FIFA 22
FIFA 23 new Icons leaked: Xabi Alonso, Gerd Muller, & Icon downgrades
Here’s a look at the returning Icons that should appear in FIFA 23’s Ultimate Team mode alongside the new Icon cards to expect.

Icon cards are a staple of the Ultimate Team mode and they’ll be making a return in FIFA 23. Here’s a list of returning Icons and a sneak peek at new Icons that leaks suggest will make their way to the game.
There’s nothing quite as exhilarating as packing an Icon card in Ultimate Team. FIFA 23 players will get the chance to do so once more as the legendary figures should continue to feature in Ultimate Team.
With every FIFA release the list of Icons available continues to grow and FIFA 23 will be no different. EA Sports tend to add around four new Icons per game, and leaks have revealed who these players could be.
Here’s everything you need to know about Icon cards in FIFA 23.
What are Icon cards in FIFA 23?
Icon cards honor the best players to grace the pitch throughout football history. For starters, there are three versions of each Icon card: base, mid, and prime. Each version is an ode to the player’s career from when they entered the scene to when they achieved global superstardom.
Not only do Icon cards usually boast a high overall rating, but they offer your squad special chemistry attributes.
FIFA 22 Icons were difficult to find in packs, but it won’t be impossible in FIFA 23. If luck isn’t on your side, you’ll have an opportunity to secure Icons as EA tend to add Icon SBCs later in the year.
FIFA 23 expected Icon cards
Two Icons were removed from FIFA 22 for various reasons and while Marc Overmars is not expected to return, leaks claim that Diego Maradona will return to FIFA 23. For the most part, players can expect the same selection of Icon cards from FIFA 22 to carry over to FIFA 23.
EA usually add a few new faces each year. In FIFA 22, players received Wayne Rooney, Iker Casillas, Cafu, and Robin Van Persie.
Ultimate Team leaker DonkTrading has suggested that David Villa, Alfredo Di Stefano, and Gerd Muller could be three of the new Icons arriving in FIFA 23. Meanwhile, FutSheriff has reported that Xabi Alonso, Gerd Muller, and Jerzinho will be the three new faces to appear as FIFA 23 Icons.
David Villa and Xabi Alonso are by far the youngest of the bunch having only recently retired in 2020 and 2017 respectively. Only time will tell if these leaks are accurate, but Di Stefano and Muller both made a lasting impact on the beautiful game, which solidifies their chances of being deemed Icons in FIFA 23.
Keep in mind these are just leaks at the moment and their inclusions are subject to change. With that in mind, here’s a list of the expected Icon cards in FIFA 23:
- Hernan Crespo (Argentina)
- Alfredo Di Stefano (Argentina)
- Juan Roman Riquelme (Argentina)
- Juan Sebastian Veron (Argentina)
- Javier Zanetti (Argentina)
- Carlos Alberto (Brazil)
- Cafu (Brazil)
- Roberto Carlos (Brazil)
- Garrincha (Brazil)
- Jerzinho (Brazil)
- Kaka (Brazil)
- Pele (Brazil)
- Rivaldo (Brazil)
- Ronaldinho (Brazil)
- Ronaldo (Brazil)
- Socrates (Brazil)
- Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
- Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Davor Suker (Croatia)
- Petr Cech (Czech Republic)
- Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic)
- Michael Laudrup (Denmark)
- Peter Schmeichel (Denmark)
- John Barnes (England)
- David Beckham (England)
- Sol Campbell (England)
- Ashley Cole (England)
- Rio Ferdinand (England)
- Steven Gerrard (England)
- Frank Lampard (England)
- Gary Lineker (England)
- Bobby Moore (England)
- Michael Owen (England)
- Wayne Rooney (England)
- Paul Scholes (England)
- Alan Shearer (England)
- Ian Wright (England)
- Jari Litmanen (Finland)
- Lauren Blanc (France)
- Eric Cantona (France)
- Marcel Desailly (France)
- Theirry Henry (France)
- Claude Makelele (France)
- Emmanuel Petit (France)
- Robert Pires (France)
- David Trezeguet (France)
- Patrick Vieira (France)
- Zinedine Zidane (France)
- Michael Ballack (Germany)
- Miroslav Klose (Germany)
- Phillip Lahm (Germany)
- Lothar Matthaus (Germany)
- Gerd Muller (Germany)
- Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)
- Michael Essien (Ghana)
- Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)
- Roy Keane (Ireland)
- Roberto Baggio (Italy)
- Franco Baresi (Italy)
- Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
- Alessandro Del Piero (Italy)
- Gennaro Gattuso (Italy)
- Filippo Inzaghi (Italy)
- Paolo Maldini (Italy)
- Alessandro Nesta (Italy)
- Andrea Pirlo (Italy)
- Christian Vieri (Italy)
- Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy)
- Gianfranco Zola (Italy)
- Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)
- Luis Hernandez (Mexico)
- Hugo Sanchez (Mexico)
- Dennis Bergkamp (Netherlands)
- Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
- Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
- Patrick Kluivert (Netherlands)
- Ronald Koeman (Netherlands)
- Frank Rijkaard (Netherlands)
- Clarence Seedorf (Netherlands)
- Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
- Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands)
- Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands)
- Robin van Persie (Netherlands)
- George Best (Northern Ireland)
- Deco (Portugal)
- Eusebio (Portugal)
- Luis Figo (Portugal)
- Rui Costa (Portugal)
- Gheorghe Hagi (Romania)
- Lev Yashin (Russia)
- Kenny Dalglish (Scotland)
- Nemanja Vidic (Serbia)
- Xabi Alonso (Spain)
- Emilio Butragueno (Spain)
- Iker Casillas (Spain)
- Josep Guardiola (Spain)
- Fernando Hierro (Spain)
- Raul (Spain)
- Carles Puyol (Spain)
- Fernando Torres (Spain)
- David Villa (Spain)
- Xavi (Spain)
- Henrik Larsson (Sweden)
- Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
- Ryan Giggs (Wales)
- Ian Rush (Wales)
We’ll have to wait for EA’s confirmation to see if the four rumored players make the cut, but judging by their playing careers, they’re all deserving of being a FIFA 23 Icon.
FIFA 23 Icon downgrades
Multiple FIFA leakers including Donk and Sheriff are also reporting that certain Icons will be downgraded to FUT Heroes in FIFA 23. If rumors are true, this marks the first time that an Icon player can lose their status from one game to the next.
So far only Nigeria’s Jay-Jay Okocha and Japan’s Hidetoshi Nakata are reportedly going from Icon to FUT Heroes. However, don’t be surprised to see more names join the list as FIFA 23’s release date approaches.
For more FIFA 23 news, check out the new FUT Hero cards that have also been leaked for FIFA 23.
Image Credit: EA Sports
FIFA 22
New FIFA 23 FUT Hero cards revealed: Yaya Toure, Kuyt, Crouch, more
FUT Hero cards are set to return as an exciting item in FIFA 23’s Ultimate Team mode. Here’s a look at the players confirmed so far.
Ultimate Team fans will once again have the opportunity to utilize FUT Hero cards in FIFA 23 after they made their debut in FIFA 22. Here’s a list of all the FUT Hero cards confirmed to arrive in FIFA 23.
FIFA 23 will be the final game of the franchise to include the FIFA branding before EA shifts to EA Sports FC. Fans have high expectations for the game that will bring an end to the partnership’s dominant era.
While FIFA 23 is set to introduce new features like World Cup content and crossplay support, Ultimate Team fans will be happy to know that some returning features will also appear in FIFA 23.
One of these returning features is none other than FUT Hero cards. Here’s everything you need to know about FUT Hero cards in FIFA 23.
- What are FUT Hero cards in FIFA 23
- FIFA 23 confirmed FUT Hero cards
- How to get free FUT Hero cards in FIFA 23
What are FUT Hero cards in FIFA 23
FUT Hero cards were a new introduction in FIFA 22 and the concept is meant to highlight incredible players of the past who never quite reached icon status.
EA picked a set of players that shared a common characteristic of leadership and respect for the clubs they played for.
These Hero items are special cards in FUT as they utilize unique chemistry attributes. They offer league-specific chemistry and provide a green club link to any player within the same league.
FIFA 23 confirmed FUT Hero cards
While EA have yet to announce every new FIFA 23 FUT Hero, they are slowly revealing the stars and household names from the best leagues in the world that will make an appearance.
Here’s a full list of expected FIFA 23 FUT Hero players, with new cards marked in bold.
