Improving the skills of your Virtual Pro player in Career Mode or Pro Clubs is essential to ensure you keep improving and establishing yourself as one of the world’s best players.
In FIFA 23, you can use perks as a bonus system to improve your abilities and play style to help you get a competitive edge over the competition.
This article will look at the best perks to use in FIFA 23 Career Mode to take your Virtual Pro to new levels and help you dominate any opposition.
We have evaluated what attributes each perk improves, how that impacts the FIFA 23 meta, and defined the top five perks for anyone who wants to improve players in Career Mode.
What are the Perks in FIFA 23 Career Mode?
You can access perks in Pro Clubs or Career Mode, with three slots available to assign three perks to your Virtual Pro. You can access the first perk slot at level one, the second perk at level nine, and the final slot at level 19.
In total, there are 32 perks to unlock for your Virtual Pro in FIFA 23. Here is a quick breakdown of each one.
| Perk | Improvement | Benefits | Level Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assist Streak | Passing | Increases Passing attributes for 15 minutes after assisting a goal. Provides the player with the Swerve Pass trait. | Level 2 |
| Defensive Closes | Defending | Improves the defending attributes in the last 15 minutes and extra time of a game. | Level 3 |
| Last Defender | Defending | Improves defending attributes when you are the final player between the attacker and the goal. | Level 4 |
| Physical Strength | Strength Ball Control Jumping | Increased jumping when jostling, strength, ball control, shielding, and heading the ball. | Level 5 |
| One-Time Shot | Shooting (WF) | Improves your finishing ability for one-time shots or headers. It offers your player the Power Header and Finesse Shot traits and improves your weak foot ability. | Level 6 |
| Active First Touch | Ball Control Acceleration Sprint Speed | Improves your acceleration, sprint speed, and ball control after the first touch. | Level 5 |
| Clutch Save | GK | GK attributes improved for the last 15 minutes and extra time of a game, | Level 5 |
| Fast Rush | GK Speed | GK speed increases when GK is rushing or sprinting. | Level 6 |
| Ball Winner | Tackling | Increased jockey speed when your player executes the Sprint Jockey or Jockey actions improves the player’s tackling ability. | Level 7 |
| Pinpoint Cross | Passing | It improves crossing accuracy and your player’s ability when executing a cross. It offers the player the Swerve trait and five-star weak foot ability. | Level 8 |
| Skilled Dribbler | Dribbling Skill Move | It improves your player’s skill move and dribbling abilities when running with a ball while also giving your player the Flair trait. | Level 9 |
| Cool Head | Defending | Defending attributes improve for 15 minutes after your team lets a goal in. | Level 9 |
| Quick Reflex | GK Reflex | GK improves reflexes and reactions while making a save. | Level 9 |
| Set Piece Beacon | Heading | Improves your Heading attributes at Set Pieces, including corners, throw-ins, and free kicks, for five seconds once the ball is in play. This trait also offers you the Power Header Trait. | Level 10 |
| Lock Down | Defending | Defending attributes improved for 15 minutes after your team scores. | Level 11 |
| GK One on One | GK | GK abilities increased for one vs. one scenario for five seconds. | Level 12 |
| Clutch Finisher | Shooting Heading | Improves your shooting statistics for the final 15 minutes and extra time. It offers the Finesse Shot and Power Header Traits and improves your weak foot skill levels. | Level 14 |
| GK Far Reach | GK | Great at saving long-range shots. | Level 14 |
| Quick Reply | Shooting | Shooting statistics improved for 15 minutes after letting a goal go in. It offers the Power and Fitness Shot Traits and improves your weak foot skill level. | Level 16 |
| Hot Streak | Shooting | Shooting statistics increase for 15 minutes after your player scores a goal. It offers you the Power Header and Finesse Shot traits and improves your weak foot skill level. | Level 18 |
| Set Piece Expert | GK | GK attributes increased for 5 seconds during set pieces, including corner kicks, penalty kicks, free kicks, and throw-ins. It also improves your player’s GK Long Throw and Flat Kick Traits. | Level 18 |
| Distance Shooter | Shooting | Improves your power and accuracy for long-range shots. It offers you five-star weak foot ability and the Finesse Shot Trait. | Level 21 |
| Threaded Pass | Passing | improves your players lofted through pass and through-ball pass accuracy. Offers your player the five-star weak foot ability and Swerve trait | Level 21 |
| Tireless Runner | Stamina | Provides your player with the Second Wind and Solid Player traits. | Level 23 |
| Set Piece Specialist | All | Improves your player’s abilities for set pieces. Offers you the Set Play Specialist and Giant Throw-In traits. | Level 25 |
How to Unlock Perks & Perk Slots in FIFA 23
To unlock perk slots and perks, you must keep leveling up. To level up, you must play matches. The more games you perform well in, the more XP you will earn, and the faster you will fly through the levels.
