Best Defenders, Strikers and Starter Squad for EAFC 27 Ultimate Team

By Parth Raj · Updated 27 September 2026 · FC 27 launched worldwide on 25 September (EA Play early access from 18 September)

Launch week. You've opened your starter packs, you've got a few grand burning a hole in your club, and every list online is telling you to buy players for reasons that stopped being true on 25 September. Half of them still pick defenders by PlayStyle badges. None of the starter-squad guides I read mention that Icons give less chemistry now. So let's fix that.

The short answer: in FC 27, pick defenders on Defensive Awareness, Standing Tackle, Interceptions and Strength, not PlayStyles, because EA removed AI auto-tackles and narrowed the PlayStyle gap. Pick strikers on Finishing and Shot Power, for the same reason.

For a starter squad, run a 4-2-1-3, spend on centre-backs first, then your striker, and remember Icons now add less chemistry. On FUT.GG's under-50K lists at launch, Upamecano and Schlotterbeck lead the centre-backs, and Banda and Russo have the best finishing-and-pace mix up top.

What Changed In FC 27 That Affects Which Players You Should Buy?

Four things changed that matter for squad building: defending, shooting, chemistry and the power curve. Most "best players" lists were written before EA published these, so they're still picking for FC 26.

Defending and shooting come from EA's FC 27 Gameplay Deep Dive. Chemistry comes from the FC 27 Launch Update, and the power curve from the FUT Deep Dive.One more thing: the first patch, Title Update 1.0.1, made no competitive balance change. It only touched the jockey slider defaults in Authentic Gameplay. So everything below still stands.

For the full list of Ultimate Team changes beyond squad building, read our FC 27 FUT guide.

What Stats Matter Most For Defenders In FC 27?

Defensive Awareness, Standing Tackle, Interceptions and Strength, plus enough pace to recover. With AI auto-tackles gone, you win the ball yourself. The attributes behind your jockey and stand tackle now matter more than the badge on the card.

EA's Gameplay Deep Dive says it cut the extra acceleration the Jockey PlayStyle gives when you exit a jockey, and raised it for players without the PlayStyle. High Interceptions players also get more reach and better ball retention. EA's stated goal is to reduce the gap between PlayStyles and base attributes.

Who Are The Best Defenders In FC 27 Ultimate Team?

At the top end, Gabriel, Nuno Mendes and Willian Pacho are the highest-rated defenders at 89. For a starter budget, the best centre-backs on FUT.GG's under-50K list at launch are Upamecano, Schlotterbeck and, while his price holds, Van Dijk.

The elite tier (if money's no object)

Ratings are from Dexerto's FC 27 best defenders list. For the full top-rated list across positions, see our FC 27 ratings breakdown.

Best cheap centre-backs (FUT.GG's under-50K list)

These are the stat lines that matter in FC 27. Bars start at 60, so the differences are easy to see.

Stats are from FUT.GG's best cheap CBs list, which ranks cards available under 50K by its own FUT.GG rating. We couldn't retrieve live prices, and launch-week prices move by the hour, so check before you buy.

Best cheap full-backs

Ona Batlle is the pick if you can get her: she's on both FUT.GG lists and has no weak defensive stat. Bronze is the opposite of the usual pacey full-back. Huge awareness, 73 sprint, so she suits a back three or a deeper right-back role.

Who Are The Best Strikers In FC 27 Ultimate Team?

For a starter budget, Barbra Banda, Alessia Russo, Tabitha Chawinga and Julián Quiñones give you the best mix of finishing and pace on FUT.GG's under-50K striker list. Pick on Finishing and Shot Power first, because FC 27 ties shot quality to attributes more than PlayStyles.

As per EA's Gameplay Deep Dive, the Low Driven PlayStyle no longer adds shot speed; velocity comes from shooting attributes and input power. Finesse shots now scale with the shooter's stats, and headers need more precision. No starter-squad guide I read connects those changes to who you should buy. They're the whole reason a big Finishing number beats a badge this year.

