Could we be able to play with a prime Andres Iniesta on FIFA Ultimate Team soon? We’d like to think so...
Flashback Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) constitute an incredible opportunity for the Ultimate Team fanbase to make use of players who are now past their prime.
So far, EA have released Flashback versions of Theo Walcott, Paulinho, Juan Mata, Mario Balotelli and Cesc Fabregas.
Here’s a look at seven other Flashback SBCs we want to see over the course of FIFA 20's cycle.
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Costa in his prime was one of the most fearsome strikers in the world, leading Chelsea to two Premier League titles.
His regular 83-rated gold card just isn’t good enough to be used in Division Rivals and the Weekend League, due to its lack of pace. A Flashback SBC, however, would grant Costa a nice all-round boost, giving Chelsea and Atletico Madrid fans a chance to use his FUT item in a competitive environment.
EA Sports recently released a Flashback SBC for Cesc Fabregas, so it would make sense to also release one for Costa. They formed a prolific partnership during their time at Chelsea, after all.
Ricardo Quaresma
Despite being something of a journeyman throughout his career, Quaresma earned a loyal fanbase thanks to his impressive displays of skill for club and Portugal.
We haven’t had a usable Quaresma card since EA's Festival of Football promotion back in FIFA 18. Following the recent release of the Super Lig SBC and Quaresma’s exclusion from the player rewards, then, a Flashback SBC is our most realistic chance of getting a usable Special card in FIFA 20.
With a five-star skill rating, four-star weak foot and his own custom ball control animation, a Quaresma SBC would be a real treat for Ultimate Team players.
Andres Iniesta
Now plying his trade in Japan, the iconic Iniesta doesn't fit the FIFA ‘META’ (that's 'most effective tactic available', folks) due to his lack of pace and strength.
Having already released an End Of An Era special card for David Villa, EA could release a Flashback SBC for Iniesta; it'd give the FIFA fanbase a chance to offer Villa a strong chemistry link without having to make use of Icons.
Anderson Talisca
Talisca’s FIFA 18 TOTS card was one of the most overpowered midfielders to have ever graced any iteration of FIFA.
A Flashback to Talisca’s 2017-18 season with Besiktas would be an unreal addition to the Ultimate Team roster, considering how well a player of his build fits the game’s current META.
Standing at 6ft 3in tall with a four-star skill rating and rocket of a left foot, a Flashback Talisca card would probably be right up there with the likes of Ruud Gullit and Lothar Matthaus.
Jerome Boateng
Boateng used to be a mainstay in Bundesliga-themed squads, but now, due to his lack of pace, the Bayern Munich man is unusable at a high level with players now opting for the likes of Manuel Akanji and Theo Hernandez instead.
A Flashback Boateng card would be one of the best centre-back cards on FIFA 20, packing defensive stats that could potentially put the German on par with Virgil van Dijk.
Joaquin
The 38-year-old Betis winger recently became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the Spanish top flight.
Having made a name for himself as a consistent performer in La Liga since the early 2000s, Joaquin deserves a Flashback SBC to the 2004-05 season, when he led Real Betis to Copa del Rey glory and Champions League qualification.
In his prime, Joaquin was a pacey winger with a bag of tricks. A Flashback Joaquin SBC would be a nice addition to the Flashback SBCs EA are set to release.
Adam Lallana
Lallana’s career has been marred by injury problems over the past few seasons and, as a result, he’s fallen far down the pecking order at Liverpool and experienced multiple downgrades over the past few iterations of FIFA.
But with his five-star weak foot, a juiced-up Lallana card would be an elite FUT item to have. He could receive a flashback to his impressive 2016-17 season at Liverpool, when he earned himself a spot in EA's Premier League TOTS lineup.
Phillip is a football writer from Nigeria. He’s been a football writer since he was 13 and after getting his work featured on various news outlets including the Daily Mirror, Red Bull, Planet Football and Football.London over the years, he has now turned his focus from solely writing about the beautiful game, to covering the not-so-beautiful virtual game of FIFA as a brilliant excuse to spend hours on his Playstation.
