What is a Rare Player in FIFA 23?

Hey friend! As a lifelong football and FIFA gamer, rare player cards are one of my favorite parts of Ultimate Team. But what exactly are rare cards and why do they matter so much? Get ready for an in-depth look at everything that makes these cards so unique and valuable in FUT.

Shiny Cards with Slightly Curved Edges

Let‘s start with the basics. Rare cards are distinguished by their slick animated design and signature inward curved edges on the top border. You can spot a rare instantly from this look compared to flatter common cards. It‘s a subtle style difference that denotes rarity and prestige.

As a trading pro tip, know that rare cards quick sell for over double the value of common cards. Check your club for any undervalued rare golds sitting there!

Ratings and Attributes Get a Special Boost

Beyond cosmetics, rare player items also boast better base attributes and higher overall ratings. Here‘s a comparison of Vinicius Junior‘s regular 86 versus his 87 rare UCL version:

Attribute	Normal Vinicius Jr	UCL Rare Vinicius Jr
Pace	95	96
Shooting	80	83
Passing	78	80
Dribbling	88	90
Defending	68	69
Physicality	73	76

As you can see, the rare UCL card has several key stat boosts. This translates directly into in-game performance on the pitch. Pace and shooting gains are especially valuable for a winger like Vinicius.

Gold, Promo, Icon – Rarity Depends on Card Type

While the shiny animation gives them away as rare, not all rare items have equal rarity. Gold rares make up the majority from packs. Meanwhile, you may open 1,000+ packs without ever seeing an Icon rare!

Here‘s an overview of the main rare card types, ordered approximately from most common to rarest:

Gold Rares – Your standard rare player with a gold background. About 1 in 5 cards from a pack.

UCL/Europa Rares – Similar to gold but with Champions/Europa league dynamic images. Available periodically.

Informs – Upgraded Team of the Week cards for top real world performances.

Heroes – New FUT 23 rare celebrating league cult heroes like Yaya Toure.

Icons – Legendary retired players like Pele with three card versions. Extremely hard to pack.

Promo Specials – Limited time rare cards, often overpowered. Examples are TOTY, Futties, etc.

Packing most rare cards feels great, but pulling an Icon or special Promo brings next level excitement! Now let‘s look deeper at coveted rare gold cards.

The Rarest Meta Gold Cards This FIFA

Not all rare golds have the same supply. Highly desirable meta cards used by many players tend to be more elusive. Based on pack probability data, here are some of the rarest meta rare golds:

Player	Position	Rating	Pack Weight
Neymar Jr	LW	92	0.018%
Vinícius Jr.	LW	86	0.093%
Kylian Mbappé	ST	89	0.046%
Son Heung-min	LM	89	0.051%

A 0.018% chance for Neymar means you‘d have to open thousands of packs to find him! No wonder he still costs millions of coins. Vinicius and Mbappe are more common but still under 0.1%.

For perspective, a standard 82-84 rare gold card has around a 2% pack probability. These meta stars are an order of magnitude rarer.

As a pack opening tip, aim to open when special promos boost rare odds to increase your chances. Lightning rounds during TOTY offer the best shot at these big names.

Special Cards Take Rarity to Another Level

Thought rare gold cards were hard to pack? Take a look at some of the rarest and most coveted special card prices:

• TOTY Mbappé – 15,000,000+ Coins
• Prime Icon Pelé – 12,000,000+ Coins
• FUT Birthday CR7 – 7,000,000+ Coins
• TOTY Nominee Messi – 4,000,000+ Coins

With so few in circulation, packing let alone affording one of these cards requires tremendous pack luck. Their sky-high prices make them exclusive status symbols.

If you want to experience playing with one of these rare cards, try FIFA Ultimate Draft mode. It temporarily loans you rare cards like Icons to build a dream team.

Just matching against a squad with one of these players in Rivals or Champs is an event in itself!

How I Go About Acquiring Rare Cards

Through years of FUT trading and grinding, I‘ve found some consistent methods for adding rare players:

• Crafting repeatable upgrade SBCs during promos – great for churning rares.

• Saving packs for big Lightning Rounds when supply spikes.

• Sniping rare meta cards when prices crash after events.

• Rinsing duplicates into Icon SBCs, though pack weight is still low.

• Playing FUT Draft to test out top tier rare cards for free.

• Choosing rare player packs from Season and Squad Battle rewards.

• Getting lucky in post-match packs, Marquee Matchups, etc.

