Pele in FIFA 23 - What will happen to his in-game Ultimate Team item?

The legendary footballer Pele is arguably one of the best FIFA 23 icon cards someone can play with in the Ultimate Team. Moreover, thanks to some fantastic stats, his card is one of the most coveted in the entire FUT market. However, many have been left in a pickle as news broke last night about the iconic Brazilian having passed away.

Icon cards refer to special versions of footballers who retired as legends of the game. Giving fitting tributes to their performances, EA Sports released their special cards in Ultimate Team. These offerings have strong stats and offer an extra fit for chemistry style as well, which raises the value for all players.

Many FIFA 23 fans might have doubts regarding Pele's cards because of how EA Sports treats death. There have been incidences earlier in the year where particular cards were removed from Ultimate Team due to tragedies like death and terminal illnesses. However, that might not be the case with Pele due to the nature of his card.

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Pele's FIFA 23 iconic card is one of the highest used items in the competitive scene

There's no shortage of icon cards in FIFA 23, especially in the attacking department. From the likes of Thierry Henry and Raul to the legendary Pele himself, there's plenty to choose from as far as a gamer is concerned.

That said, the Brazilian tops many of them due to how good his card is, and his potential removal could be a big worry.

However, there's no indication as of now about whether Pele's card will be removed from the Ultimate Team following his demise. Moreover, the fact that his item is an icon card could also preserve his status as an in-game pick. There are other icon offerings like that of Lev Yashin, where the footballers have passed away. But the status of their in-game items has stayed the same.

Hence, there's nothing for FIFA 23 players to worry about if they have been using any version of Pele's iconic card in their Ultimate Team squads. He has three different editions in the game, with the Base version having a 91 overall. The Mid variant goes to 95, whereas the Prime has a 98 overall.

Additionally, EA Sports is now offering a themed tifo to pay tribute to his football career and legacy. It is available to all players at no cost and can be obtained by simply logging into their accounts. If the card was to be removed, EA Sports would have likely informed the community by now.

There have been some discrepancies due to the removal of Diego Maradona's card from the Ultimate Team. This occurred not because of the Argentine's death, but because a dispute over image rights caused a major issue. His unfortunate demise didn't have anything to do with the removal of his card from Ultimate Team.

Moreover, all picks that have been removed from the FIFA 23 Ultimate Team due to tragedies belong to current footballers. Even terminal illnesses have seen removals, which occurred with the special item of Enock Mwepu, who had to retire from Brighton due to a health condition. EA Sports retired his card soon after from Ultimate Team as a token of respect.