FIFA 23 leaks suggest Lionel Messi will be included in Team of the Week 18 (TOTW 18)

Team of the Week 18 (TOTW 18) will soon be released in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team, and leaks from FIFATradingRomania on Twitter have revealed that Lionel Messi will be included on the roster.

The Argentinean maestro was recently crowned as the Best Player in the world, and with a spectacular performance for PSG this weekend, his inclusion is rather deserved.

Team of the Week has been synonymous with Ultimate Team since its inception, and with the new upgrade system followed by TOTW cards in FIFA 23, it is now more relevant than ever.

It allows EA Sports to reward the best performers from the world of football with special cards in-game while also providing fans with weekly content in Ultimate Team.

Note: This article is speculative and based entirely on leaks from social media.

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Lionel Messi is rumored to receive an in-form version in TOTW 18 of FIFA 23 Ultimate Team

It has been a rather successful season for Lionel Messi, who won the World Cup with Argentina and was recently crowned the Best Player in the world due to his performances for his club and country.

PSG are now firmly at the top of the Ligue 1 table with their recent 3-0 victory over second-placed Marseille. The talismanic duo of Messi and Kylian Mbappe were instrumental for the reigning champions, with the former scoring one goal and providing two assists to the latter.

If leaks are to be believed, this display of playmaking skills has earned Messi a spot in TOTW 18 of FIFA 23.

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What does this in-form card look like?

While the card's overall rating and attributes are unknown, one can only assume that it will be rated higher than his Player of the Month item but lower than his coveted Team of the Knockouts card. FIFATradingRomania included a prediction that suggests that the 93-rated card will possess the following key stats:

• Pace: 84
• Dribbling: 96
• Shooting: 91
• Defending: 37
• Passing: 92
• Physicality: 67

While these stats are not as impressive as his higher-rated versions, Lionel Messi has always been amazing in-game and will be an incredible attacking threat in the current meta of FIFA 23.

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How will the card perform in-game?

Despite being severely nerfed in terms of pace compared to previous years, Messi is still an overpowered playmaking maestro in FIFA 23. His base gold version is among the game's five highest-rated cards, and his special variants have always been extremely popular with FUT fans.

While the rumored in-form version is not as impressive as his Team of the Year item, it will be significantly cheaper and easier to obtain. With such a fan-favorite being included in the TOTW 18 lineup, players will be eager to participate in the upcoming FUT Champions Weekend League to try and obtain the card in their red pick rewards.