FIFA 2023 WONDERKIDS
Some of our favourite wonderkids to sign in FIFA 23 Career Mode
We cover youth football. We’ve bashed our brains together to compile a little list of the players that look like wonderkids in FIFA 23. Many of them will be new to the series having crossed the age threshold to be included in the game.
From Arda Güler to Youssoufa Moukoko; names you do and don’t know. These aren’t necessarily the players with the most potential, just the ones we think you need to know about. Scroll down to see who we think you should have on your shortlists. We’ll be adding more and more in due course.
OUR LISTS OF THE BEST FIFA 23 TALENTS
Who are the best wonderkids in FIFA 23 Career mode?
| NAME | BORN | POSITIONS | CLUB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joško Gvardiol | 2002 | CB, LB | RB Leipzig |
| Tino Livramento | 2002 | RB, RWB | Southampton |
| Noah Mbamba | 2005 | CB, CDM | Club Brugge |
| Ivan Ilić | 2001 | CDM, CM | Hellas Verona |
| Arda Güler | 2005 | CAM | Fenerbahçe SK |
| Alberto Moleiro | 2003 | CAM, CM | UD Las Palmas |
| Marquinhos | 2002 | RW | Arsenal |
| Nico Williams | 2002 | RW, RM | Athletic Club |
| Youssoufa Moukoko | 2004 | ST | Borussia Dortmund |
OUR LISTS OF THE BEST YOUNG TALENTS
Diogo Costa
- Positions: GK
- Club: FC Porto (POR)
- Nation: Portugal
A starter in senior football for a couple of seasons, and stalwart at youth international level for a long time before that, Diogo Costa is one of the highest-rated young goalkeepers in FIFA 23’s Career Mode.
He’s equally capable of the spectauclar and absurd in real-life, swinging between good saves and poor mistakes, but that’s all part of the learning process for a young goalkeeeper. In FIFA 23, Costa has the potential to grow into one of the best.
Joško Gvardiol
- Positions: CB, LB
- Club: RB Leipzig (GER)
- Nation: Croatia
Joško Gvardiol is a prototypical wide centre-back in multiple aspects: strong and fast, aggressive and technical. He’s a defender that can clatter into challenges and thread the needle as a passer, and plenty more.
It should be quite easy to sign him from RB Leipzig, all told; easier than it would be if he was playing for Bayern München or Borussia Dortmund for instance. Get him before another big club does.
Castello Lukeba
- Positions: CB
- Club: Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
- Nation: France
A relatively underhalded product of the Olympique Lyonnais academy, Castello Lukeba benefitted from injuries to break into the first-team last season. He quickly etablished himself as a key player.
Lukeba is a left-footed centre-back that is a proactive but composed defender that also provides value as a passer in build-up. His 76 overall and 86 potential ratings in FIFA 23’s Career Mode makes him one of the better young centre-backs in the game.
Tino Livramento
- Positions: RB, RWB
- Club: Southampton (ENG)
- Nation: England
A breakthrough prospect at Southampton last season, Tino Livramento will once again be one of the highest-rated young full-backs in FIFA 23. The key difference being that he should have a higher base, at least three or four points higher than his rating in FIFA 22.
He will be a must-buy for any Career Mode manager in England – and elsewhere, to be fair. If you’re one of the stronger teams in any of the big divisions, Livramento should be a top target.
- Positions: LB
- Club: AZ Alkmaar (NED)
- Nation: Hungary
Signed from AC Milan in January 2022, Milos Kerkez has had an exciting year at AZ Alkmaar. Bedded in slowly, he’s since replaced the outgoing Owen Wijndal and gone from strength to strength in doing so.
Kerkez is a tenacious left-back that stands out for his energetic activity on and off the ball. He gets on the overlap, whips dangerous crosses into the box, and impacts play with his enthusiastic approach. High/High workrates reflect that in FIFA 23, and his potential rating of 83 makes him capable of playing at the highest levels.
For more about Milos Kerkez, read our exclusive interview with him.
