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While many FIFA players have traditionally prioritized speed as the most prized attribute for their virtual team members, strength is a hugely underrated and undervalued quality to possess, especially when it comes to winning aerial duels, protecting the ball, or conversely, winning back possession. With the World Cup just days away and with FIFA 23’s feet now firmly under the table, it’s time to look at who’s been hitting the gym before the tournament in Qatar kicks off on November 20th.
10 Erling Haaland - 93 Strength
Norwegian phenomenon Erling Haaland is, quite simply, a complete freak of nature. As tall as a pylon yet remarkably nimble on his feet, not to mention lightning-fast and incredibly elusive, Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm.
As if the City striker’s pace, height, fitness, durability, and ability in the air weren’t enough, he’s also freakishly, insanely strong. Trying to knock Haaland off the ball when he’s in full flight must be like trying to wrestle a freight train. A truly exceptional striker.
9 Niklas Süle - 94 Strength
Center-backs need to be strong, and they don’t come much stronger than Germany and Bayern Munich’s 6ft 4 powerhouse Niklas Süle.
Not only is Süle tall, strong, and genetically gifted, but he’s also a fearsome competitor and a hugely competent technical player, making the German one of the best defenders at one of the best clubs in world football. Little wonder he’s nailed down a starting spot in Der Mannschaft’s starting eleven.
8 Kalidou Koulibaly - 94 Strength
It seems as though Chelsea spent years trying to take Koulibaly away from Napoli and to West London instead, such was the Senegalese’s cachet in world football at the time.
Koulibaly hasn’t quite found his feet at Chelsea thus far this season, but there’s no questioning the qualities the man possesses. Few players are blessed with 94 strength combined with 88 sprint speed, quite astonishing attributes for a center-back.
7 Armando Méndez - 95 Strength
Not one of the best-known names on this list, Newell’s Old Boys defender Armando Méndez boasts a perfectly acceptable overall rating of 70.
It’s Méndez’s strength stats that catch the eye, however, especially considering the position in which he plays. A stratospheric 95 rating puts the Uruguayan well among the strongest players in the game and easily earns him the title of FIFA 22’s most physically fearsome fullback.
6 Abdoulaye Seck - 95 Strength
Another player to earn a 95-strength rating, Royal Antwerp’s burly center-back is a player fans could easily miss if they weren’t actively seeking him out. He’s hardly the biggest name in FIFA 23, but he’s without question one of the biggest players, standing at a whopping 6ft 4 inches tall and truly earning his colossal physical stats.
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Seck has since departed Royal Antwerp for Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa, but for the purposes of this list, he’s still registered as plying his trade in the Belgian league.
5 Romelu Lukaku - 95 Strength
Some of the names on this list may be unknown to even the most ardent FIFA devotees, but there are few soccer fans who aren’t familiar with Romelu Lukaku and his extraordinary physical prowess.
An absolute monster of a man who can bully defenders as though they were to him nothing but small children, Lukaku is a nightmare for even the sturdiest of defenders. As far as imposing target men go, the Belgian is very tough to beat.
4 Duván Zapata - 95 Strength
Not only does Duván Zapata boast one of the best names in all of international football, but he’s also one of the world’s most predatory goalscorers. He’s never quite managed to break into the esteemed realm of Lewandowski, Benzema, or Ronaldo, but few strikers are capable of making the net bulge with such regularity as Atalanta’s Colombian powerhouse.
Part of what makes Zapata such a menace is his combination of speed and strength, not to mention some exceptional stats for finishing, shot power, and attacking positioning. While he currently plies his trade at Atalanta, licensing regulations with the Italian Serie A mean he’s to be found on the roster of their in-game equivalents, Bergamo Calcio.
3 Tomáš Petrášek - 95 Strength
Not a particularly big name in football outside of the Czech Republic, Tomáš Petrášek is an absolute unit when it comes to strength and physical stats.
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As one of the highest-rating strongmen in the entire game despite his relatively small profile on the world stage, rest assured the Czech defender has truly earned his fearsome reputation for bringing some serious physicality to the beautiful game.
2 Tomáš Chorý - 96 Strength
Even if a quick Google search of Viktoria Plzeň striker Tomáš Chorý brings up images of what seems to be a relatively lanky beanpole of a player, Chorý’s strength stats are no anomaly. He is insanely strong.
Standing at 6ft 6 inches tall, Chorý is easily one of FIFA 23’s tallest athletes, a striker who, when combined with his gargantuan physical heft, provides a remarkable aerial threat in the final third.
1 Daryl Dike - 96 Strength
Track down a picture of Daryl Dike online and you’ll soon understand why he’s crowned as FIFA 23’s strongest player. The man is an indisputable specimen.
Dike hasn’t quite made waves as a professional in England just yet, plying his trade for Championship side West Brom, but at 22 years old the American possesses bags of potential. The thought of him getting even bigger and stronger, however, is a terrifying one. A savvy career mode purchase, too.
FIFA 23 is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and Stadia.
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