EA has finally lifted the lid on the fan-voted FC 24 Team of the Year. For the first time in the historic soccer series, both men’s and women’s teams have been included in the promotion, offering up 22 top cards for Xbox and PlayStation players to pull.
FC 24 has, as you’d expect, become one of the biggest and best sports games of the year. During every annual cycle of EA FC (previously FIFA), Team of the Year is often the most popular (and from EA’s perspective, the most lucrative) promo. Revealed over on Twitter, the best soccer game’s men’s team of the year consists of Alisson (95), Jeremie Frimpong (94); Rúben Dias (95); Virgil van Dijk (96); Theo Hernández (94); Rodri (95); Kevin De Bruyne (96); Jude Bellingham (96); Lionel Messi (97); Erling Haaland (97); and Kylian Mbappé (97).
Meanwhile, the women’s TOTY consists of Mary Earps (94), Ona Batlle (95); Wendie Renard (95); Millie Bright (94); Sakina Karchaoui (95); Aitana Bonmatí (97); Alexia Putellas (96); Lena Oberdorf (95); Caroling Graham Hansen (97); Sophia Smith (95); and Sam Kerr (96).
The top-voted players for each team are somewhat surprising. According to the accompanying press release, Barcelona Femení’s Alexia Putellas notched up 84% of the women’s vote despite spending most of the season sidelined with an ACL injury. And despite Erling Haaland being the promised prince in all of EA’s marketing (trip to Haa-land, anyone?), the inhuman Norwegian appeared in fewer teams than the prodigal Jude Bellingham. While there may be some recency bias at play here – voting only took place earlier this month – Bellingham more than deserves to be in the 74% of teams submitted.
Elsewhere in the line-ups, things are fairly predictable. Haaland, Rúben Dias, Rodri, and Kevin De Bruyne all starred in Manchester City’s treble-winning season. Kylian Mbappé continued doing Kylian Mbappé things despite not having a 2022 World Cup winner’s medal to show for it. On the other side of the coin, Lionel Messi further confirmed his GOAT status at the tournament having finally gotten his gong. Though, with respect to the greatest to ever do it, 97 seems a little bit high.
As for the women, it’s great to see Women’s World Cup Golden Glove winner Mary Earps get her flowers after a phenomenal performance at the tournament. The same can be said for Sam Kerr, who likewise shone for the Matildas after winning the Women’s Super League with Chelsea. As with City’s fearsome foursome of fellas, Barcelona Femení’s quartet of inclusions was to be expected after the Spanish giant won a treble of its own.
With the FC 24 TOTY line-ups now set in stone – aside from the 12th player that gets added to the promo later – it’ll only be a matter of time before we get battered by a team featuring multiple blue cards in Division Rivals. At the very least, if you’re on Xbox you’ll now be able to rack up some extra Microsoft Rewards points while you’re being hammered by wallet warriors over the coming weeks.