While the main draw of the Team Of The Year (TOTY) celebration inEA Sports FC 25is the opportunity to pack a TOTY player, there are also Squad Builder Challenges (SBCs) that you’re able to work toward. While it won’t provide the same rush as randomly packing a top player, these SBCs are great grinds to guarantee that all your hard work pays off.
Even if you aren’tlucky enough to get one of the best TOTY players, you have an incredible variety of excellent players available in SBCs, including current stars and icons. Regardless of which position is in the biggest need of an upgrade, we’ve got you covered with the best goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, and attackers worthy of your fodder.
Five Stars
Four Stars
Kevin De Bruyne is undoubtedlyone of the best passers in Ultimate Team,and despite the massive cost that comes with this SBC, it might be too good to pass up. If you’ve pushed close to the limit of your SBC Storage with 86-rated or higher cards, then you can make a huge dent in this SBC with just that fodder.
However, theroughly2.5 million coins worth of fodder needed to complete this SBCis extremely difficult to come by if you haven’t been saving your Rivals, Champs, and Squad Battles rewards for at least a month.
If fodder isn’t an issue for you, then you’ll have access to one of the most dangerous CAMs in FC 25, thanks to De Bruyne’s impressive attributes, including 95 Passing alongside 92s in both Shooting and Dribbling.
One Star
Switching gears from outfield players to goalkeepers, we have Iker Casillas – one of the most decorated keepers ever – as a much more affordable option to add to your lineup. While dropping about300–400k worth of foddermight sound a bit steep for a keeper, his Icon status will make team building a breeze for the rest of the cycle.
Considering that it’s now easier to score than ever thanks to a patch that reduced the efficacy of AI defending, goalkeepers might not be at the top of your list. However, Casillas can pull off a world-class save occasionally, and the boost to your chemistry is nothing to scoff at.
We shift even further away from Kevin De Bruyne’s massively expensive SBC to one of the best values of any TOTY SBC – Flashback Joao Cancelo. While the elephant in the room is undoubtedly Cancelo’s subpar links as a Saudi League player, it’s hard to argue with theroughly 150k-coin cost of this SBC.
With only three squads to complete, Cancelo won’t take much time or fodder to finish, and he’s a superb option if you’re lucky enough to own TOTY 12th man Cristiano Ronaldo, though that’s a long shot. However, Cancelo is also a must-have for Portuguese-themed teams and is one of the most versatile fullbacks you’ll find in FC 25.
Camille Abily strikes a fantastic balance between decent value and superb skills on the pitch, as this Icon boaststwo of the best PlayStyles in FC 25for a midfielder: Incisive Pass and Tiki Taka. While she’ll still command inthe neighborhood of a million coinsworth of fodder, her attributes and PlayStyles warrant the price.
Abily is smooth on the ball and offers the perfect card if you enjoy making quick decisions to keep your offense unpredictable. Her passing prowess makes her one of the best midfield options to add to any squad, thanks to her versatile Icon chemistry. She’s a fantastic alternative to KDB if you can’t afford his SBC.
Three Stars
If you’ve had the pleasure of using Jaap Stam’s Prime Hero card this year, then you’ll know he’s one ofthe best defenders in Ultimate Team.Although some of the best TOTY cards boast three PlayStyles Plus, Stam’s strength, pace, and overall aura make him a menace to play against.
Certain players are often touted as having an aura, and simply put, this means that they perform well in-game due to their body type and unseen code that affects their play.
In Stam’s case, he frequently dispossesses opposing attackers by muscling them off the ball and being in the perfect spot before you switch to him so that your transition to manual defending feels smooth and effective.
TOTY Gareth Bale might be one of the most divisive players in the FC 25 community, as there are many conflicting opinions you’ll hear depending on who you speak to. However, Bale is an excellent player at multiple positions and requires a certain playstyle to shine.
He functions best as an Advanced Forwardthanks to his height, pace, and physical presence, but feels less agile in the wide areas than you may prefer your wingers to be. Acrobatic is an excellent PlayStyle for scoring on corner kicks, and is even useful for making difficult one-touch passes out to the wide areas.
Skill Moves are a must-use with Bale,as they compensate for his lack of quick changes in direction.
At face value, Patrick Vieira may look destined to fall behind the power curve thanks to having a sole PlayStyle Plus, but Jaap Stam taught us that there’s more to a card than meets the eye. Each year, Vieira is hailed as the best defensive midfielder thanks to his impressive aura, which manifests in him constantly stopping attacks from developing for opponents.
Intercept is still a superb sole PlayStyle Plus, and he also has access to the base versions of top-tier options like Anticipate, Bruiser, Block, and Pinged Pass. Icon links are the cherry on top for Vieira, andif you’re willing to compromise on needing the flashiest players in FC 25, then Vieira will serve you wellfor the entire cycle.
