The World Cup 2022 update to FIFA 23 has given us all the more reason to spend hours on EA Sports' latest football offering in recent weeks.
Whether it be trying to guide Lionel Messi to that elusive World Cup title, or attempting to win it all by inserting Ireland into the tournament, the game mode is a fantastic addition for football fans.
We decided to push the boat out even more, and recruit some of the League of Ireland's finest to put their skills to the test on FIFA 23.
FIFA 23 LOI Showdown
To mark the release of the FIFA 23 World Cup Update, we enlisted the services of St. Pat's midfielder Chris Forrester, Derry City man Brian Maher, Shelbourne defender Luke Byrne, and Shamrock Rovers star and Cape Verdean international Roberto Lopes.
We pitted the quartet against each other on the new game mode, with semi-final one pitting Chris Forrester as France against Brian Maher as Brazil. The second game saw Roberto Lopes and Luke Byrne facing off as Germany and Argentina respectively. Germany clearly fared much better in this tournament than they did in the real thing...
The first game produced a dominant win for Forrester. The Pat's star is a FIFA addict - with Maher saying "Every time I log in, he's online!"
So, that saw France through to the final, with a result that could very well be replicated in real life. In the other semi-final, Luke Byrne went for a conservative setup, playing five defenders and hoping to hold onto possession as much as possible. Lopes, on the other hand, suggested Byrne should try to get Lionel Messi in play.
Ultimately, Germany would win out in a cagey affair, and the final brought a St. Pat's v Shamrock Rovers showdown between Lopes and Forrester in the World Cup final.
Despite winning the Premier Division title once again with Rovers this year, Lopes would taste disappointment on this occasion. Two goals down, "Pico" decided to try a panenka - an unwise move, as Thomas Muller skied it over the bar.
It was to be a dominant tournament victory for Chris Forrester - we can't imagine this is the first time he's played (or won!) on the World Cup mode on FIFA 23.
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