Tim Iroegbunam
- Positions: CDM, CM
- Club: Aston Villa (ENG)
- Nation: England
Signed from West Bromwich Albion a couple of years ago, Tim Iroegbunam is highly-rated at Aston Villa and within the England national team system.
He’s a lanky defensive midfelder that covers space with ease, use his long legs to win the ball back, and his tidy technique to keep the ball moving at a decent tempo. After winning the UEFA U-19 European Championship in the summer, he’s currently impressing on loan at Queen’s Park Rangers in the Championship in real life.
Noah Mbamba
- Positions: CDM, CB, CM
- Club: Club Brugge KV (BEL)
- Nation: Belgium
Noah Mbamba was a favourite for many on FIFA 22, and there’s no reason to think that he won’t be again on FIFA 23. The only difference being that it might be a little more difficult to get him out of Club Brugge this time around.
If you’re unfamiliar with him, Mbamba is a dynamic prospect that can play through the spine of the team – whether it’s at centre-back or in midfield, he offers size and mobility as well as potential to be impactful on both sides of the ball. He has one of the highest potential rating for a teenager in the game.
Nicolò Rovella
- Positions: CM, CDM
- Club: Juventus/AC Monza (ITA)
- Nation: Italy
We’ve liked Nicolò Rovella ever since he breakthrough at Genoa in Serie A a few seasons ago now. A small but technical and tenacious midfielder, he’s the type of player that controls and breaks up play from the base of midfield.
Rovella is very highly-rated in FIFA 23. His 88 potential rating would catapult him into one of the game’s best players, let alone midfielders, if he fulfills it. Few players have more potential than he does in this game. He’s currently on loan at Monza from Juventus.
Ivan Ilić
- Positions: CM
- Club: Hellas Verona (ITA)
- Nation: Serbia
Ivan Ilić might not be a name high up on people’s lists, but he has all the fundamentals to develop into a very solid midfielder at the higher ends of the game in FIFA (and real life, for more read this).
He has a well-rounded skillset for a central midfielder that has the potential to grow significantly in the right circumstances. If you’re a smaller club, get on Ivan Ilić.
Arda Güler
- Positions: CAM, CM, RW
- Club: Fenerbahçe SK (TUR)
- Nation: Turkey
The new prodigy of Turkish football, Arda Güler will be a name familiar to FIFA players from last year. A breakout talent at Fenerbahçe, he has the technical skill and creativity to be the long-term playmaker for your team.
If you get in early, it shouldn’t take much to sign him in the first season. The longer you leave it, though, the more expensive the deal will be and the greater the competition for his signature there will be. Güler is the future.
Alberto Moleiro
- Positions: CAM, CM, LM
- Club: UD Las Palmas (ESP)
- Nation: Spain
Alberto Moleiro is one of the hidden gems on FIFA 23’s Career Mode. In terms of U-20 players, only Pedri, Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala have higher potentials than his 90 rating.
The Spanish U-21 international is following a similar pathway to Pedri in real life, coming through the Las Palmas academy and reportedly on the agenda of FC Barcelona. If you’ve never heard of him before, you will before long. And his status in FIFA 23 will put him on plenty more radars over the coming year.
Marquinhos
- Positions: RM, RW
- Club: Arsenal (ENG)
- Nation: Brazil
Signed from São Paulo in the summer fo 2022, Marquinhos arrived at Arsenal to relatively little fanfare. He was somewhat of an unknown coming out of Brazil, particularly as he didn’t hit the heights of other young exports.
Nevertheless, he seems to have made an impression on Mikel Arteta in his first months in England. Furthermore, he is highly-rated in FIFA 23’s Career Mode. He has the potential in-game to develop into a top-level wide attacker. Given he has to displace Bukayo Saka, Marquinhos represents a clever option for your attack.
Nico Williams
- Positions: RM, RW
- Club: Athletic Club (ESP)
- Nation: Spain
Younger brother of Iñaki, Nico Williams is one of the highest-rated young talents emerging from the prestigious Athletic Club academy.
