This is a retrospective shortlist of nine EA SPORTS FC 25 Ultimate Team player SBCs reported in December 2024—not a list of challenges available now. There was no authoritative, comparable ranking across all nine, so the picks below are a practical assessment based on the limited published details: card information, reported requirements, and how a challenge might fit a squad. Your best SBC depends on your positions, chemistry, fodder and play style.
EA’s December 6 Ultimate Succession announcement and December 20 Winter Wildcards announcement establish the campaign context. They do not rank SBCs by value or performance. EA explains that some item types, including Icons and Team of the Week items, can be SBC rewards in its Ultimate Team items guide.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
EA Sports FC 25 | $35.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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EA SPORTS FC 25 - Nintendo Switch | $30.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
EA SPORTS FC 26 Standard Edition PS4 | Video Games | English | $40.34 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![EA SPORTS FC 25 - EA app - PC [Online Game Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51lpGfM7JGL._SL160_.jpg)
|
EA SPORTS FC 25 - EA app - PC [Online Game Code] | $69.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
EA Sports FC 26 | Buy on Amazon |
How to read this December 2024 ranking
The order is an editorial shortlist, not a claim that one card was objectively best for every Ultimate Team. The available contemporaneous coverage supplies useful card and requirement details for Sané, Makélélé and Forlán, but not consistent attributes, role comparisons, prices or independent match testing for all nine. Where a source only names a candidate or reports its availability, that is all this guide claims.
Use the list to identify candidates, then judge them against your squad: position and role, chemistry, verified in-game attributes and play styles, challenge requirements, and the cost of spending coins or untradeable fodder. The sources do not establish that all nine were simultaneously available or had identical release windows.
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#1 Best Overall
- This video game is the world's leading football game; The Standard Edition contains the FC 25 full game
- EA SPORTS FC 25 has the best players from the biggest clubs and competitions around the globe, with match data from the world’s top leagues powering how 19,000+ players from 700+ authentic clubs move, play, and win in every match
- No matter how you choose to win in EA SPORTS FC 25, do it for the club
- EA SPORTS FC 25 gives you more ways to win for the club; Team up with friends in your favorite modes with the new 5v5 Rush, and manage your club to victory as FC IQ delivers more tactical control than ever before
- Get your team playing like the world’s best with FC IQ; An overhaul of tactical foundations across the game delivers greater strategic control and more realistic collective movement at the team level
The nine SBC candidates
1. Leroy Sané — Winter Wildcards
Sané has the clearest attacker-specific profile among the candidates with detailed reporting: a reported 89-rated card, four Skill Moves and a five-star Weak Foot. A December 20, 2024 guide lists four squad submissions: an 83-rated Bundesliga squad, an 85-rated squad including a Team of the Week player, then 86- and 87-rated squads. This makes him a candidate to consider if the card suits your attacking setup and the requirements are manageable with your fodder. The guide’s approximately 180,000-coin completion estimate was a publication-time snapshot, not a current price. Source: FifaUltimateTeam.it, December 20, 2024.
2. Claude Makélélé — Winter Wildcards Icon
Makélélé’s reported 88-rated Icon card is the shortlist’s defensive-midfield candidate. A December 19 guide describes seven requirements: bronze and silver squads, an 84-rated loan squad, Team of the Week requirements, French and Premier League squad requirements, and an 87-rated squad. That is a substantial set of submissions; consider the card only if its role fills a real need and you can spare the required players. The guide’s approximate 225,000-coin estimate reflects its publication date and is not comparable to a live market price. Source: FifaUltimateTeam.it, December 19, 2024.
Rank #2
- Team up with 5v5 Rush, a new way to play with friends in Football Ultimate Team, Clubs, and Kick-Off with small-sided gameplay.
- Get your team playing like the world’s best with FC IQ. An overhaul of tactical foundations across the game delivers greater strategic control and more realistic collective movement.
- For the first time, play an authentic Women’s Career experience, taking control of a club or player from the top five women’s leagues.
- Play, win, and progress with friends in more ways than ever before with Clubs. Connect with club mates in your all-new personalised Clubhouse and see your friends’ avatars when they enter the mode.
- Enjoy more ways to build your dream squad in Football Ultimate Team with the best past and present players from across The World’s Game.
3. Diego Forlán — Winter Wildcards Hero
Forlán is reported as an 89-rated card with four Skill Moves and a five-star Weak Foot. The December 19 guide lists Premier League, LaLiga, Team of the Week and 86-rated squad requirements. Those details make him worth checking for a team that can use the card and meet the league-specific submissions, but they are not enough to establish that he outperforms the other attackers. Source: FifaUltimateTeam.it, December 19, 2024.
4. Ze Roberto — Winter Wildcards Hero
A December 19 guide identifies Ze Roberto’s Hero SBC and reports that it could be redeemed on December 25. The reviewed coverage does not provide enough comparable performance information to rank him above the other candidates. Treat the date as the guide’s reported schedule, rather than proof of availability outside that window. Source: FifaUltimateTeam.it, December 19, 2024.
