13 iconic cards that would be worthless on FIFA 22’s FUT Market

The collapse of the FUT market in FIFA 22 Ultimate Team has been unprecedented, rendering some of the game’s best cards basically worthless – but how would it reflect on some of the franchise’s best-ever players? 

It has been well documented that the market is going through an extremely rough patch in FIFA 22, with the likes of Kai Havertz dropping from a valuation of 115,000 coins last year to a mere 5,000 this time. That’s not the only example, either.

With a dead market has come a really torrid struggle for FUT Club owners, who have argued many packs are now not even worth opening. If you don’t get one of the top stars, the chances are that you’ll have to sell the player who appears on your board or walkout 10 to 15 times over to afford a great card in the future.

Those of us who have been playing Ultimate Team from the very start – started our journey as card collectors, and slowly got used to the fast-paced nature of online play – will have played with some incredible items over the years in EA‘s series.

The sad thing is, though, many of them would be utterly worthless today.

Iconic FUT cards that wouldn’t survive in FIFA 22

1 – Kaka, FIFA 11 (86)

The cover star of FIFA 22, Kylian Mbappe, is worth a whopping 1.3 million – 1.7 million coins, but the cover star of FIFA 11 would probably fetch around 10-15k in the current climate.

2 – Xavi, FIFA 12 (92)

The pass master. Xavi was one of those footballers that didn’t ever fit the Ultimate Team meta mould of pacey midfielders, so you can bet your bottom dollar he would be in the lower echelons of the market today.

3 – Robin Van Persie, FIFA 12 (86)

The flying Dutchman. Robin Van Persie enjoyed a purple patch of his career between 2010 and 2014, but there’s no way a striker with that pace (82) would be considered high-value in FIFA 22. Dare we say it, he could be modern-day fodder.

4 – Carles Puyol, FIFA 11 (87)

A brick wall of a defender. Carles Puyol is one of the most decorated centre-backs in history, winning the La Liga six times and the Champions League on three occasions. While he might be held in high esteem among football fans, there’s no doubt that this slow, high-rated card would have a sinking valuation these days. A quick prediction would be 6,000 – 8,000 coins, which is a fraction of what it once was.

5 – Frank Lampard, FIFA 12 (87)

A box-to-box midfielder. Frank Lampard was a staple of Premier League teams up and down the land in FIFA 12, with a fantastic shot that made up for his sluggish sprint speed. Sadly, he would just be viewed as a rating in FIFA 22, and we’d give him an estimated valuation of 7,000 coins… tops.

6 – Antonio Di Natale, FIFA 13 (85)

Faster than a car. Italy’s Antonio Di Natale was a nightmare for defenders when he was fed with a lofted pass. Once he got in behind, there was no chance you were catching him. However, if you look at the Serie A market in FIFA 22 where cards such as Ciro Immobile – similarly rated – is 14,000 coins and two ratings higher… There’s not much hope for the former Udinese man.

7 – Zlatan Ibrahimovic, FIFA 13 (88)

The skillful Swede. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has had a crazy career but in FIFA 13 he was arguably at the peak of his powers, having joined PSG from AC Milan. With 88 shooting, the 6ft5 star was dominating Ultimate Team as the perfect poacher, priced in the upper echelons of Ultimate Team. In 2021, though, this card would be lucky to be over 20,000 coins.

8 – Bastian Schweinsteiger, FIFA 14 (88)

World Cup winner. In 2014, Bastian Schweinsteiger got his hands on the biggest trophy international football has to offer, but looking back at his base gold card, it would be worthless in the unstable FIFA 22 market. 63 pace? You’re looking at 5,000 coins for a card that used to be one of the best around.

9 – Thiago Silva, FIFA 18 (88)

Everybody’s favorite Brazilian. Thiago Silva was in every team he could possibly be. Players all around the world would try to shoehorn him into their defensive lines, because of how fast he was compared to the competition. As sad as it is, though, with 80+ pace CBs cutting about in the game today, PSG’s central defender wouldn’t have the aspirational price he one did.

10 – Ronaldinho, FIFA 10 (87)

The trickster. Ronaldinho had every single skill in the book in his locker, beating opposition teams by himself at times. FIFA 10 is probably the time where he had his best base card, but a 77 pace LF wouldn’t survive in this market. Ronaldinho as SBC fodder? What is the world coming to?

11 – Carlos Tevez, FIFA 12 (88)

Bulldog-like approach. Carlos Tevez was one of the most lethal strikers in the Premier League at the time FIFA 12 was released, marking his highest base rated card to date. In a world where 90+ pace strikers are considered to be meta and most of the others fall short, it’s a shame to think the Argentine would probably be around 6,000 coins nowadays.

12 – Didier Drogba, FIFA 12 (86)

The man for the big occasion. Didier Drogba scored so many important goals for Chelsea over the years, many of which came against their London rivals Arsenal. While this was a landmark year for the Ivorian, scooping the Champions League trophy in Bayern Munich’s backyard, his card would have a poor value if it was released a decade later.

13 – Alexis Sanchez, FIFA 16 (86)

The flying winger. Alexis Sanchez’s glory years came at Barcelona and Arsenal, playing for the latter when FIFA 16 launched. At the time, he would undoubtedly be a regular in your opponent’s starting 11, though with the way the FUT market has gone – valuing just a select few cards in the realm of the elite – Sanchez wouldn’t be near Raheem Sterling’s price of 30,000 coins. A few thousand coins would likely be his valuation.

• Read More:FIFA 22 FUT Champs Play-Offs & Finals rewards, ranks & tips

Now – it’s always good to look back at the past and remember some of the top cards we used to play with.

But really, the way the in-game economy is going today in Ultimate Team, this is just another way of showing how bad things have gotten. Each of these players should be among the top-rated and top-priced in the world, but there’s no chance they would be in 2021.

Many would simply be considered fodder, and that’s the sad reality.