Karim Benzema edges out Lionel Messi to become the top-rated player on FIFA23

EA Sports have revealed their 23 highest-rated players on FIFA 23 ahead of the popular video game’s release with Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema coming out on top.

Lionel Messi had been given the highest rating by EA Sports since their 2018 edition of the game, but the Paris Saint-Germain superstar is now in fifth place behind Benzema, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), and Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City).

While all five of those players have received ratings of 91 on the game, Benzema’s overall statistics top them all. 

The Frenchman enjoyed a sensational 2021-22 campaign, scoring 10 goals in the knockout stages of the Champions League to help Madrid claim their 14th European crown.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who last beat Messi to the top spot four years ago, has dropped from third to eighth with a rating of 90 despite scoring 24 goals in 38 games for Manchester United last season.

Here are the confirmed 23 highest-rated players in FIFA 23 this year, as confirmed by EA Sports today;

1. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) – 91 rated
2. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) – 91 rated
3. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) – 91 rated
4. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) – 91 rated
5. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain) – 91 rated
6. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 90 rated
7. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) – 90 rated
8. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) – 90 rated
9. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) – 90 rated
10. Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) – 90 rated
11. Neymar Jr (Paris Saint-Germain) – 89 rated
12. Heung-Min Son (Tottenham Hotspur) – 89 rated
13. Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich) – 89 rated
14. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) – 89 rated
15. Casemiro (Manchester United) – 89 rated
16. Alisson (Liverpool) – 89 rated
17. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) – 89 rated
18. Ederson (Manchester City) – 89 rated
19. N’Golo Kante (Chelsea) – 89 rated
20. Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) – 89 rated
21. Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – 88 rated
22. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) – 88 rated
23. Marquinhos (Paris-Saint Germain) – 88 rated