Icons That Are Missing In EA Sports FC 25

Icon cards are some of the most sought-after in EA Sports FC 25. Legendary soccer players such as Pele, Zinedine Zidane, and Johan Cruyff have been rewarded with this special card despite no longer playing professionally.

Even players who have not done so much in the game, like Steven Gerrard, Henrik Larsson, and Juan Sebastian Veron have been immortalized in EA FC 2 5. But not everyone has made the cut. There are hundreds of players who stake a claim to be included as an icon item in the game. These athletes should have been added…

Updated on November 8, 2024, by Ben Painter: Icons are the best cards to use on EA Sports FC 25 Ultimate Team. Not only do they have the best stats, but it gives gamers a chance to use players who have retired from football. There are many iconic players, who are icons; Michael Owen, Frank Lampard and Paolo Maldini to name a few, but there are some retired soccer stars who are absent. This updated list changes from EA Sports FC 24, removing Gianluigi Buffon, Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale, who were added in this latest entry. Adding three new icons who should have been included in EA Sports FC 25.

1 Adebayo Akinfenwa

Last Game Appearance: FIFA 22

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• Best Attributes If Added:
  • Strength
  • Aggression
  • Heading Accuracy

Adebayo Akinfenwa may look out of place compared to some others on this list, but the Beast is definitely an icon when it comes to FIFA. In every edition of the game, the English striker was the strongest player of the game, a feat which he embraced himself on social media.

Icons are usually reserved for the best soccer players in the world, with the lowest being around 88-rated, Akinfenwa got nowhere near that during his playing career. There must be an exception made for Akinfenwa, as it is a crime to no longer have him in the game, due to his retirement in 2022. Perhaps if not an icon card, a hero card or even a completely new card entirely, it is only what he deserves.

2 Giorgos Karagounis

Last Game Appearance: FIFA 14

• Best Attributes If Added:
  • Long Shots
  • Shot Power
  • Penalties

There is a lack of Greek representation in EA Sports FC 25, when it comes to icons. There is only one man who fits the bill, Giorgos Karagounis, who played for Panathinaikos, Inter Milan, Benfica and Fulham. He would be an awesome player to use in the game as his best attribute was his ability to score powerful goals from long range.

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Karagounis is known in the wider soccer world for being a driving factor in Greece’s shock 2004 Euro win; the side was far from favorites for the tournament. A historic team which needs to be remembered and there is no one more deserving than this midfielder.

3 Gabriel Batistuta

Last Game Appearance: N/A

• Best Attributes If Added:
  • Finishing
  • Shot Power
  • Penalties

Nicknamed ‘Batigol’ for his goal-scoring ability, the Argentine joins an elite list of strikers from the nation, who always seem to be stacked in that position. Batistuta played mainly for Fiorentina in Italy and is so regarded by them that he even has a bronze statue outside their ground.

In Ultimate Team, he would be a deadly striker, a nightmare for opposition defenders in the penalty box, he was strong in the air, hard-working, harnessed a powerful shot and was adept at taking free kicks. These are all attributes which gamers look for in their EA FC 25 strikers, and it is amiss that Batigol is nowhere to be seen.

4 John Terry

Last Game Appearance: FIFA 18

• Best Attributes If Added:
  • Heading
  • Tackling
  • Strength

Chelsea’s legendary defender and captain is regarded as one of the Premier League’s best central defenders. It is a crying shame that he was not given an icon card on EA Sports FC 25. If added, he will undoubtedly be a rock at the back with fantastic aerial ability and tough tackles.

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Other Blues legends such as Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard have been awarded icon cards, so it makes sense that their long-serving player is also put into the game. There have been some amazing Terry cards over the years, with his last appearance being in 2018 when he signed for Aston Villa in the EFL Championship.

5 Kevin Keegan

Last Game Appearance: N/A

• Best Attributes If Added:
  • Dribbling
  • Finishing
  • Heading Accuracy

Younger fans of soccer and EA Sports FC, may not know that Kevin Keegan was regarded as one of the best players in the world during his playing career. He won back-to-back Ballon d’Or’s in 1978 and 1979 as he won the Bundesliga with Hamburg and was European Cup runner-up.

If added to EA Sports FC 25, his pace would be electric, his finishing and dribbling would be a joke and, despite not being the tallest, he would also be a threat in the air. Although many English icons are already in the game, the fact that he is one of the only Englishmen to win the Best Player award is enough of a warrant to add him to the virtual soccer field.

