FIFA 23's Level Up summer promo tasks you with hunting down a set of rare players in packs that can be upgraded after meeting their objective requirements. Despite the harsh time-sucking grinds for these upgraded Level Up cards, some footballers are worth the commitment.
While pulling one of those top-tier Level Up FUT cards might feel even harder than getting a high-rated Team of the Season card, those lucky enough to do so have a gem on their hands. Whether you've just hopped on the FUT bandwagon or have been playing from the start, the best Level Up cards will likely earn a spot in your teams.
10 Youcef Atal – 93 Overall
- Four-Star Skill Moves
- Five-Star Weak Foot
- High/High Work Rates
Youcef Atal returns as one of FIFA's most popular promo cards as he once again receives a meta-relevant special card. Atal is far from the flashiest name in the game, but his well-rounded attributes, two-footed quality, and high work rates ensure he will be a menace across the pitch.
While he's listed as an RB, he can move into midfield or function as a wingback if you favor a three-at-the-back or five-at-the-back formation. Given his status as a Premium Level Up, Atal will fit into any team with an automatic three chemistry points. If you're lucky enough to have Shapeshifter Riyadh Mahrez, he'll boost your chemistry rating even further with Algerian links.
9 Aurelien Tchouameni – 96 Overall
- Three-Star Skill Moves
- Five-Star Weak Foot
- Med/High Work Rates
Aurelien Tchouameni is an incredible player who finally receives a meta-relevant card that can be used in endgame teams. Unfortunately for Skill Move lovers, his three-star skills are extremely lackluster for a card of this caliber and make it hard to justify Tchouameni's inclusion.
However, if you don't spam skills and prefer a 'stay-back' midfielder that can clean up counterattacks and redistribute the ball, then Tchouameni is for you. Given his French and Real Madrid links, he fits perfectly with both LB Camavinga and Shapeshifters Toni Kroos, both of which were free cards.
8 Leon Goretzka – 98 Overall
- Four-Star Skill Moves
- Five-Star Weak Foot
- High/High Work Rates
On paper, Leon Goretzka is one of the most terrifying midfielders in all of FIFA, with an incredibly formatted attribute spread and a unique body type. In addition, his high work rates keep him engaged in midfield and allow him to function however you'd like.
Whether as a box-to-box or a more defensive CDM, Goretzka stands out when equipped with either a Shadow or Engine chemistry style. Both of these cards will help increase Goretzka's Pace so that he can keep up with any of the fastest midfielders available.
7 Kevin De Bruyne – 99 Overall
- Five-Star Skill Moves
- Five-Star Weak Foot
- High/High Work Rates
At first glance, this De Bruyne card looks nearly perfect and easily in the top tier of Level Up cards. Of course, he is excellent, but considering his 99 rating and what you would expect from a card like this, De Bruyne doesn't necessarily blow his competition away.
On a card brimming with so many 99 attributes, his lackluster Pace and decent Agility make KDB feel a bit clunkier than you would hope. That's not to say you can't ping passes and score screamers often, but don't expect freebies just because he's 99. This card is a world-beater in skilled hands, but the 30-game grind for his 99-rated version doesn't feel as rewarding as you'd hope.
6 Renato Sanches – 94 Overall
- Five-Star Skill Moves
- Four-Star Weak Foot
- High/High Work Rates
Much like Youcef Atal, Renato Sanches gets a special card every time he sneezes, and this one might be the best he gets in FIFA 23. Although his rating is noticeably lower than some of the other best Level Up cards, Renato Sanches might just be the most well-rounded physical midfielder in FIFA.
Aside from juiced-up attributes, Renato boasts the Swerve Pass, Outside Foot Shot, Giant Throw-In, and Flair traits that set him apart from most other meta midfielders in FIFA 23. With 97 Agility and 99 Balance, this card will maneuver very well but be aware that his average body type can sometimes be a detriment against midfielders with superior animations.
5 Gabriel Martinelli – 96 Overall
- Five-Star Skill Moves
- Four-Star Weak Foot
- High/High Work Rates
Despite recently receiving an excellent Team of the Season card, Gabriel Martinelli returns with further improved attributes headlined by a maxed-out Pace, along with Dribbling stats that rival Neymar's. Martinelli has access to key traits like Outside Foot Shot, Flair, and Finesse Shot – the holy trinity of traits if you enjoy Trivelas and long-range rockets from outside the box.
Martinelli definitely blossoms if you use his Skill Moves and sublime movement capabilities to your advantage. Just be sure to keep Martinelli away from strong defenders by using elusive dribbling techniques to prevent him from being muscled off the ball.
4 Darwin Nunez – 93 Overall
- Five-Star Skill Moves
- Five-Star Weak Foot
- High/High Work Rate
Darwin Nunez breaks into the 90+ rated card club with one of the best Strikers in FIFA 23, primarily due to the rare combination of five stars in Skills and Weak Foot. Don't underestimate how important a five-star weak foot is, as it gives your Striker flexibility to get a strong shot off regardless of position.
Aside from his excellent attributes and qualities, Darwin's height helps him to elevate above defenders with decent 85 Jumping to boot. His lone meaningful trait, Finesse Shot, is one Darwin appreciates, but he would have liked more than that to break into the upper echelon of promo cards.
3 Alphonso Davies – 95 Overall
- Five-Star Skill Moves
- Five-Star Weak Foot
- High/High Work Rates
Alphonso Davies has a legitimate argument for the best fullback in the game, as he is easily unrivaled on the offensive side of the ball. With an astounding maxed-out Pace to compliment his impressive Agility, Passing, and defensive attributes, Alphonso Davies sets the gold standard at the LB position.
Despite the difficulty in finding Canadian links, Davies can slot into almost any team with some Bundesliga links, particularly if you are using staples like Goretzka, and Kimmich, or fun picks like Sadio Mane. Take advantage of Davies' Flair Passes and Giant Throw-In traits to catch your foes completely off-guard.
2 Raphael Varane – 97 Overall
- Two-Star Skill Moves
- Five-Star Weak Foot
- Med/High Work Rates
From the very start of the FIFA cycle, Raphael Varane has been among the best Center Backs to use in FUT. Ignoring his abysmal two-star skills, Varane's card has almost no weaknesses when it comes to actually defending your goal.
Given that his lowest defensive attribute is a 95 in Slide Tackling, it's very safe to say that Varane's attributes make him one of the best FUT cards in FIFA 23 on paper. Luckily, his great height, amazing stats, and unique body type also make him one of the most dominant defenders. Unsurprisingly, Varane is among the most coveted players in FIFA 23.
1 Timo Werner – 96 Overall
- Four-Star Skill Moves
- Five-Star Weak Foot
- High/Med Work Rates
If Timo Werner were as good in real life as this card, it would be a matter of time until he smashed all of Ronaldo's records. Sadly for Timo, he may never quite exceed this card's abilities in real life. That is to say that Timo Werner's Level Up card is simply unbelievable given his 99 Pace, along with 99s in Shot Power, Short Pass, and Heading Accuracy.
Every major attribute is right where you'd want it to be for a Striker, and Werner's surprising jumping abilities make him a prominent triple threat. Werner claims the crown for best Level Up card in large part due to his five-star weak foot and set of wonderful traits: Flair, Finesse Shot, and Outside Foot Shot.