FIFA 20 Ultimate Team saw significant reform thanks to FUT Friendlies, Season Objectives, greater customisation and the ability to compare players on-the-fly.
Ultimate Team is the most popular mode on the game, with the high-octane nature of online play mimicking the agony and ecstasy of real-life football.
FIFA 21 Ultimate Team should the biggest we’ve ever seen – especially with next-gen consoles on the horizon.
RealSport looks at everything we know about FUT 21 arriving this September.
NOW LISTEN BELOW: EVERYTHING going on this week in FUT!
Great additions to FIFA 20 Ultimate Team
Season objectives on FIFA 20 finally rewarded players who weren’t spending a fortune on their team, and FUT Friendlies put the fun firmly back into FIFA Ultimate Team.
The customisation made everyone’s team feel bespoke and has left FIFA players in a much more content position with the online game. Couple that with greater accessibility from the squad screen, then only a few subtle tweaks need to be added ahead of FIFA 21 Ultimate Team.
What we want to see on FIFA 21 Ultimate Team
Hopefully, this will be the year that EA can change the success rate in Ultimate Team packs. In a normal gold pack, there is only a 7.9% chance of picking up a player rated 82 or higher, that falls to 3.6% for 83+ rated players.
FIFA 20 Ultimate Team pack success rates
Pack | Price | 75+ | 82+ | 83+ | 84+ | 85+ | 86+ | 87+ | 88+ | 90+ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gold | 5k | 100% | 7.9% | 3.6% | ||||||
Premium Gold | 7.5k | 100% | 19% | 4.6% | ||||||
Premium Electrum Players | 12.5k | 100% | 39% | 4.4% | ||||||
Premium Gold Jumbo | 15k | 100% | 40% | 4.6% | ||||||
Premium Gold Players | 25k | 100% | 55% | 3.9% | ||||||
Mega | 35k | 100% | 77% | 5.6% | ||||||
Prime Gold Players | 45k | 100% | 78% | 5.2% | ||||||
Rare Player | 50k | 100% | 95% | 6.5% | ||||||
Ultimate | 125k | 100% | 99% | 2.4% |
Of course, EA implement this to stop the cash-rich players from buying a load of packs and getting instant success, but it actually harms everyone across the board.
On a similar note, if there was improved matchmaking on Ultimate Team, like for FIFA 20 Online Seasons, where you only come up against a team with a similar rating, it would provide a level playing field.
The customisation in FIFA 20 Ultimate Team has been fantastic, but this can go further. Deeper customisation of kits, crests, stadiums, balls and fan chants can keep this going. With a greater processing speed on the new next-gen consoles, perhaps this can be achieved in the not-so-distant future.
EA have made statements in recent weeks regarding their work on the online servers, and of course, there is only so much they can do in this department, they are making progress. The new consoles will make a difference in this area, so perhaps lag will become a thing of the past.
New FUT 21 ICONs
With over 80 ICONs on FIFA 20, there aren’t many legends of the game that EA have to choose from. We have a look five contenders who could arrive on the next game.
Franz Beckenbauer last appeared in the FIFA series back in FIFA 17, and we feel the Kaiser is due for a return. Given he is a Bayern Munich legend, a FUT 21 card could be unlikely, with Bayern one of Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer partner clubs.
John Terry is a Chelsea legend through and through, having won the Champions League, five Premier Leagues and five FA Cups during his career with the Blues. The now Aston Villa assistant manager would be a great defensive option on Ultimate Team, having last appeared on the game in FIFA 18.
Click “Next” to see more potential FUT 21 Icons, and who could be the best players on FIFA 21…
It’s a similar case for fellow Chelsea man Ashley Cole, who retired last season after a 20-year career that spanned 16 trophies and three continents. With Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Claude Makelele, Marcel Desailly, Ruud Gullit, Didier Drogba and Gianfranco Zola, the list of Chelsea legends is only set to grow on FIFA 21.
Francesco Totti would be a welcome addition to FIFA Ultimate Team, with the Roma legend one of the most iconic players to wear the number 10 shirt. The forward spent his entire career with I Giallorossi, winning one Serie A title, two Copa Italias, and two Supercoppa Italianas.
One of the hardest men to play in the Premier League, Nemanja Vidic captained Manchester United to five Premier League titles and a Champions League, forming a solid defensive partnership with FUT ICON Rio Ferdinand.
As we move to 2020 we can start to look at what this year holds for gamers. With the PS5 and Xbox Series X just around the corner, FIFA 21 will be one EA’s biggest launches for the football title in recent years.
One of the most anticipated aspects of a new FIFA game is always the player ratings and which players rank amongst the best.
FIFA 21 Player Rating Predictions
The following players are who we expect to be the top five rated players in FIFA 21 and their predicted ratings.
Lionel Messi (OVR 93)
No prizes for guessing who we predict as the number one man on FIFA 21 – it’s got be the footballing phenomenon that is Lionel Messi.
READ MORE: FIFA 20 Ultimate Team: All confirmed transfers & predictions
Messi has produced 13 goals and six assists in 14 games in La Liga so far this season and recently won the ballon d’Or. However, due to his age and his lack of European success recently we expect his overall rating to drop to 93.
Cristiano Ronaldo (OVR 92)
For years, Messi and Ronaldo have been battling out for top spot. It’s fair to say that the two of them have been in a league of their own in the footballing world, but now others are catching up.
The Portuguese forward has smashed in 14 Serie A goals so far this season, but will be 35 years old by the time FIFA 21 comes out! Unless Juve win the Champions League, we can’t see Ronaldo getting above a 92 rating.
Kevin De Bruyne (OVR 92)
As all Premier League fans have been witness to this season, Kevin De Bruyne has been utterly outstanding in his most recent Man City campaign.
READ MORE: FIFA 20 Premier League ratings refresh predictions
Guardiola’s squad have fallen short of Liverpool this season, and we dread to think how much bigger that gap would be if they didn’t have KDB. 92 overall would be a fair reflection of the Belgian’s talent.
Neymar Jr (OVR 92)
The Brazilian is probably in the prime of his footballing career – 12 goals and six assists in 14 appearances so far this season and it looks like Neymar fancies a move back to Barcelona.
Therefore, FIFA 21 will likely see the winger retain his 92 overall rating, but could we see a change of club?
Virgil van Dijk (OVR 91)
It’s not often that a centre back is hailed as a world class team’s best player – enter Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman has been an unbreakable force at the back for Liverpool, as they sail ahead in the Premier League.
Van Dijk probably deserves to be rated higher than 91 overall, but having been rated 90 last year, it’s unlikely he’ll jump to the lofty heights of 92.
READ MORE: Complete FIFA 20 Team of the Year ratings + 12th man & SBCs
To read everything about FIFA 21, including release date, cover star, trailer, Career mode, Ultimate Team and more, head here.