World Football

Abby Wambach, the all-time leading scorer for the United States women's national soccer team, announced she's stepping down from the Odyssey Health sports advisory board and removing her investment in the company.

Wambach told ESPN's Mark Fainaru-Wada on Thursday she made the decision after finding out Odyssey Health was linked to the Mississippi welfare fraud case through former NFL quarterback Brett Favre, the company's top investor.

"Minutes after learning this new information, I initiated the process to immediately and fully divest myself from any involvement—financial and otherwise—with Prevacus/Odyssey Health Inc., a process that I insisted be complete by end of day today," Wambach said.

A lawsuit filed by the state of Mississippi alleged $2.1 million in funds earmarked for welfare recipients was instead invested in Odyssey Health, then known as Prevacus, after meetings between Favre and members of the state's Department of Human Services in 2018, per Fainaru-Wada.

Favre began investing in Prevacus in 2014 and by 2018 became its largest shareholder, according to the ESPN report.

Wambach said she invested in the company after learning about its efforts to develop a nasal spray that could help treat concussions.

"Since I genuinely believed this company was being transparent about a product that could spare the next generation of athletes from the severe impact of concussion injuries that I endured as a professional athlete, I am profoundly angry, disappointed, and saddened by what I learned today," Wambach told Fainaru-Wada.

Other people listed on Odyssey Health's sports advisory board include former NFL quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Mark Rypien, Chicago Cubs manager David Ross and former NFL head coach Steve Mariucci.

On Wednesday, Odyssey Health announced the "successful completion of Phase I clinical trial" for its concussion drug, which it said was "safe and well-tolerated" by test subjects.

John Davis, the former former director of Mississippi's welfare agency, pleaded guilty last week to one count of conspiracy and one count of theft from programs receiving federal funds after an investigation unearthed a "conspiracy to misspend tens of millions of dollars."

Favre hasn't been charged with any crimes, but he's accused of taking part in a scheme to funnel money to the University of Southern Mississippi, his alma mater and the college where his daughter Breleigh played volleyball, to build a new volleyball facility.

Wambach, who retired from soccer in 2015, wasn't named in any of the fraud proceedings and said she was unaware of Odyssey Health's links to the case until Thursday.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, international soccer players Trinity Rodman and Sam Kerr, tennis player Carlos Alcaraz and U.S. sprinter Erriyon Knighton were named to the Time100 Next list for 2022.

Time's Next list identifies rising stars in the cultural landscape before they become crossover mainstream names.

Already a human highlight reel in his first two NBA seasons, Morant emerged as a bonafide superstar last season. He averaged 27.4 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds while leading the Grizzlies to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, earning an All-Star berth and All-NBA selection along the way.

"We’ve got a unicorn in Memphis, my hometown," pop star and Grizzlies part-owner Justin Timberlake wrote in Time. "Every once in a while, certain players come along and really change the culture of the game. Ja is emerging as a face of the NBA for good reason. The only thing missing for him is championship hardware."

Rodman, the daughter of Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, has already built her own impressive resumè and appears to be emerging as the next face of American women's soccer. The 20-year-old became the youngest player ever drafted into the National Women's Soccer League last year, and just a year later she was nominated for the Ballon d'or Féminine.

"She could literally shred the fences internationally worldwide in time," women's soccer legend Brianna Scurry wrote of Rodman. "That’s going to be really exciting to see, because I think as she grows, she will become unstoppable. Literally. It’s all there. The wealth of potential is off the charts."

Knighton has an equal chance to etch his name in the record books as the next great American sprinter. The 18-year-old set the under-20 world record in the 200-meter dash in April and won bronze at this year's World Championships.

Alcaraz, the 2022 U.S. Open champion, became the youngest player to ever reach the No. 1 spot in men's tennis history at 19 years and 130 days old. In a period of tennis where Roger Federer is stepping away, Novak Djokovic is playing a part-time schedule due to his vaccination status and Rafael Nadal is approaching his late-30s, Alcaraz is potentially in the process of filling the sport's desperate need for a new superstar.

Kerr is the oldest athlete on the list at 29 and is already cemented as a legend. She's the only woman to win the Golden Boot in three different leagues and has been one of the most prolific soccer players on the planet for a half-decade.