His best base attributes are speed and skill – he’s fast and sharp dribbler that can stretch teams and be a threat in transition, perfect for FIFA. His 4-star/-star ratings for skill moves and weak foot add another dimension to his talent as well.
Youssoufa Moukoko
- Positions: ST
- Club: Borussia Dortmund (GER)
- Nation: Germany
Youssoufa Moukoko is familiar to everyone. One of the most hyped youngsters of recent times, he’s yet to break into the Borussia Dortmund’s team yet but there is plenty of time for him to do so still.
Get on him quickly and offer him that pathway to a starting role. If you do that, you bank on an elite-level talent with the potential to reach the highest levels. Moukoko has the potential to be one of the star centre-forwards in FIFA 23.
Iker Bravo
- Positions: ST, RM
- Club: Real Madrid (ESP)
- Nation: Spain
A prolific scorer at youth level, Iker Bravo has been around the houses a little bit in recent years. He left Barcelona’s La Masia academy for Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 before returning to Spain, this time at Barça’s arch rivals Real Madrid, in 2022.
He has the base ability to develop into a well-rounded centre-forward. Not especially excellent at any one skill in game, Bravo can grow into a striker that does a bit of everything. He can grow by almost 20 ratings.
OUR LISTS OF THE BEST FIFA 23 TALENTS
What are FIFA 23 wonderkids?
Wonderkid is a cliché term that’s synonymous with Football Manager. They’re young prospects – usually aged 16 to 18 – that have elite-level potential in the game. Freddy Adu is a prominent example for older managers, while Youssoufa Moukoko is a current case. They’re the superstar youngsters that are must-buys on every save.
But it’s also subjective. A wonderkid at Accrington Stanley is completely different to a wonderkid at Manchester City. Essentially, the surroundings dictate the status.
How do you search for wonderkids on FIFA 23 Career Mode?
You should start by browsing our website. We have countless profiles – both extensive and brief – one some of the best emerging talents from across world football.
We will be your external scout, and scouts are equally important in the game. Building up a good core of talent-spotters and recruitment analysts should be a priority when building your club. No scouts on the search, no wonderkids.
How do you develop young players on FIFA 23 Career Mode?
As always, pathways are paramount. You have to make sure that your youngsters have access to meaningful minutes at the appropriate levels. If you have a first-team ready talent, phase him into the team gradually, during pre-season ideally.
If your prospect needs a bit more polishing, the loan system is a valuable tool. But pathways to senior level minutes are key. Assess your youngsters on a case-by-case basis, decide what they need, and enact your decision.
How do you loan out young players on FIFA 23 Career Mode?
Loans are an important tool in youth development, and they can be difficult to get right. It’s all about accurately assessing the levels your prospects can play at, then finding suitable environment for them to develop in. It’s especially important you consider the styles and shapes teams play, and league style is a factor too.
How do you sign young players on FIFA 23 Career Mode?
Squad planning is crucial. Check your depth charts, keep your shortlits updated, sort them by position even, and assess which areas you need to strengthen. Once you’ve done that, you can start signing young players that fit your demands.
Work to your budgets as well – don’t overstretch your club’s financial capabilities.
How do you sell young players on FIFA 23 Career Mode?
Again, squad planning is key. Making sure your young players are playing, whether at your club or elsewhere, is important; more minutes increases their value. Sell at the right time too, set a defined policy and stick to it.
Don’t be afraid to sell young players too. If you haven’t got the right pathway for them, move them on to generate even more profits and reinvest in the squad or club.
Alberto Moleiro (Las Palmas) is one of them; he has incredible potential and growth.
The best way is by building a strong scouting team, then assigning them to search for players under the age of 21 with at least four star potential. Also, check out scoutedftbl.com.
Alberto Moleiro is a bargain signing that you can sign from Spain’s second division. He can grow from 75 to a 90 overall.
OUR LISTS OF THE BEST YOUNG TALENTS
