I have been playing EA Sports FC 25 since its launch, and I can confidently say that the heart of the game, the mode that keeps millions of us logging in daily, is Ultimate Team. While the mode has faced its share of criticism over the years, it remains an irresistible draw, constantly refreshed with events and player promotions. I've seen countless special cards come and go, but there is one annual promotion that towers above all others, the event that truly defines the Ultimate Team calendar: the Team of the Year (TOTY). As we look ahead to 2026, reflecting on last year's event is crucial, as it sets the stage for what's to come. This promotion is where the game's most powerful and coveted cards are unleashed, reshaping the meta and setting the standard for elite squads for months.

What Is FC 25 TOTY? The Ultimate Promotion

EA Sports FC 25 featured numerous promotions throughout its cycle, from the weekly Team of the Week to various themed events. However, the Team of the Year stands alone as the pinnacle. It's a celebration of real-world footballing excellence from the past year. The process is thrilling for us, the community. First, EA selects a large pool of nominees—the players who shone brightest on the pitch. Then, the power is handed to us. We get to vote for our favorites, directly influencing which superstars receive these massively upgraded, game-changing items.

The final TOTY squad is divided into the classic four positions: Goalkeepers, Defenders, Midfielders, and Attackers. While the selections are meant to honor the best performers, the fan vote often introduces an interesting dynamic. Sometimes, players who are exceptionally popular or fit perfectly into the current 'meta'—the most effective tactics and player types in the game—can receive a significant boost. Looking back, the 2025 TOTY felt particularly significant. It was the first major promotion following the winter launch of the rival title UFL, adding an extra layer of competition and pressure for EA Sports to deliver an unforgettable experience.

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EA FC 25 Team Of The Year: The 2025 Timeline

While no official date was confirmed too far in advance, the entire community anticipated the TOTY promotion to kick off in mid-January 2025, and that's precisely what happened. The tradition held strong: nominees were revealed in the first week of January, giving fans like myself two full weeks to cast our votes across social media and in-game platforms. The full, glorious reveal of the final 12 men and 12 women took place on a Thursday. As has become the exhilarating ritual, the cards went live in-game at 6 PM GMT the following day, which was Friday, January 17, 2025. The hype was palpable across every forum and Discord server.

The release itself was a masterclass in building anticipation. Instead of dropping all players at once, EA released them by position over four days. We saw the Attackers first, available in packs for 24 hours. They were followed by the Midfielders, then the Defenders, and finally, the Goalkeepers. This staggered approach kept the excitement at a fever pitch. After each position had its solo spotlight, all TOTY players were made available together in packs for a final, extended period—typically three to four days—giving everyone a last chance to pack their dream card.

Men's TOTY 2025: Predictions and Reality

In recent years, the format has been consistent: 12 players are selected for the men's TOTY, fitting into a 4-3-3 formation with one player per position, plus a 12th player who joins the squad as a special addition. While the fan vote is decisive, the players who dominated the real football world in 2024 were always the frontrunners.

Real Madrid's incredible year, conquering both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, meant their stars were inevitable inclusions. Despite the Ballon d'Or snub that sparked debates everywhere, the electrifying Vinicius Junior and the phenomenal Jude Bellingham were absolute locks for the squad. Their in-game cards were predicted to be among the most sought-after, and they certainly were.

On the international stage, Spain's triumph at the European Championship, orchestrated by the imperious Rodri, guaranteed the Manchester City midfielder a spot. Having been in the previous year's TOTY, his inclusion felt like a formality. The eternal debate also continued: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, despite no longer playing in Europe's top leagues, remained global icons. If nominated, their fanbases would mobilize en masse. The 2025 TOTY proved that legacy and current performance both hold immense weight in the eyes of the voters.

Women's TOTY Predictions: A Growing Force

The inclusion of a full Women's Team of the Year in FC 24 was a landmark moment, and it returned with even greater prominence in FC 25. This effectively doubled the number of ultra-rare cards in circulation, slightly improving our odds of packing one. The landscape of the women's game in Ultimate Team is different, with a smaller but highly concentrated pool of top-tier clubs and players. This meant that nominations were heavily skewed towards the dominant European powerhouses from Spain, France, and England.

FC Barcelona Femeni, a juggernaut in women's football, was expected to provide multiple nominees. Stars like Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas, who delivered on the biggest stages like the Champions League final, were predicted to receive the highest-rated cards in the women's game. Their potential TOTY items promised to be meta-defining for any hybrid or women's-only Ultimate Team.

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How To Get Team Of The Year Cards: The Grind and The Market

As a seasoned Ultimate Team player, I navigated the 2025 TOTY promotion using the three main avenues available to everyone. Securing these cards is the ultimate challenge, requiring luck, resources, or savvy trading.

  1. Opening Packs 🎁: This is the classic, heart-pounding method. You can use coins earned in-game or purchase FC Points with real money to buy packs. During TOTY, special promotional packs with "increased odds" for TOTY players are released. However, I must emphasize: these packs are the most expensive of the entire game cycle. The thrill of the potential pull is matched only by the risk, as pack odds are notoriously low.

  2. The Transfer Market 💰: The more direct, but often prohibitively expensive, route is to buy the players directly from other users on the transfer market. During the first week of the promotion, TOTY cards command astronomical prices, often costing millions of coins. They are, without question, the most valuable and in-demand assets in the game. While their prices gradually decrease over the following months, acquiring one during the promo itself requires a massive coin balance.

  3. Completing SBCs (Squad Building Challenges) ✅: This is the strategic path. EA always releases special SBCs during TOTY. Some might reward you with untradeable TOTY packs, while others could offer special player SBCs or upgrade packs. Diligently completing these challenges, especially the more affordable upgrade SBCs, is a fantastic way to increase your number of lottery tickets without spending coins directly on packs.

Team of the Year remains the undisputed king of promotions in EA Sports FC 25. It's a month-long festival that captures the attention of the entire community. Whether you're a casual player hoping for a miraculous pack pull or a dedicated trader building your coin balance for a big purchase, participating in the TOTY event in January 2026 is an absolute must if you want to build a truly elite Ultimate Team.