MURCIA, Spain—The U.S. men’s national team concluded their second and final friendly before the 2022 World Cup this evening in Murcia, Spain, battling a stark and persistent inability to conjure an attack and look threatening toward goal. Over the course of 180 minutes, the U.S. produced two shots on goal, and scored neither.

Tonight’s chaotic 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia saw marginal improvements in a few individual performances, but featured all the festering issues present for Friday’s catastrophic 2-0 loss to Japan: sloppy mistakes, poor possession, palpable nerves, readable tactics, slowness to adjust, and above all else, a complete and utter inability to generate or sustain an attacking threat.

Hanging above all this is the continuous absence of several key players because of injury, including Antonee Robinson, Tim Weah, Chris Richards and Yunus Musah. The evening before match day, Gregg Berhalter warned media that his ideal starting XI in Qatar would likely be stymied by injury. As Giovanni Reyna left tonight’s match in the 30th minute experiencing “muscle tightness”—tightness to a muscle that’s kept him sidelined for large swaths of the past year—observers can only concede that injuries will likely continue to cause concern.

The team now has eight weeks remaining to focus on club form and hope for health and fitness before gathering in Qatar one week before a tournament in which they will face Wales, England and Iran.

The back line continued to struggle

Of course, issues getting the ball forward began in the back, which is where Japan left the ball on Friday, daring the USMNT to move through their press. Japan provided space to the center backs and suffocated routes out. Attacking players dropped deep and stayed compact, rather than taking or creating space, and over the course of the first half, a floundering U.S. squad broke the Berhalter-era record for giving the ball away in its own half. Thanks in large part to Matt Turner’s dominant shot-stopping (which Berhalter has rarely acknowledged) the U.S. departed Dusseldorf downed only 2-0.

Given the performances of Friday, one may have imagined none among the trialed bunch of defenders—Sam Vines, Aaron Long, Reggie Cannon and Mark McKenzie—had performed their way into the squad for the Saudi Arabia match. But high on a list of stubborn decisions from Berhalter is that he looked into the abyss of Friday’s showing and decided to start Aaron Long again.

Paired once more with Walker Zimmerman against Saudi Arabia, Long exhibited consistent issues on the ball and left the U.S. vulnerable to dangerous counters. Long was replaced by Mark McKenzie midway through the second half and to little improvement, as McKenzie showed signs of nerves and intermittent decision making similar to Long.

Sergiño Dest was given another go at left back tonight, where he looked strong in spurts but fatigued by the second half. DeAndre Yedlin was decent defensively from the right, but was just as incoherent in the attack as everyone else.

The lone, effervescent bright spot of the evening was the much-delayed 30-minute cameo of Joe Scally, who immediately brought more energy and fight to the match than we’ve seen since June.

Yunus Musah's absence was glaring

Issues formulating an attack began at the back, but they coalesced perhaps most concerningly with a dismantled midfield left in dire need of Yunus Musah, who is uniquely capable of breaking through lines on the ball and maneuvering in compact spaces. Weston McKennie lacked inspiration or energy, and in particular against Japan, put out one of the worst individual performances we’ve ever seen from him. Tyler Adams was ineffective in Berhalter's imposed system against Japan, but was easily among the best performers against Saudi Arabia. And you could never accuse him of not having “fight.”

Luca de la Torre featured in a tough role against Japan, and lack of minutes at club level compounded with the team’s disjointed collective performance all but removed him from the game. Given his talent, it’s a shame we did not see any minutes from him tonight.

Johnny Cardoso and Malik Tillman—young additions to an already young squad—made late cameos against Japan, to little effect and beneath the weight of incredible stakes. Kellyn Acosta and Brenden Aaronson made their own midfield cameos against Saudi Arabia, both passable in those roles.

Like everywhere else on the field, the Americans seemed to pick up more questions in the midfield than they solved.

Did anything go right?

The U.S. did a better job of getting the ball to the final third against Saudi Arabia, perhaps in large part because of how Saudi Arabia set up. There was immediately more space to exploit and move forward. Berhalter also made some tactical adjustments from Friday, focusing his team on making runs in behind and sending long balls to wingers moving forward. This worked best in the first half as Zimmerman found Christian Pulisic looking bursting into the attacking third with pace. Pulisic, Dest and McKennie had a few strong sequences together on the left, but it lulled by the second half and ultimately produced nothing in the first.

