The towering Tuscan made his mark with Parma
Gamers are gearing up for the release of EA FC 25 and that means the return of popular game mode Ultimate Team.
It also means there will be a new batch of Icons and Heroes arriving.
While Heroes are players who made significant contributions to their clubs and countries, Icons are some of the best players in the history of football.
EA FC 25 will see eight new Icons in the game – three male and five female.
As Icons, some will be gracing EA Sports’ flagship sports game for the first time while others are returning just a few years after retiring.
With EA FC 25 releasing on September 27, 2024, we look at the new Icons in more detail.
Gareth Bale
Perhaps the most-anticipated Icon given that he only retired in 2023, Gareth Bale comes to EA FC 25 as an 88-rated player.
Gareth Bale’s Premier League career peaked in the 2012-13 season with Tottenham, where he earned the Player of the Season award.
That summer, he moved to Real Madrid, where he achieved remarkable success.
He won multiple titles, including three La Liga titles and five UEFA Champions League trophies.
Bale retired as Wales’ most capped player and all-time top scorer, having led his country to a historic 4th-place finish in their debut at Euro 2016 and securing qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Gianluigi Buffon
Italian shot-stopper Gianluigi Buffon was the first confirmed Icon coming to EA FC 25 Ultimate Team.
Gianluigi Buffon upheld the legacy of Italian football for over 30 years.
The towering Tuscan made his mark with Parma, capturing the 1998-99 UEFA Cup.
His career soared after a move to Juventus at the turn of the century, where he claimed 10 Serie A titles, including a remarkable streak of seven consecutive championships from 2011-12 to 2017-18.
Buffon’s crowning glory came in 2006 when he lifted the World Cup.
That same year, he finished second in the Ballon d’Or for his standout performances.
Lotta Schelin
Lotta Schelin made a bold move when she joined Olympique Lyonnais in the summer of 2008.
At the time, French clubs weren’t yet among Europe’s elite but OL’s ambitious vision, combined with Schelin’s relentless goal-scoring ability, quickly transformed the team.
During her tenure, they claimed three UEFA Women’s Champions League titles and eight consecutive league titles.
Schelin retired as Sweden’s all-time leading scorer, having also helped her national team secure a third-place finish at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Her impact on the game will now be honoured in EA FC 25.
Marinette Pichon
In 2002, Marinette Pichon left her native France to join the United States’ first-ever fully professional women’s league.
Although her debut season with the Philadelphia Charge ended without a title, she outshone a field of top local and international talent to win the MVP Award.
Pichon carried this success to the international stage, leading France to their first-ever Women’s World Cup appearance in 2003.
Fittingly, she scored France’s first World Cup goal.
Lilian Thuram
Lilian Thuram etched his name into French football history during the 1998 World Cup.
With France trailing 1-0 in the semi-final against Croatia, the tenacious defender scored a stunning brace to secure a place in the final.
His standout performances at right-back earned him the Bronze Ball as the tournament’s 3rd best player.
Thuram’s illustrious career also boasts a Euro 2000 victory with France, a UEFA Cup triumph with Parma in 1998-99, and two Serie A titles with Juventus.
Rated 88, EA FC 25 players will now have the chance to have Thuram in the same team as his son Marcus.
Julie Foudy
Julie Foudy joins Mia Hamm as an American Icon in EA FC 25.
Making her international debut for the United States at just 17, Foudy quickly became a standout in a team that captured the hearts of a nation still warming to football in the 1990s.
After winning the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991, the USWNT secured a thrilling second title on home soil in 1999.
The excitement generated by their success helped pave the way for the rise of full professionalism in women’s football at the turn of the millennium.
Aya Miyama
Aya Miyama’s resilience in the face of adversity helped Japan make history at the 2011 Women’s World Cup.
In the final, Japan twice found themselves trailing a heavily favoured United States, but Miyama stepped up each time to keep Japan’s hopes alive.
She first netted a crucial equaliser in regular time.
Miyama then delivered a perfect corner in extra time that Homare Sawa converted, forcing the match into penalties, where Japan ultimately triumphed.
EA FC 25 will now be able to reunite Miyama with Sawa, who has some of the best Icon cards in EA FC 24.
Nadine Angerer
After winning every major club honour with Turbine Potsdam, Nadine Angerer made a memorable debut as Germany’s starting goalkeeper at the 2007 Women’s World Cup.
She didn’t concede a single goal throughout the tournament, even saving a penalty from Brazilian star Marta in the final to secure the title.
Angerer continued to have success with Germany.
This included a standout performance in their 2013 Euros victory.
It led Angerer to become the first goalkeeper – male or female – to be named FIFA World Player of the Year.
These new Icons will change the way you play Ultimate Team and along with the existing Icons, there will be more opportunities to create unique teams.
It will also provide more chances to use players you grew up watching.
Some will be better than others, therefore they will be more expensive.
EA FC 25 is almost here but expect further surprise announcements.
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