If you’re still on an original save, then sign them up while you can, but if you’re working with the latest downloaded squads we’ve scoured the remaining players to unearth the best wonderkids still available for transfer in FIFA 23. For example, you can still pick up some of the World Cup’s best performers like Goncalo Ramos, Josko Gvardiol, Yunus Musah and Mohammed Kudus, as well as some lesser heard-of names to add to your team. There’s no greater satisfaction than leading your team of FIFA 23 Wonderkids to glory, fulfilling their sky-high potential over many successful Career Mode seasons. However, a lot of the world’s best young players are going through a bit of a transition. At the grand old age of 23, Kylian Mbappe is no longer a “wonderkid” by most people’s measure - but being tied for the highest overall player in the game at 91, I don’t think he will mind. Many other stalwarts of the last few FIFA games have also aged out of the Wonderkids bracket of 22 and younger, like Gigi Donnarumma, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Darwin Nunez and Federico Valverde. But you’ve probably heard of all of those players already. The point of a list like this is to turn you on to some lesser-known exciting prospects who truly have potential to be special. Plus, since the introduction of Dynamic Potential, your star players can reach unimaginable heights over and above their starting potential. We’ll show you the absolute best young players in FIFA 23 with the highest overall ratings. These players will be incredibly expensive, but will be able to hold down a place in even the strongest teams right from the start of Career Mode. Then we’ll go over some lower overall players who have more potential for growth. While they often won’t be cheap - most teams know they have a special player on their hands - these players will be much more accessible for different kinds of clubs, not just Europe’s elite. But first, we’ll go over the best FIFA 23 Wonderkids you can sign in the first season of Career mode. No one likes being told “this player has just signed and won’t move again”, so we’ve found some of the most talented youngsters you can slot into your roster straight away. Again, we’re defining a wonderkid as a high-potential player who is 22 years old or younger. And if you’re interested in overpowered players of any age, we also have a rundown of the best strikers to sign in FIFA 23 and the best CAMs, CMs and CDMs to sign in FIFA 23.
FIFA 23 Best Young Goalkeepers (First Season) FIFA 23 Best Young Defenders (First Season) FIFA 23 Best Young Midfielders (First Season) FIFA 23 Best Young Strikers (First Season) Highest Overall FIFA 23 Wonderkids Lower Overall, High Potential Wonderkids in FIFA 23
FIFA 23 Best Young Goalkeepers (First Season)
GKs
Illan Meslier - Leeds United - £17.5m Value/ £22,000 Wage - 22 - 77 OVR/ 87 POT The youngest starting goalkeeper in the Premier League, Illan Meslier is tall with great reflexes already and plenty of potential. He also comes with the much vaunted “Saves with Feet” trait that pro players like. Giorgi Mamardashvili - Valencia - £16m Value/ £15,000 Wage - 21 - 78 OVR/ 84 POT Expensive because of his relatively high overall, but able to slot into even top tier sides straight away because of it, Valencia’s Georgian stopper is a solid option with room to grow. Maarten Vandevoordt - Genk - £3.4m Value/ £4,000 Wage - 20 - 71 OVR/ 83 POT This guy has been the go-to Road to Glory Career Mode keeper for a few years now, and even though he’s had another potential nerf since last FIFA, his cheap fee and high growth are still very powerful. Lucas Chevalier - Lille - £2m Value/ £4,000 Wage - 20 - 67 OVR/ 83 POT Even cheaper, but still with great potential, Lucas Chevalier is in with a shout of the first-team at Lille (their starting goalkeeper is only six ratings higher but seven years older), but you could still tempt him away to star between the sticks for your club.