6 Gerard Pique

Last Game Appearance: FIFA 23

• Best Attributes If Added:
  • Defending
  • Heading
  • Passing

This FC Barcelona legend recently retired from the game, and his absence has been sorely noted in La Liga teams in Ultimate Team. The Spanish defender was a stalwart for many clubs with his amazing defending stats and ability to play out from the back with ease, an attribute which is very common in the modern style of gameplay.

Pique would join the likes of Carlos Puyol, Ronaldo, and Johan Cruyff as the former Barca players present in the game mode. They are one of the most iconic teams in soccer and Pique deserves to be immortalized with an icon card.

7 Diego Maradona

Last Game Appearance: FIFA 22

• Best Attributes If Added:

Without a doubt, one of the best players to ever grace a soccer field, Maradona is regularly grouped with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the best of all time. In previous editions of the game, the Argentine was included in the roster of Icons/Legends, but due to licensing issues, he was removed from FIFA 22 aand hasn’t been included since.

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It is long overdue that Maradona is re-added as an icon, as the game needs one of the mavericks and overall best players in its history to still be useable in video game format. Especially considering Maradona is no longer with us, he deserves to be included in memoriam.

8 Stanley Matthews

Last Game Appearance: N/A

• Best Attributes If Added:

The first-ever winner of the Ballon d’Or, in 1956, Stanley Matthews is an absolute legend of the game. He played for the likes of Stoke City and Blackpool, not big clubs now, but at the time they were some of the biggest football teams in England.

Matthews is the oldest player to ever play a game at the highest level in England, at 50 years old, and also the oldest player to play for the National Team, at 42. Although the game was a little different back then, it still is an impressive feat. Matthews would have insane dribbling stats, a deep bag of tricks, and would be able to finish well if he were to be added to the icon roster on EA Sports FC.

9 John Charles

Last Game Appearance: N/A

• Best Attributes If Added:
  • Strength
  • Heading
  • Finishing

Dubbed the best foreign export of Italian side Juventus, John Charles also put on the shirts of Leeds United and AS Roma throughout his illustrious career. What was special about Charles was that he was comfortable playing at both CB and ST, so he would be a very unique icon card in the game. Using the fluid method of changing positions added in the game, he could fit seamlessly into both defense and attack.

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The Welshman was both footed, exceptional in the air, and had the strength of an ox, all skills which would make for a perfect forward in Ultimate Team.

10 Mesut Ozil

Last Game Appearance: FIFA 23

• Best Attributes If Added:
  • Dribbling
  • Passing
  • Set-piece Delivery

Fans of the game will recognize this German, as he was always a go-to CAM in Ultimate Team playing for the likes of Real Madrid and Arsenal in his career. He retired after last season, playing for İstanbul Başakşehir in Turkey, and there has been a maestro-shaped hole ever since.

Ozil was largely underrated as a player, but deserving of an icon after winning many titles in his career, including four FA Cups for Arsenal. A superb dribbler – which should be highlighted on his potential icon card – along with his eye for a pass and pinpoint set-piece delivery, Ozil will be able to play as a CAM, CM, RW and LW in the game, making him a very versatile midfield player.

11 David Villa

Last Game Appearance: FIFA 20

• Best Attributes If Added:

David Villa was a bit of a journeyman throughout his career, playing for the likes of FC Barcelona, Sporting Gijon, Atletico Madrid, New York City FC, Melbourne City and Vissel Kobe. But he is best known for his exploits with Valencia and the Spain National Team, where he won the World Cup and the Euros.

There are a lot of Spanish Icons in the game, but it is amiss that Villa is not among their roster due to his versatility as a forward. He was regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, and this should have been explored in EA Sports FC 25. If added, he could play as a ST, on either wing or maybe also as a CAM.

12 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Last Game Appearance: FIFA 23

• Best Attributes If Added:
  • ​​​​​​​Strength
  • Dribbling
  • Skill Moves

Recently retired Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been ever present in Ultimate Team since its conception in FIFA 10. It is strange to have a soccer game without Zlatan in it. Known for his off-the-field antics as well as his goal-scoring prowess on it, the big Swede was one of the best strikers of his generation.

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Certain to have amazing finishing stats, 5-star skills, and the technical and flair playstyles, Ibrahimovic will be a card that most gamers would use on Ultimate Team… if they can afford him, that is.

13 Toni Kroos

Last Game Appearance: EA Sports FC 24

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• Best Attributes If Added:
  • ​​​​​​​Passing
  • Dribbling
  • Positioning

The footballing world was shocked when Toni Kroos announced his retirement at the end of last season. The sudden nature of his hanging up the boots was probably the reason why the German was not given an Icon card for EA Sports FC 25, as there was not a lot of time to do so for the developers.