Rank #3
- EA SPORTS FC 26 is a football game with the best football players from the biggest clubs and competitions from all over the world games
- EA SPORTS FC 26 Standard Edition (Disc) for PS4 includes the entire game
- Play together with friends on different platforms. For EA SPORTS FC 26, cross-play* is available across PC, PlayStation and Xbox, grouping by platform generation. *Cross-play enabled in certain modes on same generation platforms
- Reworked game, driven by community feedback. The authentic game preset delivers the most faithful football experience ever in the career, while the pre-set competition game is tailored for Football Ultimate Team and Clubs games
- Experience Manager Career like never before with the all-new Manager Live Challenges. Earn rewards in the new season by taking on a variety of real-life scenarios and alternative stories - everything from a few minutes to several seasons
5. Gavi — Winter Wildcards
A December 28 guide reports Gavi’s SBC as available that day. The source extract does not establish a comparative performance grade, complete requirements or value ranking, so this is a candidate to investigate rather than a verified recommendation. Source: FifaUltimateTeam.it, December 28, 2024.
6. Freddie Ljungberg — Winter Wildcards Hero
A December 29 guide reports Ljungberg’s Hero SBC as available that day. It does not supply comparable performance evidence in the reviewed material; whether he makes sense depends on your squad and the in-game details shown for the challenge. Source: FifaUltimateTeam.it, December 29, 2024.
Rank #4
- Play, win, and progress with friends in more ways than ever before with Clubs. Connect with club mates in your all-new personalised Clubhouse and see your friends’ avatars when they enter the mode. Take your club to new heights and unlock game-changing opportunities with Facilities. Showcase your skills in Clubs Rush, the fast-paced small-sided football experience that gives you and your club the chance to prove your talent and take home exciting seasonal rewards.
- Enjoy more ways to build your dream squad in Football Ultimate Team with the best past and present players from across The World’s Game. Select your favourite Player Item and team up with friends to hit the pitch together in new small-sided 5v5 Rush matches, switch up your style of play with the click of a button by employing Manager Items and implementing their real-world tactical preferences, and unlock the full potential of your squad by finding the perfect Player Item with the Player Role that matches best how you want to play.
7. Socrates — Winter Wildcards
Socrates appears among the current player SBCs in a creator’s December 26 ranking. That makes him part of the period’s candidate pool, but the reviewed source does not independently establish his requirements, comparative value or a recommendation. Source: creator ranking, December 26, 2024.
8. Vinícius Jr. — POTM
POTM Vinícius Jr. is also named in the creator’s December 26 ranking. The reviewed coverage does not verify his exact SBC requirements or value relative to these other options. Check the challenge and card details from the relevant in-game listing before committing fodder. Source: creator ranking, December 26, 2024.
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- EA SPORTS FC 26 is a football video game featuring the best footballers from the biggest clubs and competitions from across The World’s Game
- EA SPORTS FC 26 Standard Edition (disc) for Xbox One and Xbox Series X contains the full game
- Play together with friends on different platforms. For EA SPORTS FC 26, cross-play* is available across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, grouping by platform generation.*Cross-play enabled in certain modes on same-generation platforms
- Overhauled gameplay, powered by community feedback. The Authentic Gameplay preset delivers the most true-to-football experience ever in Career, while the Competitive Gameplay preset is tailor-made for play in Football Ultimate Team and Clubs
- Experience Manager Career like never before with all-new Manager Live Challenges. Earn rewards throughout the new season by taking on a variety of real-world scenarios and alternative storylines – ranging from a few minutes to multiple seasons
9. Mohamed Salah — POTM
POTM Salah completes the nine-player shortlist, based on the same December 26 creator ranking. The source does not establish his exact requirements or a comparative value assessment, so his inclusion should not be read as proof that he was a better choice than another attacker. Source: creator ranking, December 26, 2024.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to decide whether an SBC is worth completing
- Start with the role you need. Decide which position or job in your starting team needs upgrading; a high overall rating alone does not make a card useful for your squad.
- Check the exact in-game challenge. Requirements can consume specific leagues, nationalities, ratings or Team of the Week items. The historical guides above describe some requirements, but they are not a substitute for an archived or in-game listing.
- Account for the fodder you already own. Coins are only one cost. Consider whether submitting untradeable players would block another upgrade or challenge you value more.
- Verify details before acting. This article describes December 2024 candidates; it is not a live SBC tracker. A card’s availability, challenge conditions and market context can change.
Historical coin estimates are not current prices
Only two approximate completion estimates are available in the cited guides: about 180,000 coins for Sané in a December 20, 2024 guide and about 225,000 coins for Makélélé in a December 19, 2024 guide. Both were dated estimates that could change with player prices. Their different publication dates and market conditions mean they are not a clean value comparison, and no comparable price series was established for the other seven candidates.
What this list can—and cannot—tell you
The nine names combine dated specialist guides with a creator’s December 26 ranking. The EA campaign announcements confirm December’s Ultimate Succession and Winter Wildcards context, but do not certify these as the nine best SBCs. The available evidence supports a historical shortlist, not a universal winner, a complete availability calendar or a performance ranking based on testing.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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