The FIFA 23 World Cup event looks set to continue the trend of EA’s flagship football title giving fans of the game something to do between high-profile FIFA World Cup matches. The football calendar is completely changing, with the 2022 World Cup taking place in the winter. It's a starkly different change to the summer tournaments we're used to, but there's always one big benefit: the addition of World Cup modes to the FIFA series.
In this FIFA 23 guide, we'll go over the World Cup modes and events due to land in tandem with the real-life tournament. The new promotion spans all the game's main modes, alongside some exclusive items, kits, and cosmetic items to hunt down.
Elsewhere, we've got plenty of other guides for you to check out. Read up on some FIFA 23 ratings to see who has an upgrade this year, as well as a look at all the FIFA 23 icons you can get. We've also got some NBA 2K23 Locker codes for you to redeem!
When does the FIFA 23 World Cup event start?
The FIFA 23 World Cup event started on November 11, 2022. Even better, it rolls around just over a week before the tournament actually begins, letting you drum up your hype in-game before tuning in to see your team perform.
The event lasts over a month, closing down on December 18, 2022, which just so happens to be the day of the World Cup final. Therefore, you've got well over five weeks to take a look at all the modes, test out the new items to celebrate the tournament, and lead your nation to glory.
What is included in the FIFA 23 World Cup event?
The main change you'll see in FIFA 23 is the introduction of a brand-new mode, called Your FIFA World Cup. In this tournament-focused mode, you select a team of your choice, guiding them through the group stage to the knockouts.
The ultimate goal is to lift the coveted World Cup trophy at the end, beating all other teams. The mode uses real-life fixtures and results to balance live form, and adds a sheen of realism if you start the mode after real-life matches have taken place. However, it only appears to be single-player right now.
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There's also a FIFA World Cup: Live mode that does a similar thing. EA Sports says that it will be updated throughout the tournament, as a "live experience" likely to include form updates and realistic fixtures.
Of course, it goes without saying that FIFA 23 has fully licensed teams and kits for the World Cup. Look out for realistic kits, balls, matchday decals, and dedicated commentary lines tailored to the World Cup.
On top of that, it seems like the Brazilian national team - long having been unlicensed and unofficial - is back in its entirety for FIFA 23. The promotional material for the World Cup mode headlines Vinícius Jr., with the Real Madrid winger wearing the official Nike shirt for Brazil's World Cup bid.
Is there a FUT 23 World Cup event?
Most players will be hoping for a dedicated World Cup sub-mode in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team. That was the case in FIFA 18, which had a whole roster of new cards, modes, and visuals for the Russia World Cup.
Sadly, there isn't a dedicated World Cup mode in FUT 23. Instead, there will be a number of smaller additions; mostly framed around new cosmetic items, qualifying players all getting limited-time World Cup card variants, and a set of World Cup-branded Hero cards.
EA promises "live items that receive progression upgrades based on each nation's progress," akin to dynamic cards tied to the Champions League. What is unclear is how club allegiances will work with nation-based tournament cards like this, so we'll have to wait and see. That's on top of base World Cup cards for all players competing in the tournament, which are temporary and will expire on January 4, 2023.
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There's also a World Cup Path to Glory event, wherein 30 Hero cards will arrive with World Cup stylings. A range of FUT Phenoms cards have also been announced, promising to highlight key performers in the tournament.
Lastly, there's also going to be a Team of the Tournament range of cards, which will be World Cup versions of each key player with a permanent stat upgrade. These will be available through the World Cup swaps promotion coming during the event. Alongside new WC Stories cards highlighting top performers at each stage, there are so many cards to collect.
As such, while there may not be a separate World Cup mode in FIFA 23, there's plenty for FUT players to dig into.
That's it for our look at the FIFA 23 World Cup event! For even more on the game, check out our picks of the best FIFA 23 lengthy players as well as a breakdown of the cheapest 84, 85, and 86 cards to grab for SBCs.