FIFA’s controversial first ever winter World Cup in Qatar takes place throughout November and December 2022, and the tournament is going to be pretty unavoidable if you play EA Sports’ FIFA 23 Ultimate Team during that time.

While there isn’t a dedicated World Cup game mode for this tournament in FIFA 23, as we have often seen for summer World Cups, EA Sports is nevertheless rolling out more content than ever before, with multiple new promo teams (including Path to Glory), World Cup Swaps Tokens, and numerous SBCs and Objectives.

World Cup content is available in FUT 23 from Friday, 11th November until Friday, 23rd December, with extra 'End of Event Rewards' tabulated and handed out starting Wednesday, 4th January. In this guide we will break down everything to expect, and also help you keep track of World Cup Swap Token sources and Path to Glory progress so you don’t miss out on any benefits.

World Cup Player Items in FIFA 23 explainedHow to get World Cup Player Items in FIFA 23How World Cup Swaps works in FIFA 23World Cup Swaps Token tracker for FIFA 23World Cup Path to Glory, Heroes and Icons in FIFA 23World Cup Path to Glory progress tracker for FIFA 23End of World Cup Event Rewards in FIFA 23FIFA 23 | Official FIFA World Cup Deep Dive Trailer

If you’re interested in Ultimate Team, we have pages on best starter teams, Squad Battles, Milestone rewards and FUT Coins and trading.

World Cup Player Items in FIFA 23 explained

FUT 23 will be awash with red versions of regular FIFA 23 player items, which are special time-limited World Cup items. Time limited?! Yep, these red players can be used to complete objectives and earn progress towards End of Event Rewards, but they will be removed from all of our clubs starting Wednesday, 4th January .

Fortunately, they are very much an additive thing. EA is adding them to packs in addition to existing content, so they won’t be robbing you of proper pack rewards. You can also track any World Cup Player Item duplicates you pick up, which also count towards your End of Event Rewards, which suggests that these red players will be easy to pack.

This would be in keeping with past World Cup modes, where even the top players were pretty easy to obtain, because their limited shelf life meant they were not going to cause any problems for the FUT cycle power curve.

How to get World Cup Player Items in FIFA 23

World Cup Player Item sources will include:

World Cup Starter Pack, available the first time you log in after Friday, 11th November Packs bought from the store or obtained in event rewardsObjectivesSquad Building ChallengesMoments mode rewards

Initially, World Cup Player Items will be released for every player who was involved in their nation’s qualifying campaign. However, the list of available red players will be trimmed down once official squads are announced, so you will only be able to pack players playing in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

How World Cup Swaps works in FIFA 23

Similar to Icon Swaps, World Cup Swaps Tokens will be obtainable through a mixture of gameplay, SBCs and packs in the store. You will be able to unlock a certain number of them as soon as the campaign begins, and more as the World Cup progresses. They can then be redeemed for specific rewards in the World Cup Swaps area of the SBC section.

Image credit: EA Sports

The full list of rewards is now available in-game via the Squad Building Challenges "Swaps" tab, and is as follows:

Tokens RequiredReward40World Cup Icon Patrick Vieira (90, CM)35World Cup Icon Player Pick (1 of 3)30World Cup Icon Cafu (92, RB)25World Cup Hero Player Pick (1 of 4)20Three 84+ x20 Packs20World Cup Path to Glory Player Pick (1 of 5)15World Cup Star Fabinho (89, CDM)15World Cup Star Kingsley Coman (89, LM)15World Cup Star Eden Hazard (88, LW)1084+ x20 Pack10World Cup Star Mason Mount (88, CAM)8World Cup Star Nathan Ake (87, CB)8World Cup Star Alvaro Morata (87, ST)8World Cup Star Julian Brandt (87, CAM)8World Cup Star Danilo Pereira (87, CDM)8World Cup Star Joaquin Correa (87, CF)8World Cup Star Andreas Christensen (87, CB)6World Cup Star Filip Kostic (88, LM)5World Cup Star Andrej Kramaric (87, CF)5World Cup Star Andres Guardado (86, CDM)4World Cup Star Matias Vina (86, LWB)4World Cup Star Enner Valencia (86, ST)4World Cup Star Xherdan Shaqiri (86, CAM)4World Cup Star Munir El Haddadi (85, LW)4World Cup Star Bartosz Beresynzski (85, RB)4World Cup Star Takuma Asano (85, RW)4World Cup Star Kieffer Moore (85, ST)4World Cup Star Lee Jae-Sung (85, CM)4World Cup Star Krepin Diatta (84, RM)382+ x20 Rare Players Pack3World Cup Star Joseph Aidoo (84, CB)3World Cup Star Reggie Cannon (84, RWB)3World Cup Star Nouhou Tolo (84, LB)2World Cup Star Ajdin Hrustic (84, CM)2World Cup Star Mark-Anthony Kaye2World Cup Star Yasser Al-Shahrani (84, LB)2World Cup Star Alireza Jahanbakhsh (84, RW)2World Cup Star Francisco Calvo (84, CB)2World Cup Star Montassar Talbi (84, CB)2World Cup Star Almoez Ali (84, ST)

