Even though acquiring coins is not as hard as it once was, not getting a good starter team can take months to recover from. If you don’t keep up with the economy in the early stages of FIFA 23 you may struggle. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place, here’s the best starter team in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team.
Best Starter Team Under 50K
The squad that we’ve built here costs just under 50K Coins. This amount of coins, especially at the beginning with all the missions and free rewards should not take you more than a day or two of playing to collect.
The squad is really good in the lower levels of Divison Rivals or against weaker players in the Weekend League. It has a lot of pacy players that can exploit mistakes and is pretty tight at the back. That being said, it will struggle a lot against a meta players squad.
This team is built to give you a good starting point in your FUT season. As time goes on, you should be looking to upgrade it. The squad is built using only the base cards of the players but upgraded ones are always better
Formation (4-4-1-1)
First of all, we’re going to be using the 4-4-1-1 formation. A beginner-friendly and very easy-to-execute formation that covers some defensive holes in the midfield.
Best Starter Team Defenders in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team
Goalkeeper (GK): Samir Handanovic (Inter)
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Pickford, Keylor Navas
A staple of Series A squads for years, Handanovic is one of the best budget choices you can get for the FIFA Ultimate Team. A little bit out of meta this year since he is not as good at building from the back as other keepers, but he is still a great shot-stopper.
Right Back (RB): Di Lorenzo (Latium/Lazio)
Honorable Mentions: Hector Bellerin
In this 11, you are going to see a lot of players that will be “everywhere” for the first few months of FIFA 23. Di Lorenzo is one of those players. Very reminiscent of old Hector Bellerin cards, Di Lorenzo is all about pace and creating disruptive attacks on the wings.
An old-school RB with pace and decent stats, Di Lorenzo is one of the best starting RBs in the game.
Centre Back (CB): Ronald Araujo (FC Barcelona), Milan Skriniar (Inter)
Honorable Mentions: Gabriel, John Stones
Araujo has all the makings of a world-class center back. With great physical stats and an impressive 77 Pace for his height and strength, Araujo is a great player to have on your team. Very reminiscent of FIFA 16-19 Koulibaly cards, Araujo can easily fit into any team as long as the chemistry allows him.
Skriniar is surprisingly cheap for what he offers. With an insane 88 Defending and 86 Phisycality, Skriniar can hold his own in any team, even in the best of the best.
Although he is one of the more expensive players on the list, he is a contender for one of the best center-backs in the game.
Left Back (LB): Leonardo Spinazzola (AS Roma/Roma FC)
Honorable Mentions: Angelino, Grimaldo
With an impressive 91 pace and 80 dribbling, he will undoubtedly be the starter and possibly finisher of many of your attacks. Not held back by his real-life injury predisposition, Spinazzola wreaks havoc through defenses if your enemies do not hold him back properly.
Best Starter Team Midfielders in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team
Centre Mid (CM): Frank Kessie (FC Barcelona), Ismael Bennacer (AC Milan)
Honorable Mentions: Thomas Partey, Ilkay Gundogan, Paul Pogba
Probably the player in this 11 you are going to keep most inside your team, Kessie is excellent in this year’s FIFA. With a monstrous 87 physicality, Kessie is a defensive beast.
Very few other players in the game can go toe-to-toe with Kessie unless your opponent is a 5-star skilled master. If there’s only one player you can get from this list, Kessie is the one. He truly is one of the best players in this year’s game.
Bennacer is the “undercover” creator of this 11. The budget version of KDB, he can start attacks from the back very reliably. While he does not have the best stats outside of his outstanding 86 dribbling, Bennacer is one of the sacrifices we must make to get that sweet 100% chemistry.
Right Mid (RM): Raphinha (FC Barcelona)
Honorable Mentions: Serge Gnabry
Raphinha fulfills the classic role of the “Neymar Style” winger. 91 pace, 85 dribbling, and a decent 79 shooting make him a great option for a budget winger.
Definitely not the best card in the game, but Raphinha can still be a menace to play against with his high overall.
Left Mid (LM): Rafael Leao (AC Milan)
Honorable Mentions: Ansu Faty
Leao is another player that you will see EVERYWHERE this year. His card is simply too good to pass up. 91 pace, 86 dribbling, 77 shooting, he is a threat at all times in a match.
He can easily start and finish attacks, crosses well, and has a 4-star skill and weak foot combo. If you manage to upgrade his cards, he can become one of the best in the entire game. Rafael Leao is one of the cards from this 11 you should invest early in.
Best Starter Team Attackers in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team
Honorable Mentions: Dires Mertens
Center Forward (CF): Memphis Depay (FC Barcelona)
While Depay has not had the best season in 21-22 with Barca, his card in FIFA 23 is still an amazing budget option. Surprisingly cheap for what it offers, Depay is one of the most well-balanced attackers in the entire game.
With really solid stats in all departments, Memphis is a no-nonsense attacker with great physicality, creating ability, and finishing. Perpahs is a bit underrated by both EA and the FUT community, Depay can stay in your eleven for a long time before he needs a proper replacement.
Striker (ST): Arnaut Danjuma (Villareal FC)
Honorable Mentions: Jamie Vardy, Darwin Nunez
Danjuma has had an amazing season with Villareal. The absolute king of budget forwards, Danjuma offers an amazing 88 pace + 81 shooting combo, making him the perfect candidate for sweaty goals and 2v1 one-twos.
A classic fast striker archetype from the days of old FUT, Danjuma is also a player you will not need to think about replacing too soon.
These are some of the best budget players you can use in FUT this year. Keep in mind that, for the best results, you will have to always tweak and change your team depending on your playstyle. Make sure to check your record often to see how you’re doing and adjust your team as you see fit.
If you’re not interested in FUT or don’t want to start grinding yet, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with guides on the Career Mode in Fifa 23:
FIFA 23: Best Career Mode Teams to Play With | FIFA 23: Best Formations in Career Mode | FIFA 23: The Best Young Players in Career Mode
