Building a starter squad in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team is not an easy challenge, particularly if you’re starting from scratch, but it doesn’t require a hefty budget. Here, we’ve provided a bunch of options to give you ideas.
The basis of a starter squad in EA FC 25 is providing a side that has decent Chemistry, doesn’t break the bank, and features plenty of players who are decent enough to push you toward purchasing improvements on the market—and we’ve created five options for you in this guide.
Best EA FC 25 Premier League starter squad
The Premier League remains the most popular league to build a squad around in Ultimate Team, which often means paying premium prices. Fortunately, that’s not always the case, and there are still some bargains to pick up.
In goal, Neto is a solid pick-up, with strong hybrid opportunities due to his nationality, behind a central defensive duo of Jurrien Timber and Ezri Konsa—the former providing a strong link with Neto, giving further opportunity for hybrid potential later down the line.
On the flanks, Antonee Robinson can provide a heap of pace, and the same is the case on the opposite side with Daniel Munoz. Then, in a holding midfield role, Jefferson Lerma has well-rounded stats to help across the field.
Completing the midfield trio are Carlos Soler and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, with their nations of Spain and France, respectively, again opening the door for hybrid moves later down the line, and the line-up is complete with an attack of Pedro Neto, Callum Wilson, and Stephy Mavididi.
None of these players should cost much more than 1,000 Coins, so it’s a great starting point.
Best EA FC 25 LaLiga starter squad
LaLiga has always been a popular league in Ultimate Team, and the addition of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid will only increase the popularity. While it can be expensive to get players from the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, there are some decent options elsewhere.
In goal, a defensive line of Vincente Guaita, Pablo Maffeo, Vivian, Mosquera, and Yuri Berchiche provides a solid start and, as the quintet are all from Spain, provides the option of going fully hybrid in the rest of the team, should you choose.
In midfield, the trio of Thomas Lemar, Johnny Cardoso, and Djibril Sow is well-rounded and strong enough to get going without breaking the bank. In attack, the line-up is complete by Dodi Lukebakio, Arnaut Danjuma, and Tomas Conechny—the latter being a silver player but having a whopping 90 Pace.
Best EA FC 25 Bundesliga starter squad
Germany’s top league boasts Harry Kane and other stars, so if that’s your end goal, a starter squad built around the Bundesliga is a good place to get started—and this team won’t set you back too much.
Defensively, Alexander Nubel is a fine choice between the sticks behind a defensive line of Ridle Baku, Lukas Klostermann, Maxence Lacroix, and Derrick Kohn. However, as Lacroix moved to Crystal Palace, you might not be able to find him on the market. If so, Mohamed Simakan is the back-up option.
In midfield, the trio of Arthur Vermeeren, Felix Nmecha, and Mattias Svanberg is solid enough without breaking the bank, but there’s definitely room to splash out a bit more on improvements if you have the available funds.
Martin Terrier, a name fans of the franchise will be familiar with, leads the line with support from Nathan Tella and Marco Grull out wide—the latter has a pace of 93, more than enough to cause any opponent some issues.
Best EA FC 25 Ligue 1 starter squad
Ligue 1 has lost more of its biggest stars, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe all now playing elsewhere, but there are some decent bargains to be had when building a squad, and it’s a great starting point for any hybrid sides.
In goal, Geronimo Rulli is a decent option, with a defensive quartet ahead of him that features Przemyslaw Frankowski, Kevin Danso, Wilfried Singo, and Nicolas Tagliafico. None of these players should cost much at all.
A midfield trio of Warren Zaire-Emery, Maxence Caqueret, and Hicam Boudaoui provides good balance, with further support ahead of them with the pair of Angel Gomes and Lee Kang In.
Jonathan David completes the line-up, with the Lille striker being one of the best low-priced forwards for any team.
Best EA FC 25 Serie A starter squad
Serie A may not have the stars it once did, and a lot of the major teams have unfamiliar names due to their licensing agreement with Konami, but there are still some decent players—and you may find the league is undervalued by players.
In this squad, Mattia Perin stands between the posts behind a defense of Saud Abdulhamid, Pierre Kalulu, Malick Thiaw, and Alberto Moreno. The central pair of Thiaw and Kalulu have 73 and 78 pace, respectively, which can be boosted significantly with Chemistry cards.
In midfield, I’ve opted for a four-man approach in a flat 4-4-2, bringing an extra man into the middle and support out wide. Matteo Guendouzi and Lewis Ferguson are in the center, with 92-pace Dennis Man and 85-pace Nicola Zalewski out wide.
Leading the line are two cheap but very decent options in the form of Albert Gudmundsson and Boulaye Dia, with both more than capable of banging in the goals.
Best EA FC 25 Hybrid starter squad
Starting with a hybrid squad in EA FC 25 can be tricky. They’re often built around the best players you already have in your squad, which you want to make work. However, if you start from scratch, the squad above is a decent choice.
I opted to mainly use French players but utilize other chemistry where possible, with Jurrien Timber and Neto, both from Arsenal. With Timber in the side, the door opened for Arnaut Danjuma, with Ian Maatsen on the left on defense to provide a strong link to Timber and some extra chemistry for Danjuma—though he remains on 1/3, so there’s still room for improvement.
The rest of the side features Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, Thomas Lemar, Warren Zaire-Emery, Malo Gusto, Maxence Lacroix, and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde. Olise and Lemar have 2/3 Chemistry points, which can be improved by using a manager from their nation or league.