Stats from FUT.GG's best cheap strikers list. Russo is the best pure finisher here, and Banda is the best all-rounder. Openda's the cheap-rating wildcard: 94 sprint, but his 80 finishing is the lowest on the list.

Is Harry Kane worth it in FC 27?

Only if you play patient build-up football. Kane's card is one of the best finishers in the game, but his 62 sprint means he won't run in behind anybody.

Kane's official FC 27 card has 96 finishing, 92 shot power, 89 heading accuracy, 87 strength and Finesse Shot+. Because shot quality now leans on attributes, those finishing numbers count for even more this year.

The catch is 63 acceleration and 62 sprint. FC 27 gives manual defenders a faster jockey and longer stand-tackle reach, so you need either pace or a pass to get past them. Kane is the pass. He needs a runner beside him and a midfield that feeds him.

Verdict: worth it if you play two up front or build slowly through the middle. Skip him as your first striker if your game is long balls over the top.

Budget strikers (EasySBC's pre-launch estimates)

If 50K is a stretch, EasySBC's starter picks name Racheal Kundananji as the budget option for her 94 pace. Donyell Malen is the mid-range pick, and Bryan Mbeumo (89 pace, 83 shooting, 86 dribbling) is the premium one.

EasySBC is upfront that its prices are predictions from FC 26 market history, so we treat them as tiers, not price tags.

What's The Best FC 27 Starter Squad On A 10K To 50K Budget?

A 4-2-1-3 built around one good centre-back, one striker and one defensive midfielder, with cheap chem-friendly cards everywhere else. Dotesports' starter team guide backs the 4-2-1-3: it protects the middle without making your attack narrow.

A quick honesty note before any numbers. Every per-player price below is an EasySBC pre-launch prediction, based on FC 26 market history. Use them to pick a tier, then check the live market.

Tiers are from EasySBC's FC 27 starter players guide (14 September, prices predicted from FC 26 data). On 10K, take the budget column and fill the gaps with chem-friendly cards from your own packs.

A sample 50K squad

Source: EasySBC's 50K starter squad. Notice where the money goes: Russo up top, Stanway in midfield and Carreras at the back. That's the "one striker, one midfielder, one centre-back" rule in action.

How Does Chemistry Work In FC 27? Do Icons Still Boost Chem?

Yes, but less. In FC 27, an Icon's nation link drops from +2 to +1, and a Hero's league link drops from +2 to +1. Both still get full chemistry when played in position.

That's straight from EA's FC 27 Launch Update. EA also confirmed base Icons now start at 88 OVR, which we dug into in our FC 27 Icon ratings reaction.

What it means for your squad: you can't drop one Icon into a hybrid and expect it to hold the chemistry together like it did in FC 26. Build around a league or nation core first, then add an Icon as a bonus.

None of the starter-squad guides we read had caught this yet.

What Should You Buy First In FC 27 Ultimate Team?

Centre-backs first, then your striker, then a defensive midfielder. FC 27 made manual defending matter more, so your back line is where cheap cards get exposed fastest. Here's the full order from the pitch graphic at the top.

• Centre-backs

  Replace your slowest centre-back first. With AI auto-tackles gone, a weak CB gets found out every match.

• Striker

  One proper finisher. High Finishing and Shot Power, because that's what shot quality runs on now.

• Defensive midfielder

  A screen in front of the back four, so the edge of your box isn't empty.

• Full-backs

  Speed and stamina. AI teammates now mark from slightly further away, so your full-backs cover more ground.

• Wingers, CAM, second CDM

  The fun cards. Buy them once the spine is sorted.

• Goalkeeper

  A cheap keeper does the job early. EasySBC's budget pick, Provedel, carries an A+ meta rating.

New to Ultimate Team altogether? Our FC 27 beginner's guide walks through your first squad from the very start.

Is It Worth Spending Coins On A Starter Squad In FC 27?

More than in previous years, because EA has slowed the power curve. Gold cards you buy in launch week should stay useful for longer, so the coins aren't wasted by October.

EA's FUT Deep Dive cuts the PlayStyles+ cap