FIFA 23 Best Young Defenders (First Season)
CBs
Mohamed Simakan - RB Leipzig - £25.5m Value/ £34,000 Wage - 18 - 78 OVR/ 86 POT Yet another great defensive prospect from the Red Bull ecosystem of clubs. While Simakan doesn’t quite have the raw physical prowess of Gvardiol or Solet, his already outstanding defending stats mean he can slot into a top team easily. Antonio Silva - Benfica - £12m Value/ £2,000 Wage - 18 - 75 OVR/ 87 POT The Portuguese league has done it again, with another slew of incredible young defenders to add to your teams. Benfica’s Antonio Silva keeps getting huge upgrade after huge upgrade, with his overall rocketing up by 9 full ratings since the start of FIFA 23. That means he’s no longer the affordable beast he used to be, but is still one of the hottest defensive prospects. A big boosts to pace, strength and stamina has turned him into an undisputed wonderkid, who’s accessible to a load of teams with low wages too. At just 18 he has nearly 80 pace, strength and stamina, 75 passing, and 75 defending. Training will do wonders for his defending and make him top-draw quickly. Josko Gvardiol - RB Leipzig - £45m Value/ £35,000 Wage - 20 - 81 OVR/ 89 POT Extremely expensive, but with good reason. Josko Gvardiol has been easily one of the best Career Mode defenders in FIFA for the last couple of years and FIFA 23 is no different. With more than 80 pace, strength and defending from the start of your save, he’s an awesome signing for any elite club. Ibrahima Bamba - Vitoria - £2.5m Value/ £3,000 Wage - 20 - 68 OVR/ 81 POT Cheap and accessible, but with decent movement stats, stamina and tackling, Bamba is great for lower league sides or your reserves. He’s reportedly being watched by Arsenal, which should give you some idea of his ceiling. Marton Dardai - Hertha Berlin - £3.3m Value/ £10,000 Wage - 20 - 71 OVR/ 82 POT Slightly more expensive, but a bit classier with a better starting overall and more potential, Marton Dardai also comes with a real face scan if you’re a stickler for that sort of thing. His standout stats are decent tackling in the mid-70s, but mainly his 76 long passing, which marks him out as a left-footed, ball-playing CB. Goncalo Inacio - Sporting CP - £31m Value/ £9,000 Wage - 20 - 79 OVR/ 88 POT Linked with Newcastle but unlucky with injury last season, Goncalo Inacio has it all. With pace, strength, defending and passing all around 80 already - and huge potential over and above that - he’s a powerful, if expensive, option. Castello Lukeba - Lyon - £13m Value/ £22,000 Wage - 19 - 76 OVR/ 86 POT For a slightly more affordable deal, check out Lyon who have loads of great young players. A great fit for an upper to mid table club in a top division, Lukeba has many key stats approaching 80 and should quickly grow to dominate with training. Noah Mbamba - Club Brugge - £1.3m Value/ £500 Wage - 17 - 64 OVR/ 84 POT - Moved to Bayer Leverkusen He had 88 potential at 16 years old last year, but despite a huge nerf in that department Noah Mbamba is still one of the best deals for more cash-strapped clubs in FIFA 23. A true wonderkid, he could anchor your back line for nearly 15 seasons if you decided to play that long. At least that was the case until he joined Leverkusen in the winter window and was relisted as a CDM. He’s still worth a look and has CB in his listen positions however. Oumar Solet - RB Salzburg - £7.7m Value/ £16,000 Wage - 22 - 74 OVR/ 83 POT An absolute must-sign if you can afford him, with nearly 85 pace, 90 strength and decent defending and passing. Easily one of the best wonderkid signings for more middling sides, he’s an incredible deal who is too good to pass up. Ashley Phillips - Blackburn Rovers - £600k Value, £500 Wage - 17 - 59 OVR/ 82 POT For lower league teams without a lot of money, Ashley Phillips is a great option with tons of potential. While his overall his very low, his key stats aren’t actually that bad, so he should be relatively usable.