World Cup Swaps Token tracker for FIFA 23

Below you'll find our World Cup Swaps Token tracker in FIFA 23, which we'll keep updated throughout the World Cup:

Last Updated: Friday, December 16th, 2022.

Token NumberName on TokenSourceAvailable now?Expiry1CorradoFirst LoginYesDec 232Qin ShengSeason Reward Level 5YesDec 233SuljicSeason Reward Level 18YesDec 234MorrisMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IYesDec 235Al QarniMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IYesDec 236RodriguesMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IYesDec 237OntuzansMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 1 - QatarYesDec 238SardelisMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 1 - EcuadorYesDec 239SildnesMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 1 - SenegalYesDec 2310Jota PereiraMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 1 - NetherlandsYesDec 2311HendersonMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 1 - EnglandYesDec 2312McMillanMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 1 - IranYesDec 2313BlackwoodMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 1 - USAYesDec 2314EkeneMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 1 - WalesYesDec 2315LixandruMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IIYesDec 2316SinghMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IIYesDec 2317HiszpanskiMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IIYesDec 2318DummiganMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IIYesDec 2319HartmannMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 2 - ArgentinaYesDec 2320BuksaMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 2 - Saudi ArabiaYesDec 2321StojilkovicMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 2 - MexicoYesDec 2322KunstMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 2 - PolandYesDec 2323PerezMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 2 - FranceYesDec 2324HaitaMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 2 - AustraliaYesDec 2325IngasonMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 2 - DenmarkYesDec 2326ThomsonMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 2 - TunisiaYesDec 2327BolaMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IIIYesDec 2328BaccayMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IIIYesDec 2329BerminghamMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IIIYesDec 2330SverrissonMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IIIYesDec 2331KojicBlack Friday Foundations Pack (75k coins or 500 FIFA Points)ExpiredNov 2732LaradeBlack Friday Foundations Pack (75k coins or 500 FIFA Points)ExpiredNov 2933BerisbekMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 3 - SpainYesDec 2334El-ZeinMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 3 - CroatiaYesDec 2335OgorzalyMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 3 - MoroccoYesDec 2336MeliandeMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 3 - CanadaYesDec 2337HanssenMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 3 - BelgiumYesDec 2338ZauchaMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 3 - JapanYesDec 2339OnurMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 3 - GermanyYesDec 2340RobertsMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 3 - Costa RicaYesDec 2341SalinasMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IVYesDec 2342BoaheneMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IVYesDec 2343ThompsonMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IVYesDec 2344MattioliMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Showcase IVYesDec 2345Yeom Ki HunMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 4 - BrazilYesDec 2346RemacleMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 4 - SerbiaYesDec 2347VokicMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 4 - SwitzerlandYesDec 2348Van DesselMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 4 - CameroonYesDec 2349WattsMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 4 - PortugalYesDec 2350GariglioMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 4 - GhanaYesDec 2351MarkelicMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 4 - UruguayYesDec 2352AtakayiMilestone Objectives - World Cup Swaps Week 4 - Korea RepublicYesDec 2353AndersenWorld Cup Phenom Essentials Pack (200k coins or 2k FIFA Points)ExpiredDec 1654ThomasWorld Cup Phenom Foundations Pack (75k coins or 500 FIFA Points)ExpiredDec 16

