At its core, FIFA Ultimate Team, or FUT, is about players creating their perfect squads, using their favourite footballers to compete against other Ultimate Team users.
For many, their favourite players are no longer actively playing, and the majority may have retired many years ago. However, the introduction of legends/icons in the last few years means playing with these players is possible once again.
There are currently 100 icons available to players in FIFA Ultimate Team, but many footballing greats are still yet to be recognised.
New additions to the game this year included Fernando Torres, Nemanja Vidic and Ashley Cole, and with new icons added every year, we looked at the players that may be involved in FIFA 22.
John Terry
John Terry can consider himself unlucky to have not already been included as an icon in FIFA Ultimate Team. Fellow English centre-backs Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell and Bobby Moore, are currently part of the game whilst Jamie Carragher was once a Legend in FIFA 14.
Arguably, Terry’s legacy is only surpassed by the World Cup-winning Sir Bobby Moore, and thus an icon item in recognition of his achievements is the least that he deserves. Former teammates Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba are also included in the game, further highlighting the odd exclusion of the former Chelsea captain.
Terry won five Premier Leagues titles, five FA Cups and two Champions Leagues during his career, a trophy haul that far exceeds many icons already included in the game. Furthermore, the serial winner was also included in FIFA’s team of the century, further empathising his brilliance on the pitch.
Terry would be a fantastic addition as an Ultimate Team icon. He was a born winner at Chelsea, and his leadership and defensive abilities helped create one of the best teams of the Premier League era. He was strong in the tackle, unbeatable in the air and as brave as can be. There is definitely a place amongst the footballing elite for Terry, and hopefully, next years edition of the game will include the three-time UEFA defender of the year.
Yaya Toure
Known for his prowess in midfield and his keen eye for goal, Yaya Toure was at the heart of Manchester City’s rebirth in the early 2010s, where he won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and two League Cups.
The former Ivory Coast international scored 82 goals in 470 appearances across his career. A quarter of which came when he spearheaded Manchester City’s 2014 Premier League success scoring 20 goals and providing four assists from the heart of midfield.
Elsewhere, Toure had success with Barcelona as part of their sextuple winning squad in 2009 as well as winning the African Cup of Nation with the Ivory Coast in 2015.
Often regarded as one of Africa’s best-ever players, the four-time African player of the year has achieved everything necessary to be considered an iconic footballing figure. Thus, an icon card to recognise this is likely to follow in FIFA 22.
Xabi Alonso
A player whose performances were the epitome of class and grace, Xabi Alonso is often a forgotten hero of the great Spanish teams of the 21st century.
Alonso played a crucial role in Spain’s domination of international football between 2008 and 2012, winning two European Championships and one World Cup.
Regularly overlooked due to the greatness of his teammates, Alonso was also vital to Liverpool’s Champions League final comeback against AC Milan in 2005.
Alonso made 547 appearances for teams such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Liverpool, and earned 114 caps for Spain. Therefore, a career laden with silverware whilst playing for Europe’s elite means the Spaniard is as deserving of an icon card as any player in the last 20 years.
Brandon Russell: Sports News 