This is who is winning the World Cup, according to FIFA 23

The global soccer tournament is about to kick off and EA SPORTS thinks they know who will take it home

We are days away from the 2022 men’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which kicks off on November 20. At the pinnacle of world soccer, 32 teams will compete for the title, which is currently held by FIFA 23 cover star Kylian Mbappé’s France.

After correctly predicting the last three winners in 2010, 2014, and 2018, EA Sports has used FIFA 23 - which will have dedicated FIFA World Cup™ modes - to simulate all 64 matches and see who will come out on top come December 18 in the final, held at the Lusail Stadium.

Who will come out on top this year?

It’s Argentina, according to FIFA 23.

The South American side, captained by living soccer legend Lionel Messi, will pick up their third FIFA World Cup win in Qatar if the simulation is anything to go by. Argentina recently won the 2021 Copa América, so they’re riding on a high into the tournament, and perhaps the pressure is off after picking up their first international honors in 28 years.

It’s not just the Messi show, either. The Argentina national team is stacked with talent across the pitch, including Inter forward Lautaro Martinez, Atletico Madrid midfield maestro Rodrigo de Paul and recent Manchester United defensive signing Lisandro Martinez.

Argentine hero Lionel Messi is EA SPORTS’ pick for the Golden Boot, awarded to the top goalscorer. At 35 years old, Messi has won almost every major soccer trophy, with only the World Cup eluding him. This is his fifth tournament, and he has already confirmed it will be his last.

You can read a full breakdown of the simulated tournament on the FIFA 23 website.

In their simulation, the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament was also swept up by Messi. It’s an award he took home at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but didn’t come home with the winner’s medal for Argentina, where Germany won against Argentina 1-0 in extra time.

There was a four-way tie for the Golden Glove, awarded to the best goalkeeper in the competition, between Portugal’s Rui Patrício, Alisson of Brazil, Croatia’s Dominik Livaković, and Emiliano Martínez of Argentina. Martínez, who plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League, picked up the award by progressing the furthest in the tournament to pick up a winner’s medal.

EA SPORTS has also put together a Team Of The Tournament, in a 4-2-4 formation, who they believe will be the top eleven players at the World Cup.

• GK Emiliano Martínez - ARG
• DEF João Cancelo - POR
• DEF Raphaël Varane - FRA
• DEF Marquinhos - BRA
• DEF Marcos Acuña - ARG
• MID Leandro Paredes - ARG
• MID Rodrigo de Paul - ARG
• ATT Vinícius Jr - BRA
• ATT Lionel Messi - ARG
• ATT Kylian Mbappé - FRA
• ATT Richarlison – BRA

Their picks are primarily South American, with five Argentine players and three Brazilians making up the majority of the side. There are two French nominations in Mbappé and Varane, and João Cancelo is the sole Portuguese representation - with Messi’s rival Cristiano Ronaldo notably missing out.

Clearly the players with some of the highest in-game ratings will be predicted by the FIFA 23 match engine to perform at their best on the world stage. Perhaps the most surprising inclusion in this list is Tottenham and Brazil striker Richarlison, who has only scored two goals for Spurs in 13 appearances since joining in the summer. His card in-game is only 81-rated. This is ahead of 2022 Ballon D’or winner Karim Benzema, who is 91-rated in FIFA 23, and hasn’t made the Team of the Tournament.

FIFA 23 players can get involved with their predictions and win in-game content using the recently launched EA SPORTS FIFA World Cup 2022™ Predictor, which is live here.

“Every four years, the World Cup presents a unique opportunity to unite the world of football, and we’re thrilled to provide an immersive, hands-on experience to football fans across the globe,” said Nick Wlodyka, SVP, GM, EA SPORTS FC.

“Our first ever football game was built around international football, and we’ve been building on that experience ever since. It’s amazing to see how fans truly experience the highs, lows, and everything in between that can only be felt when the whole globe unites through the world’s game.”

Free World Cup content updates for FIFA 23 players arrive on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One beginning November 9, with FIFA Ultimate Team updates kicking off November 11.

Written by Alex Bugg.