Giovanni Reyna looked strong in his opening minutes, but discomfort became clear, and around minute 30 he was brought off as “precaution.” With his replacement, the combination of Paul Arriola, Kellyn Acosta and DeAndre Yedlin didn’t produce much offensively from the right.

Speaking to Berhalter and players in the post-match, it’s clear the squad felt improvement getting the ball to the final third, but exhibited lingering frustration at needing to find that final touch, that final ball, that final threat toward goal.

There's still no answer at striker

Here we must pause to consider the dire situation of the USMNT striker pool. It need not necessarily be so dire, which, in part, breeds the frustration at its state. The U.S. has striker options in hot form with their clubs and topping competitive leagues for goals. Jordan Pefok is highest on that list, though he is not here. Berhalter’s system is built for a different type of striker, and he remains dogmatic to its cause.

Jesús Ferreira is likely the first-choice striker and received the most minutes in camp, despite not converting for country in quite some time. Ferreira is a dynamic field player who is knocking them home with FC Dallas, but he remains stuck in a goal desert with the national team. It’s true he didn’t get many chances this window, but he also didn’t put them away, and he may not get many in the World Cup.

Ricardo Pepi returned to the squad having scored one goal with Groningen after staggering his way through Bundesliga and netting no goals in nearly a year. He worked hard but didn’t produce.

Josh Sargent likely deserved the biggest run-out of the strikers in camp but got 45 arduous minutes against Japan, which may not have been enough to get to Qatar this November, despite his fit in the system, his experience with the team or his form with Norwich this year.

Where does Berhalter take things from here?

Berhalter is clearly aware that things are in a dire state. He told media after today’s draw with Saudi Arabia that no player looked great. Rather than delve into specifics on lessons learned, Berhalter said that coaching staff had learned “things.”

In a camp in which the main priority was preparing and sorting through talent, he did specify this: “There's not many players who performed at their normal levels in this camp. You can ask about center-backs, full-backs, whoever ... there's not many players that performed at their normal levels."

Berhalter is aware, also, that the pressure is on him. He was forthcoming in admitting he’d been out-coached against Japan, and has made adjustments in approaches to training. But when it comes to key personnel, and to the overall system, we’ll need wait for November to know for sure what “things” Berhalter has learned from this horrid window, and importantly, whether he can or will adjust them.

The Brazilian men's national soccer team was subject to racist abuse during Tuesday's friendly match against Tunisia in Paris at the Parc des Princes.

While Brazilian players were celebrating a goal by Richarlison, who is Black, in a 5-1 win over Tunisia, a banana was thrown their way from the crowd, according to ESPN. Stadium security was unable to identify the person that threw the banana.

A water bottle and another object were also thrown toward the players, per ESPN.

Richarlison's goal gave Brazil a 2-1 lead in the 19th minute.

The Brazilian soccer federation condemned the incident in a statement, writing that it "vehemently repudiates yet another episode of racism in football," per The Athletic's James Horncastle.

"The punishments for these actions need to be more severe," Brazilian soccer federation president Ednaldo Rodrigues said.

Vinicius Junior, who plays for the Brazilian national team, was also subject to racist abuse while playing for Real Madrid in a match against Atletico Madrid on Sept. 18. Fans could be heard yelling, "Vinicius, you are a monkey, you are monkey" in a video posted to social media.

Before Tuesday's match, the Brazilian national team posed in front of a sign that said, "Without our Black players, we wouldn't have stars on our shirt," in reference to the team's five World Cup wins.

Tuesday's match was Brazil's final tune-up before the World Cup in Qatar in November. They will open play against Serbia in Group G on Nov. 24. Switzerland and Cameroon are also in Group G.

This is not the United States men's national team fans wanted to see in the final tuneup before the World Cup.

Days after losing 2-0 to Japan, the United States managed only an uninspired, scoreless draw against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday afternoon.

The USMNT had two shots on target in the contest. Against a Saudi Arabia team that didn't utilize its full first-choice roster. After zero shots on target against Japan on Friday.

So yes, the angst online was evident, with manager Gregg Berhalter and his system of choice as one of the prime targets:

Basically every point of concern for USMNT fans played out on the pitch against Saudi Arabia. The forwards remained lackluster, with both Ricardo Pepi and Jesus Ferreira offering very little in the way of positive impact.

