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The FIFA 18 FUT Icon XI
Which Icons need to be in your FIFA 18 FUT starting line-up? And which versions of their cards? We’ve got the answers: this is the Ultimate Icon XI.
Despite being the rarest cards in the game, FIFA 18 Icons are mouth-wateringly good. Thanks to the fact there are distinct versions of each Icon that goes with its own story, it means that gone are the days of the impossible to find Pelé card, and here are the days of the very difficult to afford three different Pelé cards.
But what if we could just have our Ultimate Team full of Icons right now? If money and FIFA coins were no object? We’re going with a formation of 4-3-3, and you’ll understand why, when you see our team, starting with a, perhaps, controversial or at least, surprising choice.
Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin (1963 version)
Look, we know you were expecting Peter Schmeichel, or perhaps even Edwin van der Sar (two Manchester United legends, admittedly), but when a player has the nickname “Black Spider” you have to stand up and take notice. Lev Yashin was a keeper who led by example, marshalling his defence and taking no prisoners. With an overall rating of 94 (96 reflexes, 95 diving, 95 positional), you cannot ignore the fact he’s the best keeper in the entire game, and possibly the best ever to have played the sport. Don’t believe us? Well, name another keeper that saved 151 penalties, and kept over 270 clean sheets. Yeah… we thought not. He pioneered the idea that a goalkeeper should come off their line to meet a striker, which is something the very best still do nowadays, and you can see it in keepers like Manuel Neuer.
Left back: Roberto Carlos (1998 version)
There aren’t actually that many FIFA 18 FUT Icons who play left back, and there’s probably a reason for that: Carlos has been the player all others who play in that position have to live up to. Lightning pace (92), yet strong and physical (86), he can pass (84) and was well known for his insanely powerful free-kicks (83 shooting). He’s the complete package at 91 overall, and despite being lower rated than some of the players in our team, is likely to be one of the best defensive players you’ll ever use in FIFA 18.
Right back: Javier Zanetti (2005 version)
Certainly one of the more modern players in our team, Zanetti also has a left back card in the game (the 1998 version), but his 2005 right back card is a 92 overall rated monster, with 90 defence, 99 passing, 86 pace, 85 dribbling, and 81 physical. You’ve got to be pretty good to play 858 games for a club like Inter Milan, and he even won 16 trophies in his time at the club. A versatile player (he later played in midfield, too) he’s the ideal right back for our team.
Centre back: Paulo Maldini (1989 version)
Another high overall rating (at 94), and probably the best defender to have ever played the beautiful game. A right footed player, he was quickly switched to left back where he spent a lot of time proving himself by being the complete footballer. Eventually he was moved to centre back as he got older, yet his CB card in FIFA 18 is obscenely good. 96 defending, with 83 physical and 86 pace means he’s an absolute beast, and is the first choice for anyone in his position.
Centre back: Marcel Desailly (2000 version)
It’s hard to think of Desailly without also remembering the France team that won the 1998 World Cup which included Zidane, Petit, and Deschamps to name but a few. Marcel was also adept as a defensive midfielder (but that position in our team goes to another French player, no surprises there), his 90 physical, 90 defensive, and 83 pace make him a brick wall to get through, and at 91 overall, he’s a card you’d dream of packing. Good in the air, aggressive, a brilliant footballing brain, and happy to play with ball at feet: what more could you want?
Centre midfield: Patrick Viera (2002 version)
We were severely tempted to go for Lothar Matthäus as our holding midfield engine, but you can’t ignore a player who single handedly engineered a position that was named after him. Even today, people refer to the “Viera” CDM position. A defensive midfielder who is intelligent, strong, and reads the game beautifully, Viera has 91 physical and 90 defence, contributing to an overall rating of 91. If you’re too young to remember how he played, we’d recommend looking at Chelsea’s N'Golo Kanté, as he’s the closest we’ve seen in a while to Viera, albeit with less aggression and fewer arguments on the pitch.
Central attacking midfield: Diego Maradona (1986 version)
Impossible to tackle, Diego Maradona
© EA Sports
The highest rated of Maradona’s three Icon cards (97 overall, against 95 and 91 for his 1989 and 1982 cards, respectively), we’ve opted for this one also because of the higher dribbling stat (97). With Viera behind our attacking midfielders, and the fact our defence is the best available, Maradona’s ability on the ball means once you’ve got it, no one else is getting a touch. Only the most bitter fan will remember him for the “hand of god” against England. Instead, we remember him for being the precursor to a player like Messi. Maradona’s dribbling was majestic and fast, he looked like the ball was attached to his feet via a bit of string. Incredible.
Central attacking midfield: Pelé (1970 version)
The greatest of all time
© EA Sports
The best player in the game at 98 overall, and probably the best footballer who ever put boots on grass. There’s little left to say about the Icon that is Pelé, and his stats rather speak for themselves: 95 pace, 96 shooting, 93 passing, 96 dribbling. You get the feeling EA would have liked to give him 100 in everything, and who’d argue against it anyway? Pelé wasn’t just quick with his movement, he was smart and nimble. His brilliance on the ball made him impossible to tackle. A footballing god, basically.
Left wing: Thierry Henry (2009 version)
Henry oozes class
© EA Sports
The most recent Icon on our team, but it’s easy to forget how good Henry was. His left wing card from 2009 features him during his stint at Barcelona where he scored 35 goals in 80 games, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League. He’s a player that oozes class, and his 90 pace, matched with his 88 shooting, 85 passing, and 87 dribbling all add up to make an incredible 90-rated player overall. He may not be quite as highly regarded as some of the rest of our team, but watching him play football was poetry, and we’ve not forgotten that.
Right wing: Ronaldinho (2004 version)
Amazing trickster, Ronaldihno
© EA Sports
Ronaldinho has done things that actually look impossible. We remember him scoring an overhead kick with his left foot that looked physically wrong. It was as though his body levitated to allow him to use his other foot. Often known as an attacking midfielder, his left wing card is actually his highest rated card, perhaps unsurprisingly as it’s the year he won the Ballon d’Or. This is a player with 92 pace and 95 dribbling, so don’t be afraid to roll out the tricks when using Ronaldinho. 94 rated almost seems too low, as this is him at his absolute peak. Despite his card being a LW position, we’re going to cheat a bit and say he’s that good he’ll be fine on right wing instead.
Striker: Ronaldo (1997 version)
The era when he had good hair
© EA Sports
It had to be, really, didn’t it? 96 rated striker with 95 shooting, 97 pace, and 95 dribbling. Basically, get the ball to Ronaldo and he will score. A player with 247 goals from 343 games. 62 goals for Brazil in 98 games. Sure, nowadays we may well talk about a different Ronaldo more often than Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, but for people of a certain generation, this Ronaldo was the ultimate goal scorer. The rest of our team is special, no question, but Ronaldo is the icing on the top of a very, very nice cake.
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