FIFA 23 Ultimate Team: 5 best Icons available in the 87+ Base or Mid Icon SBC
EA Sports recently released an 87+ Base or Mid Icon SBC in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team. The SBC was first released during the infamous Black Friday festivities in FUT and has been reintroduced to provide gamers with the opportunity to try and obtain some of the most coveted and expensive cards in the game.
There is a plethora of legendary footballers included in FIFA 23 as Icons. With both their base and mid versions available in this SBC pack, fans will be curious as to which are the best ones. The SBC costs around 270,000 FUT coins, which is a significant investment for even the most seasoned FUT veterans. So, gamers need to consider the pros and cons before investing their assets.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.
5 Icon cards that are extremely overpowered in FIFA 23
1) Ronaldo Nazario
Since his inclusion on the FUT Icon roster in FIFA 18, Ronaldo Nazario has been possibly the most overpowered card in the history of the series. Popularly referred to as R9, the Brazilian phenom has everything it takes to be a broken striker in FIFA, especially with the latest meta of FIFA 23 favoring rapid attackers.
Both the base and mid versions of R9 are available in this pack, but the latter is miles ahead of the former. The base version is inferior when it comes to the overall rating and attributes. Additionally, it also lacks the coveted combination of five-star skills and weak foot that has become synonymous with R9 over the years.
2) Pele
As the highest-rated card on the Icon roster, Pele embodies the essence of what it takes to be considered a legend of the sport. Many consider him to be the greatest player ever since his abilities have been replicated accurately on the virtual pitch of FIFA 23.
Both the base and mid versions of Pele are available in the 87+ Base or Mid Icon SBC pack, with the former being 91-rated while the latter is 95-rated. Contrary to Ronaldo's cards, these two versions are not that far apart when it comes to their in-game abilities. Both versions are broken in-game, with rapid pace, sublime dribbling skills, lethal finishing, and five-star skill moves.
3) Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit has earned a reputation for being amongst the most overpowered midfielders in the history of the franchise. The Dutch legend has been a part of FIFA's Icon roster since its inception and has retained his in-game capabilities over the years. He is also the only Icon on this list who does not currently have a better version available in FIFA 23 after the release of World Cup Icons.
The base version of Ruud Gullit is not available in this pack due to him being 86-rated. This means that the much superior mid version is up for grabs, making the SBC an enticing proposition. With his custom in-game animations, domineering physical presence, versatile stats, and five-star weak foot, it is easy to see why this card has a hefty price tag in the FIFA 23 transfer market.
4) Johan Cruyff
Often considered to be the father of modern football due to his approach to the sport as a coach for FC Barcelona, it is easy to overlook the fact that Johan Cruyff is easily one of the greatest footballers to grace the beautiful game. He was included on the Icon roster in FIFA 19 and has consistently been amongst the most broken and complete attackers in the game ever since.
Both the base and mid versions of Cruyff are available in this SBC pack, being 89-rated and 91-rated respectively. He is extremely similar to R9, as he possesses a combination of five-star skills and a weak foot as well. However, instead of being a striker like Ronaldo, he is more of a playmaker with excellent dribbling, passing, and finishing abilities.
5) Zinedine Zidane
Despite winning it all as a manager with Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane will always be renowned for being amongst the most legendary playmaking midfielders in history. The Frenchman's versatility and creative flair have been depicted perfectly in FIFA 23, as he is an elite-tier box-to-box midfielder in-game.
Both the 91-rated base version and the 94-rated mid version of Zidane are available in this pack, with both having their pros and cons. While the base version has more stamina and pace, the mid variant possesses better attributes in the technical and creative aspects.