When FIFA 23 came out, fans were excited to see the new player ratings. The new ratings, as usual, showed that some players had dropped points and rankings, and others had improved significantly.
However, the biggest surprise was that only one African player was in the top ten of the FIFA 23 ratings.
Noteworthy, these ratings determine the overall players for each installment in the game. In addition, it helps managers decide which players to select for games.
If you are building a team with stars from the continent, Mohammed Salah is the best African player to include on the right wing, and Edouard Mendy should be your goalkeeper.
While not absolute, you can use the FIFA 23 ratings to determine the best player in Africa. Here we list the top ten best African players in FIFA 23. You’ll also get to know the best young African footballers.
1. Mohamed Salah
- FIFA Rating: 6th
- Country: Egypt
- Club: Liverpool
- Position: Right Winger
Mohammed Salah has a rating of 90 in FIFA 23. He is also the highest-ranked African player in position six.
Mohammed Salah plays as a right-winger for English Premier League side Liverpool. He also captains the Egypt men’s national team.
Salah’s strengths in FIFA 23 are Dribbling (90), Shooting (89), and Passing (82). However, he is weak at Defending (45) and Physicality (75).
His Finishing (93) makes him an excellent player to add to your team as a striker.
2. Sadio Mane
- FIFA Rating: 13th
- Country: Senegal
- Club: Bayern Munich
- Position: Left Midfielder
Sadio Mane has an overall rating of 89 in FIFA 23, ranking him at position 13. His rating is the highest among Left Midfielders in FIFA 23.
Sadio Mane is a forward for the Senegal men’s national team and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
He won the African Footballer of the Year award in 2022 and was the runner-up for the 2022 Ballon d’Or.
Sadio Mane’s strengths in FIFA 23 include Pace (90), Dribbling (88), and Shooting (83). But he is weak at Defending (44) and Physicality (77).
3. Kalidou Koulibaly
- FIFA Rating: 37th
- Country: Senegal
- Club: Chelsea
- Position: Centre Back
Kalidou Koulibaly tops the list of the best African defenders in FIFA 23. He has an overall score of 87, ranking him in position 37 in FIFA 23.
Kalidou Koulibaly is a defender or Centre Back for the Senegal men’s national team and English Premier League side Chelsea. He was named Best Defender during the 2018/19 Serie A campaign.
Koulibaly’s strengths in FIFA 23 include Defence (88), Physicality (85), and Pace (82). However, he is weak at Shooting (33) and Passing (59).
4. Edouard Mendy
- FIFA Rating: 47th
- Country: Senegal
- Club: Chelsea
- Position: Goalkeeper
Edouard Mendy takes the top position among African goalkeepers in FIFA 23. He has a FIFA 23 rating of 86, ranking him at position 47 worldwide.
Edouard Mendy plays as a goalkeeper for Senegal men’s national team and Chelsea FC. Mendy was the goalkeeper of the season during the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League campaign.
His strengths as a goalkeeper in FIFA 23 include Dribbling (88), Physicality (85), and Pace (84). Although he falls short in Defence (34), he is excellent in Goalkeeper Reflexes (88).
5. Riyad Mahrez
- FIFA Rating: 52nd
- Country: Algeria
- Club: Manchester City
- Position: Right Wing
Riyad Mahrez has an overall rating of 86 in FIFA 23, ranking him in position 52. He has jumped one place higher since his FIFA 2022 rating.
Riyad Mahrez plays on the right wing for Manchester City and captains the Algerian men’s national team. Mahrez won the Premier League title with Manchester City in the 2021/22 season.
Riyad Mahrez’s strengths in FIFA 23 include Dribbling (90), Shooting (83), and Pace (80). However, his weaknesses include Defence (38) and Physicality (60).
In addition, Mahrez is unsuitable for defensive teams because he lacks defensive awareness.
6. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
- FIFA Rating: 89th
- Country: Gabon
- Club: Chelsea
- Position: Striker
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is among the top African strikers in FIFA 23. However, his FIFA 23 rating is 85, ranking him in the 89th position worldwide.
Aubameyang plays as a striker for Chelsea FC. His highest-rated features in FIFA 23 are Pace (87), Shooting (84), and Dribbling (79).
Although Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can sprint, he needs to improve in Defending (36), Physicality (68), and Passing (74).
Aubameyang’s defensive awareness is also poor because he cannot tackle or intercept.
7. Achraf Hakimi
- FIFA Rating: 98th
- Country: Morocco
- Club: Paris Saint Germain
- Position: Right-Back
At 24 years old, Achraf Hakimi is among the best young African players in FIFA 23. His FIFA 23 rating is 85, which ranks him in position 98.
Achraf Hakimi plays as a right-back for Paris Saint Germain. But he is flexible at left-back and winger positions.
Achraf Hakimi’s strengths in FIFA 23 are his Pace (92), Dribbling (80), and Passing (79). However, his weaknesses are his Shooting (75) and Defending (75). Also, he is not good at taking penalties (60).
8. Franck Yannick Kessié
- FIFA Rating: 105th
- Country: Ivory Coast
- Club: Barcelona
- Position: Central Defensive Midfielder
Franck Yannick Kessié misses out among the top 100 players in FIFA 23. He ranks in position 105, with an overall FIFA rating of 84.
Frank Yannick Kessié is a Central Defensive Midfielder for FC Barcelona and the Ivory Coast national team.
Kessié won the Italian Serie A title with AC Milan in 2021/2022 and the Supercopa de Espana title in 2022/23 with Barcelona.
Frank Yannick Kessié excels in Physicality (87), Defence (82), and Dribbling (79). However, Kessié rarely shows weaknesses in his game, and his lowest score is Volleys, rated at 60.
9. Thomas Partey
- FIFA Rating: 114th
- Country: Ghana
- Club: Arsenal
- Position: Central Defensive Midfielders
Thomas Partey has an overall rating of 84 in FIFA 23. However, he ranks in position 114 worldwide.
Thomas Partey plays for Arsenal FC and the Ghanaian men’s national team. Before joining Arsenal, he won the La Liga title with Atletico Madrid during the 2020-21 season.
Thomas Partey’s strengths in FIFA 23 are Physicality (83), Dribbling (80), and Defending (80). However, he is weak at Pace (65) and Shooting (71). Also, he is not the best player to take penalties.
10. Joel Matip
- FIFA Rating: 136th
- Country: Cameroon
- Club: Liverpool
- Position: Centre Back
Joel Matip is one of the most improved players in FIFA 23. He has a rating of 84 and ranks in position 136. He has moved 58 places upwards in the rankings since he was 196 in FIFA 22.
Joel Matip plays for Liverpool FC as a Centre Back. His improvement in rankings resulted from winning the FA Cup and EFL Cup during the 2021-22 season and finishing the runner-up in the 2021-22 Champions League season.
Joel Matip’s most improved stat in FIFA 23 is Defence, rated at 87. Also, his Physicality stands at 78, and his Dribbling (71) has improved. However, he is unsuitable for penalty shootouts.
Have your say
Do you have any African players in your FIFA 23 line-up? Who has been the best for you so far?