Christian Pulisic, long viewed as the savior for this program, went invisible for long stretches.

The team's inability to break down a low block was apparent, highlighting a lack of elite, creative playmakers. That was even further evident when Gio Reyna, forever seeming to battle injury, left the game after 30 minutes as a precaution with muscle tightness.

And of course, the questions about whether Berhalter puts his players in the best position to succeed persist. There are talented young players on this roster; that much has never been in question. But are they best suited to play the type of possession football Berhalter seems to crave?

On Tuesday, the answer was a resounding no. And with just 54 days until the World Cup begins for the United States against Wales, the time for finding answers grows short.

The USMNT made the World Cup this cycle. That, alone, makes it an improvement on the last cycle. But this team doesn't seem particularly likely to get out of the group stage, and given the young talent assembled, it would be hard to see that as anything short of abject failure.

EA Sports' FIFA 23 is set for release on Friday, and one of the time-honored traditions for players is to hop into Career Mode and lead a smaller club to glory.

Anybody can win titles with Manchester City or Bayern Munich, but can you drag a team from the fourth tier of English football to UEFA Champions League glory?

Here's a few fun clubs to try for a rags-to-riches story.

Nottingham Forest (Premier League)

Nottingham Forest have returned to the Premier League for the first time since the 1998–99 season, and according to FIFAGameNews.com, they will have a transfer budget of just $28.2 million in Career Mode, the lowest mark in England's top flight.

For context, Manchester City's budget in the game reportedly will start at $277.6 million, so that's what you'll be up against if you want to lead Forest to a title down the road.

The good news is that you'll have some talented players at the City Ground, with center-back Renan Lodi and midfielder Remo Freuler leading the team at an 80 rating. Those are the only players to sit at 80 or higher, but it's a solid start as you look to stay up and eventually win trophies.

Have fun dealing with the likes of City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, though.

Rotherham United (Championship)

If you want to start down a level, Rotherham United have the Championship's lowest budget at $3.6 million in FIFA 23. Quite the jump down in resources from Forest.

That's no shock, though, as the Millers are newly promoted into the Championship and have ping-ponged between League One and the Championship in each of their last six seasons.

Getting them into the Premier League, and eventually Europe, will be no easy task. But you're here because you like a challenge, right?

Sutton United (League Two)

Speaking of challenges, here it is: the ultimate test.

Can you pull Sutton United—with a reported transfer budget of just $1.77 million in FIFA 23—from England's fourth-tier League Two all the way up to the Premier League, the Champions League and multiple trophies?

This is the pick for the Career Mode connoisseur, for the player who loves scouting young players, identifying value buys across the continent, diligently managing a limited budget and slowly and painstakingly climbing the ranks.

AFC Richmond (Fictional Club from Television)

Yes, that's right, you can take Ted Lasso's charges into Career Mode and swap them into any playable domestic league.

As for what ratings players EA Sports will give players like Roy Kent (he's available as a player), Jamie Tartt, Dani Rojas and Sam Obisanya, well, that remains to be seen. But just imagine hoisting the Premier League trophy at Nelson Road. Pretty cool, right?

And hey, if it doesn't happen in your first season, remember: Be a goldfish.

The United States men's national team needs a positive performance in Tuesday's friendly against Saudi Arabia.

The match in Murcia, Spain is the second of two games for the Americans in the September international window. But they fell flat in a 2-0 loss to Japan on Friday.

Only goalkeeper Matt Turner came away from the defeat with a good review, and the result did more harm to the USMNT's hype going into the 2022 FIFA World Cup than help.

Gregg Berhalter's team needs an impressive outing against its fellow World Cup qualifier to ease some nerves within the fanbase that the team can live up to the minimum expectation of getting out of Group B, which also includes England, Wales and Iran.

The USMNT chose to play Saudi Arabia so it could get used to how a Western Asian team plays in preparation for Iran. The same could be said about Saudi Arabia and a North American squad since it will face Mexico in its final Group C game in Qatar.

USMNT vs. Saudi Arabia Info

Date: Tuesday, September 27

Start Time: 2 p.m. ET

TV: FS1, UniMas

Live Stream: FoxSports.com and Fox Sports app

Top Storylines to Watch

USMNT Needs Bounce-Back Performance

The 2-0 loss to Japan was frustrating in so many ways for the Americans.