Assuming you have managed to unlock all three perk slots, here are the five best perks for you to use for your Virtual Pro.
Active First Touch
The first perk to mention on this list is the Active First Touch perk, which improves your acceleration, sprint speed, and ball control after the first touch.
One of the great benefits of this perk is that it is unlocked at Level 5, allowing you to access it quickly and not wait until your player reaches the higher levels. As far as lower-level perks go, the active first-touch one is easily the best.
Not to mention that acceleration, sprint speed, and ball control are all essential attributes in FIFA 23 and ones that the best meta players in FIFA 23 have.
Skilled Dribbler
The Skilled Dribbler perk is an excellent option for anyone, as it improves your player’s skill move and dribbling abilities when running with a ball while also giving your player the Flair trait.
You can unlock the Skilled Dribbler perk at level 9, the same level that you unlock another perk slot. Therefore, it is the ideal time to add another perk; at this stage, the Skilled Dribbler perk is a fantastic option.
Skill moves and dribbling abilities with the ball are essential meta capabilities and will help you take your player ability to the next level.
As you play more formidable opposition or increase the difficulty level, having the flair trait can help you get a yard of space past your defender to make a killer pass or take a shot on goal.
Clutch Finisher
The next perk you should consider for your arsenal gets unlocked at level 14 and is called Clutch Finisher.
This perk improves your shooting statistics for the final 15 minutes and extra time. It offers the Finesse Shot and Power Header Traits and improves your weak foot skill levels.
When you come up against tough opposition, you might be forced to send the ball out wide and lump crosses into the box in a last-gasp attempt to get a point or claim a winner.
That is when the Power Header trait becomes incredibly useful. The Clutch Finisher perk can help you turn a potential loss into a point or a scoreless draw into a vital three points.
Quick Reply
The fourth perk you might want to add to your player is the Quick Reply. This perk improves shooting statistics for 15 minutes after letting a goal go in. It offers the Power and Fitness Shot Traits and improves your weak foot skill level.
Similar to the Clutch Finisher perk, you can use this perk to try and turn a tight game in your favor.
Distance Shooter
The final perk you should consider adding for your player is Distance Shooter. It is only unlocked at Level 21 and will improve the power and accuracy of your long-range shots.
This perk is perfect for any attacking midfielder or striker with plenty of power in their shots.
Another great benefit of this perk is the five-star weak foot ability. Having the potential to go past defenders on either side, rather than having to favor your good side, offers you so many attacking options.
Once you do beat your opponent, you can call on the Fitness Shot trait this perk provides to slot the ball past your opponent with ease.
Final Thoughts
Now you have a clear list of the best perks to use in FIFA 23 for your Virtual Pro. We have deliberately included five perks for you to pick from, so you have some choices when selecting your top three for your perk slots.
However, the other perks on this list can also improve any player’s statistics, and you might want to consider some of the other perks if you play a unique football style or you need your player to play a slightly different role.
Whatever perks you choose, they are sure to help take your pro to the next level and help you conquer the footballing world.