My best FUT packing story was the time I miraculously hit TOTY Lewandowski untradeable during the promo. Let‘s just say I was screaming and woke up my roommate that night!

Why You Really Need Perfect Chem for Rare Players

As an experienced FUT squad builder, I want to emphasize the importance of maximum chemistry for rare cards. The effects of low chemistry are amplified for meta rare players compared to common golds.

Let‘s compare Neymar‘s attributes on 10 chemistry versus 5 chemistry:

Attribute	Neymar on 10 Chem	Neymar on 5 Chem
Pace	92 ➜ 97	92 ➜ 87
Shooting	87 ➜ 95	87 ➜ 84
Passing	80 ➜ 88	80 ➜ 76

As you can see, the stat boosts are substantial at 10 chemistry. But being on low chemistry really tanks key attributes like pace and shooting for a technical player like Neymar.

Avoid playing rare cards off-chem if possible. Use position modifiers, loyalty, links and team synergies to max out their chemistry. It makes a huge difference ingame!

How Rare Cards Have Evolved in FUT History

Looking back at old FIFAs shows how rare items have grown and evolved over Ultimate Team‘s lifespan:

• FIFA 09 – Rare and common items introduced, rare golds were the pinnacle.

• FIFA 14 – Icons transform rarity ceiling through retiring legends.

• FIFA 17 – Weekend League drives hardcore competition and rare card demand.

• FIFA 19 – OTW (Ones to Watch) bring dynamic rare cards into the game.

• FIFA 22 – Promo Hero rare cards celebrate domestic league heroes.

• FIFA 23 – Women‘s national team and World Cup rare cards added.

The variety and power creep of promotional rare content has increased exponentially thanks to innovations like Icons and Hero cards. Cards that would‘ve been considered amazing just 5 FIFAs ago are now obsolete and common by today‘s standards.

What Factors Drive a Rare Card‘s Market Value?

Rare card prices are constantly fluctuating in FUT markets based on various influencing factors:

• Rating – Higher rated is universally more desirable.

• Pace – The most important stat, faster is better.

• Links – Fitting the meta and synergies raises appeal.

• Supply & Demand – Fluctuates with promo lightning rounds.

• Reputation – Big names like Mbappé carry a premium.

• Position – Central offensive roles most valuable.

• Upgrades – Special versions increase base card value.

Monitor real world football, upcoming promos, and perceived value to make good investments. New TOTW squads for instance can spike demand for OTW rare cards.

Tips to Maximize Your Rare Players on the Pitch

Simply having rare cards in your club isn‘t enough. You need to know how to optimize them for peak gameplay performance:

• Take advantage of five star skill moves and weak foot abilities.

• Apply Hunter chemistry for the vital shooting and pace boosts.

• Play them at their ideal positions to maximize OVR rating.

• Surround with strong links using leagues, nations, clubs to get 10 chemistry.

• Don‘t waste high value rare cards as lower rated squad filler.

• Sub on rare icons later in-game to conserve fitness and get a boost.

• Consider selling or investing in desirable rare cards when prices peak.

Having a squad full of rare special cards hands you a competitive edge. But you need to learn how to properly utilize the cards as well.

My Take on EA‘s Rare Items Approach

As someone passionate about FUT, I have mixed feelings on EA‘s approach with rare players:

Pros

• Provides aspirational content for hardcore players to chase.

• Incentivizes spending money on packs during Lightning Rounds.

• Creates engaging chance-based excitement when opening packs.

• Gives elite players with rare teams a well-earned status symbol.

Cons

• Near impossibility of packing the top cards without spending heavily.

• Creates a daunting pay-to-win barrier for more casual gamers.

• Crafting SBCs usually costs more than just buying the card off market.

• Promotes frustration and unhealthy addiction through monetized random chance.

While thrilling, I wish rare special cards felt slightly more attainable for dedicated non-spending players. There‘s a difficult balance as it also drives revenue for EA. But those are just my thoughts as a FIFA fan!

The Allure and Prestige of FUT Rare Items

At the end of the day, rare special cards remain the holy grail for Ultimate Team players. Matching the aesthetic design, boosted attributes, and low supply rates, packing or owning one provides a huge rush.

These items hold a well-earned prestige through their exclusivity. Being able to compete using the world‘s best footballers in their prime moments is a dream for football fans.

I hope this guide gave you a comprehensive breakdown on every aspect related to rare players in FIFA 23. Let me know if you have any other FUT questions! I‘m always happy to provide tips based on my experiences.