In the world of football, the 2022/23 season is reaching its apex. Lionel Messi secured his legacy as the greatest footballer of all time before Christmas by leading Argentina to a first FIFA World Cup success in 36 years. Now, however, attention has turned to the continent of Europe, as the top leagues and continental competitions reach their climax.
In England, Manchester City look to have finally gotten the better of Arsenal after a season-long battle in their race for a fifth Premier League title in six years. The same can be said in Germany, as recent hiccups in the Bundesliga have scuppered Borussia Dortmund’s plans of ending Bayern Munich’s decade-plus-long grip on the Meisterschale. When it comes to the Champions League, two mouth-watering semifinals are on the horizon, with Real Madrid and Manchester City as well as Milan’s two behemoths – AC and Inter – going head-to-head for a place in the Istanbul showpiece.
FIFA Ultimate Team
While the real footballing world has a tantalizing few months upcoming, the same can be said of the FIFA video game franchise. Those that play the game incessantly will tell you the end of the season is the best time to play the beloved game, as EA Sports are constantly releasing supercharged players on FIFA Ultimate Team. And this season is no different.
FUT has often been criticized for its similarities to gambling over the years, as players buy virtual packs hoping to get lucky with rare and valuable players. This setup is comparable to gambling in a casino, however unlike Bovada’s roulette games online to play for you which have been known to pay out big wins to players, Ultimate Team regularly provides disappointment. In both cases, players are enticed by the thrill of chance, despite the odds against being against them.
That’s why we prefer to turn our attention to the transfer market, rather than to packs. And if you’ve been paying attention in recent weeks, there are a bucket load of Team of the Season stars that are available at bargain basement prices. Here are two of our favorites.
James Tavernier – 90 Overall – 38,000 Coins
Has there been a more consistent performer in the Scottish Premiership in the last few years than Rangers captain James Tavernier? The English fullback has captained The Gers for a few years now, and he has consistently performed at the highest of levels. He led the club to their first title in almost a decade back in 2021, before leading the Ibrox outfit to the UEFA Europa League final last season, defeating the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig along the way.
Following another stellar campaign this year, a campaign which has included 17 goals and eight assists from right back, Tavernier has been rewarded with a Team of the Season card. And his stats are outrageous. An overall rating of 90, with 93 paces, 85 shooting, 88 passing, 87 dribbling, 83 defending, and 91 physicality make him one of the best right-backs in the game. In fact, he is now the joint-best English full-back in the game and there are only 18 right-backs better than him in the entire game.
All those 18 players come with whopping price tags, however. Even the two English cards that this TOTS Tavs is level with, namely FUT Centurions Trent Alexander-Arnold and ShowDown Ben White, are both a minimum of 200k more expensive than the Rangers captain. At 38,000 coins, he is the very definition of a bargain, and the market will notice and correct surely, so get him snapped up as soon as possible.
Declan Rice – 89 Overall – 33,000 Coins
Our second bargain Team of the Season is another English sensation, this time West Ham United captain Declan Rice. The central midfielder has been a revelation for both club and country in recent years. He has been instrumental in leading the Hammers to back-to-back European semifinals, just as he was when he led his country to the final of the European Championships in the summer of 2021.
Despite West Ham struggling in the Premier League this year, their 24-year-old talisman has been as impressive as ever. He has featured 43 times in all competitions and helped his team with four goals and four assists in that time, not bad for a holding midfielder. And the season could yet end with silverware, as just AZ Alkmaar stand between the Hammers and a first European final in 58 years.
One of the biggest criticisms from gamers regarding Rice is his lack of pace. His original card has just 71 pace and is regularly overrun in midfield. However, this TOTS version has seen that number increase to 84, and with 86 dribbling, 90 defending, 91 physicality, and 83 passing to support, the 24-year-old Englishman is primed and ready to increase your win rate and lead you to glory.