Japan took the game to the USMNT and might have scored four or five goals if Turner had not excelled in net.

The center-back pairing of Walker Zimmerman and Aaron Long gave away possession too easily on many occasions, and the midfield lacked the cohesion to keep the ball and generate chances.

The one key chance the Americans had was hit over the bar by Jesus Ferreira, and that naturally spurred an argument as to whether any of the other strikers in the talent pool would have finished the chance.

Friday's defeat was a wake-up call to the USMNT in a rare match outside of CONCACAF. The formation of the Nations League and World Cup qualification over the last two years have kept the Americans within their own region for a majority of their contests.

They are expected to beat all teams in CONCACAF, and to their credit, they have for the most part. But they need a result against a nation outside North America to quell the skepticism that emanated from the fanbase after the Japan loss.

Saudi Arabia is 53rd in the FIFA World Rankings, while the USMNT comes into the match in 14th place.

Saudi Arabia has not scored in its last three friendlies, all of which came against South American opposition. It played to a scoreless draw with Ecuador on Friday and lost 1-0 to both Colombia and Venezuela in June.

The Saudis have not scored multiple goals in any of their games in 2022, but they also haven't been blown out in any match this year. Their largest loss was a 2-0 defeat to Japan in February in World Cup qualifying.

Berhalter's squad needs a strong performance, and likely a win, to ease any of the concerns that came out of Friday's match.

The USMNT could be in for a grind based on Saudi Arabia's recent results, but that could be a good thing for a team that has four multi-goal victories in 2022.

Striker Situation Still Unresolved

Ferreira, Ricardo Pepi and Josh Sargent appear to be the USMNT's strikers headed for Qatar.

Jordan Pefok, who has played well with Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, is out of the picture, so it is down to the trio on the current roster to put goals in the back of the net.

Ferreira had a golden chance to score in the first half against Japan, but he sent a header over the crossbar. The missed opportunity did not help Berhalter's decision at the position since Pefok is strong in the air.

Ferreira, Pepi and Sargent have 15 goals between them on the international level. Until recently, Ferreira was the only one with a stable situation at the club level.

Sargent started to get playing time up top in the English Championship with Norwich City and Pepi got a loan move to FC Groningen in the Netherlands from Augsburg in the Bundesliga to help him get games.

Ferreira was not helped by the lack of chances created by the midfielders on Friday, but the argument against him is that he has to finish the one clear-cut opportunity he gets because that may be the case in the World Cup.

The USMNT midfield missed the injured Yunus Musah and Christian Pulisic. Their absences hurt with buildup play in the middle of the park and chance creation.

Every part of the American lineup has to play better on Tuesday, but if any of the strikers fail to score again, it will leave doubt as to whether the right players will be headed to Qatar.

Prediction: USMNT 1, Saudi Arabia 1.

Most of Saudi Arabia's games this year have been low-scoring affairs and a similar result is likely on Tuesday.

The USMNT has an imperfect product up top, but it should focus on sharpening its defensive abilities first after gifting Japan plenty of scoring opportunities on Friday.

The American defense is not perfect and a goal concession seems likely. A goal can be scored as long as the USMNT possesses some type of attacking buildup play and find a rhythm moving forward.

After all, nothing can be worse than the 2-0 loss to Japan in which the Americans looked far from a World Cup qualifier.

FIFA 23 could be one of the most exciting soccer video games we have seen in a while.

The game is slated to be released on Sept. 27 and be available to play on a number of consoles, including Xbox, Playstation, PC and the Nintendo Switch.

While stars like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé and Robert Lewandowski highlight some of the highest-rated players available in FIFA 23, it's the young stars who could make a splash in this year's version of the game.

So, let's take a look at the top young players and some of the new features in FIFA 23.

Top Young Players

The players at the top of the FIFA 23 ratings have mostly been around for a while, including Karim Benzema (91 overall), Kevin De Bruyne (91 overall), Mbappé (91 overall), Lionel Messi (91 overall) and Lewandowski (91 overall).

