We have another World Cup Icon SBC in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team and this time it's the legendary Bastian Schweinsteiger. From a nostalgia and sentimental point of view this is amazing, but this year in FIFA 23 more than ever, there are always many questions when Icon SBCs are released in regards to whether or not they are worth completing or not.
This combined with the new chemistry system makes everything incredibly interesting and makes the conversation surrounding World Cup Icon Schweinsteiger and whether it should be completed or not. Let's break it down.
World Cup Icon Schweinsteiger SBC
Straight away we can touch on the chemistry-building side of things. Being an Icon in FIFA 23 means Schweinsteiger will automatically get 3 chemistry points (full chemistry) for himself but does very little in regards to building team chemistry unless there are Germans in the team. With the new intricacies of squad building in Ultimate Team this year, this can be a turn off for some.
In regards to the stats on the card, let's dive a bit deeper. Schweinsteiger is a difficult one to compare to his other Icon cards in the game, Base and Mid versions as they are so drastically different. He is 3* 3* with High High workrates and given that he's a central midfielder, the work rates are perfect but you would ideally want at least one of skill moves or weak foot to be 4 star.
Despite only having +1 dribbling on the face card stat compared to his Mid Icon card, he actually gets +6 balance which is a key stat to help him feel more fluid in the midfield. One area that's difficult to compare is the pace, as this is +7 higher than his Mid, but -5 lower than his Base, so it's stuck in the middle and will scrape through in the current meta, but there's uncertainty about how long he'll stay on the higher end of the power curve.
How much does the World Cup Icon Schweinsteiger SBC cost?
Price is always important in the decision-making process for SBCs, but it seems every time there is an Icon SBC, this is heightened even further. Schweinsteiger is coming in at 357,000 coins and is split across 5 segments.
Born Legend - Segment #1
- Exactly 11 Players: Rare
- Exactly Bronze Players
You receive a Two Rare Gold Players Pack in return.
Rising Star - Segment #2
- Exactly 11 Players: Rare
- Exactly Silver Players
You receive a Two Rare Gold Players Pack in return.
Die Roten's Captain - Segment #3
- Min. 1 Players from: FC Bayern München
- Min. Team Rating: 83
You will receive a Small Gold Players Pack in return.
Fußballgott - Segment #4
- Min. 1 Players from: Germany
- Min. Team Rating: 86
You will receive a Jumbo Premium Gold Pack in return.
Top-notch - Segment #5
- Min. 1 Players: Team of the Week OR FUT Champions
- Min. Team Rating: 87
You will receive a Rare Electrum Players Pack in return.
Is it worth completing the World Cup Icon Schweinsteiger SBC?
Time to answer the biggest question of all. Let's clear up some of the obvious answers first. You should always complete the first two segments as it's Bronze and Silver squads for tradable Two Rare Gold Player Packs that could contain promo cards etc to make a big profit. Also, if you have sentimental value to Schweinsteiger in anyway, then go ahead and complete this SBC and have fun.
However, if you're more neutral this and solely looking at potential upgrades to your team. There are a couple of things you need to take into consideration. World Cup Icon Schweinsteiger is a good card, but not a great one, and at the 357k price, of course, it's good to look at alternatives.
In regards to German players, Path to Glory Goretzka is the obvious comparison and he is incredibly expensive at just under 900k. He is better than Schweinsteiger in regards to links as he can also build league and club links instead of just German links. If you're not focused on a German player and are open to similar players from other nations, there are two compelling options.
Firstly, Road to the World Cup Wijnaldum who is 70,000 coins with the same workrates, better SM & WF, and better-rounded stats across the board. Secondly, there is Path to Glory Brozovic who is more defensive-minded with just Medium / Medium workrates but is 56,500 coins. So there are 100% better options for less that can be picked up, but you will need to build you team slightly around them to get full chemistry, but this shouldn't be much of an issue.
Complete or Yeet? Yeet. As much as I loved watching Schweinsteiger play and think this could be a really solid CM/CDM for the upcoming weeks, it seems like it won't be too long before he falls off the power curve quite considerably. I'd go with alternative players who can be bought off the market and sold when needed if you're desperate for a new player for your midfield.
Will you be adding Schweinsteiger to your team? Let us know!