EA Sports released their 2022 World Cup DLC for FIFA 23 on November 10th and it has already proven to be a massive hit with fans of the franchise.
The tournament itself got underway some 10 days later, with Ecuador defeating the hosts in Al Khor’s Al Bayt Stadium courtesy of an Enner Valencia double. And, since the curtain raiser, there has been no end of talking points.
In the opening days on football’s grandest stage, there have been further wins for European powerhouses the Netherlands and England, as well as from reigning champions France.
As well as that, there has also been a high number of draws, with three of the first eight games finishing at 0-0, as well as Wales and the USA playing out a 1-1 draw on day two.
But so far, the biggest talking point has been Argentina’s shocking 2-1 defeat against lowly Saudi Arabia. La Albiceleste headed to the Arabian Gulf State as the reigning champions of South America after defeating rivals Brazil on away territory last summer.
That victory in the Maracana gave Lionel Messi his first international trophy, and with this World Cup being confirmed as his last, many thought that he and his teammates would be doing everything in their power to give the PSG maestro the sendoff he deserves.
With that being said, online bookmakers had made Messi and co. the second favorites for glory in Qatar, with EA Sports themselves, even tipping the Argentinians as eventual tournament winners.
Those picks seemed justified when their little magician gave his team the lead from the penalty spot after ten minutes. But two goals in four minutes gave from the underdogs shortly after the second-half restarts gave Saudi – who were as high as 33/1 with some outlets prematch – the win.
FIFA 23: World Cup DLC
While Argentina’s young stars were disappointing, some of the highest-rated players in FIFA 23’s World Cup most certainly have not been. Here are three stars that have, so far, lived up to the hype.
Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka – England
It’s scarcely believable that England’s young duo, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, are just 19 and 21 years old. The former has already racked up 156 senior appearances at the club level, while the latter has won Arsenal’s player of the season award in his first two senior campaigns at the club.
England will be hoping that the huge amount of matches played in modern football doesn’t have an adverse effect on their careers, as it has with the likes of Michael Owen and Jack Wilshere in the past.
But in The Three Lions’ opening game at Qatar 2022 against Iran, the duo were at their brilliant best.
Borussia Dortmund’s Bellingham gave England the lead after 35 minutes with a brilliant looping header, his first goal for his country. Then, Saka took over. The brilliant young Gunner bagged himself a brace, his pace and direct running far too much for the Iranians to handle.
There could be more to come from this pair over the next four weeks.
Further goals from Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, and Jack Grealish gave England a resounding 6-2 victory, marking the second consecutive World Cup in which Gareth Southgate’s side has hit six. Could they go one better than their disappointment in the Euro 2020 final last summer?
Kylian Mbappe – France
Despite being just 23 years of age, Kylian Mbappe is already a household name, as demonstrated by his 91 rating in FIFA 23.
Four years ago in Russia, he was France’s main man, scoring in the final when Les Bleus defeated Croatia 4-2 in Moscow to lift the famous gold trophy for the second time. In the French’s opening game against Australia, he was in magnificent form.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar bagged himself a goal and an assist in a comfortable 4–1 victory over the Socceroos, a game in which Oliver Giroud’s goal brought him to level with Thierry Henry as the country’s all-time leading scorer.
France has endured a turbulent build-up to the tournament. They avoided relegation in the UEFA Nations League by just one point and then had to accept that they would have to attempt to defend the FIFA World Cup trophy without key midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante.
Regardless though, their tournament has gotten off to the perfect start.
