Why Ronaldo's FIFA 23 card will still be strong in the game and can be an useful option for your squad

Much has been made about Ronaldo's future in FIFA 23 following the reveal of his card and the stats on it.

Many feel that the card has been seriously downgraded from what it used to be and will no longer be as viable as it used to be in the past. This is due to the decline in overall, which stands at 90 now, and individual attributes from what they were in FIFA 22.

There has been a stiff debate over the ratings of certain footballers as EA Sports have revealed the top 23 cards in this year's game.

Ronaldo is technically the second-highest-rated footballer in the game. However, that's not to overlook the fact that he shares the position with two of his fellow rivals from Liverpool. Additionally, there are five footballers ahead of him in the game.

This has naturally caused discontent among many, given how popular Manchester United's Portuguese superstar is. Some are already claiming that he's finished as far as FIFA 23 is concerned, and the card won't be usable.

However, things might not be as binary as some claim them to be, and there's still room for it to shine when the game eventually releases.

---

FIFA 23's depleted Cristiano Ronaldo will still be a handy option due to his stats' overall nature

To understand how good or bad the card will be, one has to analyze Ronaldo's card in FIFA 23. First, the overall has been reduced by 1, from 91 to 90. It also has an 81 Pace, which is noticeably lesser than last year but excels in shooting with a 92 rating.

The card also has 85 Dribbling, which seems quite realistic based on how the Portuguese's playstyle has changed from his earlier days. One weakness appears to be the 75 Physicality, but then again, he's a center-forward. At first glance, the noticeable change is the pace of the card, as it's a vital stat in the game engine.

Unless things radically change with FIFA 23, the pace will dominate the decision of how good or bad a card is. It's a mixture of acceleration and sprint speed stats, and both are quite important as far as an attacker is concerned. Unfortunately, people are still being reactionary to a large extent and have only read them on paper.

Ronaldo's reduction in the overall ratings in the upcoming game is redundant because of the highest rating. While his overall has come down by 1, that highest has come down by two from what it was in FIFA 22.

So in the truest sense, it will make the Portuguese's decline not as bad as some like Messi's, who has got a 2-point reduction.

As for the stats, the 81 Pace isn't the best, but it's also not the worst. For one, it's more than what's on the cards of Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski. Both of them share the top spot with a 91-rated overall but are slower on paper than the Manchester United star.

Cristiano's nerf would have felt more significant if his finishing had been reduced as well. While the exact rating for finishing is to be revealed, 92 Shooting is a good indicator of that.

Additionally, other key areas of the cards haven't been shown or discussed. For example, his heading ability has always been a bonus, which could add to his value if the rating is high enough. Factors like agility and balance are crucial for a card to perform well in the game.

Moreover, there's no way of knowing what kind of meta FIFA 23 will have. Many don't expect too many changes as the engine remains the same. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that EA Sports can't tweak it.

What is evident is the fact that a lot of conclusions are based on how the Portuguese star is performing in real life. He has looked like a pale shadow of his former self and has lost the starting role at his current club. When it comes to FIFA 23, however, he will continue to be a strong force for certain.