FWBenAhead of FIFA 23 launch this month EA Sports have announced 3 new FUT Icons. There are 95 Icons that featured in FIFA 22 set to make their return.
Join us as we take a look at their Base, Mid and Prime versions, and assess how effective these Icons might be in your FIFA 23 Ultimate Team. You'll also find a complete list of confirmed FIFA 23 Icons below.
Gerd Muller
Height: 5 ft 9 in (176cm)
Predicted Skill Moves: ★ ★ ★
Predicted Weak Foot: ★ ★ ★ ★
Predicted Att/Def Work Rate: High/Med
Gerd Müller was a prolific international striker, scoring 68 goals in just 62 games for West Germany. The gifted poacher broke Bundesliga records, bagging more career goals, hattricks and top scorer awards than anyone who had come before. His goalscoring prowess did not suffer on the big stage, securing the Golden Boot in the FIFA World Cup 1970 in Mexico. He was the FIFA World Cup record goalscorer, until being beaten by Ronaldo Nazario in 2006. While he'll be an effective goalscorer in Ultimate Team, a lack of appreciation for his link-up play, industry and dribbling might not make him as popular with FUT players as he could have been.
Will Gerd Muller be effective in FIFA 23?
With a 94 Overall Rated Prime Icon version, Gerd Müller is the highest rated of the 3 confirmed additions. This also makes him the joint 4th highest rated Icon in the game. Despite a high overall rating, the 89 Pace and 88 Dribbling on his Prime Icon suggests he might not be as mobile as other top rated Icons, plus his below average Physical (76) and height (5 ft 9 in, 176cm) doesn't look like it'll be able to compensate. Nevertheless, with 94 Shooting, you can expect him to be as prolific (when he does find an opening) as he was in the prime of his playing career.
Jairzinho
Height: 5 ft 8 in (173cm)
Predicted Skill Moves: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Predicted Weak Foot: ★ ★ ★ ★
Predicted Att/Def Work Rate: High/High
Jairzinho also starred at the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. This was particularly impressive, as the explosive Botafogo winger was playing in one of the best international teams to ever grace the football field. In that tournament he managed something that no player had done before, scoring in every FIFA World Cup Finals match he played. 'The Hurricane', as he became known, terrorised opposition defences with exceptional speed, excellent dribbling, and a defensive work rate rare for such a clinical finisher. It might feel easy to compare him to compatriot and fellow right wing Icon Garrincha, but Jairzinho was a slightly less technical, more aggressive, more dynamic wide player than his predecessor.
Will Jairzinho be effective in FIFA 23?
With his 92 Rated Prime Icon version sitting two overall ratings lower than Gerd Müller, he isn't the highest rated addition. That being said, there is little doubt that he'll be the most desirable. Every version of Jairzinho has over 90 Pace and 90 Dribbling with the Prime Icon version having 94 Pace, 93 Dribbling and 92 Shooting. He doesn't look set to lack elsewhere with between 84, 86 and 87 Passing on the Base, Mid and Prime respectively, and mid seventies physical on every version. He menaced defenders throughout his career, and these three versions of Jairzinho are all set to be 'meta' additions to the Ultimate Team database, and menace defenders on FUT pitch.
Xabi Alonso
Height: 6 ft 0 in (183cm)
Predicted Skill Moves: ★ ★
Predicted Weak Foot: ★ ★ ★ ★
Predicted Att/Def Work Rate: Med/High
Xabi Alonso is one of the most decorated footballers of the modern era. The Spanish midfielder has won major titles in Spain with Real Madrid, in England with Liverpool and in Germany with Bayern Munich — and of course. Few defensive midfielders have played at such a consistently high level, and have been so pivotal to the teams in which they played. Pivotal is an appropriate term, for someone who excelled as a midfield pivot. Renown for his ability to distribute the ball over distance, and quickly turn defence into attack, Xabi Alonso was also better defensively (and physically) than many comparable players in his role. A midfield metronome and maestro, but can he hold his own in FIFA 23?
Will Xabi Alonso be effective in FIFA 23?
While 85 Defending and 88 passing on his Prime Icon version might look enticing, we've got start with the elephant in the room; Xabi Alonso's pace. It was somewhat expected, FUT players will be familiar with Xabi Alonso's various versions With 67, 72 and 70 on the Base, Mid and Prime versions respectively, this looks likely to be a significant drawback. The Mid version of Xabi Alonso, however, has 72 pace and looks set to be available from launch. If you are looking for a midfield pivot in a midfield 3 and need a player who will start on full chemistry (while contributing chemistry to other Spanish players in your squad) then he could well be worth picking up. Plus, with Icons being less beneficial for your FUT squad's chemistry in FIFA 23, he could well be cheaper than he would have been in FIFA 22.
More Confirmed FIFA 23 Icons
There we go, that wraps up our breakdown of Base, Mid and Prime Xabi Alonso, Jairzinho and Gerd Müller. These 3 new Icons will join the confirmed 95 Icons continuing from FIFA 22 to FIFA 23. In total 10 icons look set to leave the database (though Jay-jay Okocha and Hidetoshi Nakata return as Heroes). We anticipate there will be more news to follow, with 2 of the 100 Icons yet to be confirmed.
You can find all of the confirmed Icons listed below. Keep an eye on our FIFA 23 Reveals page to catch any newly added players as they drop. Let us know which new Icon you are most excited to use in the comments below.