Player | Position | League | Nation | Rating |
Abedi Pele | CAM | Ligue 1 Uber Eats | Ghana | 89 |
Fernando Morientes | ST | La Liga Santander | Spain | 89 |
Jurgen Kohler | CB | Bundesliga | Germany | 89 |
Mario Gomez | ST | Bundesliga | Germany | 88 |
Antonio Di Natale | ST | Serie A | Italy | 88 |
Diego Milito | ST | Serie A | Argentina | 88 |
Jorge Campos | GK | Liga BBVA | Mexico | 87 |
Ivan Cordoba | CB | Serie A | Colombia | 87 |
Joe Cole | CAM | Premier League | England | 87 |
Jerzy Dudek | GK | Premier League | Poland | 86 |
Freddie Ljungberg | RM | Premier League | Sweden | 86 |
Aleksandr Mostovoi | CAM | La Liga Santander | Russia | 86 |
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | ST | Premier League | Norway | 86 |
Robbie Keane | ST | Premier League | Ireland | 86 |
Sami Al-Jaber | ST | MBS Pro League | Saudi Arabia | 86 |
Tim Cahill | ST | Premier League | Australia | 85 |
Clint Dempsey | LM/CF/ST | MLS | USA | 85 |
Lars Ricken | CM/CAM | Bundesliga | Germany | 85 |
Yaya Toure | CM | Premier League | Ivory Coast | TBC |
Park Ji-sung | CM | Premier League | South Korea | TBC |
Ricardo Carvalho | CB | Premier League | Portugal | TBC |
Claudio Marchisio | CM | Serie A | Italy | TBC |
Landon Donovan | CF | MLS | USA | TBC |
Javier Mascherano | CDM | Premier League | Argentina | TBC |
Rafael Marquez | CB | LaLiga | Mexico | TBC |
Lucio | CB | Bundesliga | Brazil | TBC |
Diego Forlan | ST | LaLiga | Uruguay | TBC |
Peter Crouch | ST | Premier League | England | TBC |
Thomas Brolin | RW | Serie A | Sweden | TBC |
Harry Kewell | LW | Premier League | Australian | TBC |
Sidney Govou | RW | Ligue 1 | France | TBC |
Dirk Kuyt | RW | Premier League | Netherlands | TBC |
Jean-Pierre Papin | ST | Ligue 1 | France | TBC |
Hidetoshi Nakata | CAM | Serie A | Japan | TBC |
Rudi Voller | ST | Serie A | Germany | TBC |
Ebi Smolarek | ST | Ekstraklasa | Poland | TBC |
Saeed Al-Owairan | CAM | Saudi Professional League | Saudi Arabia | TBC |
Jay-Jay Okocha | CAM | Ligue 1 | Nigeria | TBC |
Joan Capdevila | LB | LaLiga | Spain | TBC |
So far, Yaya Toure, Park Ji-sung, Ricardo Carvalho, Landon Donovan, Javier Mascherano, Rafael Marquez, Lucio, Diego Forlan, Sidney Govou, Dirk Kuyt, Jean-Pierre Papin, Harry Kewell, Peter Crouch, Thomas Brolin, Rudi Voller, Ebi Smolarek, Saeed Al-Owairan, Joan Capdevila have been confirmed.
Meanwhile, Jay-Jay Okocha and Hidetoshi Nakata will also be in FIFA 23 as Heroes, after featuring as Icons in previous years.
It’s also safe to assume that every FIFA 22 Hero will return, as EA look to double down on the feature this year.
How to get free FUT Hero cards in FIFA 23
Players will receive a free untradeable World Cup Hero card if they pre-order the Ultimate Edition of FIFA 23 before August 21.
FIFA 23 players will have the opportunity to secure a free FUT Hero card to add to their Ultimate Team squads in November. However, you’ll only receive a free untradeable World Cup Hero card if you pre-order FIFA 23 early, so don’t forget this requirement.
For more news, check out how FIFA 23 players are fearful that Ultimate Team SBCs will be a nightmare to complete.
Image Credit: EA Sports
FIFA 22
FIFA 23 Ultimate Team promo calendar: Next FUT promotion & special cards
Our FIFA 23 promo calendar lets you know what the next FUT event is expected to be, and when each special card could arrive.
The FIFA 23 Ultimate Team season is set to get underway very soon, which means another year of FUT promos for players to enjoy. We’ve put together a complete FIFA 23 promo calendar of all the expected events, and when they should arrive.
FIFA 23 is almost here, and football fans can’t wait to dive into another year of crafting their Ultimate Team with the new Chemistry system.
Although the players will spend the first few weeks looking at the game’s top-rated players, pretty soon special cards will come into play to help take those FUT squads to the next level. Luckily, FIFA 23 Ultimate Team is set to be jam-packed with promos.
With this in mind, we’ve put together every FIFA 23 promo we’re expecting to see, when they could arrive, and which is up next.
What is the next FIFA 23 promo?
Each new FUT season usually starts with Ones to Watch, and we expect FIFA 23 to follow suit to kick off the year in style. This promo highlights the biggest moves of the summer transfer window and gives them a live card that increases to match their best Team of the Week.
FIFA 22 had one of the biggest Ones to Watch promos to date after the likes of Ronaldo and Messi switched teams, and there’s been plenty of massive transfers that should ensure that FIFA 23 OTW is just as popular.
FIFA 23 Ultimate Team promo calendar
EA like to keep fairly quiet about the promo schedule, usually not announcing the next FUT event until just days before it begins.
