How Much Does Lionel Messi Cost in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team?

As a newcomer trying to craft your dream squad in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team, you‘ve surely heard about Lionel Messi. With nickname like "La Pulga" (The Flea), this Argentine magician is consistently ranked among the greatest footballers of all time. And Messi‘s iconic status translates directly into FIFA 23, where he‘s hands down one of the most coveted player cards in Ultimate Team.

But here‘s the catch: acquiring Messi will cost you, my friend. His regular 91 rated gold card alone demands sky-high prices on the FUT transfer market. Is Messi worth emptying your virtual wallet? Let‘s take a deep dive into what it takes to add Leo to your club.

Messi‘s Price Tag: A King‘s Ransom

Transferring Messi into your FUT 23 club will currently set you back:

• 79,000 coins on Xbox
• 78,000 coins on PC

As of writing, there are zero Messi cards available on PlayStation! That just shows the level of demand.

To put things in perspective, you could buy over 100 standard gold cards for the same price as Messi alone. This astronomical cost is no accident. As arguably the greatest footballer playing today, Messi‘s card is highly coveted in FUT.

Let‘s breakdown exactly why Messi comes with such a hefty price tag:

Elite Status Drives Price

Messi‘s prestige and name recognition alone makes him a hot commodity. Who wouldn‘t want a Ballon d‘Or winning legend leading their FUT squad?

High 91 Rating Means High Value

Higher rated cards are more rare in packs. Getting an elite 91+ card is around a 1% probability. Lower supply means inflated prices.

Meta Stats Check All the Boxes

With incredible Dribbling (95), Shooting (92), Passing (91) and 5-star skill moves, Messi‘s card is a perfect fit for FUT‘s gameplay meta. Ideal for skilling up the pitch and banging in finesse shots.

Strong Links to Top Players & Leagues

Messi links perfectly to elite La Liga players like Mbappe, Neymar, Benzema. Also gets strong links to Argentinian stars like Di Maria.

In summary, Messi‘s world class reputation combined with his status as a top-tier meta card creates the perfect storm for astronomical FUT market value.

Messi‘s Price Trends Throughout FUT 23

While extremely expensive from launch, Messi‘s cost does fluctuate throughout the FUT cycle:

When special upgraded cards like Team of the Week or Player of the Month get released, expect his gold to decrease. Big market crashes around Black Friday and TOTY also lower his price.

But once the power curve falls behind, his 91 gold becomes more appealing again. By year end, 70-80k is a reasonable price for Messi.

How to Obtain Messi in FUT 23

Realistically as a new player, you have several options to land Messi:

1. Get Insanely Lucky in Packs

Packing Messi straight from rewards or store packs does happen…but don‘t count on it. The odds are well below 1%. You‘d have to open hundreds of packs during juiced promos to have a real shot.

2. Buy FIFA Points

You can directly buy FIFA Points and use them to open packs. 12,000 FP costs $100 USD. At roughly 1% odds for a 91+ card, you‘d expect to spend around $7,500 worth of FP for a Messi pull. Not advisable!

3. Purchase from Transfer Market

Most reliable method is to buy him directly from the market. Let‘s explore coin generation strategies:

• Trading – Buy low, sell high. Easier said than done, but master this and generating millions is possible.

• Division Rivals & WL Rewards – Optimizing rewards from online play can earn 100k+ weekly.

• League SBC Grinding – Rinse upgrade packs through league SBCs, and sell for profit. Tedious but effective.

• BPM – Mass open bronze packs, sell contents. Slow but steady income.

• Investing – Buy meta cards when supply is high, sell later when price rises.

With dedicated grinding, regular players should aim to afford Messi after 2-3 months.

4. Wait for SBCs

EA will release Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) with Messi as a reward. Completing these requires submitting squads meeting certain conditions. With some fodder stockpiled, SBCs provide another avenue to add Messi to your club.

Is Messi Worth the Hefty Price Tag?

Now the million dollar question: Does Messi live up to the hype in-game? From community reviews, the consensus seems to be a resounding yes! Here‘s a quick pros vs cons breakdown:

Pros

• Game-changing left foot finesse shots
• Sublime dribbling and 5* skill moves
• Elite passing and vision
• Custom animations make him "glitchy"
• Maxed out stats with chemistry style

Cons

• Can feel clunky due to lower agility
• Stamina drains faster than ideal
• Physicality unsuitable for all styles
• Other cards have similar output

In summary, Messi definitely provides elite attacking output worthy of his lofty price tag. But minor cons like stamina and clunkiness at times keeps him from being unanimous end-game material.

For most average players, grinding over 2-3 months to eventually afford Messi is a rewarding long-term goal. But beware overreaching your budget or spending real money just to pack him early. That fleeting thrill isn‘t worth stunting your club‘s growth.

With some dedicated trading, SBC completion and WL qualifying, adding Messi to spearhead your attack is an achievable milestone in the FUT 23 journey. Just be prepared to invest the time or coins fitting for a legendary card. If you can link him properly, Messi will undoubtedly take your squad to the next level.

So focus on gradual club improvement, and let packing the iconic Argentine be the culmination of your Ultimate Team journey rather than the start. Then you can truly enjoy Messi instead of chasing the fleeting dragon of his exorbitant price tag.