LBs
Destiny Udogie - Udinese (Spurs) - £14.6m Value/ £29,000 Wage - 19 - 76 OVR/ 89 POT Spurs have a gem on their books here. Although he’s out on loan during the first season, the incredible potential buff that Udogie received in a recent update is still worth your attention. He’s great physically, as well as a strong dribbler and passer. His defending isn’t even that bad, so with some training he’ll be a great addition to any squad. Milos Kerkez - AZ Alkmaar - £3.6m Value/ £2,000 Wage - 18 - 71 OVR/ 84 POT Wow. Thanks to a huge overall upgrade Milos Kerkez is now a truly incredible young left-back with great pace and stamina, plus technicals that can be rounded out with his buffed potential. Balde - Barcelona - £12.9m Value/ £23,000 Wage - 18 - 76 OVR/ 87 POT After a breakout performance in Barcelona’s Spanish Super Cup demolition of Real Madrid, Balde was the recipient of big boosts to speed, dribbling and passing that make him a very interesting option for a variety of teams. Coming from Barcelona means a high wage, and he needs some defensive training to round out his offensive potential, but he’s more than ready to slot into even a top league squad. Luca Netz - Borussia Monchengladbach - £6m Value/ £9,000 Wage - 19 - 73 OVR/ 83 POT A solid technical and defensive player with loads of versatility, Luca Netz has been good for a few years now, but his poor stamina definitely needs some attention. However, that tends to grow quite quickly, alongside pace, with good performances and should be able to pick up assists with his good crossing stats. Liberato Cacace - Empoli - £4.3m Value/ £5,000 Wage - 21 - 71 OVR/ 81 POT He’s possibly not available in the first season because of the loan situation between his current and old clubs, but still worth highlighting because of his great physical stats which are all around 80 already. His technical stats are passable, and can only go up with his potential - a great Road to Glory pick-up.
RBs
Malo Gusto - Lyon - £10m Value/ £21,000 Wage - 19 - 75 OVR/ 85 POT - Joined Chelsea and loaned back to Lyon The kind of great young player who can come in and hold their own in just about any team. Malo Gusto is fast, with good stamina and crossing to add to the attack from wide positions. His defending could use some work, but that’s a very common trait in full-backs in FIFA 23. He was part of Chelsea’s January spending-spree, so you’ll now have to wait until his loan expires to pick him up. Jeremie Frimpong - Bayer Leverkusen - £27m Value/ £33,000 Wage - 21 - 80 OVR/ 86 POT If you’re working with a top club, consider adding this speed demon to your roster. Not only that, he’s an elite crosser and dribbler as well, so Jeremie Frimpong is a huge attacking threat with enough pace to get back and defend too. Marcus Pedersen - Feyenoord - £5.2m Value/ £7,000 Wage - 22 - 73 OVR/ 80 POT He’s taken a bit of a potential nerf, but that hasn’t dampened this kid’s 90 pace and 87 stamina, which allow him to get up and down the pitch all game. His defending is okay, but his dribbling and crossing - which both start in the mid-70s - are what make him a really quality addition to a team. Hugo Siquet - Freiburg - £2.8m Value/ £6,000 Wage - 19 - 70 OVR/ 79 POT - Loaned to Cercle Brugge I’ve called Hugo Siquet the cheap Trent Alexander-Arnold in the past and even though his potential has taken a hit in FIFA 23, his huge 80 crossing is still intact. Solid stats everywhere else make him a good deal for the price. But after failing to adapt to the Bundesliga, he’s been loaned back to Belgium for the rest of the season. That means you’ll now have to wait to get him in-game. Ruben Sanchez - Espanyol - £3.3m Value/ £6,000 Wage - 21 - 70 OVR/ 82 POT If you just want raw athletic talent and can let potential fill in the defending later, check out Ruben Sanchez in La Liga, who has 85 pace and stamina for a very cheap fee.