However, there is still a competitive bunch of players 21 years old or younger:

1. Pedri, CM, Barcelona: 85 overall
2. Jude Bellingham, CM, Borussia Dortmund: 84 overall
3. Alphonso Davies, LB, Bayern Munich: 84 overall 
4. Florian Wirtz, CAM, Bayer 04 Leverkusen: 82 overall
5. Bukayo Saka, RM, Arsenal: 82 overall
6. Jamal Musiala, CM, Bayern Munich: 81 overall
7. Josko Gvardiol, CB, RB Leipzig: 81 overall
8. Rodrygo, RW, Real Madrid: 81 overall
9. Nuno Mendes, LB, Paris Saint-Germain: 80 overall
10. Jurrien Timber, CB, Ajax: 80 overall
11. William Saliba, CB, Arsenal: 80 overall
12. Jeremie Frimpong, RB, Bayer 04 Leverkusen: 80 overall
13. Gavi, CM, Barcelona: 79 overall 

Full list of highest-rated young players available at EA.com

New Gameplay Features

FIFA 23's new gameplay features include HyperMotion2 Technology, which makes for "ultra-realistic gameplay," according to EA Sports. The technology features "more high-quality, true-to-life animations than ever before."

EA Sports also highlights a new skill-based, risk-versus-reward shooting mechanic, redesigned set pieces and advanced on-pitch physics, including impact physics, net-interaction physics and player awareness.

In addition, shooting, defending, passing and CPU AI tactical awareness are among the football variety advancements.

The HyperMotion2 Technology, advanced 11 vs. 11 match capture, machine learning, technical dribbling, ML-Jockey, accelerate and composed ball striking will only be available on NextGen consoles.

Cross-play is also new this year, allowing players on Xbox and Playstation, for instance, to play against one another.

Women's Club Football

Women's football was introduced to the FIFA video game in FIFA 16. However, it was limited to international teams only.

In FIFA 23, players will be able play as women's club teams for the first time ever. Teams in the Barclays FA Women's Super League and the French Division 1 Féminine will be available to play at launch.

EA Sports has said it will expand its offering of women's leagues at some point in the future, which could include the United States' NWSL.

Here's a quick look at some of the top-rated women in the game, including Alexia Putellas, who is the highest-rated player in the entire game.

1. Alexia Putellas, CM, Spain (Club: Barcelona): 92 overall 
2. Sam Kerr, ST, Australia (Club: Chelsea): 91 overall 
3. Wendie Renard, CB, France (Club: Lyon): 91 overall 
4. Ada Hegerberg, ST, Norway (Club: Lyon): 91 overall 
5. Marie-Antoinette Katoto, ST, France (Club: Paris Saint-Germain): 90 overall 
6. Lucy Bronze, RB, England (Club: Barcelona): 90 overall 
7. Alex Morgan, ST, United States (Club: San Diego Wave FC): 90 overall 
8. Caroline Graham Hansen, RW, Norway (Club: Barcelona): 90 overall 
9. Christiane Endler, GK, Chile (Club: Olympique Lyonnais): 89 overall 
10. Vivianne Miedema, ST, Netherlands (Club: Arsenal): 89 overall 

Full list of women's players available at EA.com

Ted Lasso and AFC Richmond

AFC Richmond, the fictional club in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, will be a playable team in FIFA 23.

The Greyhounds will be featured in the Rest of World category and can be used in career mode, kickoff and online play. Fictional Richmond manager Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis, will also be available in career mode.

Popular characters from the show, including Roy Kent, Jamie Tartt, Sam Obisanya and Dani Rojas, will be featured in the game as well.

In addition, AFC Richmond's home stadium, Nelson Road, and team items including kits, tifos and other content, will be available to unlock in FIFA Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs.

One of the biggest talking points around any annual sports video game is the launch ratings of the top players, and FIFA 23 from EA Sports isn't an exception.

The release marks a bit of a passing-of-the-torch moment in many ways. It is the final entry to feature the FIFA branding, as the games will be called "EA Sports FC" moving forward.

It's also the first time in a long time that Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo don't dominate the very top of the ratings. That honor largely belongs to cover star Kylian Mbappé, for instance, and a handful of others.

