Wondering who are the best players you could have on your team in Football Manager 2023? We’ve rounded them up right here.
In the world of football, the Ballon d’Or is an award given to who is seen as the best player of that year. The player picked is often debated years after they have won because football has too many moving parts to consider. Sometimes, it’s about being the right player at the right time. The same is true when it comes to the best players in Football Manager 2023.
The truth is, the best player for your team in Football Manager 2023 may be no good at all somewhere else. But unlike real life, all players in Football Manager are given a number that represents their current ability.
The current and potential abilities of players can have random elements, however. That means the true ability of players will land somewhere around the figure stated rather than being exactly that number. Current ability is scored out of 200.
And so, here we’ve rounded up the best players in Football Manager 2023 based on their current ability. The data has been gathered from the main Football Manager 2023 database on 9th November 2022.
10. Lionel Messi (180)
The man and myth still manages to scrape into the top ten of best players in Football Manager 2023 despite being 35 years of age. Arguably the best player of all time, Messi still has the ability to devastate any defence with his effortless dribbling, devious passes or sublime shooting prowess.
9. Thibaut Courtois (181)
The only goalkeeper to make the top ten, Courtois has been pivotal to Real Madrid’s recent success and maybe the key ingredient to last year’s Champions League win.
8. Virgil van Djik (181)
Despite having a rather bad start to the season, Van Djik is still seen as the most authoritative defender in football’s current era. Liverpool’s bad beginning to this 2023 season may be in part due to him losing some of his form. But form is temporary and talent is eternal – and his ability reflects that.
7. Harry Kane (183)
The England captain has been capable of bagging goals every year, often in years where Spurs have been off the pace. At 29, he is the third youngest in this top 10 best players of Football Manager 2023, and arguably the only player that wouldn’t cost a fortune to buy during a campaign. That is, if he is allowed to wind down his contract.
6. Erling Haaland (185)
An out-and-out goal machine. Erling Haaland has scored goals wherever he has played and against whoever he plays. And at the age of 22 he most likely hasn’t hit his peak. In a team full of talent, Haaland still marks himself out as the biggest goal threat.
5. Mohamed Salah (185)
Salah has been pivotal to the re-emergence of Liverpool as a European heavyweight. He is almost synonymous to the successful tenure of Klopp at Anfield. Liverpool may be having a tough start to the season, but if anyone is going to dig them out, it’s Salah.
4. Karim Benzema (185)
The actual winner of the latest Ballon d’Or, Benzema has reignited his career during his twilight years. His ability to create a chance out of nothing helped pull Real Madrid from losing positions to winning the Champions League.
3. Robert Lewandowski (186)
How Lewandowski hasn’t won a Ballon d’Or is baffling. He helped Bayern Munich win 10 consecutive Bundersliga and was scoring for fun. He was the bookmaker’s favourite to win the highest accolade the year that the award was cancelled due to the pandemic. Many people still frown at that decision as the man is still world class. And so, it’s no surprise that he comes in the top 3 of the best players of Football Manager 2023.
2. Kylian Mbappé (188)
Mbappé, the French wonderkid has been around for ages – and so we can’t believe that he’s only 23. He still has the prime of his career ahead of him. He has pace, agility and control and is one of the reason’s France looks like the team to beat in the World Cup.
1. Kevin De Bruyne (189)
The perfect midfielder. Capable of splitting defences and creating more chances than anyone has a right to, De Bruyne is definitely worthy of the top spot of the best players in Football Manager 2023. The fair-haired genius is the best all rounder, he would be called a utility player if he wasn’t perfect in every position he is put.
