Highlights
- FIFA 23 introduces surprising and unexpected players with excellent special cards that exceed expectations, such as FUT Birthday Lothar Matthaus and Shapeshifters Sheraldo Becker.
- Players like Shapeshifters Icon Gianluca Zambrotta and Gold Virgil Van Dijk offer a combination of defensive prowess and decent attacking stats, making them valuable additions to any team.
- Shapeshifters Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and Shapeshifters Icon Petr Cech bring unique attributes and traits that make them threats both in defense and attack.
FIFA 23 has its fair share of tried-and-true players who often have excellent cards to use each year. However, every edition of EA's favored Ultimate Team mode often comes with unusual choices or surprising promotional cards that exceed even our wildest expectations.
FIFA 23 is no exception to the rule of unexpected players receiving incredibly good special cards that will make the starting 11 of most squads. From underappreciated FUT Icons to some truly bizarre game-breaking Shapeshifters, these are the most surprising FUT 23 cards.
10 FUT Birthday Lothar Matthaus
- Three-Star Skill Moves
- Five-Star Weak Foot
- High/High Work Rates
Among the top-rated FUT Icons, Lothar Matthaus is frequently just on the periphery of most conversations and doesn't get the recognition he deserves. Despite the glaring weakness of his Skill Moves, Matthaus easily sits among the most solid midfielders in the game, excelling in a box-to-box role.
He does lack traits that would make him competitive with the most explosive offensive players in midfield, but there's no mistaking that Matthaus is still a powerhouse. There are few players outside of Patrick Vieira who can outperform Matthaus on the defensive side of the ball, and he's easily deserving of mention among the most complete midfielders.
9 Shapeshifters Sheraldo Becker
- Four-Star Skill Moves
- Four-Star Weak Foot
- Med/High Work Rates
Sheraldo Becker probably isn't a name that you've heard very often, but he's secretly one of the best Center Backs in FUT. His decent height is improved by a Lengthy acceleration type on most chemistry styles. Becker's intangibles help build a solid foundation on top of his excellent attributes.
91 Pace and extremely solid 93 Physical to augment 94 in Defense gives you a lot to work with from this unexpected source. You won't even have to worry about fitting Becker into a team given his Premium status which gives him an automatic three chemistry when played at CB.
8 Shapeshifters Icon Gianluca Zambrotta
- Four-Star Skill Moves
- Five-Star Weak Foot
- High/High Work Rates
Gianluca Zambrotta moves up from Right Back to the midfield with his Shapeshifters version, an excellent change for him. Zambrotta is one of the best value Squad Builder Challenges (SBC) in FIFA 23 considering the value he brings to his team.
Much like Matthaus, Zambrotta excels defensively but also boasts some very decent attacking stats. His 91 Long Shots almost seem underrated as Zambrotta's technique allows him to score some incredible goals that often barely elude the goalkeeper's reach. Try his finesse shots from long-distance to see for yourself.
7 Gold Virgil Van Dijk
- Two-Star Skill Moves
- Three-Star Weak Foot
- Med/High Work Rates
Virgil Van Dijk's base Gold card stands the test of time with performances that exceed the attributes listed on his card. His 81 Pace feels closer to 91 at times because Van Dijk's height allows him to cover ground quickly.
In addition, a unique body type with custom animations allows Van Dijk to outperform similar cards. It's remarkable that he's able to compete with most of the faster cards, though he is replaceable at the highest level. If you just need a Center Back and don't know where to turn, then Van Dijk is a reliable option for Premier League or Dutch teams.
6 Shapeshifters Wilfried Zaha
- Five-Star Skill Moves
- Four-Star Weak Foot
- High/High Work Rates
Another Premier League star joins the most surprising FUT players, with Zaha making a position change that suits him well. Though he's normally considered offensively-minded, this Zaha plays at Right Back and is arguably one of the best choices at the position.
His unique body type immediately helps to give Zaha an edge, but it's his silky smooth ball control and dribbling that make him a blessing on the edge of the pitch. Zaha motors up and down the wing with ease, and is among the best Shapeshifters available. His Giant Throw In trait makes him a surprising threat along the sidelines using more than just his foot speed.
5 Shapeshifters Eduardo Camavinga
- Four-Star Skill Moves
- Four-Star Weak Foot
- High/High Work Rates
Much like Zaha, Camavinga also moves out of the midfield and into a defensive role as a Left Back, where he often played in real life during the season. The Shapeshifter promo corrects his position and boosts his attributes to sublime levels with an incredibly well-balanced card.
There are simply too many attributes to fawn over here – especially given that Camavinga is a Left Back who can utilize all of those offensive and defensive qualities. Feel free to move him back into a midfield role in your in-game tactics, but Camavinga's Pace, Physicality, and seemingly magnetic feet make him a menace of a defender.
4 Fantasy FUT Heroes Saeed Al Owairan
- Four-Star Skill Moves
- Four-Star Weak Foot
- High/Med Work Rates
Saeed Al Owairan is a name that will live in FIFA infamy alongside such iconic names as Ighalo and Ibarbo. This man is known as one of the biggest 'cheat codes' in FIFA due to his unique blend of top-end Pace and wonderful offensive stats.
At the beginning of the FIFA 23 cycle, every meta-relevant team boasted a version of Al Owairan, and he remains a useful player to this day. His lean body type gives him a slippery quality that gives defenders nightmares, especially considering his 99 Pace leaves little room for a defensive error.
3 Team Of The Season Chris Smalling
- Two-Star Skill Moves
- Three-Star Weak Foot
- Med/High Work Rates
While his attributes are incredible, Chris Smalling's excellent Team of the Season card was never expected to be the monster it is. The Skill Moves and weak foot are somewhat low, but those are negligible given Smalling's role as a purely defensive center back.
Even pillars of expensive teams like Raphael Varane are merely comparable to Smalling, rather than clearly better. Chris Smalling's defensive magnetism and noticeable Strength are amazing qualities that earn him a spot among the biggest surprises of the year. The "Smalldini" nickname might finally be deserved.
2 Shapeshifters Vanja Milinkovic-Savic
- Five-Star Skill Moves
- Four-Star Weak Foot
- Med/High Work Rates
Nobody saw this coming, as the rise of the goalkeeper rebellion began with Vanja Milinkovic-Savic's release as an SBC. For a relatively low fodder cost, you could own possibly the best defensive midfielder in the game. Vieira, Matthaus, and others simply can't match Vanja's 6'8" frame and Lengthy acceleration.
To go along with his banquet of boosted attributes, Vanja also boasts the Outside Foot Shot and Power Header traits to make him as big of a threat in attack as he is in defense. Corners may as well just be guaranteed goals once you've mastered getting the ball to this mountain of a man.
1 Shapeshifters Icon Petr Cech
- Four-Star Skill Moves
- Four-Star Weak Foot
- High/Medium Work Rates
If you thought Vanja was a force to be reckoned with, then Petr Cech is simply unstoppable, offering a slightly smaller 6'5" frame, but some incredibly juiced attributes. 95 Shooting, 94 Physical, and 94 Dribbling simply speak for themselves, and Cech's 92 Pace may as well be 99 with how much ground he covers.
Cech also has the Outside Foot Shot and Power Header traits, so good luck defending against teams with both Cech and Vanja around the box.
Despite his height, Cech is so smooth on the ball and even better without it, as he frequently strips opposing defenders of possession using his breathtaking reach and unusually high Defending for a Striker.