Special cards and in-forms have ensured we’ve already seen so many 99 Pace players on FIFA 23 (we’re looking at you World Cup Al-Owairan), but even among the normal stars there are some speed demons.
Perhaps one of the most important stats in FIFA over the years, especially in Ultimate Team, is pace. Pace can make or break a player, which is why you see big names such as Toni Kroos or Casemiro deemed “unusable” despite their real-life quality.
Of course, players need more than just pace but when up against a slow opponent it can make a telling difference. But who are the fastest players on FIFA 23, not including ICONs, Heroes or other Ultimate Team special cards? We’ve taken a look at the top 20 below.
Honourable mentions:
Yorbe Vertessen, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Aiyegun Tosin, Karim Adeyemi, Zaidu Sanusi, Sirlord Conteh, Christian Conteh, Cristi Barbut, Won Sang Um, Lois Openda, Linton Maina, Aurelio Buta, Elliott List, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, Tom Barkhuizen, Antony, Moussa Diaby – all have 93 Pace.
=14. Noah Okafor
Club: Reb Bull Salzburg
Pace: 93
Last season 93 Pace wouldn’t have been enough to break into the top 20 but things have changed and EA Sports have dropped down quite a number of players where speed is concerned. That has allowed Noah Okafor to start the top 20, though he wouldn’t have been anywhere near it in FIFA 22, enjoying a nice boost to his Pace from 84 to 93 as well as an overall change of 71 to 75 — not to mention a position change from RM to ST.
=14. Hirving Lozano
Club: Napoli
Pace: 93
Hirving Lozano ended FIFA 22 with a 94-rated Shapeshifters card that had 99 Pace, after two other special cards with 97 and 94. However, Lozano has kept his basic pace of 93 from FIFA 22, and hasn’t actually changed in any of his base stats between the two editions.
=14. Ousmane Dembele
Club: Barcelona
Pace: 93
Ousmane Dembele has kept his overall rating of 83 from FIFA 22 and there has also been no change to his 93 Pace. The Frenchman was deemed one of the most broken players in the early game for FIFA 22 Ultimate Team and it was the same this year after certain bugs were fixed.
Best minutes per assist ratio for players to provide 10+ assists in Europe’s top five leagues in 2021/22:
◉ Ousmane Dembélé (109)
◎ Thomas Müller (143)
◎ Lionel Messi (154)No player provided more assists in LaLiga than the Frenchman. ? https://t.co/OhgXnBTNTb
— Squawka (@Squawka) July 14, 2022
=14. Ruan
Club: Orlando City
Pace: 93
Ruan may have seen his overall drop to 67 from 68 in FIFA 22, but the Brazilian right-back has kept his Pace of 93. Plying his trade in MLS, at 67-rated Ruan won’t be in too many teams but could be a good option for silver squads especially with the special cards.
=14. Frank Acheampong
Club: Shenzhen FC
Pace: 93
European football fans may remember Frank Acheampong from his four-year spell with Anderlecht, but the 29-year-old is now plying his trade in China, most recently joining Shenzhen FC. The Ghanaian has had a little bit of a drop from FIFA 22, downgraded on his overall to 77 and also his Pace, but 93 still has him among the best.
=14. Theo Hernandez
Club: AC Milan
Pace: 93
Theo Hernandez was one of the must-have full-backs for a lot of FIFA 22 (before the special cards started to come) and that is even more the case in FIFA 23. Now 85-rated, the French left-back has kept his Pace of 93, with a boost to Defending and Physical making him one of the best defenders in the game.
=14. Jeremiah St. Juste
Club: Sporting CP
Pace: 93
A centre-back with 93 Pace? Yes, please. Jeremiah St. Juste would have been a must have for so many starter squads in Ultimate Team, capable of keeping up with the most explosive of forwards.
=6. Jeremie Frimpong
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Pace: 94
Moving onto those with 94 Pace, Jeremie Frimpong has enjoyed a nice boost after his fine season with Bayer Leverkusen. In FIFA 22 Frimpong’s starting Pace was 91 on his 73-rated card but fans did get to see that Pace rise to 99 on his Team of the Season, with 93 and 96 options on his Future Stars. This year he moved to 80-rated overall, with a starting pace of 94.
=6. Alphonso Davies
Club: Bayern Munich
Pace: 96
In FIFA 22 Alphonso Davies was the joint-second fastest player with 96 Pace but that has dropped this year with the Canadian now on 94. Davies struggled with injury problems last season, missing a large part of the campaign due to a heart problem, so wasn’t as involved in Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga title charge. Fortunately, he returned to health and fitness towards the end of the campaign.