However, there are plenty of promos that feature every year in some form or another, and they tend to arrive at similar points in the year, so we can come up with a FIFA 23 promo calendar based on what has come before.
We’ve also removed any of the FIFA 22 promos that we don’t expect to make a comeback, such as Adidas NumbersUp or Signature Signings.
Here’s every FIFA 23 Ultimate Team promo that could arrive this season, along with a rough date of when it could begin.
Promotion / card name | FIFA 22 start date | Expected FIFA 23 start date | Confirmed |
Team of the Week | Weekly | Weekly | Yes |
Ones to Watch | October 1, 2021 | September 30, 2022 | No |
Road to the Knockouts | October 15, 2021 | October 14, 2022 | No |
Rulebreakers | October 29, 2021 | October 28, 2022 | No |
Team of the Group Stage | December 3, 2021 | December 2, 2022 | No |
FUTMAS/Winter Wildcards | December 17, 2021 | December 9, 2022 | No |
Headliners | December 31, 2021 | December 30, 2022 | No |
Team of the Year | January 21, 2022 | January 13, 2023 | No |
Future Stars | February 4, 2022 | February 3, 2023 | No |
Road to the Final | February 18, 2022 | February 17, 2023 | No |
FUT Birthday | March 4, 2022 | March 17, 2023 | No |
Fantasy FUT | March 18, 2022 | March 31, 2023 | No |
Team of the Season | April 29, 2022 | April 28, 2023 | No |
Shapeshifters | June 17, 2022 | June 16, 2023 | No |
FUTTIES | July 15, 2022 | July 14, 2023 | No |
It’s worth keeping in mind that EA likes to keep things fresh every year by moving the promos around, adding new ones, and removing ones that didn’t quite land. So, we’ll be sure to keep our FIFA 23 promo calendar up to date with the latest details as they are announced.
For more on FIFA 23 Ultimate Team, check out every FUT Hero and new Icon card we know about so far.
Image credits: EA Sports
FIFA 22
FIFA 22 player reveals Ultimate Team trick to instantly make 300k coins
A simple yet often forgotten FIFA 22 trick can gift Ultimate Team players with up to 300k coins before FIFA 23 comes around.
FIFA 22’s endgame is underway, but players are still discovering clever ways to generate coins, and this Ultimate Team trick has the possibility to grant a few hundred thousand.
Despite the fact that FIFA 23 is right around the corner, FIFA 22 players are still enjoying everything the Ultimate Team mode has to offer well into August. While the stakes and excitement can’t match that of FUT’s early game, the end game is still a great way to flex your FIFA skills.
The end of FIFA 22’s Ultimate Team cycle is when the market tends to crash, allowing you to purchase incredible players for bargain prices. If you’re looking to do so but you’re short on coins, a FUT player has revealed a clever trick to instantly gain almost 300k coins in one sitting.
With FIFA 23 set to release on September 30, FIFA 22’s Ultimate Team market is not the pillar it once was at the start of the game. Instead, some of the best cards in the game including Shapeshifters, TOTY, and FUTTIES items are available for cheap.
However, you’ll need coins to live out FIFA 22’s remaining days with the best possible squad and most players have burned through their savings.
Luckily, a helpful tip from a clever Ultimate Team expert could allow you to build your dream squad this late in the game. The trick involves discarding all your FIFA 22 Ultimate Team stadium items.
Stadium items like anthems, flags, and goal songs are used to decorate your FUT stadium. As the player who posted the tip to the FIFA subreddit explained, they “made about 300k” doing so.
The idea is that most players have amassed a ton of stadium items since the start of FIFA 22 that simply remain in their clubs unchecked. They don’t necessarily impact gameplay, so most players will forget about them.
If you’re one of these players, it’s likely that you’re sitting on a goldmine. Of course, if you immediately discard your stadium items as they come in, then this trick will not work for you.
The comments are full of players praising the forgotten trick: “Didn’t realise how much s**** I had. Couldn’t believe it when I seen it was 485 per discard.” Meanwhile, others opted for well-timed Barcelona jokes given their curious financial situation: “Bro went Barcelona’s financial team mode,” and “So this is what pulling a lever feels like.”
Unfortunately, there’s no FUT feature to quick sell all items, therefore you’ll have to manually quick sell them one by one. However, a player in the comments offered yet another helpful tip that should save you some time: “Web app isn’t the worst thing in the world however, took 20 minutes at most.”
Your stadium stockpile will determine how many coins you’ll receive. The OP accrued almost 300k, while some in the comments reached 150k and 200k. Any result that nets you over 100k coins is certainly worth it, as it’ll be considered a fortune in the current market.
For more, check out how EA Sports’ costly mistake let players purchase FIFA 23 for less than $1.
Image Credit: EA Sports