FIFA 23 Best Young Midfielders (First Season)
CMs, CAMs and CDMs
Andreas Schjelderup - FC Nordsjaelland - £3.8m Value/ £3,000 Wage - 18 - 71 OVR/ 86 POT Buffs to speed and stamina have turned Andreas Schjelderup into a very usable CAM right from the start of FIFA 23. But while there are plenty of rough edges that need some attention when it comes to training, a starting dribbling stat of 78 is nothing to sniff at for this accessible price. A nice finishing stat of 71 also means he could play further forward in a lower league team. Jobe Bellingham - Birmingham - £500k Value/ £500 Wage - 16 - 60 OVR/ 78 POT You’ve heard of Jude Bellingham, right? Well he’s back - in Jobe form. The younger brother of England’s latest midfield maestro might not be as highly rated yet, but is still a lot of fun to pick up in your lower league saves. Dynamic potential is your friend here, but 81 is still a very decent starting point. Yunus Musah - Valencia - £7.7m Value/ £14,000 Wage - 19 - 74 OVR/ 84 POT Listed as a RM in-game, but deployed at the base of midfield for the USMNT, Yunus Musah is quick and technical with well-rounded stats for both attacking and defending. He’s also relatively affordable given his stats are only going one way - straight to the top. Alan Varela - Boca Juniors - £13.5m Value/ £9,000 Wage - 20 - 76 OVR/ 86 POT A solid defensive midfielder with great passing from the outset, Alan Varela looks set to emulate the huge amount of incredible talents who have made the jump from Boca to Europe over the years. Even better, the Argentinia league is supposed to be getting face scans soon, so he’ll look the part even in a Premier League team. Manuel Ugarte - Sporting - £24.5m Value/ £10,000 Wage - 21 - 78 OVR/ 85 POT Where do Uruguay get these guys? Manuel Ugate is an awesome all-rounder who already looks great in the Portuguese leage, and would also look pretty good in your team too. Enzo Fernandez - Benfica - £36.6m Value/ £11,000 Wage - 21 - 80 OVR/ 87 POT - Joined Chelsea in January One of FIFA 23’s more expensive young talents, but one you should still be aware of, is Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez, who as the year wears on is creeping ever closer to that coveted 80+ rating in all key stats. Given his massive potential, with game time in your career mode that milestone shouldn’t be too far away. As you’re likely aware, he joined Chelsea during the winter window for a British transfer record fee, meaning he’s out of the reach of all but the richest clubs. Jesper Lindstrom - Eintract Frankfurt - £14.6m Value/ £20,000 Wage - 22 - 76 OVR/ 84 POT Thanks to a buff in speed, stamina and dribbling, Jesper Lindstrom now looks like a nippy, exciting young CAM who could slot into the squads of a host of decent teams. Xavi Simons - PSV - £11.5m Value/ £9,000 Wage - 19 - 75 OVR/ 87 POT After a tough couple of years at PSG, Xavi Simons has returned to his native Netherlands and is flourishing at PSV. A huge pace and stamina boost as well as an overall and potential upgrade has turned him into one of the most fun wonderkids to play with in FIFA 23 and totally usable in a variety of teams right from the start. Khephren Thuram - Nice - £24.5m Value/ £28,000 Wage - 21 - 78 OVR/ 85 POT Brother of Marcus and son of the legendary French defender Lilian Thuram, Khephren is a solid, classy defensive midfielder with decent stats everywhere. While they might not set the world on fire straight away, his high potential means you can suddenly have a ridiculously well-rounded player by the end of the season. Nicolo Fagioli & Fabio Miretti - Juventus - Both £8.6m Value/ £40,000 & £21,000 Wage - 21 & 18 - Both 74 OVR/ 86 & 88 POT Juventus have two awesome young midfielders in their reserves waiting to burst into the first-team, but in Career Mode you can add them to your roster even though it’s not that realistic. Fagioli is the more offensive of the two, with 80 passing already at just 21. Whereas Miretti is a more deep-lying playmaker with better stamina to make surging runs from the base of midfield. Tommaso Pobega - AC Milan - £14.6m Value/ £39,000 Wage - 22 - 76 OVR/ 85 POT Like a certain other midfielder with a very similar name, Tommaso Pobega is an incredibly well-rounded midfielder with key physical, technical and defending stats all approaching 80. With his massive potential, he’ll quickly turn into an almost unstoppable force in the middle of the park, so looks to be an almost must-buy for any team that can afford him. Mohammed Kudus - Ajax - £20.2m Value/ £11,000 Wage - 21 - 77 OVR/ 85 POT A fantastic-feeling player in-game, Mohammed Kudus has been extremely unlucky with injuries in real life, which has seen his potential take some big hits in FIFA 23. However, he’s still a tremendously versatile wonderkid, with great pace, stamina and strength to complement his good technical skills and quietly decent defending. Moleiro - Las Palmas - £8.6m Value/ £3,000 Wage - 18 - 74 OVR/ 87 POT Listed as a wide-man primarily, but with CM in his listed positions, Moleiro has been given a huge boost to his potential in FIFA 23. Quick, technical players with good dribbling are great for progressing the ball in FIFA, so he looks like a good candidate to turn into a solid shuttler. Wouter Burger - FC Basel - £2.2m Value/ £4,000 Wage - 21 - 68 OVR/ 77 POT For some beef at the base of midfield without breaking the bank, look no further than Wouter Burger. He’s tall with good speed and strength to act as a destroyer in front of your defence. Alex Scott - Bristol City - 18 - £2.8m Value/ £4,000 Wage - 68 OVR/ 83 POT - CAM, CM Another cheaper option with good potential - just not as much as he used to have. A pretty much must-buy for English lower league Road to Glory saves, he’s already a decent all-rounder already with good physical and technical skills. Cristian Volpato - Roma - 18 - £2.2m Value/ £5,000 Wage - 67 OVR/ 85 POT - CAM Finally, for an offensive option on a modest budget take a look at Cristian Volpato at Roma, who has good dribbling and usable stamina for a very cheap fee.
