Our top-6 Picks of the FIFA 18 FUT Icons So Far
Every football fan wants to know how it would feel to step into the shoes of the likes of Maradona, Pelé or Del Piero and in FIFA 18 you can do that with the inclusion of FUT Icons. These legends of the game are available to add to your FIFA Ultimate Team line-up, each individual available in three different forms that present them as they were at certain key moments in their careers.
We’ve been through each of the icons thus far confirmed to be included in FIFA 18 and picked out our favourite examples – and which exact edition of that individual you should plump for and why. Of course, each player’s stats have had a strong weighting on our choices but we’ve also taken into account status and achievement when making our decision.
1. Pelé – 1962
The 1970 edition of Pelé’s FUT Icons cards might be rated higher than the 1962 option, but for sheer impact at all levels of the game we have to opt for the younger player in this case. In 1962, Pelé won almost everything available for him to win: his second World Cup with Brazil, as well as the Intercontinental Cup, Copa Libertadores and Brasileiro with Santos.
He’s just 21 at this point, and already he’s being talked about as the greatest player of all-time. His 1968 edition in FIFA 18 is highly rated across the board and comes in with an overall of 95, with only his defensive and physicality attributes ranked at the lower end of the scale.
When you’re as quick and nimble as Pelé, though, there are not many defenders who are going to get close enough to get physical.
2. Diego Maradona – 1986
Has there ever been a more memorable single year for an individual footballer than the one Diego Maradona had in 1986? He led Argentina to World Cup glory, was named the best player in that tournament and won the Serie A and the Coppa Italia title with Napoli.
In a single game against England he scored arguably the most famous and infamous goals of all time. First came the ‘Hand of God’ in which, as he himself has since admitted, purposely used his hand to guide the ball past Peter Shilton in England’s goal. Then was the ‘Goal of the Century’ which saw him finish one of the most wonderful dribbles of all time with the calmest of finishes. FUT Icons’ 1986 edition of Maradona is rated at 97 overall for good reason, with especially high marks for pace, dribbling and finishing.
3. Ronaldinho – 2004
Ronaldinho’s star was short-lived but incredibly bright. His career at the very top of the game might have been shorter than many other of the sport’s greatest names, but his success and the memories he has left are as numerous as anyone’s.
The 2004 edition of his FUT Icons card depicts him in the year he won La Liga with Barcelona, took home the FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or awards and as a player still enjoying the status earned from guiding Brazil to the World Cup in 2002.
He is arguably the most skillful player of the 21st century, so anyone lucky enough to gain his 2004 FUT Icons edition should not be shy to attempt the most audacious flicks, chips and tricks available in FIFA 18.
4. Peter Schmeichel – 1999
A player who completely redefined what followers of the Premier League expected from the goalkeeping position, Peter Schmeichel was one of the key reasons for Manchester United’s long-term success under Sir Alex Ferguson. As intelligent as he is fearless and strong, having Schmeichel in your team will give you massively increased confidence in your defensive unit.
In 1999 he won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League and had just come off the back of winning UEFA’s Goalkeeper of the Year award in 1998. Unsurprisingly, the 1999 edition in FIFA 18 excels in reflexes, diving, positioning and handling.
5. Roberto Carlos – 1998
The modern fashion for deploying fullbacks that act more like wingers than defenders can in many ways be put down to the terrifying impact Roberto Carlos had in this position across his time playing for both Real Madrid and Brazil.
1998 was a spectacular period in Carlos’ storied history. In that year he won the Champions League with Real Madrid, having the won league with them the year before, and he played a key role in Brazil’s 1997 and 1999 Copa América victories. He had also just recently scored that incredible curving bullet of a free kick against France, leaving Fabien Barthez stranded and rooted to the turf.
Get Carlos’ 1998 variation and you’re getting someone with incredible pace and stamina who can cover the entire left side of the pitch.
6. Alessandro Del Piero – 1995
In 1995 Alessandro Del Piero’s Juventus won the domestic treble, following it up in the 1995-96 season with the Champions League. Arguably a more team-focused player than the rest of the outfield icons listed here, Del Piero represented the key link in a Juventus unit that included Antonio Conte, Didier Deschamps, Alessio Tacchinardi and Gianluca Vialli.
The 2006 FUT Icon version of Del Piero – featuring his likeness in the year he won the World Cup with Italy – is rated higher than this 1995 variation, but the opportunity to go back and look at the oft-overlooked early part of his career is too tempting to overlook.
