Is Federico Valverde the best central midfielder in FIFA 23 under 85 overall?

Federico Valverde already has four cards in the FIFA 23 Ultimate Team mode, with three special versions released over the last couple of weeks. The lowest-rated card is the base version, and the special editions are slightly better than those.

Since its release, the base version has significantly reduced costs in the Ultimate Team mode. It also has a greater supply in the market and is also an option available in the game's career mode.

Although the card can improve in the career mode, such an option isn't available in Ultimate Team. While several central midfielders under 85 overall are available, the Uruguayan is arguably the best one to go with.

Valverde has grown massively in real life since moving to Real Madrid from Penarol. He has quickly become one of the best names in Europe and will be a major pillar of the Madrid-based club in the future. While these are matters of speculation, there's no denying that he's arguably the best central midfielder in the game.

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Federico Valverde's FIFA 23 card is very well-rounded and can quickly dominate the meta

If they play on the current-gen platforms, players will notice that FIFA 23's meta has changed. With the new AcceleRATE system, things have shifted from what they once were. With lengthy dominance types, cards like Federico Valverde become very useful with the use of an applicable chemistry style.

However, the lengthy system isn't the only factor that makes matters so interesting in the game. The 84-rated cards aren't rare in the game, but the Uruguayan's base variant is definitely in the top tier if someone's looking in the U-85 category. While some arguments can also be made about Pedri's 85-rated card, Real Madrid's star player is some distance ahead of the Spaniard.

Pace has always been a key factor in the meta and is no different in FIFA 23. The AcceleRATE system does have its impact, but the raw pace is still enough to put the card ahead of the norm.

Valverde comes with 87 Pace, 82 Acceleration, and 91 Sprint Speed. After applying the Architect chemistry style, the card becomes an even deadlier force and can be used as an ideal box-to-box midfielder.

The base Passing and Physicality are set at 79 and 80, respectively, but here's where the Architect chemistry style comes in. Not only does it make the card lengthy, it also boosts the ratings by major numbers. With full 3/3 chemistry, the Passing gets upgraded to 86, and Physicality becomes 89.

The card is better played in a box-to-box than a defensive role due to the relatively weaker defensive stats. This is along expected lines due to the limitations that the U-85 category will put on. Had there not been a restriction in terms of overall, the stats could have been more well-rounded.

While there might be some interesting promo cards that will be released later, Valverde shines among the available options. He's pacy, strong, and has great stamina in FIFA 23, which will allow any player to dominate the midfield.

If players want a better-performing card, the Uruguayan also has RTTK and POTM variants present in the game. They have even better stats, but they're outside the 85 categories. Moreover, these cards are also highly costly and require plenty of FUT coins.

The POTM card cannot be obtained from the market as it's part of an SBC that is still active. The completion cost has come down slightly with the availability of more fodder. It will be interesting to see if Valverde's card will get an able competitor in in FIFA 23's U-85 category in the future.