From Monday, January 8th, you can vote for your Team of the Year (TOTY) in EA FC 24. The list of all candidates has been official for a few days now and, as every year, it brings with it a few surprises. We take a look at the biggest shocks.
What could surprises be? Surprises mean to us when established stars are not even nominated, while players appear on the nomination list that you might not necessarily have considered.
Below we will show you the biggest shocks from the nomination list.
The biggest surprises for the TOTY vote in EA FC 24
What are the other criteria for our surprises? First of all, we looked at the Team of the Season in FIFA 23, as this provides a good indicator of which players, according to EA Sports’ standards, had a strong first half of 2023.
Particularly when comparing it to the Team of the Year in FIFA 23, we were able to identify some surprises.
For the surprising names on the list, we utilized the ratings from Sofascore to see if their nomination could be justified.
These players are surprisingly nominated:
Dante (CB) – OGC Nice: The veteran can once again be counted among the best defenders in the world in the late autumn of his career, at least if you trust EA Sports’ expertise. However, the nomination does not come out of nowhere. On Sofascore, the Brazilian achieved a solid average rating of over 7 out of 10 points. A very good return for a center-back.
Lucas Martinez Quarta (CB) – AC Fiorentina: The Argentine may only be known to insiders. However, similar to Dante, the Fiorentina’s defense chief also achieved a very good rating of over 7 points per game on Sofascore, placing him among the best defenders in Europe.
Aleksandr Golovin (CM) – AS Monaco: Golovin is having a very good season with AS Monaco so far in France. His performances are usually good, but his nomination for the TOTY seems somewhat surprising given the big names in midfield.
Kaoru Mitoma (LM) – Brighton & Hove Albion: FIFA players might know the small, bustling Japanese player since at least EA FC 24, as he has already picked up a few special cards here. Despite his commendable performances and that of his team, the nomination does come as a bit of a surprise.
Kang-in Lee (LW) – Paris Saint-Germain: Although the South Korean was usually the most prominent player in the average La Liga team of RCD Mallorca, which led PSG to sign him, his numbers do not really suggest why he should be nominated for the TOTY.
These stars are missing from the nominees:
Thibaut Courtois (GK) – Real Madrid: Last year the Belgian giant was seen in the TOTY, this year he isn’t even on the ballot. A torn ACL has kept Courtois out of action for some time. This probably led EA to exclude the Real Madrid keeper from this year’s vote.
Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK) – Paris Saint-Germain: The Italian has been among the favorites for a spot in the TOTY for years. This year he is not even up for selection anymore. Donnarumma made some mistakes during a rather average season at PSG.
Éder Militão (CB) – Real Madrid: The next star from the Royals who definitely will not receive a regular TOTY. Like his teammate Courtois, the Brazilian has also been sidelined for a long time due to an ACL tear. Thus, he has also disappeared from EA’s radar.
Matthijs de Ligt (CB) – FC Bayern: De Ligt delivered strong personal performances in an average season for Bayern. EA Sports recognized this with a spot in the Ultimate Team of the Season. This season, de Ligt has also not been able to return to last season’s form, possibly due to injuries, and thus may not be a candidate for the TOTY.
Achraf Hakimi (RB) – Paris Saint-Germain: The Moroccan has consistently been a favorite for the position of right-back in the TOTY in recent years. After two consecutive TOTYs in FIFA 22 and 23, there will be no place for Hakimi in the team this year.
Joshua Kimmich (CDM) – FC Bayern Munich: Now it has also hit the German in EA FC 24. Kimmich faced a lot of criticism last year, sometimes also quite exaggerated. The misery seems to continue for the midfield motor of Bayern at FC 24 as well. He will definitely not receive a TOTY.
Xavi Simons (CAM) – RB Leipzig: 37 goal contributions in 2023 stand for the Dutch player. He is also an incredibly important player for his teams (PSV Eindhoven, RB Leipzig) and has drawn attention nationally and internationally. However, for EA, that is not enough for a nomination.
Christopher Nkunku (ST) – Chelsea FC: Nkunku’s appearances in 2023 can seemingly be counted on one hand. Serious injuries held the exceptional talent back last year. However, when he played, he impressed. In the closing phase of the season, he provided 6 goal contributions in 3 games and was also the standout player in the cup final with a goal and an assist. The low number of appearances could have been the reason for his exclusion.
At the end of our list, we ask you: What are your surprises? Which players do you think deserve it and which do not? Feel free to write it in the comments.
Those who want to collect a few packs in advance for the TOTY could play a little bit of the Weekend League with its new rewards.
