FIFA 23 is here and Career Mode is better than ever. Whilst FIFA Ultimate Team is the most popular game mode and will have players flocking to build their fantasy lineups, real FIFA aficionados know that Career Mode is where it’s at. Before FUT, Career Mode was the jewel in FIFA’s crown and kept people flocking back every year. For the first time in FIFA 23, you can use real managers such as Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, too. But with over 700 teams to choose from, how do you pick which team to start a save with?
The simple answer to play some casual management is to choose the team you support, but not every team is available, and some don’t offer a real challenge without setting your own restrictions.
Of course, the obvious answer to the best teams to manage are…the best teams in the game. The teams in FIFA 23 Career Mode with the highest overall rating are:
- Paris Saint-Germain: Overall 86.
- Manchester City: Overall 85.
- FC Bayern München: Overall 84.
- Liverpool: Overall 84.
- Manchester United: Overall 84.
- Real Madrid: Overall 84.
- Atletico Madrid: Overall 84.
- Barcelona: Overall 83.
- Chelsea: Overall 83.
- Juventus: Overall 83 (and officially licenced in-game again).
But where’s the fun in that?
Why not take up a challenge? Whether you’re looking for a team with bags of young talent or a sleeping giant to restore to glory, here’s our rundown of the best teams to manage in FIFA 23. We’ve got established clubs, tiny set ups and fallen giants to choose from for your long-term saves.
Barcelona, La Liga
Transfer budget: £139,657,264.
Star players: Robert Lewandoski (ST, 91), Marc-André ter Stegen (GK, 88), Frenkie de Jong (CM, 87).
Political and financial issues may overshadow Barca in real life, but that won’t trouble Career Mode players. There’s been no major silverware at Camp Nou for a number of seasons, but this season’s incomings make Barca a real contender. Will you be able to steer them to domestic and European glory?
In FIFA 23, Barcelona have a real blend of experience (34-year-old Robert Lewandoski) and massive growth (19-year-old Pedri, 93 rating potential). Oh, and you’ve got a £140m war chest to spend to make further improvements. Put this to use in FIFA 23 Career Mode and bring glory back to Camp Nou.
Newcastle United, Premier League
Transfer budget: £68,100,050.
Star players: Kieran Trippier (RB, 84), Allan Saint-Maximin (LW, 81), Nick Pope (GK, 81).
Can you take the oil money and turn Newcastle United into a superpower in world football? Recently taken over by a Saudi consortium, the Magpies are now the richest club on the planet. It’s a job worth taking, to transform a historic English club into a competitor on the European front.
You’ll have bags of cash to spend – there’s still a healthy budget even with summer signings Nick Pope, Alexander Isak, Sven Botman and Bruno Guimaraes joining the Geordie ranks. Attracting top talent might not be easy to start in Career Mode, as Newcastle United are still a mid-table side, but money talks, so get results in season one and you’ll have agents lining up at your door.
LAFC, MLS
Transfer budget: £33,268,945.
Star players: Giorgio Chiellini (CB, 85), Carlos Vela (RW, 81), Gareth Bale (LW, 81).
For a taste of the MLS, the black and gold of LAFC presents a great challenge. Welsh wizard Gareth Bale has just joined up with LAFC, along with legend of Italian soccer, Giorgio Chiellini. Their stunning ground, The Banc of California, has also been added to the game this year.
European soccer fans are often put off playing in Major League Soccer for the complexity of the budget and eligibility rules. Thankfully in FIFA 23 Career Mode, you don’t need to worry about these.
Be warned, with the talent involved in the LAFC team, domestic success is a high priority for the board. Make sure you’re winning early and often, or expect the sack to come.
Paris FC, Ligue 2
Transfer budget: £6,163,674.
Star players: Lamine Gueye (ST, 71), Moustapha Name (CDM, 70), Vincent Demarconnay (GK, 70).
Whilst Paris Saint-Germain dominate the French capital, 20km away Paris FC reside in Ligue 2. Since 1975, the forgotten club have spent only one season in the top tier. PSG’s money and dominance may make headline news, but there’s no fun in winning by a canter every year is there?
The challenge here is to make Paris FC the top dog once again, by winning promotion and building a title-winning side over a long term save. You’ve got a bit of a budget to do this, but priority one must be to get to the top division of French football. From there, you’re tested as a manager to earn more money, increase the club value and contest for silverware.
AFC Richmond, Rest of World
Transfer budget: £32,325,422.
Star players: Jamie Tartt (ST, 84), Roy Kent (CM, 83), Dani Rojas (ST, 82).
The Apple TV+ hit show’s team have made it to FIFA 23 in a brand new collaboration. All the real life roster is present with in-game face scans, plus Ted Lasso himself can be selected as a real manager himself. You’ll also be able to play at Nelson Road, the home of AFC Richmond.
You can place AFC Richmond in any league, but to follow the canon of the story, replace a team from the English Premier League. The players are rated very generously, and superstar Jamie Tartt has a potential 91 rating if you can help him develop at his best.
Then you can make real transfers as Ted Lasso from the world of football, and start with a £32m transfer budget to do so.
Hamburger SV, Bundesliga 2
Transfer budget: £11,713,216.
Star players: Sonny Kittel (CM, 73), Daniel Heuer Fernandes (GK, 73), Robert Nesta Glatzel (ST, 73).
Hamburger SV are a historic German club with an impressive trophy cabinet, including a UEFA Champions League title which they won in the 80’s. They are one of only three German sides to have won the top European honor – as have FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund. Local support is massive, and the 57,000 seat Volksparkstadion is where they call home.
Recent times have been harder; relegation to the second tier for the first time in 55 years came in 2018, where they have remained ever since. Domestic success is key to pleasing the board in FIFA 23 Career Mode, as HSV have missed out on promotion due to the playoffs for the last four seasons.
The closest they got to a return to the big league in 2021-22 by finishing third, but fell at the last hurdle in the promotion/relegation play-off vs the 16th placed side in the Bundesliga.
Can you finally bring Hamburger SV back on top and rebuild this historic club? With star striker Glatzel, it’s possible.
Grimsby Town, League 2
Transfer budget: £1,649,536.
Star players: John McAtee (CAM, 63), Anthony Glennon (LB, 63), Harry Clifton (LM, 62).
The lowest-rated team in the four tier English leagues, Grimsby Town present a real challenge to anyone wanting to get stuck into a ‘park to Premier League’ style save.
A tiny transfer budget is better than nothing. You can also look towards the impressive youth academy system within Career Mode and hope to produce some top homegrown talent.
Either way, taking Grimsby Town to the top is a challenge in FIFA 23 not for the faint-hearted. Overnight success is definitely not guaranteed…
Written by Alex Bugg on behalf of GLHF.