World Cup Path to Glory, Heroes and Icons in FIFA 23

EA Sports has also released multiple promo teams during the World Cup. These included:

Path to Glory (live cards) - Cards that receive upgrades based on a nation's progression in the tournament.World Cup Heroes - Upgraded versions of key Hero cards with unique Marvel Comics artwork.World Cup Icons - Icon players with stats between Mid and Prime versions and a dynamic image.Road to the World Cup - A team of in-form style upgrades for players pivotal to their nation's qualification.World Cup Stories - Another team of in-form style upgrades for players with memorable World Cup moments in their past.World Cup Phenoms - Highly juiced cards for players under 24 starring at the World Cup, similar to the traditional "Future Stars" promo.

These cards were released via packs in the store, Squad Building Challenges and Objectives.

Image credit: EA Sports

Path to Glory will be familiar to FUT fans who played during past World Cups and the last European Championship, and functions in a similar way. EA has released a squad of players that receive an initial boost, and then those players’ stats will be upgraded based on their team’s performance during the tournament. The qualifying path looks like this:

Campaign launch: Base Stats, e.g. 85 overall, 3* skills, 4* weak footQualify from group stages: +1 in-form upgrade, e.g. 85 > 86Win Round of 16: +1 in-form upgrade, e.g. 86 > 87Win Quarter Finals: 5* weak foot upgradeWin Semi Finals: 5* skill move upgradeWin the World Cup: +1 in-form upgrade and 3x new traits

Players do not have to play for their country in order to be upgraded, but they obviously do have to be in the Path to Glory squad and this only applies to PtG cards.

Then there are the World Cup Heroes. A selection of its Hero cards received juiced-up World Cup versions, complete with card artwork designed by Marvel Comics. They were added to packs in two batches, with the first landing on Friday, 11th November.

Image credit: EA Sports

What’s more, anyone who pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition of FIFA 23 before August 21st will receive a free untradeable World Cup Hero on Friday, 11th November when they next log into the game. The free World Cup Hero will be drawn from the 22 new Heroes, regardless of who is available in packs at the time. It is also worth noting that some of the World Cup Heroes will only be available via SBCs and Objectives, according to the developer.

On Black Friday, November 25th, EA also released a Road to the World Cup squad of special promo cards including Mbappe, Heung-Min Son and Modric. These appear to be one-off upgrades and will be available in packs.

Image credit: EA Sports

Then on Friday, December 2nd, EA Sports dropped the World Cup Stories squad, which was another team of promo cards with in-form style upgrades, this time focusing on players who have had memorable moments in past World Cups.

Image credit: EA Sports

On Friday, December 9th, EA released the World Cup Phenoms squad, which was one of the most highly anticipated. Similar to the "FUT Future Stars" promo of previous years, Phenoms were drawn from under-24 players who have starred for their countries at the World Cup, with a squad including Jude Bellingham and Rafa Leao.

Image credit: EA Sports

Finally, there are World Cup Icons, which are special Icon cards featuring World Cup dynamic images. The ratings for these sit between Mid and Prime, and EA Sports is releasing them into packs in batches. The first batch was released on Black Friday and includes Ronaldo, Zidane, Cruyff and other familiar names. Cards for Vieira and Cafu can also be earned by trading in (a lot of) Swap Tokens. Subsequent bundles included Garrincha and Lothar Matthaus among many others.

Image credit: EA Sports

World Cup Path to Glory progress tracker for FIFA 23

As with Road to the Knockouts and Ones to Watch, Path to Glory items are 'dynamic', meaning they can receive upgrades based on certain criteria. Players with a "Current" rating in bold have received their most recent upgrade, while players who have advanced but are not bold are still waiting on theirs.

Last Updated: Friday, December 16th, 2022.

