In FIFA 23 Ultimate Team, this Wolves player has made history

For a generation of football-loving gamers, FIFA Ultimate Team has ingrained the names and flags of nations from around the world into your brain. In FIFA 23, however, there is a new one for you to get your head around, as one country has its first ever Ultimate Team card in the game – although, you probably won’t be using it in your starting XI.

Inspired by Team of the Week 2’s array of In-Form cards from obscure nations thanks to the international break (we’re looking at you, Shomurodov), we decided to trawl through the database and have a look at some of the least-represented countries in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team. We found that there are 19 players who are the only representatives from their country in FUT this year (more on them in a bit), but it turns out that one of them is the first ever player in the game mode’s history to come from Singapore.

Despite having a population of more than 5 million, this is the first time a Singaporean player has been in Ultimate Team. You might be surprised to learn that Singapore’s FUT debutant also plays for a Premier League club, but we also wouldn’t blame you for not immediately recognising them.

That’s because it’s Wolves’ 55-rated right wing-back, Harry Birtwistle. While the 18-year-old is yet to make a first-team appearance for the club, he has signed a professional contract with them and trains with the main squad as well.

Having checked past records on long-running database site Futhead, we’re confident that this is the first player to represent Singapore in FUT.

Birtwistle isn’t the only player in FIFA 23 to be the lone representative of his country. We found 18 others scattered across Ultimate Team’s various leagues and clubs.

Some of these we recognise from previous FIFAs, such as Fiji’s Roy Krishna (a staple of the Australian A-League who now plays in the Indian Super League) and Bristol City striker Nahki Wells, who represents Bermuda.

There are also others that are new to FIFA 23, although their countries have been represented by other players in previous games. From the Norwegian League, there is Nicholas Hagen, a goalkeeper that plays for Guatemala at international level, and Australian side Western United has 50-rated centre-back Ajak Deu, the only player in FIFA 23 representing South Sudan.

Here’s the full list of FIFA 23 Ultimate Team lone wolves that we found:

Sure, the majority of these players aren’t going to help you fly up to Division 1, but checking out some of the best FIFA 23 formations might.