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If you’re looking for the pinnacle of player performance in FIFA 21, your best bet is to focus on picking the best Icons in Ultimate Team, who provide unparalleled stats and serve as a menacing force in any online team. In this guide, we’ll run through some of the best players in the game from the annals of footballing history that you can pick up to bolster your winning eleven.
We’ll focus on the specific stats behind each player so you can find out where you’re lacking and adapt as necessary. Even if you pick up an Icon as a super-sub to save the final ten minutes of a game, their impact can be truly staggering given their unique, unparalleled stats. There are choices in our list to fit every kind of team composition and budget, so follow along to find out about the best Icons you can buy in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team.
The best icons in FIFA 21: Ultimate Team at a glance
- Pelé
- Eusébio
- Ferenc Puskás
- Eric Cantona
- Zinedine Zidane
- Diego Maradona
- Ronaldinho
- Bastian Schweinsteiger
- Paolo Maldini
- Ronald Koeman
Best Forwards
Pelé (CF, 95 Overall)
A name synonymous with football, the Brazilian legend is for all intents and purposes the best player in the game. The centre-forward has 96 Pace, 93 Shooting, 90 Passing and 95 Dribbling, so he’s extremely difficult to shut down on the approach. With a 95 Finishing stat, you can rely on Pelé to bang in the goals when the buck falls to him, and his 87 Stamina will keep him fit and busy throughout the game. But of course, all of that talent comes at a price, and current listings as of writing peg Pele at over 8million coins.
Eusébio (CF, 95 Pace)
If you’re looking to add some speed to your sluggish team, look no further than Eusébio, another CF Icon from Portugal with 95 Sprint Speed and most importantly, a staggering 94 Stamina stat. With a five-star weak foot and a high attacking work rate, Eusébio is a nightmare for defenders and the perfect vessel for some sweaty goals in FUT Champions. Just be prepared to pay – wait for it – 6million coins or more for the privilege.
Ferenc Puskás (ST, 95 Shooting)
The Hungarian striker is the best Icon to purchase if you want to score countless goals with relative ease. His 95 Shooting stat makes Puskás the ultimate FIFA 21 crack shot: he’s able to score from far outside the box but deliver inside of it with his near-perfect 97 Finishing and Positioning stats. His headers aren’t much to shout home about but given he’s currently going for a measly three-and-a-half million coins on the transfer market, he’s at least a little bit less expensive than his peers on this list.
Eric Cantona (CF, 90 Physical)
Ooh-ah! Are your strikers getting shut down by muscly defenders because they haven’t got the spine to push through and score? Look no further than this French player Eric, whose 90 Strength and 94 Aggression will make short work of anybody’s back four. If you’re good at holding the ball and can time your interceptions properly, you can survive multiple tackles and still bang in the goals with Cantona’s 92 Shot Power… What’s even better, Cantona’s groundbreaking 95 Volleys can save some games from ruin if you get the chance to fire in some solid crosses towards his boots.… That is, of course, as long as you’ve got three 3million in the bank to pay for him.
Best Midfielders
Zinedine Zidane (CAM, 93 Passing)
Famous for his headbutts as well as his passing potential, Zinedine Zidane is the ultimate midfielder to hire for your Ultimate Team if you’re often caught lacking in the middle of the pitch. With 95 Vision and Short Passing, you can rely on Zidane to slot balls where they need to go to enable match-ending runs, but it’s not like his 90+ rated skills in Shooting and Dribbling are anything to grumble at either. With 96 Ball Control, he is extremely tough to dispossess, and his five-star skill moves can be utilised to great effect by savvy players. Just be prepared to fork out around 3million coins for his talents.
Diego Maradona (CAM, 95 Dribbling)
The hand of God hero is another FIFA 21 Icon that will no doubt put fear into any opponent, even during the match loading screen. With 98 Balance and 95 Composure, you’re going to have a hard time stopping Maradona as he courses through your defence. The Argentine is small and nimble, and very dangerous in the box with a 94 Finishing stat. Watch out for his 93-rated Free Kicks too, which can curl past even the greatest of goalkeepers. Interested? You can have him for just 3million coins.
Ronaldinho (CAM, 5-Star Skill Moves)
A skill move pioneer, feint aficionado and all-around footie legend, Ronaldinho is a truly dangerous force in FIFA 21. Renowned for his unquestionable five-star skill moves, slotting the Brazilian at CAM in your Ultimate Team is a no-brainer if you’ve got the four million coins to pay for him. As long as you’ve got the ability to handle his 93 Dribbling under pressure, you’ll smoke countless defenders and hopefully make short work of the keeper in the box on most occasions, bolstered by Ronnie’s healthy 88 Finishing stat.
Bastian Schweinsteiger (CM, 94 Stamina)
This German juggernaut Bastian Schweinsteiger is the ultimate FIFA 21 Ultimate Team workhorse in midfield. With a high attacking and defensive work rate and 94 Stamina, you won’t have to worry about this centre-midfield player running out of steam during the match. So if you need a performance in midfield to prop up your lethargic strikers, then look no further than this 89-rated unit. With well-rounded skills across the board and 93 Reactions, nothing gets past this lad, and his 88 Shot Power will make him a danger upfront if it comes to it. And at only 1million coins for all that talent, Schweinsteiger is a steal.
Best Defenders
Paolo Maldini (CB, 95 Defending)
With a game-changing 96 Interceptions stat and 97 Composure, Italy’s Paolo Maldini is the best defender in FIFA 21. His 94 Defensive Awareness will stop attacks before they even dare to start, and a handy 85 in Short Passing means he won’t fumble a clearance very often. Pick him up if you need to create a formidable backline and slot in a defensive workhorse that will react quickly to danger, but also head in a few essential goals in the box when it comes down to the wire with his 92 Heading stat. Just make sure you’ve got 3million coins at hand.
Ronald Koeman (CB, 96 Free Kicks)
Do you suck at set-pieces? Then make them trivial by dropping nearly half a million coins on this Dutch danger. As well as being far less expensive than most of his peers, Koeman is a solid defender with 90 Interceptions, Composure and Long Shots. However, the real power comes when you give him a chance to take a set-piece. With 93 Curve, 96 Free Kick Accuracy and 96 Penalties, you’ll no longer have an excuse when you don’t score, and his statistics should take care of some of your own human error.
The post ‘FIFA 21’ best Icons guide: 10 legends you need in Ultimate Team appeared first on NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM.
