FIFA 23 confirms Ted Lasso and AFC Richmond in Career Mode and beyond

EA adds that players of FIFA 23 will be able "to authentically take control of [AFC Richmond] across multiple game modes including Career Mode, Kickoff, Online Friendlies, and Online Seasons".

The announcement adds: "A number of AFC Richmond items including kits, tifos, Manager items, and other content will also be available to unlock across FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) and Pro Clubs where applicable."

The following FIFA 23 Ted Lasso trailer has been shared, including cameos from a lot of famous faces:

Sudeikis himself offered the following Ted-like quote: "As long-time fans of EA SPORTS FIFA, having Ted Lasso and the whole AFC Richmond squad incorporated into the newest version of the game is truly a dream come true for myself and the rest of the fellas."

Roy Kent, Jamie Tartt, Sam Obisanya and Dani Rojas will all feature in the squad, and the team's Nelson Road stadium has been added to the game too.

The collaboration was first teased when the Apple TV Plus comedy's official Twitter account shared a tweet that showed Jason Sudeikis' iconic coach character facing a press conference.

The caption to the tweet strongly implied that something gaming-related is afoot for Ted. It read: "Look out, Mario! You're not the only pixelated man with a mustache who never knows where the tube is taking him…"

For many fans, the addition of Ted to the game will be seen as a fun twist, with some fans on Twitter replying to that original tease, expressing their hope that the entire AFC Richmond squad will be following their valiant leader into the game (a prediction that has now come true).

On the other hand, some fans might argue that fictional characters have no place in FIFA. Similar concerns were raised over a recent Marvel crossover which gave several real-life players superhero secret identities. It does fly in the face of realism somewhat, but we'd definitely count it as a positive.

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