However, if he was added, he would be one of the most sought-after midfielders, with a fantastic passing range, an eye for goal and also super dribbling. He will set the tempo of the game from midfield and be most effective when operating as a central, deeper midfielder, just like he did for many years for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

14 Sergio Aguero

Last Game Appearance: FIFA 22

• Best Attributes If Added:

In a different world, Sergio Aguero would still be on Ultimate Team as he was prematurely forced to retire at the age of 33, not long after a move to Barcelona, due to heart problems. His last card in FIFA 22 was an 87-rated, proving that he still had a lot to offer in the game.

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An icon for Manchester City as they staked a claim as one of the main forces in soccer, Aguero was famous for scoring a last-minute winner in 2022 to gift his side their first-ever Premier League. That alone was enough to cement an Icon card in FC 25

15 Paul Gascoigne

Last Game Appearance: N/A

• Best Attributes If Added:
  • Dribbling
  • Passing
  • Skill Moves

Completely absent from all editions of the game formerly known as FIFA, as he called time on his career in 2004 before the game had an Ultimate Team mode. The legendary English midfielder Paul Gascoigne was known for his excellent ability on the ball, his eye for goals, and his superb passing range.

“Gazza” sadly had issues in his life which stopped him from reaching the heights that his ability should have taken him, but, what he did for club and country was enough to deserve the title of EA Sports FC 25 Icon. If given a card in the future, he will go down as one of the best dribblers in the game mode’s history.

16 Franz Beckenbaur

Last Game Appearance: FIFA 17

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• Best Attributes If Added:
  • ​​​​​​​Defending
  • Short Passing
  • Strength

This Bayern Munich and Germany legend was once in the game as recently as FIFA 17. He has since passed away, so that stakes more of a claim for EA to include him once again as an icon to ensure that his legacy is remembered by the fans who were not old enough to see him play.

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One of the best defenders to ever grace a soccer field, Beckenbaur won many titles with Bayern Munich and is one of the very rare few to lift the World Cup as a player and as a manager. He is an iconic figure of the sport and his absence from Ultimate Team has gone too long.

17 Arjen Robben

Last Game Appearance: FIFA 21

• Best Attributes If Added:
  • Pace
  • Finesse Shot
  • Dribbling

The Dutch winger was famous for his signature move, cutting inside onto his left foot from the right wing and causing damage. Defenders knew what he was going to do every time, but Robben was so good that no one could stop him.

With blistering pace and a deadly left foot, if Robben was included as an icon in EA Sports FC 24 he would be a highly used item on the right wing, certainly having the finesse shot playstyle. He will be among great company with Dutch legends such as Ronald Koeman, Clarence Seedorf, and Ruud Van Nistelrooy, making an amazing squad featuring players from the Netherlands.

18 Alfredo Di Stefano

Last Game Appearance: N/A

• Best Attributes If Added:

Alfredo Di Stefano was a legend in the 50s and 60s, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner and winner of multiple La Liga and Champions League titles with Real Madrid.

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Originally from Argentina, Di Stefano played at a time when FIFA wasn’t so strict when it came to what country players could represent, so he played six games for Argentina before switching to Spain. He could become the first icon to have multiple nationalities in Ultimate Team if he ever receives an icon card. A natural finisher, he could put away any chance and was the focal point of a historic Real Madrid team.

19 Edgar Davids

Last Game Appearance: N/A

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• Best Attributes If Added:
  • ​​​​​​​Tackling
  • Stamina
  • Strength

For a player with such an iconic look, it’s a wonder why EA Sports has not included Davids among their icon roster. The Dutchman was a tenacious midfielder who could do anything on the football pitch. In the game, he would be a solid box-to-box midfielder with great physicality and tackling stats.

He was most famous for his spell with Serie A side Juventus, but infamously, he ended his career as Player-Manager of Barnet in the English fifth tier, where he donned the number 1 shirt, usually reserved for goalkeepers.

20 Francesco Totti

Last Game Appearance: FIFA 17

• Best Attributes If Added:
  • ​​​​​​​Dribbling
  • Passing
  • Finishing

A player who oozes class and loyalty, Francesco Totti spent his entire career playing for his boyhood club AS Roma, despite having the ability to go on and play for more established clubs and add to his one Serie A title.

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That alone was deserving of an icon in EA Sports FC 25, but on the field he was regarded as one of the greatest Italian players of all time. Versatile, he could play in multiple positions in attack and chip in with goals and assists. There is rarely a one-club player in soccer and Totti is comfortably the cream of the crop.

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Released

September 27, 2024

Developer(s)

EA Canada , EA Romania

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OpenCritic Rating

Strong