FIFA 23: Lionel Messi predicted rating
Will the world's best player retain his rankings or drop after a lackluster season?
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With FIFA 23 set for release sometime around September 2022, it’s only a matter of time before we start seeing player ratings drop.
Lionel Messi, arguably the best player in the world, is a player every FIFA fan wants. But after a relatively lackluster season, will the Argentine go up or down in FIFA 23 rankings?
The magician looks set for another season at the Parisian giants this year, attempting to lift another Ligue 1 trophy and the coveted Champions League title – something that has evaded the Argentinian forward since 2015.
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While he isn’t producing the same numbers as yesteryear, the left-footer still managed to produce 30 goals and assists in all competitions. Not a bad result considering he’s at the ripe age of 35.
That said, the signing of Messi wasn’t enough to get PSG any closer to the Champions League – crashing out in the round of 16 alongside Cristiano Ronaldo’s United.
So, what will Lionel Messi’s rating be for the imminent FIFA 23 release? We look back over his last 12 months to predict whether he will go up or down in FIFA‘s eyes.
Lionel Messi FIFA 23 FUT player rating predictions
We take a look back over the last 12 months to predict the FIFA 23 rating of Argentinian star, Lionel Messi.
OVR rating 91 (-2)
PSG cruised to another Ligue 1 title this year, assisted by the Argentinian magician who offered up 30 goals and assists.
As we’ve previously mentioned, the Argentine couldn’t manage to overcome his old rivals in the Champions League – who came back from a 2-goal deficit to beat the French team in extra time.
All said it’s hard to argue with a 35-year-old bagging 30 goals and assists – however, as it’s Messi, you do have to ask whether or not he’s had a poor season.
We’ve concluded that his OVR rating will drop by around 2 points, leaving him at 91 – an incredibly respectable score for a 35-year-old.
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Pace 84 (-1)
We’ve slowly watched Messi’s pace decline over the last 5 years or so, with his FIFA 22 pace score sitting at 84.
We feel the attacker has, yet again, shown a slight decline in his speed attributes. For that reason, we predict his pace will fall a single point down to 84.
Shooting 91 (-1)
While Messi created a tonne of chances last year, we feel his shooting wasn’t quite up to his usual standards.
For that reason, we think EA will reduce his shooting score to 91 – a small 1-point reduction on last year’s ratings.
Passing 91 (-)
One of the game’s best passers, it was hard to see him drop any further in this department – especially after posting another solid year of assists.
We think his passing ability will stay the same at 91, making him one of the game’s best passers.
Dribbling 95 (-)
Without a doubt, one of the great’s all-time best dribblers. While he doesn’t show the same abilities as he once did, he still produces flashes of his former self – leaving top class players in his dust.
We think EA will keep his dribbling ability the same for the upcoming FIFA title.
Defense 31 (-3)
Messi has never been known for his defensive abilities, staying well clear of most defensive duties when at Barcelona.
Having said that, the Argentine seems to be even less willing to track back nowadays, leaving me in no doubt to see his ratings drop even further.
Physics 65
Physically, Messi hasn’t really changed in a long time. His small profile adds to his excellent center of gravity, allowing him to turn past players on a sixpence.
We feel his physical attributes will stay the same for the upcoming FIFA 23.
Lionel Messi FIFA 23 Price
Even though the game isn’t out yet, we can start to get an idea of what the Argentine will cost.
Using market data from the brilliant Futbin site, at the time of writing, the standard gold Messi costs 63,500 coins on PlayStation, 65000 on Xbox and a pricy 71,500 on Origin. This is around the same price as Ronaldo’s FIFA 22 gold card.
Encouragingly, this represents a huge dip from where it started – with nearly all versions coming close to 400,000 coins.
Messi may be slowing down slightly, but he is still one of the best players on the planet – capable of magic moments in every game.
We believe, price wise, Messi’s FIFA 23 card will cost around 400,000 – far cheaper than Ronaldo, but arguably in a game that relies on pace to get around defenders, not as effective.
Will we see another 99-rated Messi card?
Despite Messi not lifting the Ballon d’Or this year – and having what is considered an average season at PSG – I’d be very surprised to not see a 99-rated Messi card up for grabs.
Last year offered up the coveted Messi shapeshifter card which was a 99-rated card. While he hasn’t had a ‘Messi-esque’ season, we wouldn’t be surprised if EA threw in one last 99-rated card thanks to his legendary career.
Messi is always guaranteed a few specials throughout they year though even if he doesn’t get a 99 on FIFA 23. If he can re-find his best form he should get some form based specials, but because he played more central when he was younger a position change special is always very likely.
It doesn’t matter how old he gets, Messi will always be a desirable card for a special and FIFA 23 should be the same.
Comparing Lionel Messi’s FIFA ratings
In the following section, we’ll be looking back over the last 12 months to predict what Messi will be rated in the following season. We will list previous seasons to get an idea of how the player has matured in the eyes of the game:
| Year | Player name | Team | Upgrade / Downgrade | Rating |
| 2020 | Lionel Messi | FC Barcelona | – | 94 |
| 2021 | Lionel Messi | PSG | -1 | 93 |
| 2022 | Lionel Messi | PSG | -1 | 92 |
| 2023 | Lionel Messi | PSG | -1 | 91 |
