Icons were introduced to FIFA in the FIFA 18 season. They replaced previous items known as Legends. They are items which allow players to play with their footballing idols of the past. Previous years have seen legends such as Ronaldinho, R9 Ronaldo, and Ruud Gullit, to name a few. Therefore, players anticipate the addition of new Icons each year in the game’s most popular mode, Ultimate Team.
We have previously seen some of the new Icons in a FIFA 19 reveal event during the FIFA E-World Cup in August. You can check out an article about that here. To summarize, new Icons such as Steven Gerrard and Johan Cruyff were announced for the game. Since Legend items were adapted into Icons, EA has a good way of telling a story for each player. They release three different items, which represent different parts of their career. As mentioned in a previous article, Steven Gerrard made a video about the different items that he has in the game.
However, most players will have an item from early in their career, this is known as a “baby card” in the FIFA community. They will then have an item from the end of their career, and an item for when they were in their prime, also known as a “prime card.” This item will the highest rated of the three. EA released eleven new items to be introduced into the game. In this article, I will be going over each of the new Icons, with career accomplishments and how they might play in the game.
Socrates
Socrates was a Brazilian attacking midfielder during the 1970s and 1980s. His skillful style of play made him a huge fan favorite among Brazilian supporters. Even though he only played in the Brazilian League, he was known around the world for his performances on the international stage. In addition to this, he secured a medical degree. This degree, along with his political awareness, gave him the nickname The Doctor.
In FIFA, he will most likely be a player who possesses a lot of skills (maybe 4/5 stars). This will ensure that he is a key target for most FUT players. He may be a cheaper version of players such as Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. He also reminds me of Romario, a legend who was in FIFA 14, before being removed for having political involvement in Brazil.
Gennaro Gattuso
Gattuso is known for being one of the most feared players on the pitch in his prime. He was a defensive midfielder who controlled the game along with players such as Pirlo in the Italian international setup. Today, he is the head coach for AC Milan, where he reigned for so long as a player.
He is returning after a year’s absence in FIFA. Gattuso was in FIFA 17 but was removed in the latest iteration of the game due to licensing issues. He will not be hugely utilized by top-tier players. However, he will be a good option for players to cannot afford items such as Ruud Gullit. He could act as a cheap version of that.
Luis Figo
Figo was known as one of the greatest Portuguese players of all time. His reigns at Barcelona and Real Madrid made him very well known among all football supporters. He was such an influential player in terms of creation and goal scoring for each of the clubs that he played for, as well as the national team.
Once again, he is a player who was removed in FIFA 17 for licensing reasons, however, he is returning in FIFA 19. He will not be widely used in FUT. That said, he may be another player that can be used as a cheap alternative to players like George Best, who we will get on to later.
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German midfielder who was most widely known for being a huge influence at Chelsea and Bayer Munich from 1999 – 2010. He was vital in securing championships for these teams and was feared by the opposition. In addition to this, he was known for being very aggressive on the pitch.
Each of Michael Ballack’s card looks extremely good for a competitive Ultimate Team. Depending on what his weak foot and skills moves are like, he could be a good replacement for Ruud Gullit, with all of his card stats being above 80 rating on his “prime card.” This is certainly an item which we will see a lot of in FIFA 19 competitive play.
Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann was a German goalkeeper who is well known for being part of the Arsenal Invincibles. They were the only squad to go unbeaten in a Premier League season. After leaving Arsenal, his club and international career went downhill, however, he will be well known among Arsenal fans for the rest of time.
He is another player who was removed from FIFA in FIFA 17 following licensing issues. He will be a welcomed return with his “prime card” being 90 rated. However, you may still see players such as David De Gea used ahead of him in competitive play.
George Best
George Best was one of the best Manchester United players of all time. He reigned at United for 11 years during the 60s and 70s. He amounted over 350 appearances with 171 goals scored. This cemented his legacy in Manchester. He was known for being one of the best dribblers on the planet with electrifying pace.
These assets will certainly be used in FIFA 19 with stats above 90 for dribbling and pace on each of his three cards. Best is another player who was removed after FIFA 17 due to licensing reasons. He will return in FIFA 19. This card was widely used by competitive players in FIFA 17. Specifically, Gorilla used Best and is very happy with his return to Ultimate Team.
There are more items to come in a future article, but for now, which Icon will you be looking to pick up in FIFA 19? We’d love to hear from you. Finally, if you want to keep up with all of the new FIFA news, check out our FIFA archives here. This will ensure that you have the most up-to-date information, as soon as it drops.
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