Nerf Ronaldo and Messi cards on FIFA 23, what impact?

As EA begins to officially release the new cards for FIFA 23, it's being discovered that stars like Messi and Ronaldo have undergone major nerfs. So the Gold versions of both legends might not be Meta, or at least not for long, given the changes made by EA. We explain in detail these nerfs and their impact on the FUT mode of the next FIFA.

Nerves of Ronaldo and Messi's Gold cards

Although it is quite logical, given their age and their seasons (not necessarily bad for all that), that EA has opted for nerfs to their cards, the two legends could no longer be Meta on FIFA 23. What is it? than a Meta card? This is a card that top players are definitely looking to use as they represent the best in the game, based on current gameplay.

So what are the nerfs to these two cards? For Ronaldo, the hammer fell very heavily as the Portuguese saw his speed, agility, shooting and passing drop. In particular, we have a loss of 6 in speed (5 in speed and 6 in acceleration), 9 in agility (from 86 to 77) and 7 in balance. These stats are very important since they were already at the heart of players' problems with CR7 in the Gold version last year.

This is even more of a problem when you consider that the styles are also changed, which should make Engine less powerful and therefore, limit the use of Ronaldo even more at high level. The Portuguese player nevertheless retains his performance (high / low) and his 5-4 stars.

On Messi's side, the PSG player sees his speed drop by 4, his finishing by 5, his long shot by 8 and his stamina by 2. At this level, the most important remains the drop in finishing while stamina starting to be a problem. But the most worrying thing for Messi is the nerve of his performance, which is now low / low. This will greatly limit his interest if his offensive AI does not take over.

Ronaldo and Messi, plus Meta in Gold version?

For once, the main problem to answer this question concerns the feeling of the game when launching FIFA 23. For the moment, the Beta has a rather slow gameplay, which allows to limit the impact of the nerfs a little in speed. However, this could change before the launch of the game or shortly after.

However, these nerfs are bound to have a negative impact on the use of these two cards at high levels. First of all for Ronaldo, his unique physique and animations will no longer be able to compensate for his lack of agility. Pro and semi-pro players will inevitably turn to other alternatives since CR7 will surely be too slow and rigid for them.

On Messi's side, the impact of nerves will be less important if his AI remains as good as last year. But a low/low yield should lead a lot of players to prefer a card like Salah (even with 3 weak foot stars) especially since endurance will also be an important factor.

What impacts on the FUT market?

Again, a few unknowns limit our ability to accurately predict events, but if the market is similar to last year's (meaning, high-level cards quickly in Fodder), it wouldn't be surprising to see a card like Messi never go over 750k (in average value there will always be someone to buy him 2m on day one) after the first week.

On Ronaldo's side, CR7 was worth over a million on PlayStation until November. It seems unlikely that the Man United player will be so expensive at the same time. Worse, it wouldn't be surprising to see it below 750k before November.

Conversely, the nerve of these cards should lead to increased demand on several cards. First of all, the alternatives to Messi, which are limited to the release of the game (mainly we think of Salah), should be very expensive. The Icons and FUT Heroes cards in this position will surely be much more valued (despite the limited interest for the collective) when the game is released. On the BU side, if CR7 is much less good, Mbappé, Mané (who has AT in secondary position) or even Benzema (who receives a slight uplift) should see their price increase at the launch of FIFA 23. Again, the FUT Heroes and Icons will increase in value as credible alternatives to Ronaldo.

Our tips for Messi and Ronaldo on FIFA 23

To be frank, if you're lucky enough to pack Ronaldo or Messi from the early days of FIFA 23, sell them. The sale price will allow you to create a very solid team and/or to invest in the market to get the season off to a good start. If Messi still seems playable (but potentially frustrating given his performance), CR7 will probably be limited to players who like pivots and/or know how to use technical gestures well. However, their name will be enough to draw a good price, before surely a violent fall on the market after a few weeks.

So much for our opinion and our advice on the nerfs to Ronaldo and Messi's Gold cards on FIFA 23. While waiting for the release of EA's new football game, you can find all the news and our FIFA 22 guides on w88s. VIP.