Welcoming 2026 in the only way we know how, today’s Futcast is all about Time Warp. After all, the promo brought to fans both the return of Prime Messi and the unfortunate arrival of another Claudia Pina evolution.
That’s not all, though, as two Icon SBCs arrived to once again put your fodder in check. But is it worth it to invest in them this close to Team Of The Year? Well, let’s find out, shall we?
Promo & Event Updates
Time Warp Team 1
Following up Winter Wildcards with a bang, the first Time Warp team arrived to pay homage to some of the biggest names in football history, as well as those known for keeping their high level even when arguably past their prime. The team also features the debut of three new duo PlayStyle icons in Garrincha, Pirlo, and Puyol. Pogba then received another promo card, while Granit Xhaka got a much-needed upgrade. Here’s an overview of all 35 players:
Garrincha (93 OVR / RW) | Andrea Pirlo (91 OVR / CDM) | Lionel Messi (90 OVR / ST) | Carles Puyol (90 OVR / CB) | Luis Suárez (89 OVR / ST) |
John Barnes (89 OVR / LW) | Dani Carvajal (89 OVR / RB) | Marc-André ter Stegen (89 OVR / GK) | Paul Pogba (89 OVR / CM) | Granit Xhaka (89 OVR / CDM) |
Marco Reus (89 OVR / LM) | Alexandra Popp (89 OVR / ST) | Roy Keane (88 OVR / CM) | Filip Kostić (88 OVR / LM) | James Milner (88 OVR / RM) |
Christian Günter (88 OVR / LB) | Mario Lemina (88 OVR / CM) | Juan Mata (88 OVR / CAM) | Emily Van Egmond (88 OVR / CDM) | Jess Fishlock (88 OVR / CM) |
Rubén García (87 OVR / RW) | Chris Smalling (87 OVR / CB) | Anthony Nwakaeme (87 OVR / LW) | Martín Cauteruccio (87 OVR / ST) | James McClean (87 OVR / LM) |
Shelina Zadorsky (87 OVR / CB) | Kevin Stöger (86 OVR / CM) | Steven Berghuis (86 OVR / CAM) | Nélson Oliveira (86 OVR / ST) | Sofie Junge Pedersen (86 OVR / CDM) |
Karen Araya (86 OVR / CM) | Florian Sotoca (85 OVR / CAM) | Patrick Van Aanholt (85 OVR / LB) | José Fonte (85 OVR / CB) | Pizzi (85 OVR / RM) |
Promo Takeaways
Meta Crashers: To no one’s surprise, Messi, Pirlo, Puyol, and Garrincha are this week’s top targets, with the latter’s excellent PlayStyles+ making him the biggest highlight on paper. On the field, however, Messi feels like an early TOTY arrival.
Great Finds: Pogba and Suárez shine as the best finds out of the top four, with the number 9’s newest card being just as reliable as his FC 25 Flashback. Thanks to his pairing of Intercept+, Bruiser, and Pinged Pass, Keane also chinches a spot as a premier holding CM/CDM.
Biggest Surprises: James Milner has finally received a card worthy of his all-over-the-pitch expertise. Ter Stegen can be a great find for those who decided to skip the Courtois SBC. A cheap beast, Jess Fishlock’s Incisive Pass+, Tiki Taka, Low Driven, and Finesse Shot combo sees her excel as both a box-to-box threat and a Playmaker.
SBC Spotlight
Three new player SBCs have debuted within the last couple of days, including two Icons in Winter Wildcards Ashley Cole and Time Warp Roberto Baggio. Here’s an overview of all new arrivals:
Winter Wildcards Red Ashley Cole (87 OVR / LB / ~300K) — Overpriced. Featuring high PAC, solid ++ roles, as well as Quick Step+, Jockey, and Block, Cole is a solid meta pick. His lack of other highly regarded defensive PlayStyles (in special Intercept and Anticipate) makes the SBC more of a luxury than a necessity.
Time Warp Icon Roberto Baggio (92 OVR / RW / ~250K) — Risky. Although his Finesse Shot+, First Touch, and Technical combo might be inviting, Baggio is far from a must-complete performance-wise. Also, am I the only one who cannot understand why he wasn’t given the CAM role?
Time Warp Nemanja Matić (87 OVR / CDM / ~50K) — Pass. The conclusion here is simple: his stats do not justify the investment.
