The 2025 holiday season in EA FC 25 didn’t just bring tinsel and Team of the Year hype — it delivered a brand‑new way to earn special cards without spending a single coin. Season 3 introduced Winter Champions, a set of four dynamic items that arrived via the Season Progress track, and honestly, they’ve been itching for action ever since. These aren’t just squad fillers; they’re living, breathing assets that can evolve depending on what happens in the real Premier League. And if you ask anyone who grinded those One Nation Live objectives back in December… they’ll tell you the sweat was absolutely worth it.

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How to Unlock the Free Winter Champions Cards

Getting your hands on all four Winter Champions cards boils down to one thing: leveling up your Season Progress. Every bit of Season Points (SP) you earn pushes you closer to the next tier, and EA made sure that simply playing the game during the event was enough to collect them all. The twist? The usual Daily and Weekly objectives were replaced by something called One Nation Live — a series of Friendlies challenges that asked you to field starting XIs packed with players from specific nations.

At launch, Argentina and Italy were in the spotlight, but more nations rotated in over time. You’d hop into a friendly match, make sure your team honoured the theme, and rack up wins. The rewards weren’t just SP either — you often found yourself bonding with unexpected heroes from your club. It’s the kind of grind that feels less like a chore and more like… well, a celebration of football’s global tapestry.

Meet the Four Winter Champions

Once you climbed the Season ladder, these four cards were yours to claim:

  • Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool) – The French colossus, already a monster in defence, but poised to become even scarier.

  • İlkay Gündoğan (Manchester City) – A midfield maestro who could turn into a PlayStyle-rich conductor.

  • Jørgen Strand Larsen (Wolves) – The Norwegian striker with a point to prove in the top flight.

  • Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace) – A bustling wing‑back whose ceiling was entirely in the hands of his club’s survival fight.

Each card felt like a little Christmas present waiting to be unwrapped… and then upgraded. But here’s the kicker: not everyone’s gift gets to shine. The upgrade path is cruel and beautiful at the same time, because it mirrors the real‑world drama of the Premier League table.

Upgrade Criteria — The January 3 Cutoff

All four Winter Champions cards are eligible for a +2 Overall boost and a brand‑new PlayStyle, but the conditions are split into two camps:

  • Konaté and Gündoğan: The card’s club must be top of the Premier League on January 3, 2026.

  • Larsen and Muñoz: The card’s club must be outside the relegation zone on January 3, 2026.

See the problem? It’s mathematically impossible for all four to get the upgrade. At the start of the event, Liverpool were flying high — eight points clear at the summit, with Manchester City sitting in second. On the other side of the table, Crystal Palace were trapped in the bottom three, while Wolves clung to safety only by goal difference. The drama was real, and every festive fixture felt like a rollercoaster.

These cards aren’t just sitting pretty in your club — they’re nervously checking the league standings every week. You can almost hear Gündoğan whispering, “Please, Pep, don’t let this slip,” while Konaté struts around like he already owns the top spot. Meanwhile, Muñoz is probably staring at the table hoping for a miracle… and Larsen is just praying no one above him learns how to win.

EA FC 25 Winter Champions Upgrade Tracker (December 12, 2025)

To keep your expectations in check, here’s how things looked just before the holiday fixture pile‑up:

Player Club Upgrade Condition Status (Dec 12, 2025)
Konaté Liverpool Top of the table on Jan 3 🥇 1st, 8 pts clear
Gündoğan Manchester City Top of the table on Jan 3 🥈 2nd, trailing
Larsen Wolves Outside relegation zone on Jan 3 ⚠️ 17th (goal difference)
Muñoz Crystal Palace Outside relegation zone on Jan 3 🔻 19th, in the drop zone

Trust me, that table was pinned to every Ultimate Team player’s second screen. A couple of surprise results over Christmas, and everything could flip. Imagine Liverpool stumbling, City pouncing, Palace stringing together a miracle run… the upgrade tracker was more addictive than opening a pack with a walkout.

Why These Cards Matter

Even if you snag only two upgraded versions, you’re still getting high‑rated, meta‑relevant items for free. Konaté with a +2 and extra PlayStyle could rival some Icon centre‑backs. Gündoğan with a pace‑passing boost becomes a dream in a 4‑3‑3. And let’s be real — a Larsen or Muñoz upgrade would be the ultimate underdog story, the kind of card that makes Weekend League opponents rage‑quit because they underestimated it.

EA FC 25’s Winter Champions proved that live content tied to real‑world football is more than a gimmick. It injects personality into your squad. These cards have hopes, fears, and a deadline. And even though we’re looking back now from 2026, the memory of refreshing the Premier League table on January 3 still brings a smile… or maybe a sigh of relief, depending on which badge you wore.