The best FIFA 23 lengthy players explained

FIFA 23 lengthy players are a new addition to the football game this year, and the mechanic allows typically underused players with a lack of pace to flourish despite that. The new HyperMotion 2 technology means players that may have seemed a little clunky in the past now have added value. It can breathe new life into the strong stalwarts of your midfield as long as you understand what lengthy players do, and how to change players from controlled and explosive accelerate styles to this much-desired attribute.

There is little better in football than a marauding run through midfield, tossing defenders aside like they were made from paper and slotting from outside the box. It’s been difficult to capture this sense of pace in previous versions of FIFA, due to the meta simply being ‘fast and agile’, even if the ratings did include some of these slower players. The new lengthy player type means that you have more options for your team, so with that here’s which lengthy players are the best, how they work, and how to transform some of your existing players into lengthy types.

Best lengthy players

It used to be the case that if your player couldn’t turn on a sixpence then they simply weren’t worth having in your starting XI. Being tall and strong now has its appropriate advantages thanks to the lengthy player mechanic (explained in full further down) and thankfully so, as it means that world-class players like Erling Haaland and the new FUT Hero Yaya Toure are very much usable in your Ultimate Team. Here are the best lengthy type players in FIFA 23:

Defenders

Van Dijk takes the top spot for the best lengthy defender in FIFA 23, and it goes without saying that he’s a beast with 81 pace and 91 defending. Out of these top five defenders, Ruben Dias is perhaps the most interesting inclusion, because despite having 63 pace it means he’s still a viable option for your Ultimate Team.

Midfielders

Casemiro has been very highly-rated in FIFA for some time but has never been viable thanks to his low overall pace. The lengthy type looks to change that, however, as he can now catch up with those meta midfielders, and even the pacey forwards. His defensive awareness combined with this new-found athleticism means he will be a worthy addition to any Premier League squad.

Forwards

Erling Haaland is the poster boy for lengthy types with his bounding runs. Powering through your opponent’s defence is now a very real proposition, even though his on-the-ball dribbling stats aren’t anything to write home about.

FIFA 23 lengthy players explained

With FIFA 23, EA introduced AcceleRATE – an expansion on the player movement system that works alongside HyperMotion 2 to create three new archetypes of player. Lengthy is one of those archetypes, and it is attributed to powerful runners who take a little bit of time to get up to speed. Centre-backs like Virgil Van Dijk are known for being big, strong, and fast (for a centre-back, anyway), but this hasn’t always translated to FIFA. This year attempts to rectify that and give those bigger players a better chance against their agile counterparts.

To gain the lengthy archetype, a player must have a specific combination of stats:

• Strength must be equal to, or above 65
• Strength must be at least 14 points above their agility stat
• Acceleration must be at 55 or above
• Height must be 174cm (5’9”) or above

It’s worth noting that nowhere in-game does it say whether a player is lengthy, explosive, or controlled – you need to work it out for yourself. Most players fall under the controlled category, but if a chemistry style can alter their stats to match the above criteria, they will become lengthy.

How to make a player lengthy

It’s important to note that the lengthy archetype is something that can be attained by any player, so long as these prerequisites are met before a match is underway. This means that with certain chemistry styles in Ultimate Team, some players are able to change from the default ‘controlled’ attribute, to the much more potent ‘lengthy’.

The Architect chemistry style could fast become one of the most sought-after, mainly due to the +15 strength it gives on application. Because Architect doesn’t affect a player’s agility but does boost physical, it will take a lot of players into that lengthy archetype. The same goes for Anchor, with the added bonus of it also boosting pace.

This is a list of FIFA 23 players that are all top performers in their roles but still have that controlled acceleration archetype. They can be transformed into lengthy with the addition of the chemistry style stated below.

Being able to change a player’s archetype is going to open up the FIFA 23 meta completely. It comes as a welcome change, creating more usable cards and expression in how you make your squad, which means you won’t now have to field what are essentially ten wingers and a goalkeeper just to keep up with your opponent.

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If you’re building a LaLiga team and are looking for the perfect lengthy card that might just last you the whole season, OTW Kessie is available via SBC and could be an absolute beast with a few TOTW inclusions under his belt. We also have solutions to the Around The World, First XI, and Seven League Boots advanced SBCs if you’re looking to earn some rare packs.