FIFA 23 will be coming to our consoles on September 30th and excitement levels couldn’t be any higher within the gaming community. There are a few reasons for that, the first of which is the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. With the tournament getting underway on November 20th — right in the middle of the European season — rather than its customary spot in June and July, FIFA 23 should feature World Cup game modes from its release date. This has never happened before and fans worldwide are already salivating at the prospect of leading their nation to glory. Comparison platforms such as OddsChecker, which is providing free offers on the World Cup through online bookmarkers like FanDuel, have made Brazil the favorite to lift the trophy in the desert. Can you stop the Seleção from bulldozing their way to a sixth world crown?
Another reason for these palpable levels of anticipation is that FIFA 23 will be the last video game made by EA Sports under the title name ‘FIFA’. The reason for this is that the Canadian company and world football’s governing body were unable to reach a new licensing deal and the pair have agreed to go their separate ways from next year. The Vancouver-based mega-franchise has been the number one football simulation for the last 25 years but whether it continues to be so from the newly named EA Sports Football Club 2024 remains to be seen.
There are plenty of exhilarating game modes inside the video game, with Ultimate Team being the undisputed go-to for football game fanatics. But this year, we are looking particularly forward to career mode, and managing this team.
Manchester United
For many years, Manchester United was the biggest and most successful football club on the planet. In addition to their hundreds of thousands of fans based in Manchester, they have millions more around the world. But since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson as manager a decade ago, the club has found itself slipping into obscurity.
New manager Erik Ten Hag promised much hope. There was talk of the Dutchman whipping his new side into shape throughout the preseason, which was supported by the 4-0 friendly match demolition of Liverpool. But a disastrous transfer market in which the club has missed out on a whole host of targets — including Barcelona’s Frenkie De Jong, who now looks set to stay in Catalonia — has left United in a mess.
Their first two Premier League games of the season have ended in defeat. Lowly Brighton managed to follow up their 4-0 drubbing of the Red Devils toward the end of last season with a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford on an opening day. Then, Ten Hag’s side traveled to London to face Brentford however, found themselves 4-0 down at the Brentford Community Stadium at halftime. The match would finish with the same scoreline and Manchester United are currently at an all-time low.
The job at hand
That’s where you come in. It’s your job to stop this giant of the game from falling any further. First and foremost you need to rebuild. The vast majority of the squad aren’t cut out for the level that we’ve come to expect of the Red Devils and the likes of Harry Maguire, Anthony Martial, and Scott McTominay must all be moved out of the club.
Once that’s done and those players have been replaced, you need to find a way to make Cristiano Ronaldo happy. The Portuguese sensation is perhaps the finest player in the history of the game. He was United’s top scorer last season with 18 goals in all competitions and despite being 37 years of age, he is still a proven matchwinner.
At the moment, however, the world record holder for goals scored can currently be found sulking around Manchester United’s Carrington Training Ground Complex. If you can get the great man on your side, then you and CR7 are set for domestic and continental glory.
A glimmer of hope?
It’s not all doom and gloom though. Manchester United proved that they do still have some quality and desire when they defeated archrivals, Liverpool, at Old Trafford in their third game of the new season. Goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were enough to secure victory over last year’s Premier League and UEFA Champions League runners-up.
The result proved that you do have something to work with in your ranks. As well as that, the Red Devils have just secured the signature of Real Madrid’s five-time Champions League-winning midfielder Casemiro, who is sure to add some much-needed bite to your midfield.
The defensive partnership between Raphael Varane — a former teammate of the Brazilian at the Bernabeu — and Lisandro Martinez, a new addition from Ajax, also looks to be promising. It could well prove to be a solid foundation for you to build upon as your new era at Old Trafford gets underway.
Plus, the performances of the aforementioned English duo, Sancho and Rashford, in the victory over Jurgen Klopp’s Reds should be a source of optimism. Once upon a time in Manchester, Marcus Rashford was the next great hope.
The young attacker came through the ranks at the club and is truly one of their own. In the last couple of years, his performance had dropped off massively, but could this performance be the start of him getting his career back on track? That is for you to decide. Paris Saint-Germain had expressed an interest in the 24-year-old Englishman, so you won’t be short of potential suitors should you decide to ship him off.
The same can be said for Sancho. He hasn’t lived up to expectations since his mega-money move from Borussia Dortmund last summer, but is this the start of him fulfilling his huge potential?
Managing this behemoth of a football club will be no easy feat, but it’s a challenge that most of us are simply unable to turn down. Who doesn’t love restoring fallen giants to their glory days? Are you up to the task?