PlayerRatingsProgressPositionsNation & ClubBernardo SilvaFinal: 92 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedCAM, CMPortugalMan CityChristopher NkunkuStarting: 89 Current: 92 Skill Moves: 5* Weak Foot: 5*World Cup FinalCFFranceRB LeipzigAlejandro GomezStarting: 88 Current: 90 Skill Moves: 5* Weak Foot: 5*World Cup FinalCAMArgentinaSevillaMarcelo BrozovicFinal: 90 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 5*EliminatedCDMCroatiaInter MilanFrenkie de JongFinal: 90 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedCMNetherlandsBarcelonaVinicius JuniorFinal: 90 Skill Moves: 5* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedLWBrazilReal MadridKalidou KoulibalyFinal: 90 Skill Moves: 2* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedCBSenegalChelseaAntroine GriezmannStarting: 87 Current: 89 Skill Moves: 5* Weak Foot: 5*World Cup FinalSTFranceAtletico MadridPalhinhaFinal: 89 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedCDMPortugalFulhamSteven BerghuisFinal: 89 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedCAMNetherlandsAjaxKyle WalkerFinal: 89 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 2*EliminatedRBEnglandMan CityJack GrealishFinal: 89 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedLWEnglandMan CityBruno GuimaraesFinal: 89 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedCMBrazilNewcastle UnitedSergej Milinkovic-SavicFinal: 89 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 5*EliminatedCMSerbiaLazioLeon GoretzkaFinal: 89 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedCMGermanyBayern MunichCristian RomeroStarting: 86 Current: 88 Skill Moves: 5* Weak Foot: 5*World Cup FinalCBArgentinaSpursSofiane BoufalFinal: 88 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 5*EliminatedCFMoroccoAngers SCOCarvajalFinal: 88 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedRBSpainReal MadridArkadiusz MilikFinal: 88 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedSTPolandJuventusChristian PulisicFinal: 88 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedLWUSAChelseaRomelu LukakuFinal: 88 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedSTBelgiumInter MilanDenis ZakariaFinal: 87 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedCDMSwitzerlandChelseaHirving LozanoFinal: 87 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedCBArgentinaSpursYannick CarrascoFinal: 87 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedLMBelgiumAtletico MadridSerge GnabryFinal: 87 Skill Moves: 45* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedRMGermanyBayern MunichJunya ItoFinal: 87 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedRWJapanStade de ReimsMin Jae KimFinal: 86 Skill Moves: 2* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedCBSouth KoreaLazioInaki WilliamsFinal: 86 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedSTGhanaAthletic BilbaoAaron RamseyFinal: 86 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedCMWalesNiceThomas DelaneyFinal: 86 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedCDMDenmarkSevillaMilos DegenekFinal: 86 Skill Moves: 2* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedCBAustraliaColumbus CrewEric Maxim Choupo-MotingFinal: 86 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedSTCameroonBayern MunichRonald AraujoFinal: 86 Skill Moves: 2* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedCB, RBUruguayBarcelonaBryan OviedoFinal: 85 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedLB, LWBCosta RicaReal Salt LakeGonzalo PlataFinal: 85 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedRMEcuadorReal ValladolidSardar AzmounFinal: 85 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedSTIranBayer LeverkusenEllyes SkhiriFinal: 85 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 3*EliminatedCDMTunisiaFC KolnSalem Al DawsariFinal: 85 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 5*EliminatedLWSaudi ArabiaAl HilalJonathan OsorioFinal: 85 Skill Moves: 3* Weak Foot: 5*EliminatedCMCanadaToronto FCAfifFinal: 85 Skill Moves: 4* Weak Foot: 4*EliminatedLWQatar

End of World Cup Event Rewards in FIFA 23

The final thing to look out for in FUT 23’s World Cup festivities is the 'End of Event Rewards' feature. In addition to all of the above, you will be able to qualify for extra rewards post-campaign by accumulating large numbers of World Cup time-limited players in your club over the course of the tournament.

Image credit: EA Sports

You can track your 'End of Event Rewards' progress through a tile in FUT’s main menu, which will also help to keep track of any duplicate FIFA World Cup Player Items. You will then receive any rewards you earned starting Wednesday, 4th January, which is also when World Cup Player Items expire and start to be removed from the game.

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