. With 20 x 83 doubles available every day, it should be fairly easy to gather the fodder needed to do these SBC’s without spending 37k!

Luiz Diaz FUT Baller SBC In Game Analysis

The first thing to get out of the way here is that, for most avid players, this card isn’t getting in your team. Unless you’re Colombian or a Liverpool fan, it’s unlikely that the card will replace any number of high profile attackers with better stats and 5 star skill moves. However, this, in reality, isn’t important, I will explain why a little later.

If you do end up using this card, what you’ll find is a slippery, sprightly incisor that will cut through opponents defences with an ease that few cards possess in the mid to lower reaches of the current power threshold. 

There are plenty of players in this game with 90+ pace, but there are very few that feel genuinely quick on the ball. This is one of those rare finds. His dribbling, all 92, is a joy to use. If you saw Wout Weghorst’s first Old Trafford goal against Betis, you’ll have seen Facundo Pellistri going all Road Runner and meep meeping his way around the outside of a helpless Betis defender. This Luis Diaz recreates that several times a match. The mix of all those incredible dribbling stats means he turns quicker and higher speeds that the majority of defenders can keep up with and it made him a lot of fun.  

His shooting was a nice surprise also. Lethal off both feet, his composure really made those contested shots far more effective than I expected. With 90 shot power and a respectable 86 finishing, he is primed to be boosted to razor sharp finishing stats with the right chemistry style. A finisher for example gives him 99 finishing, 95 positioning and 94 shot power. 

With solid passing and respectable physicals for a diminutive winger, he really was a lot of fun to use. 

However, as referenced, this is unlikely to push the mid to high tier players out of anyones team. With several Rashford special items offering 5 star skills, multiple Icons and Heroes offering easier chemistry and better stats, this is a budget winger. And in all likelihood, within a month, he will be left behind the power curve. 
 

How Does He Compare?

Well here’s the catch I mentioned above. When we trade in SBC’s, we get tradeable packs back sometimes, but we always get the player back. In most cases, we get that player to be able to play with them. However, this is one of the rare cases where the fodder value of what you are receiving is higher than the cost of the SBC. 

Currently an 86 rated player is 17k and an 88 rated player is 28k. For 37k of fodder, and 5 games of FIFA, you can get 45k’s worth of player. If you have a lot of 83 or 84 rated cards and don’t really know how to turn them into higher rated cards, this is such a good trade off.

However, even if we look at the market value of similar players, this trade off becomes even more of a no brainer for me. 

Take Joe Cole’s World Cup Hero. He has the same skill moves, weak foot and work rate as Luis Diaz. With better chemistry and more positional diversity, he does fill out squads slightly easier. But when you compare the stats Diaz is quicker, a much superior dribbler and he dominates Cole physically. Their shooting is very close and Cole is a better passer of the ball. By all accounts, these are two very equally matched cards with the utility of Cole countering the superior stats of the Colombian. Joe Cole is 225k. 

World Cup Phenoms Saka is a similar story. Identical work rates, skill moves, weak foot and body type, Diaz dominating stats wise outside of passing and Saka offering slightly more positional diversity. And Saka is 100k. 

Now it is pertinent to point out, both of the cards I’ve compared to are well over 3 months old at this point, but that is FIFA 23 currently. Pretty much everything is a sidegrade. This is just a very well priced one. 

FUT Ballers Luis Diaz - Cop or Flop?

This SBC has 93% upvotes. And quite rightly. A great concept, similar to the FS Academy from previous years, it is still clunky. The inability to upgrade an actual card instead of just getting a new one does slightly take the shine off.

Lolathon highlights one of the more bizarre dynamic images of recent times…

I genuinely thought I was getting a Klopp when I first saw the upgraded card, I can’t be the only one.

In the intro I teased that you didn’t have to do the SBC to get the 88 rated version. All you need is a friend that did the SBC and you can get the finesse goals in Co-op matches to unlock it! First step is finding a friend though, so I just did the SBC…

This is the biggest Cop that ever did Cop. More Cops than the Met. You’re getting an 86 and an 88 rated player for a bit of gameplay and an 83 rated squad. An absolute steal. 

Cop

SBC Rating: 10/10