Cheapest Solution For Time Warp Icon Roberto Baggio
Task | Requirements | Recommended players (rating) |
On a Loan | Team Rating: 85+ | - Torreira (83) - Gold Rare Reuteler (84) - Diogo Costa (84) - Sancet (84) - James Maddison (84) - Milinković-Savić (84) - Greggi (84) - Caicedo (85) - Olise (86) - Dumornay (86) - Schüller (86) |
Bianconeri | Team Rating: 85+ Must feature at least 1x Juventus player | - Bonansea (83) - Rolfö (84) - Marc Cucurella (84) - Marco Carnesecchi (84) - Hampton (84) - Alba Redondo (84) - Vivian (84) - Foden (85) - Rúben Dias (86) - Ona Batlle (86) - Berger (86) |
Il Divin Codino | Team Rating: 86+ Must feature at least 1x Italian player | - Brahim (82) - Tullis-Joyce (83) - Sørloth (84) - Locatelli (84) - Carpenter (84) - Konaté (86) - Geyoro (86) - De Jong (87) - Caicedo (87) - Bright (87) - Swanson (87) |
League Legend | Team Rating: 86+ Must feature at least 1x Serie A player | - Botman (82) - Gilles (83) - Beerensteyn (84) - Palacios (84) - Lookman (84) - Szczęsny (84) - Bruno Guimarães (86) - Heaps (87) - Barella (87) - Maignan (87) - Pajor (88) |
Top Form | Team Rating: 87+ Must feature at least 1x TOTW player | - TOTW Pick (86) - Orban (84) - Isco (84) - Zaccagni (84) - Diabi (84) - Sommer (87) - Sam Kerr (87) - Marquinhos (87) - Saka (88) - Gabriel (88) - Katoto (88) |
Top-notch | Team Rating: 87+ Must feature at least 1x TOTW player | - TOTW Pick (87) - Gordon (83) - Retegui (83) - Minge (84) - Cata Coll (84) - Catley (84) - Endler (88) - Irene Paredes (88) - Oblak (88) - Lautaro Martínez (88) - Lewandowski (88) |
Market Watch
Market Overview: As the Winter Wildcards season ends, the market continues to struggle, with many cards (87 to 89’s) seeing continuous drops. 85-rated fodder, on the other hand, keeps gaining value.
Takeaway: Hold onto your high-rated investments. Remember, the next couple of weeks will be the calm before the TOTY storm.
Evolutions
As mentioned above, Time Warp arrived with an up to 86 OVR evolution in Plenty of Time Left, which offers substantial increases to multiple stats and two sought-after PlayStyles. The still active New Year Overdrive also allows under 85 RBs to get a welcome boost. Here’s an overview of both evos:
Plenty of Time Left (40,000 Coins / 400 FC Points)
Requirements: Must be an 86-rated or under LM. Cannot be a CB, LB, or a World Tour Silver Icon. Cannot have more than 10 PlayStyles/1x PS+ and 83 Physical.
Overview: A bulky evo capable of offering up to +25 stat increases and the Technial+, First Touch, Rapid, and Quick Step PlayStyles. Can be used to give Gold Rare Claudia Pina 89-PAC and the Inside Forward++ (LM) role.
Is It Worth It? Only if you want to boost your Gold Rare Pina, as the evo’s capped SHO increase (80) and high OVR boost make it a poor choice for most chains.
New Year Overdrive (Free)
Requirements: Must be an under 85 OVR RB (cannot have CB as an alternative position). Cannot be a Silver Icon or have more than 85 Defending, 10 PlayStyles, and one PS+.
Overview: An evo offering massive boosts (such as +30 SHO and +10 DEF), at the cost of a huge +15 OVR increase (capped at 87). Allows you to give Quick Step+ and Pinged Pass to many cheap beasts.
Is It Worth It? Yes, as the evo can be used to build high-end RBs for free. Gold Rare Frimpong, Gold Rare Dalot, and Gold Rare Carvajal can be considered the best fits for it when out of evolution chains.
Quick Hits
Go all out if you want to pack Messi. But once again, make sure to remember that he is almost guaranteed to get another card during TOTY.
Save up for TOTY and don’t panic sell. If you can’t wait, time your listings with the end dates of high-profile SBCs, aka Ronaldinho’s, to take advantage of FOMO.
Now might be a good time to invest in 86 to 89-rated fodder.
That’s all for this week. As always, may the footballing gods bless your pulls.
Franklin Borges