These are the top-rated footballers in the game at launch:

• Karim Benzema – 91

• Robert Lewandowski – 91

• Kylian Mbappé – 91

• Kevin De Bruyne – 91

• Lionel Messi – 91

• Mohamed Salah – 90

• Virgil van Dijk – 90

• Cristiano Ronaldo – 90

• Thibaut Courtois – 90

• Manuel Neuer – 90

The full ratings list available, including creative wrinkles like best dribblers lists, are on the game's website.

Beyond ratings, one of the first things players look for is graphical accuracy. That's something that has only continued to improve as the series further leans into the power of next-generation consoles.

This year, EA Sports has planned some updated face scans for notable players around the globe. But the game also finally debuts a women's club football mode with teams from England's Women’s Super League and France's Division 1 Féminine.

Naturally, these face scans sit front and center in notability when revealed across various sources of pre-release material.

Also notable in this area is the career mode's club-based mode letting players take direct control of real-life managers, so some of those managers get realistic face scans, as seen in gameplay videos and otherwise.

That career mode includes one of the most notable new features in playable highlights. The game simulates a match and uses back-end technology to identify where the biggest match-deciding moments unfold, be it an offensive or defensive play, then gives players the options to hop in and take part in the outcome.

Speaking of game modes, FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) also gets some major work in FIFA 23. FUT Moments is not unlike playable highlights in career mode. It offers quick-hitting gameplay experiences for players to choose and earn rewards.

More notable than outright modes with FUT are decisions that will impact every level of the game each season. EA Sports has lifted some of the restrictions on which stars can form chemistry and also assigned them multiple secondary positions. Some of the team-building options players could only dream about in the past will now be possible.

As always, none of the ratings, graphical horsepower or additions to the huge number of game modes mean much if the gameplay isn't superb.

Luckily for all involved, the series stands atop most other sports titles because the gameplay foundation is already so strong. That leaves FIFA 23 to build out the experience in interesting ways.

One of those is the implementation of a power shot. It requires more spacing and risk, but it's a gamble that could pay off in some jaw-dropping moments.

The game promises more realism via both extensive motion capture work and upgrades to the physics system, including better emphasis on individual limbs' impact on ball physics, thanks to the extra power of the consoles.

A notable complaint for sports video games in general is addressed too, per the game's official website: "Tactical enhancements mean AI opponents better react and respond tactically to the on-pitch situation, including factors like score, match time, and available players on the bench to change and update formations and playing style mid-game."

Keep in mind all of the graphical prowess and gameplay additions will also unfold on the pitch of the women's game mode, too, helping it debut with a big head start.

While the ratings command much of the discourse before the September 27 release date, it's clear through FIFA's graphical work and additions to modes and gameplay that the series will try to one-up itself one last time before the big name change.

The United States Men's National Team did not look like a team ready to contend for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Friday's 2-0 loss to Japan in an international friendly match in Germany, and manager Gregg Berhalter realizes there is work to be done.

"We've got work to do. We clearly need to improve, but overall really good experience for this team," Berhalter said following the loss, per ESPN's Jeff Carlisle.

"Give Japan a lot of credit. I think they played a good game and they gave us a hard time. I think at times we were well in the match and performing well, but overall, over 90 minutes, we could have been better. [It] wasn't good enough."

The USMNT were outplayed from start to finish on Friday as they had no answer for the pressure brought on by Japan.

The Samurai Blues took a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute on a goal by Daichi Kamada following a turnover by the Weston McKennie. Hidemasa Morita found a wide-open Kamada inside the 18 for the go-ahead goal.

Japan extended their lead in the 88th minute on a goal by Kaoru Mitoma, who cut through the inside of the U.S. defense before curling a shot into the bottom corner past Matt Turner's outstretched arms.

While the Americans led in possession, Japan led the U.S. 16-4 in shots and 8-0 in shots on target.

The U.S. is ranked 14th in the world by FIFA, while Japan is ranked 24th. If they can't defeat a team that is below them in the rankings, how can they be expected to compete at the World Cup?

Berhalter admitted last week that he knows his squad won't be the most talented going into Qatar, but he stressed the importance of the group playing as one unit:

“I know we're not going to be the most talented team at the World Cup, and we're going to have to compensate for that by being a cohesive unit, by working for each other, fighting for each other and having a great team spirit. We're going to have to do that if we want to be successful at the World Cup.”

The USMNT will look to get back on track against Saudi Arabia on Sept. 27. They open play in the World Cup on Nov. 21 against Wales.