The best budget Ultimate Team starter squads for EA Sports FC 25
Claiming victory on the pitch is tough – especially with little money to spend on players. This is how to build the ultimate starter team in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team, whatever your budget.
Do you know what the cornerstone of success is? Having a great team behind you. It’s true in life, and it’s extra true in EA FC 25 where, just as in your favourite IRL teams, you’ll want the best players for the job.
The trouble is, building a starter squad in Ultimate Team can be a challenging task. Especially when cash is too tight to mention.
Starting the game with a volatile transfer market and little money in your pocket means building a powerful starting 11 can be just as much as an art form as sinking a perfectly-placed free kick.
Luckily, pro player Levi de Weerd of Team Gullit has some tips to help you come out of the tunnel strong – even if you only have 20,000 credits to your name.
You can use the players he mentions as a starting point to build the rest of your team around – or even ignore him completely. After all, when it comes to EA FC 25 Ultimate Team, you’re the boss.
01
If you only have 20k
Not the flashiest squad here, but think of it as your chance to showcase accessible, up-and-coming players known only to true football fans. Who knows, you might just reveal the next Ronaldo.
We recommend a hybrid Liga Portugal Betclic/Spor Toto Süper Lig (Turkish D1) squad that looks a bit like this.
In defence: Gonçalo Inacio and Antonio Silva. Full-backs: Alexander Bah and Nuno Santos. Wingers: Lucas Torreira and Gedson Fernandes. And up front: Rafa, Victor Oshimen, Barış Alper Yilmaz and Pedro Gonçalves, with Fernando Muslera in goal.
Trust us.
Takeaway
- Go for under-appreciated but talented players
Levi de Weerd has picked the players you need for your Ultimate Team
© Tom Doms/Red Bull Content Pool
02
For 50k
With a slightly heftier budget, you can start having a bit more fun – and maybe even purchasing names less dedicated players have heard of. It’s really up to you how you structure your team, but here’s some stand-out advice from Levi.
He starts with Álex Remiro in net, an 84-rated goalkeeper for for La Liga club Real Sociedad and the Spain national team. Not a bad call at all. “Real solid,” is how Levi describes him.
Next up, at right back, we have Napoli’s Giovanni Di Lorenzo, and then, “Our centre-back partnership will be two French centre-backs in Benjamin Pavard and Raphaël Varane,” says Levi. “We’re all used to seeing Varane being like 200k, 300k coins [but] this time, he's only around 900 coins to maybe 1k. Obviously, his stats aren't that great anymore, but we all know his body type, his tackling always has been good, and I don't doubt it will be the same [in the game].”
With Federico Dimarco in left-back, add André-Frank Zambo Anguissa in midfield, and Patri Guijarro. “Guijarro has the long ball plus, so she is a must in this squad,” says Levi.
Amaiur Sarriegi is a solid choice in right-mid, while our striker will be another French player in the form of Marcus Thuram.
It’s a versatile team with some stand-out names, and while Levi has it set up in 4-5-1, the beauty is that it can easily switch to 4-3-2-1 in attack.
Takeaway
- Past their prime players are affordable and still have a lot to offer
- With limited money, a versatile formation gives you more flexibility
03
For 100k
Levi de Weerd road tests a budget-friendly team
© Tom Bergman/Red Bull Content Pool
Doubling the money starts to get serious results. Yes, this is still early days on your managerial career, but things are definitely looking up.
In goal we have Álex Cobo. “We don’t know which playstyle+ will be best, but at least we can try it out with Cobo,” Levi sagely advises.
Nico Schlotterbeck is the key to your defence. “He’s tough to get on the market sometimes, because he’s still 10k, but I am sure he is insane, and if you manage to sign him, you will also probably make profit,” advises Levi. “That’s a tip I will give you: go and try to get Schlotterbeck because he is sick in game, and he will make you a profit. So that's a win-win.”
For centre-mid we’re looking at Leon Goretzka and Rose Lavelle – “He has the pinged pass, plus we all know how good he was last year,” says Levi. Rounding it out is the US player Crystal Dunn.
“Dunn deserves a honorable mention,” says Levi before reeling off her stats: “87 pace, 79 shooting, 83 passing, 85 dribbling, 77 defending, and 80 physical. This card is insane.”
Top it all off with Racheal Kundananji up front for a powerful basis to build your team around.
Takeaway
- Base your team around one or two powerful players
- Take a chance and keep an eye out for those tough-to-get players
- Don’t overlook female players – their stats can be fantastic
04
Lessons
- Use your coins carefully – one expensive player can swing the balance of a team, but don’t waste money and leave the other players short.
- Players who are slightly past their prime are still valuable. And cheap.
- Ditto up and comers. Be the boss that finally takes a chance on them and your results will benefit.
- Reward consistency. If a player is working for you at budget level, why not keep them on even as you fill your coffers?
- The best managers are ruthless. Remember that.