The FIFA 23 Ultimate Team campaign continues to plough through promos, but it looks like a very special side could be on the way, with Ted Lasso's AFC Richmond added to the mode!
The fictional side can already be used in Career Mode, Kick-Off, Online Friendlies, and Online Seasons, with Lasso and Coach Beard available as manager items in FUT.
However, it looks like the whole squad is set to get in on the Ultimate Team action in FIFA 23!
AFC Richmond added to Ultimate Team
No official announcement has been made about AFC Richmond being added to FIFA 23 Ultimate Team, however, there are plenty of clues that seem to point in that direction.
First, the early end of the Fantasy FUT promo is suspicious, with the cards rotating out of packs on Wednesday, 15 March at 1pm ET / 6pm GMT, instead of on the usual Friday.
At first, we thought this could be so EA could drop a St Patrick's Day promo mini-release, before FUT Birthday launches on Friday, 17 March.
Now, it looks far more likely that a Ted Lasso release is coming, with Season 3 of the show premiering on - you guessed it! - Wednesday, 15 March!
EA also put out a promotional video on Monday, 13 March, with the fictional character Jamie Tartt (played by Phil Dunster) taking on Jude Bellingham in a game of FIFA 23.
This came with the message saying "as @AFCRichmond warm up for a new season", which could not only refer to a new season of the TV series but also Season 5 coming in FUT on Thursday, 16 March.
However, the smoking gun is that you can currently search for AFC Richmond and their players in FUT, through your club and on the transfer market!
The club can be found in the list of Premier League teams, and all their players - including the likes of Tartt, Roy Kent, and Dani Rojas - can be searched for by name.
Although no players show up on the market or as concept cards, you can still input the action and see their overall rating.
You were able to do the exact same thing with FUT Hero Ledley King before he was officially announced and then made available in the game, so we're pretty sure The Greyhounds are on the way!
Ted Lasso Player Ratings
It must be said, we won't be getting any game-breaking players when the AFC Richmond boys join FIFA 23 Ultimate Team, with the highest-rated card being star striker Jamie Tartt and his 84 OVR!
The full AFC Richmond squad, positions and player ratings are as follows:
- ST: Jamie Tartt (OVR 84)
- CDM: Roy Kent (OVR 83)
- ST: Dani Rojas (OVR 82)
- RM: Sam Obisanya (OVR 81)
- CB: Isaac McAdoo (OVR 80)
- CM: Moe Bumbercatch (OVR 79)
- LB: George Goodman (OVR 79)
- RB: Ash Dixon (OVR 78)
- LM: Colin Hughes (OVR 78)
- ST: Tanaka Roberts (OVR 78)
- CB: Jan Maas (OVR 77)
- CDM: Richard Montlaur (OVR 77)
- CB: Joe Reynolds (OVR 76)
- CB: Emmanuel Winchester (OVR 76)
- GK: Thierry Zoreaux (OVR 76)
- CB: Ugo Babatunde (OVR 75)
- ST: Dejon Cockburn (OVR 75)
- RM: Ozzie Kukoc (OVR 75)
- GK: Tom O'Brien (OVR 75)
FUT Implementation
As we've said, there is no official word from EA yet on AFC Richmond being added to FIFA 23 Ultimate Team, but it looks pretty nailed on.
We expect to see this done via a promo squad of all 19 players coming into packs on Wednesday, 15 March at 1pm ET / 6pm GMT, at the same time as Team of the Week 20.
With FUT Birthday leaked to come on Friday, 17 March, we could only see the Ted Lasso players in packs for a couple of days, which would make them really exclusive items to have.
This would work out well for EA, as fans of FUT and Ted Lasso are likely to buy packs to try and gain these items.
It could also go well for traders, investing in the Richmond players and then selling them for profit when they are no longer available.
We don't think that the items will be added to the player pool permanently, as it would detract even further from the realism of the game.
We're sure that plenty of people will be fans of the inclusion, but there will also be many that hate it, with it paving the way for further fiction inclusions in the future.
It is unlikely that AFC Richmond players would gain boosts and be included in promo squads further down the line, and we think that would be for the best.
At this stage of the season, the items are well behind the power curve of the mode so will see little play, but can be seen more as collectable items or just used for fun!