Slow and steady doesn’t win the race when it comes to FIFA, and pace is still crucial in the 2023 edition of the game - especially when it comes to Ultimate Team.

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Having the fastest players could help put you at an advantage in those all-important FUT Champs or FUT Squad Battles matches.

A football player’s pace in the game is a combination of their running speed and acceleration, and the faster a player is, the more likely they are to race ahead of their opponents across the field to tackle, strike or defend.

In FIFA 23, the new chemistry system in Ultimate Team means that momentum, stamina and fatigue are all factors in a player's pace and effectiveness - so gameplay is a lot more than just holding down the sprint button.

Whether you’re looking for the fastest strikers, wingers, midfielders, defenders, or fastest special cards, read on to find the highest-rated football stars in the virtual speed department.

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Fastest players in FIFA 23

Here are the 10 faster players ranked by pace in FIFA 23:

  • Kylian Mbappé (97) - Striker - Paris SG
  • Adama Traoré (96) - Right Wing - Wolverhampton Wanderers
  • Daniel James (95) - Right Midfielder - Fulham
  • Vinícius Júnior (95) - Left Wing - Real Madrid
  • Sheraldo Becker (95) - Striker - FC Union Berlin
  • Gerrit Holtmann (94) - Left Wing - VfL Bochum
  • Iñaki Williams (94) - Striker - Athletic Club Bilbao
  • Sebastian Villa (94) - Left Wing - Boca Juniors
  • Ismaila Sarr (94) - Right Midfielder - Watford
  • Kevin Schade (94) - Right Midfielder - SC Freiburg

In what might not come as any surprise to FIFA fans, FIFA 23 cover star Kylian Mbappé takes the top spot when it comes to speed - albeit virtual.

He has a whopping 97 pace rating, as well as 97 in both sprint speed and acceleration - a killer combo when teamed with his 93s in finishing, dribbling, reaction and agility, as well as an 87 in stamina.

Fastest strikers in FIFA 23

If you want to put some speed into your attack, it’s all about picking the strikers with the best-rated pace. Here are FIFA 23’s strikers with the best pace rating:

  • Kylian Mbappé (97) - PSG
  • Sheraldo Becker (95) - Union Berlin
  • Iñaki Williams (94) - Athletic Club
  • Noah Okafor (93) - RB Salzburg
  • Frank Acheampong (93) - Shenzhen Kaisa

Fastest midfielders in FIFA 23

Whether you need your midfielder for attack or defence, it pays for them to have a high pace rating on their side. Here are the fastest midfielders in FIFA 23:

  • Daniel James (95) - Leeds United
  • Ismaïla Sarr (94) - Watford
  • Moussa Diaby (93) - Bayer Leverkusen
  • Kingsley Coman (92) - Bayern Munich
  • Leon Bailey (92) - Aston Villa

Fastest defenders in FIFA 23

When it comes to thwarting an opponent’s attempt at heading towards goal, it pays to have someone on your team with speed in defence. Here’s FIFA 23’s best-rated defenders when it comes to pace:

  • Alphonso Davies (94) - Bayern Munich
  • Jeremiah St Juste (93) - Sporting CP
  • Jeremie Frimpong (93) - Bayer Leverkusen
  • Theo Hernandez (93) - AC Milan
  • Achraf Hakimi (92) - PSG

Fastest players in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team

While the above players have the highest base speed in FIFA 23, there are a handful of other special FUT cards that have the highest possible pace stats, especially with the launch of FIFA 23 TOTS. The 10 fastest cards in FUT 23 are:

  • Kylian Mbappé, Team of the Tournament (99) - PSG
  • Ahmed Musa, Winter Wildcard (99) - Sivasspor
  • Achraf Hakimi, Team of the Year (99) - PSG
  • Vinícius Júnior, Team of the Year (99) - Real Madrid
  • Theo Walcott, Flashback (99) - Southampton
  • Moussa Diaby, Europa League Road To The Final (99) - Bayer Leverkusen
  • Loïs Openda, Team of the Week (99) - RC Lens
  • Jeremie Frimpong, Team of the Season (99) - Bayer Leverkusen
  • Alphonso Davies, Team of the Season (99) - FC Bayern
  • Nuno Mendes, Team of the Season (99) - PSG
  • Rafael Leão, Team of the Season (99) - AC Milan
  • Theo Hernández, Team of the Season (99) - AC Milan
  • Victor Osimhen, Team of the Season (99) - Napoli
  • Juan Cuadrado, Team of the Season (99) - Juventus
  • Enner Valencia, Team of the Season (99) - Fenerbahçe
  • Monnapule Saleng, Man of the Match (99) - Orlando Pirates

Each of these players has 99 Acceleration and 99 Sprint Speed, making them among the fastest players available in FIFA Ultimate Team.

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