FC 25 Men's Team of The Year Predictions

With TOTY just around the corner, here’s a look at what we think the team will be. This is not our personal opinion on TOTY, but instead who we believe will feature. With Real Madrid lifting the Champions League trophy and Spain winning the Euros, expect players from those sides to dominate this team.

Emiliano Martinez - GK - 87 > 94 OVR

While it doesn’t sit right with me that Aston Villa are going to feature in a TOTY side, I think it’s clear to see that Martínez will be the goalkeeper this season. Just about every serious vote I have seen has included the Argentine, with his performances in the World Cup still fresh in the mind. The Premier League also has a strong bias in these voting-based sides, so with the better links, Martínez also gets a lot of votes that way.

Carvajal - RB - 85 > 94 OVR

It’s been a while since the TOTY has deviated from LB - CB - CB - RB, and I see no reason why that will differ again this time around. While you may see the odd Trent shout, there is only one real candidate for the RB position, and that is Carvajal. The Spaniard won just about everything this past year and was a regular in both the Madrid and Spain sides. There is good reason that Carvajal came fourth in the Ballon d’Or standings—the highest defender in the award by quite some distance, with the next best coming in 22nd.

Virgil Van Dijk - CB - 89 > 96 OVR

While Liverpool are still performing well, it’s practically inevitable that Van Dijk will feature in this side. The Dutchman is widely recognised as one of the best central defenders of the past decade, and you only have to look at the likes of Dani Alves and Ramos to see how long they sustained their TOTY spots due to that status. That being said, I do actually think Van Dijk makes a valid claim for this position regardless of reputation. The two factors combined mean his spot in this side is all but guaranteed.

Antonio Rudiger - CB - 88 > 95 OVR

There can be arguments for Saliba in this position, and I do feel that it is the only defensive spot which is up for debate. The Champions League winners often get preference in these tight decisions, though, so I am going to opt for Rüdiger. The German was consistently reliable at the back, offering that last line of defence, allowing the magnitude of talented offensive players to thrive in that Real Madrid side.

Theo Hernandez - LB - 87 > 95 OVR

Hernández could easily make it back-to-back years as the LB for TOTY, with competition being relatively low for him. I can’t see enough people wanting a Grimaldo TOTY for the Spaniard to sneak in ahead of Hernández. The pacey Frenchman is hugely popular among the community, so while he remains one of the best LBs in the world, I can’t see this position in the side being taken away from him.

Florian Wirtz - CAM - 88 > 96 OVR

I think not having a Leverkusen player feature in this side would be seriously unjust, but it’s a reality that could happen. There were a few players from the unbeaten German champions’ side, but realistically, the only three that stand a chance are Grimaldo, Frimpong, and Wirtz. I feel that Carvajal has too much going for him for Frimpong to sneak in, and Grimaldo is simply not popular enough, while Hernandez is a contender. Wirtz, however, does stand a good chance. The talented German pulls the strings in the middle of the park for Leverkusen, with both eleven goals and eleven assists to his name. Several top clubs were linked with his signature, and his future is unquestionably huge.

Rodri - CDM - 91 > 98 OVR

Rodri is not the usual candidate for TOTY, with his base card not being as popular as the rest in this prediction. The Spaniard won the Ballon d’Or, though, and that status alone secures his spot in this side. After all, how can it be a TOTY without the officially recognised best player in the world? You only have to look at the high-profile downfall of City with Rodri out of their side to see just how important he is to City’s dominance.

Jude Bellingham - CM - 90 > 97 OVR

During the first half of the year, it looked to be a certainty that Bellingham would receive the Ballon d’Or and was the early favourite to do so. Although he failed to sustain that ridiculous level for Madrid, his performances were still influential in their season, and who can forget that last-minute overhead kick to keep English hopes alive? Jude ended up coming third. Another easy choice for this side, with the Englishman likely to hold this position for the next decade, injuries aside.

Vinicius Jr - LW - 90 > 98 OVR

Whether you felt Vini deserved the Ballon d’Or or not, what isn’t up for debate is his position in the TOTY. The Brazilian has fully embraced the hype surrounding him as a youngster and has developed into one of the best players in the world. While we are not talking Messi or Ronaldo numbers in La Liga, the Brazilian is a game-changer in any match, with his performances in the Champions League showing just how good he can be. In terms of rating, I fully expect EA to play it safe and award both Vini and Rodri the same rating.

Kylian Mbappe - ST - 91 > 97 OVR

There are arguments that Mbappé shouldn’t be in this side, and while I understand them, you need to realise that he is the most popular player in the game, and his reputation is so high that he is going to be extremely difficult to dislodge. So, while you can argue for Gyökeres or Harry Kane, both of whom have superior goal-scoring records, Kane’s popularity in FUT won’t cut it in the voting, and with Gyökeres being in the Portuguese league, I just don’t see it as a viable option.

Mohamed Salah - RW - 89 > 96 OVR

With this process being primarily a voting-based selection, Salah gains some additional benefits, mainly recency bias. The Egyptian has been ridiculous so far this campaign for Liverpool, with eighteen goals and thirteen assists from the opening nineteen matches in the Premier League. As previously stated, the PL often receives some bias in this voting system. Next year, Salah is going to be a lock, but I feel that his form has come at the right time to also sneak into this side.

12th Man

Lamine Yamal - RW - 81 > 96 OVR

Historically, the 12th player has gone to an attacker, and I fully expect that trend to continue here. The main candidates for this position are all attackers, with Yamal, Haaland, and Gyökeres being the three that spring to mind. I still can’t see a Portuguese league player featuring, regardless of how well he performed in that division, and with Haaland, I feel that his and Man City’s recent drop-off is fresh in everyone’s mind. Yamal has huge hype around him, and the Spaniard blew minds during the European Championship, of which he heavily featured in as Spain went on to lift the trophy.