Wingers
Nicola Zalewski - Roma - £11.6m Value/ £32,000 Wage - 20 - 75 OVR/ 87 POT Jose Mourinho is often criticised for not giving chances to young players, so it should tell you just how good Zalewski is that he starts nearly every week for Roma. Capable of playing as both a wing-back and out-and-out winger, he’s got good speed from the start as well as decent dribbling and passing. Plus he’s got the Outside Foot Shot trait which is still pretty overpowered in FIFA 23. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - Napoli - £34m Value/ £40,000 Wage - 21 - 79 OVR/ 88 POT “Kvaradona” is tearing it up in an awesome Napoli team this season in Serie A, and his stats are skyrocketing thanks to that. Bafflingly, his potential was downgraded from 88 to 86, but now it’s back where it should be and nicely complements his strong dribbling ability and 5-star weak foot. Garang Kuol - Central Coast Mariners - £1.3m Value/ £2,000 Wage - 17 - 63 OVR/ 85 POT - Joined Newcastle and loaned to Hearts Kuol is an interesting young winger for true Road to Glory teams. He was called up to Australia’s World Cup squad (and is 75-rated in the FUT World Cup mode) and has great pace and potential for the price. Newcastle recognised his potential and snapped him up before loaning him out to the SPL. It’s still worth going back in for him later in your Career Mode. Ansu Fati - Barcelona - £32.7m Value/ £72,000 Wage - 19 - 79 OVR/ 89 POT Another true wonderkid, it might seem silly to suggest signing the guy who inherited Messi’s number 10 shirt, but since he was injured for so long I tend to forget about him on Barca’s bench. With their financial situation, it’s not unrealistic to think a top team would test Barca’s resolve with a big offer, so don’t miss out on this incredible player who has awesome stats already. Noni Madueke - PSV - £19.8m Value/ £14,000 Wage - 20 - 77 OVR/ 86 POT - Joined Chelsea in January His potential might not be as high as last year, but Noni Madueke is already an elite dribbler and rapid attacking threat. A left-footer usually deployed on the right, his speedster-level pace help him break the lines easily to bear down on goal. This makes him a great impact player for literally any team. That must be why Chelsea scooped him up for a massive fee in the winter window. He’s still worth grabbing when you can get him though. Rayan Cherki - Lyon - £6m Value/ £16,000 Wage - 18 - 73 OVR/ 88 POT One of the only natural 5-star Skills, 5-star Weak foot players in the game (alongside the likes of Neymar and Ousmane Dembele), Rayan Cherki is a lot of fun and has lots of potential to grow his middling movement and power stats. Another classic wonderkid with 86 dribbling already at the start of FIFA 23. Gustav Isaksen - Midtjylland - £4.7m Value/ £14,000 Wage - 21 - 72 OVR/ 82 POT With 90 pace and 80 stamina, Gustav Isaksen can run and run very fast all day. He’s a great pick-up for lower-league teams. His dribbling has been recently buffed to make him more technically capable too, as well as his physical quickness. Exequiel Zeballos - Boca Juniors - £4.7m Value/ £9,000 Wage - 20 - 72 OVR/ 85 POT The latest in a very long line of awesome Argentinian wonderkids, Zeballos has brilliant pace, good dribbling and usable stamina. Everything you need to cause some mischief on the wing. Agustin Urzi - Atletico Banfield - £4.7m Value/ £9,000 Wage - 22 - 72 OVR/ 83 POT If you hate low-stamina players, Urzi is very similar to Zeballos, but with 80 stamina from the start of FIFA.
