At the beginning of Ultimate Team in EA FC 25, many players are looking for strong cards for little currency. MyMMO author Thomas Dummer has tried out perhaps the best footballer of all time and is still convinced by the aging superstar. And he is luring with an unprecedented, low price at such an early stage.
What kind of player is he? Lionel Messi is undoubtedly one of the best players to ever exist. At both national and international levels, he has won everything there is to win with his clubs and the national team. Additionally, he has 8 awards for World Footballer of the Year.
At 37 years old, the Argentine is now taking it a bit easier in the American league (MLS). This also affects his card in EA FC 25, as Messi had never received a lower rating in Ultimate Team than his 88 rating:
Why does Messi cost less than 20,000 coins? Compared to FC 24, Messi has received a downgrade of -2 in rating. The pace of the former super-dribbler has even fallen below 80. In the stats for Shooting, Passing, and Dribbling, he also suffers reductions of 2 or 3 points each.
Furthermore, Messi is somewhat harder to link due to his league, making it challenging to play with full team chemistry.
Nevertheless, it can be noted that his stats still look more than just decent. If you know how to utilize his strengths, the weaknesses of his card become almost negligible. We will show you how to properly highlight Messi’s advantages.
Messi is still outstanding, especially against 5-man defenses
Why is Messi still outstanding in FC 25? Messi’s unique feature has always been his extraordinary dribbling. His low center of gravity combined with his dribbling stats makes it difficult to separate him from the ball on both the real and virtual football pitch.
With the PlayStyle “Technique” in Gold, he can perform the controlled sprint (R1 on PlayStation/ RB on Xbox) at a higher speed and increased agility. The controlled sprint is perfect for dribbling around a defender with increased speed or creating some space from an attacking opponent.
The PlayStyle “Quick Step” is another strong PlayStyle that gives you a speed boost on the first few meters of a sprint (R2 on PlayStation/ RT on Xbox).
Especially at this stage in FC 25, where normal dribbling with the left stick still feels sluggish, the controlled sprint and Quick Step are almost the only options to gain an advantage in 1-on-1 duels, assuming you do not want to rely solely on the secret sprint boost.
However, Messi cannot be restricted to just his dribbling. The Argentine also has strong shooting and passing PlayStyles that are perfect for overcoming deep 5-man defenses.
Strong shooting and passing PlayStyles against deep 5-man defenses
What strong shooting PlayStyles does Messi have? With the PlayStyle “Curled Shot,” he possesses one of the best PlayStyles in FC 25, which gives your finesse shots (R1+Circle on PlayStation/ RB+B on Xbox) more speed, precision, and curve.
Another strong PlayStyle is “Trivela,” which allows you to perform outside foot shots (L2+Circle on PlayStation/ LT+B on Xbox) with more precision.
How to use Messi’s shooting PlayStyles against a 5-man defense: If your opponent is parking the bus in front of their penalty area, you can use the shooting PlayStyles for dangerous long-range shots.
When shooting from outside the penalty area, make sure to aim for the far corner with Messi’s strong left foot. This means, with a curled shot, you always aim for the left side of the goal and with an outside foot shot for the right side of the goal (from your perspective).
What strong passing PlayStyles does Messi have? The Through Ball adds more precision to your through passes (Triangle on PlayStation/ Y on Xbox).
Tiki-Taka as a PlayStyle ensures that your players execute (direct) ground passes more accurately.
How to use Messi’s passing PlayStyles against a 5-man defense: With Tiki-Taka, you can utilize many short passes with your teammates to keep the 5-man defense in motion, as they will always orient themselves towards the recipient. With a bit of patience, gaps in the opponent’s defense line will appear.
You can exploit the gaps that open to play precise through passes. Lobbed through passes (L1+Triangle on PlayStation/ LB+Y on Xbox) can also be an effective means to bypass the 5-man defense.
As passing has generally become more difficult, having access to PlayStyles is always advantageous. You can get the best passes for a relatively affordable price in FC 25.
Where should you play Messi best? To ideally utilize Messi’s dribbling, shooting, and passing while compensating for his speed deficit, you should deploy him in the offensive center. Here, the striker (ST) or central attacking midfielder (CAM) positions are suitable. This way, he does not have to engage in classic sprint duels as a winger.
In attack, it is best to pair him with a second striker who brings a bit more physical presence for aerial duels after crosses. Another very good player you can currently complete as a Squad Building Challenge for 20,000 coins is: The best midfielders in EA FC 25 are too expensive, but a strong card costs only 20,000 coins – Here’s how good Aleix Garcia is as an SBC.
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