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After a wildly successful beta run, Football Manager 2023 has finally hit the shelves, giving fans a nice, early Christmas present. The famous football management simulation is widely lauded for its accurate depiction of the ability of players, the working style of clubs, and other nitty-gritty of the global game. So, naturally, fans put a lot of stock in the game’s opinion about football's top players.
Today, we will take a look at the most highly-anticipated rankings in Football Manager 2023; find out who the best players are in the game. Now, without further ado, let’s check out the top 10 players in Football Manager 2023.
#10 Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain) — 180 points
At launch, Lionel Messi was the best player in Football Manager 2022. In the Winter Update, he slipped down to the fourth place. Now, in Football Manager 2023, Messi finds himself in 10th with 180/200 ability points.
Messi’s lackluster debut season at Paris Saint-Germain is to be blamed for his misfortunes, with him scoring only 11 times in 34 games last season. He, however, has seemingly vouched to turn it around this term, scoring 12 times and claiming 14 assists already in 18 games across competitions.
#9 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) — 181 points
Liverpool center-back Virgil van Dijk, who has 181 ability points in Football Manager 2023, is the game’s highest-rated defender. Van Dijk was formidable at the back for the Reds in the 2021-22 season and popped up with a few offensive contributions as well.
The Dutchman appeared in 51 matches last term, pitching in with three goals and five assists. He won the FA Cup and the EFL Cup with the Merseysiders in the 2021-22 season.
Van Dijk, however, has had a rather shaky start to the 2022-23 season, making some erroneous judgment calls and getting bypassed by the opposition on a few occasions. Van Dijk has played 20 times thus far this season, scoring once.
#8 Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) — 181 points
Flaunting 181 ability points, Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois is the best goalkeeper in Football Manager 2023. The Belgian shot-stopper was one of Los Blancos’ best performers in the 2021-22 season, producing one heroic save after another.
He made an eye-popping 154 saves (combined) in La Liga, Champions League, and Spanish Super Cup (51 matches total), helping his team secure clinch gold in all three competitions. The Belgian made a staggering nine saves in the Champions League final against Liverpool — the most by any Goalkeeper in a Champions League final.
Courtois won the Yashin Trophy for his heroics in October.
#7 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) — 183 points
With 183 ability points (out of 200), Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane is the top-ranked English player in Football Manager 2023.
The center-forward scored 27 times and provided 10 assists in 50 games last season. He has improved upon his output this term under Antonio Conte, racking up 12 goals and providing three assists in 20 games in all competitions.
#6 Erling Haaland (Manchester City) — 185 points
Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland is en route to touching the greatest heights in football, and his 185/200 rating in Football Manager 2023 fairly reflects his progress.
At Borussia Dortmund, Haaland scored 29 goals and claimed eight assists in 30 games (across competitions) last season. The Norwegian has played like a man possessed at City this term, scoring 23 goals and providing three assists in merely 17 games in all competitions. If he keeps this up, it would not be surprising to see him at the summit of Football Manager 2024.
#5 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) — 185 points
Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah, who won the Premier League Golden Boot as well as the Playmaker Award last season, has 185 ability points in Football Manager 2023. Salah scored 31 goals and claimed 15 assists in 51 games across competitions in the 2021-22 season, with 23 strikes and 13 assists coming in 35 Premier League matches.
He endured a slow start to the 2022-23 season but is gradually finding his feet. The Egyptian king has scored 14 times and assisted teammates on five occasions in 20 games this season (across competitions).
#4 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) — 185 points
Real Madrid skipper and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema is the fourth-highest-rated player in Football Manager 2023, with him securing 185/200 ability points.
Benzema enjoyed one of the best individual seasons in football history last term, scoring a staggering 44 goals and claiming 15 assists in 46 games. His goals fired Los Blancos to Champions League, La Liga, and Spanish Super Cup glory.
Benzema, unfortunately, has had a difficult time keeping himself fit this season. He has played only 12 matches for the Whites in the 2022-23 season, scoring six times.
#3 Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) — 186 points
With an ability rating of 190/200, then-Bayern Munich man Robert Lewandowski was FM22’s highest-rated player following the main Winter Update. He has slipped a couple of places and lost four ability points (186/200) to become the third-best player in Football Manager 2023.
Lewandowski scored 50 goals in 46 games for Bayern last season, winning the Bundesliga title as well as the German Super Cup. He has hit the ground running at his new club Barcelona as well, already scoring 18 goals and claiming four assists in 19 appearances across competitions.
#2 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) — 188 points
Securing an ability rating of 188/200, PSG poster boy Kylian Mbappe is the highest-rated forward in Football Manager 2023. The Frenchman ended the 2021-22 season as the Parisians’ leading goalscorer as well as assist provider, with him pitching in with 39 goals and 26 assists in 46 matches.
His 28 goals and 19 assists in Ligue 1 (35 games) helped PSG to their 10th French title last season.
Mbappe has been on song this term, as well, scoring 18 goals and providing five assists in 19 games across competitions.
#1 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) — 189 points
With a staggering 189 ability points out of a maximum of 200, Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne is the official best player on Football Manager 2023. The Belgian superstar enjoyed a stellar 2021-22 campaign, winning the Premier League with City and recording 19 goals as well as 14 assists in 45 games in all competitions.
Out of his 33 goal involvements, 23 (15 goals and 8 assists) came in 30 Premier League games, which helped him clinch the Premier League Player of the Season award.
De Bruyne, who was ranked third in the 2022 Ballon d’Or standings, has enjoyed an equally impressive start to the 2022-23 season. He has thus far featured in 18 games for the Cityzens in all competitions, scoring thrice and providing 13 assists.
