What’s up, everyone! Welcome back to FUTcast.
If you spent the weekend grinding Champs or trying to catch your breath from the latest promo, strap in, because EA just dumped a truckload of content on us to start the week.
Today, we’re looking at some absolutely juiced TOTW 29 leaks, featuring some massive international and derby performances that will definitely shake up the meta. On top of that, Ultimate Gauntlet 14 is live, serving up a ridiculous amount of high-tier fodder for the NMS grinders out there who need to restock their clubs.
We’ve also got a fresh batch of SBCs to sift through, including a hype RTTF defender, some incredibly questionable Icon gambles, and a brand-new paid Evolution to completely lock down your midfield.
Let’s get straight into the data and make you some coins.
Promo & Event Updates
TOTW 29 Leaks & Predictions
After a weekend of wild international fixtures and massive club derbies, the leaked data for Team of the Week 29 suggests we are getting some heavy hitters on Wednesday. Here is a breakdown of the top cards you can expect to see in red picks:
Florian Wirtz (91 LW): The standout card of the week. Wirtz put on an absolute masterclass in a 4-3 thriller against Germany, scoring twice and assisting twice for a perfect 10 match rating. Expect elite dribbling, silky playmaking stats, and a massive boost to his pace.
Alessia Russo (90 ST): Arsenal’s star striker secured a 10 rating after bagging a ruthless hat-trick in a 5-2 North London derby win over Tottenham. She’ll be a lethal, jammy finisher in-game with this upgrade.
Ona Batlle (88 RB): Barcelona continues to dominate, and Batlle was instrumental with the opening goal and a clean sheet in a 3-0 El Clasico win over Real Madrid. An absolute W of a two-way fullback option.
Sandro Tonali (88 CM): The midfield engine is back. Tonali was named MOTM after scoring and assisting in Italy’s 2-0 win over Northern Ireland. A fantastic box-to-box presence with great base stats.
Viktor Gyökeres (88 ST): A long overdue in-form. The Swedish powerhouse scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Ukraine. His physical presence, sprint speed, and finishing will be an absolute nightmare for center-backs.
Mikel Oyarzabal (88 ST): He grabbed a brace in Spain’s 3-0 victory over Serbia. A solid technical forward, though he might lack the raw pace of top-tier meta attackers.
Dodi Lukebakio (88 RM): Coming off the bench to score twice in Belgium's 5-2 win over the USA. Lukebakio’s base card is already glitchy. With this upgrade, he becomes a very sweaty, highly usable winger.
Sofia Huerta (88 RB): The NWSL star provided two assists and kept a clean sheet for the Reign. A brilliant, linkable option for American or NWSL hybrid squads.
Verdict: The top end of this TOTW is incredibly strong. Wirtz and Russo are the clear headliners, but guys like Tonali, Batlle, and Gyökeres offer fantastic value and meta relevance for high-end squads.
Objectives Grind: Ultimate Gauntlet 14
The grind doesn't stop. Ultimate Gauntlet 14 is officially in the menus, and if you are running a No Money Spent (NMS) account, this is an absolute goldmine. It’s a 10-task tiered system, meaning you get rewarded heavily just for playing the game. You need to complete 9 out of 10 tasks to secure the group reward.
Group Reward: A massive Bonus 10x 86+ Rare Gold Players Pack. This pack only features walkouts and has a chance to drop ongoing RTTF promo cards. This alone makes the entire grind worth it.
Fodder Packs Galore: Throughout the matches, you'll earn ridiculous fodder just for playing, winning, and scoring. Rewards include 4x 86+, 5x 85+, 9x 84+, and 20x 83+ packs.
Player & Evolutions: You also unlock a Jan-Niklas Beste card (for scoring in 6 separate matches) and two separate EVO consumables (for scoring in 3 matches and winning 5 matches).
Verdict: Must-do. It requires playing 14 matches, winning 7, and scoring consistently. That is incredibly generous for the sheer amount of high-tier fodder you receive. Get this done before it expires at the end of the week.
SBC Spotlight
We have a very mixed bag of SBCs to look at today. Here’s the rundown on where to put your fodder and what to avoid like the plague:
Pau Cubarsí (91 CB, ~213k) — Do it. Barcelona's wonderkid gets a massive 91-rated RTTF card. With live upgrade potential and elite LaLiga links, this is a premium center-back option at a very fair price point.
Fabio Cannavaro (90 CB, ~413k) — Skip. He is incredibly expensive, and his height is always a massive issue in FC. There are much taller, cheaper, and more meta options available.
1 of 4 88+ Encore Icon Player Pick (~342k) — Skip. Unless your club is absolutely drowning in high-rated fodder from the Gauntlet, this is a massive coin sink with terrible pack weight.
