FIFA 23 is the latest game in this long-running sports franchise that fans go absolutely gaga over time and time again. The series is a massive goldmine for EA, with each annual title bringing incremental innovations of its own that slowly build up to make every FIFA title a must-buy for its supporters. There are many game modes in these titles that will give players hours upon hours of enjoyment, with the patented Career Mode being absolutely revered by the masses.
The usual suspects that players take in this mode range from dominating teams like Manchester City and Bayern Munich to teams with a ton of potential like Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund. However, players who really want to test their mettle in Career Mode will be well-serviced by the following teams that are challenging yet pretty fun to control in the game.
Updated March 13, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: FIFA 23 is one of the best entries in the long-running sports series, showing that EA really wanted to go out with a bang with their FIFA license expiring. The game features several modes that will keep players occupied for quite some time, with the game's career mode being especially fun to engage with. While it can be fun to take a strong team and absolutely dominate the league, players who want to challenge themselves will be well-serviced by the following teams in FIFA 23.
1 Lille (Ligue 1)
Having once been fairly competitive, Ligue 1 is now dominated by PSG because of its wealth of star talent, which includes the terrifying front three of Neymar, Messi, and Mbappe. So, it can be really hard to picture a situation where any other team wins the league, especially a team like Lille.
While Lille is a pretty historic team in its own right, there's no denying that this football club will require some sizeable skills and investment to get moving. Taking over this team in Career Mode and mounting a challenge for the league and other competitions will make for a great time indeed.
2 Everton (Premier League)
Everton is going through a bit of a rough patch right now, which is a shame to see given how historied and legendary this club is. It's clear that the ownership is running this club into the ground, with Everton fighting relegation battles in successive seasons instead of making a name for themselves in the top half of the table.
Players will have their work cut out for them if they choose to manage this team in Career Mode. For what it's worth, the club certainly has its fair share of talent in the squad that players will love to check out in FIFA 23.
3 Atalanta (Serie A)
Atalanta is one of the most dynamic and exciting teams in Serie A, a league with some serious and entertaining competition. The team has several budding stars, making it quite fun to develop the players in this team via Career Mode.
That being said, Atalanta is still well off the pace when compared to some of the other top teams in Serie A, like Napoli and the two Milan clubs. Players will need a lot of luck and skill to help this club win some serious silverware in the league.
4 Union Berlin (Bundesliga)
There are two clubs in the Bundesliga that get the lion's share of points and talent, and it's no secret who these two clubs are. Both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have pretty much cemented themselves as the biggest names in the German league by a country mile.
So, this makes taking over Union Berlin in Career Mode pretty challenging indeed. Thankfully, with some effort and a lot of investment, this team can mount a serious challenge for the league title, not to mention some of the European competitions.
5 Real Betis (La Liga)
Real Betis has been absolutely brilliant this season, staying up with the very best clubs in La Liga. Great management and good form have contributed to many of its successful results, but things are different in FIFA 23.
Players will need some serious skills and savviness in the transfer market to build up Real Betis into a brilliant squad. However, this task is quite possible and winning La Liga and other trophies with this squad will be a massive achievement in every way.
6 Lazio (Serie A)
The Serie A is arguably the most interesting league right now, with a whopping six teams in contention to win the title. The league is extremely competitive and one of the toughest ones to start a Career in.
While taking any of the Milan teams or Juventus might be alluring, players who want more of a challenge should try controlling teams like Lazio instead. The team has decent players and can definitely win trophies with the right combination of tactics and player development.
7 Marseille (Ligue 1)
Most people are bound to take PSG if they want a flourishing career in Ligue 1. However, this team is so easy to play with that players might as well turn the difficulty all the way down instead.
Instead, teams like Marseille are way more interesting to control. The team definitely has many talented players, and some great transfer strategies coupled with some moments of magic can help this team make a charge for the title instead of languishing in PSG's shadow.
8 Leicester City (Premier League)
Leicester City is the underdog that everyone loves to root for. Their historic Premier League win is still one of the biggest talking points in football to this day and proves why people love the beautiful game.
Under Brendan Rogers, the squad has suffered quite a bit in the current season. Players who want to spearhead their turnaround can definitely take over the reins, although they shouldn't expect this task to be easy by any stretch of the imagination.
9 Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga)
The two teams that come to the minds of most fans when talking about the Bundesliga are Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. While the former might've almost monopolized the league, there's no reason why players can't try and dethrone this team with one of the many competitive squads in the Bundesliga.
This is the case with Bayer Leverkusen, which boasts an impressive squad but has failed to meet expectations in both domestic and international competitions. Of course, their fates can always change if players decide to take over this team in Career Mode instead.
10 Sevilla (La Liga)
A La Liga team that has been severely down on its luck is Sevilla. This team has a long history behind it, but most people won't assume this after seeing how mediocre their performance has been in the league of late.
It will take a stern hand guiding the ship to bring this team back into the fold as a squad worthy of competing for the league. Thankfully, most players will have the awareness to build this team into something immense and compete for both international and domestic silverware.
11 Leeds United (Premier League)
Leeds United is easily going to be one of the hardest teams for players to manage in the Premier League. While the team certainly has a ton of talent, FIFA 23 is a game all about the numbers... and Leeds United suffers as a result.
The early phase of controlling this team might be frustrating, but players shouldn't worry too much. With enough time, patience, and skill, players will be able to bring Leeds United back to its glory days that it enjoyed briefly all the way back in the past.
12 Schalke 04 (Bundesliga)
Another legendary team with an impressive history that hasn't really been in the limelight in modern times is Schalke 04. Aside from the Revierderby, which is widely publicized in Germany, Schalke 04 doesn't really grab the spotlight all that much.
All of this can be changed in Career Mode, with players getting a halfway-decent squad that definitely requires a bit of investment. A good transfer strategy and tactics are crucial to ensure that Schalke 04 becomes one of the most competitive teams in the league.
13 Roma (Serie A)
Jose Mourinho's Roma is easily one of the most interesting teams in Serie A, in more ways than one. The team boasts several established names that players will love to control in FIFA 23, including the former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling and the Argentinian attacker Paulo Dybala.
In fact, this squad genuinely has a chance of winning Serie A, and players can propel this notion even further by controlling them in Career Mode. It might be a herculean task given the competitiveness of Serie A, but Roma can definitely be a favorite to win the league if players invest in the team properly.
14 Monaco (Ligue 1)
Most people won't even guess that Monaco won Ligue 1 in the 2016-17 season. After all, the team hasn't really reached these heights, especially with PSG poaching their biggest talent in the form of Kylian Mbappe.
That being said, they're still a pretty exciting team to control in Ligue 1 regardless, as long as players are willing to contend with PSG's might in Ligue 1. Players who are adept when it comes to how Career Mode functions will have a great time controlling Monaco.
15 Valencia (La Liga)
Valencia is one of the most well-known teams in La Liga, constantly churning out impressive talent through its academy that is poached unfairly all the time. Regardless, it's clear that the team needs a guiding hand to truly stand a chance of winning silverware.
This can be accomplished in Career Mode by players who want to break the duopoly set by Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga. It's bound to be a challenging affair, but Valencia is definitely an entertaining team to control for passionate players who don't mind being a bit patient before consistently winning their games.
FIFA 23 is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch, and PC.