FIFA 23 Best Young Strikers (First Season)
Jorgen Strand Larsen - Celta Vigo - £6m Value/ £15,000 Wage - 22 - 73 OVR/ 82 POT Everyone wants to find the next Erling Haaland, but you can’t make a much better case than Jorgen Larsen. He’s Norwegian, over 6ft with pace, strength and stamina to burn, and decent technical ability already with a high potential ceiling. A lot of fun and very accessible. Youssoufa Moukoko - Borussia Dortmund - £11.2m Value/ £7,000 Wage - 17 - 75 OVR/ 89 POT Destined to be a Career Mode legend, Youssoufa Moukoko is still only 17 years old despite having been one of the most prodigious talents in world football for years. As his overall has risen throughout the season, his fee isn’t as cheap as it used to be, but Moukoko has great pace, dribbling and finishing right from the beginning of your save and is really the perfect Road to Glory player. Daryl Dike - West Brom - £3.6m Value/ £18,000 Wage - 22 - 71 OVR/ 82 POT With 96 strength, you could say that Daryl Dike is rather hench. He’s got very decent finishing and heading for his overall, but really it’s that dominant physical prowess you’re after. If you can train his mobility, he’ll be pretty unstoppable. Brian Brobbey - Ajax - £20.2m Value/ £11,000 Wage - 20 - 77 OVR/ 85 POT Speaking of unstoppable, Brian Brobbey has been ping-ponging between Ajax and RB Leipzig for a while in real life, but is simply unbeatable in-game. With over 80 pace, 90 strength, 90 jumping and finishing approaching 80, he is just a deadly, deadly player that’s a credit to any team. Noah Okafor - RB Salzburg - £13.3m Value/ £22,000 Wage - 22 - 76 OVR/ 83 POT For a speedier option that’s still a total tank, check out Noah Okafor in the Austrian Bundesliga. With nearly 95 pace and nearly 85 strength he’s sure to rack up a ridiculous amount of chances to hone his mid-70s dribbling and finishing. Highly recommended. Goncalo Ramos - Benfica - £27.5m Value/ £11,000 Wage - 21 - 78 OVR/ 86 POT With truly incredible stats for the price, Goncalo Ramos can quickly grow to have all of his key stats above 80. With 80-ish pace and strength and finishing and dribbling in the mid-70s, he’s a usable big man right from the beginning of a save. Elye Wahi - Montpelier - £10.3m Value/ £12,000 Wage - 19 - 75 OVR/ 85 POT Some people prefer realistic signings and France is always a great place to look for decent, physically and technically gifted players who are ready to take a step up. Elye Wahi fits that mould with 80s pace and mid-70s dribbling and finishing. Joe Gelhardt - Leeds - £4.7m Value/ £19,000 Wage - 20 - 72 OVR/ 83 POT - Loaned to Sunderland “Joffy” to his friends, Joe Gelhardt has drawn comparisons to Wayne Rooney as a scrappy but elegant striker. Despite taking a big hit to his potential since the start of FIFA 23, decent stats across the board - including 80 dribbling - make him usable from the start. Or at least they would if he wasn’t stuck out on loan at Sunderland during January. You’ll now need to wait until he returns to his parent club. Facundo Farias - Colon - £10.3m Value/ £8,000 Wage - 19 - 75 OVR/ 85 POT Another really exciting prospect from Argentina, Farias is incredibly fast and a brilliant dribbler. His finishing is very raw for a striker, but he’s sure to create a lot of chances even if he can’t take them all. Datro Fofana - Molde - £2.5m Value/ £18,000 Wage - 19 - 68 OVR/ 83 POT - Moved to Chelsea Even smaller clubs need overpowered players and Datro Fofana’s stats are unbelievable for the price. Or at least they were until Chelsea swooped in and started paying him more than 30 times as much in wages. Despite that, we’re talking 90 pace and 80 strength right from the start, while nearly 70 dribbling and 65 finishing are nothing to be sniffed at on a 66 overall. If you can’t buy him, why not take a realistic turn and try to take him on loan?
Highest Overall FIFA 23 Wonderkids
Lower Overall, High Potential Wonderkids in FIFA 23