Unibet welcome offer: Money back up to £40 if your first bet loses (and a £10 Casino bonus)
Don't have a Unibet account already? You could up to £40 back in bonus bets if your best wager loses by following three simple steps:
- Sign up to Unibet using THIS LINK
- Deposit a minimum of £10
- Meet the terms and conditions when placing your bet, and if it loses you could get up to £40 back as bonus bets.
18+. GambleAware.org. New customers only. Min Dep £10. Debit cards only. Opt in for bonus funds. Wagering, sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), casino 50x. Sports bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus. Valid for 7 days. Geographical Restrictions and T&Cs Apply.
=6. Alex Bangura
Club: Cambuur
Pace: 94
A left-back in the Eredivisie, Bangura has enjoyed a considerable increase to his Pace from FIFA 22, rising from 77 to 94. That has been complemented by an overall boost of +5 from 64 to 69, playing a big part for Cambuur last season.
=6. Kevin Schade
Club: Brentford
Pace: 94
Talk about your boosts. Last season Kevin Schade was a 62-rated bronze RM with just 69 Pace. In FIFA 23 he’s been boosted to a 70-rated silver, still a RM, but now has 94 Pace. That’s an upgrade of 25 Pace! Last season was Schade’s first time in FIFA so it’ll have been a case of the midfielder being something of an unknown quantity but still. Wow. And with his loan move to Brentford, he’s now an eye-catching Premier League Silver.
=6. Ismaila Sarr
Club: Watford
Pace: 94
Back in the Championship after relegation, Ismaila Sarr has kept his Pace of 94 from FIFA 22 though his overall has dropped to 77. Being a Championship player from a less favourable nations, Sarr won’t be seen in many teams, especially now, but he’s fast.
=6. Sebastian Villa
Club: Boca Juniors
Pace: 94
Sebastian Villa is among the Boca Juniors back in the Conmebol Libertadores league, and the Colombian has kept his pace of 94 from FIFA 22 as well as a +1 boost to his overall rating (taking him to 77) and switch from RM to LW.
=6. Inaki Williams
Club: Athletic Bilbao
Pace: 94
Mr. Reliable for Athletic Bilbao finally saw his long consecutive appearance run come to an end due to injury, but he’s still our man. And it’s the same case in FIFA 23 with Iñaki Williams keeping his Pace of 94 from the previous edition – though his 78 Shooting is less desirable as a striker.
=6. Gerrit Holtmann
Club: Bochum
Pace: 94
Bochum are struggling in the Bundesliga after a 13th-placed finish last season but some of their players have seen improvements in their overall ratings, with Gerrit Holtmann increasing slightly from 72 to 74. A LW Silver card, Holtmann has kept his Pace of 94 from FIFA 22, which could be ideal for those building silver squads to keep the fun alive.
=3. Sheraldo Becker
Club: Union Berlin
Pace: 95
Moving onto the 95 Pacers, Sheraldo Becker isn’t a name too many will be familiar with unless they have been following the Eredivisie and Bundesliga closely. In FIFA terms, Becker has enjoyed a Pace boost of +5 and an overall boost from 70 to 76!
=3. Daniel James
Club: Fulham
Pace: 95
Daniel James may not be a world beater, having struggled at Manchester United and Leeds United before joining Fulham, but he remains a threat. His biggest attribute right now is his speed, and that is mirrored in FIFA 23, with a Pace of 95.
=3. Vinicius Jr
Club: Real Madrid
Pace: 95
The final player on 95 Pace, Vinicius Jr has been excellent for Real Madrid since the start of 2021/22 and was rewarded by jumping from 80 to 86 overall. However, his Pace has been kept at 95 from FIFA 22 with just two players faster than the Brazilian.
The last four 21-year-olds to score in a #UCLfinal
◎ Lionel Messi (2009)
◎ Marco Asensio (2017)
◎ Kai Havertz (2021)
◉ Vinícius Júnior (2022)Vini Jr makes his mark. pic.twitter.com/wQu5zKltlg
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 28, 2022
2. Adama Traore
Club: Wolves
Pace: 96
Of course he’s here. Adama Traore is becoming something of a cult hero, known for his pace and strength, and the fact that he oils his muscles to help get away from defenders. The virtual baby oil is in use too on FIFA 23, with the Spaniard keeping his 96 Pace from last year.
1. Kylian Mbappe
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Pace: 97
Kylian Mbappe is one of the best players in the world and one of the best in FIFA 23, with his overall of 91 matched by four other players at the top of the game. Where the Frenchman is unrivalled, however, is his speed as Mbappe has kept his Pace of 97 from FIFA 22 – higher than any other non-special card. But if we also look at his special cards for a second, the Frenchman has three with 98 Pace and two at 99.