Max 88 Encore Icon Upgrade (~60k) — Skip. The Max 88 cap is a death sentence in late March. Don't waste your resources trying to pack a base Icon that won't make your bench.
Kessya Bussy (89 LM/RW, ~34k) & Sofie Svava (89 LM/LW, ~34k) — Maybe. The UWCL Showdown between Wolfsburg and OL Lyon. If you run a women's squad or have links, these are very cheap gambles for 89-rated cards that have a chance at a +2 upgrade based on real-world results.
Cheapest Solution For Pau Cubarsí
Task | Requirements | Recommended players (rating) |
Task 1: FC Barcelona | Number of players from FC Barcelona: Min 1 Team of the Week Players: Min 1 Squad Rating: Min 87 | Lewandowski 88 Gabriel Magalhães 88 Irene Parades 88 Oblak 88 Katoto 88 Hegerberg 87 Miyazawa (TOTW) 87 Meret 82 Botman 82 Zapata 82 Eriksson 82 |
Task 2: Spain | Number of players from Spain: Min 1 Squad Rating: Min 88 | Mapi León 89 Kimmich 89 Mead 89 Shaw 89 Irene Parades 88 Rúben Dias 86 Bruno Guimarães 86 Earps 86 Kobel 86 Coman 86 Schüller 86 |
Task 3: LALIGA | Number of players from LALIGA EA SPORTS: Min 1 Team of the Week Players: Min 1 Squad Rating: Min 88 | Kimmich 89 Mapi León 89 Russo 89 Shaw 89 Ashley Sanchez (TOTW) 88 Bruno Guimarães 86 Alexander-Arnold 86 Olise 86 Rúben Dias 86 Ter Stegen 86 Kobel 86 |
Task 4: 88-Rated Squad | Team of the Week Players: Min 1 Squad Rating: Min 88 | Kimmich 89 Mapi León 89 Russo 89 Shaw 89 Ashley Sanchez (TOTW) 88 Bruno Guimarães 86 Alexander-Arnold 86 Olise 86 Rúben Dias 86 Ter Stegen 86 Kobel 86 |
Market Watch
Current Status: Meta Dip, Fodder Rise
The overall market is taking a hit, with Index 100 dropping 3.46% down to 50.83. However, the lower-tier gold fodder market is completely green.
Buying/Selling: Index 81 (+2.52%) and Index 82 (+2.54%) are on a steady rise, alongside minor bumps for 84s and 85s. This is driven entirely by the demand for the 1 of 4 80+ Player Pick and the 5 of 10 79+ Player Pick SBCs. Interestingly, 86-rated fodder has tanked hard, dropping 6.56%.
Actionable Insight: Liquidate any tradeable 81 and 82 rated cards you have sitting in your club right now while the Player Pick hype is inflating their prices. If you need to buy 86-rated fodder to complete the Pau Cubarsí SBC, now is the time to snipe them off the market while they are dirt cheap.
Evolutions
Today, we have a brand new paid Evo in the store:
Dropping Deep (40,000 Coins / 300 FC Points)
Upgrades: +15 Overall (Max 89), +25 Def. Awareness, +25 Interceptions, +25 Stand Tackle, +25 Slide Tackle, +25 Aggression, and +25 Strength.
PlayStyles Added: Anticipate, Block, Jockey, Intercept, and Long Ball Pass. (Plus Stopper++ and Defender++ roles).
Requirements: Max 88 Overall, Max 90 Long Shots, Max 4 Total Positions, Max 10 PlayStyles, Max 2 PlayStyles+. Must be a CDM.
Verdict: Do it. 40k coins is an absolute steal for what you get here. You are taking a midfielder and giving them +25 to almost every crucial defensive stat, while also slapping on the five best defensive PlayStyles in the game. Find a box-to-box CM with great passing but average defending, and this Evo will turn them into an absolute wall.
Quick Hits
TOTW 29: Wirtz (91) and Russo (90) headline a very solid, usable Team of the Week.
Gauntlet 14: Play 14, win 7 to secure insane packs, capped off by a guaranteed 10x 86+ walkout pack. Do not skip this.
SBCs: Cubarsí is a massive W for LaLiga squads. Avoid the Icon SBCs at all costs — they are terrible value.
Market: Sell your low-rated (81-82) gold fodder into the Player Pick hype; buy 86s while they are cheap for big SBCs.
Evos: Dropping Deep is an incredible 40k investment to completely max out a CDM's defensive stats and PlayStyles.
Keep grinding those objectives, stay liquid with your fodder, and may your Gauntlet packs be full of promo walkouts.
Catch you on Wednesday for the next data drop. Stay sweaty!
Shahmeer