Just a few days after announcing a hero card for Claudio Pizarro, there are three more heroic FC 26 debuts. Ricardo Quaresma, Pablo Aimar, and Louisa Necib are all about Joga Bonito.
“Imagination. Soul. Finesse.” With these three words, EA SPORTS sums up what FC 26 players can expect in Ultimate Team starting Friday evening. However, this refers not only to the upcoming event, which is intended to celebrate the beautiful game under the name “Joga Bonito,” but also to a very specific trio of new players: Louisa Necib, Pablo Aimar, and Ricardo Quaresma are joining the soccer simulation as Hero items shortly after the announcement of Claudio Pizarro. While Aimar (La Liga) and Necib (Premiere Ligue) are competing in the leagues where they played the most games, the situation is different for Quaresma. The Portuguese player will not be assigned to the top division in his home country, but to the Turkish SüperLig. This is sure to delight all Besiktas fans, as Quaresma played most of his games on the Bosphorus before moving on to Kasimpasa.
A magical clown
The situation is similar for Aimar, who is primarily associated with Valencia CF in Spain, but also left his mark in Zaragoza. Between 2001 and 2006, the Argentine won the national championship twice with Los Murciélagos, as well as the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup once each. With the national team, “El Payaso” – meaning “the clown” – also took part in two Copa Americas and two World Cups.
The little playmaker’s passes (88) and dribbling (89) are particularly impressive in the virtual world, with EA SPORTS seeing his strengths primarily in combination play. At least that’s what his PlayStyle+ suggests: with “Tiki-Taka,” direct passes are particularly successful. This is an extremely useful bonus for the curly-haired player’s usual position (CM), making Aimar an interesting option.
Serial champion with guaranteed through balls
Aimar’s collection of titles is significantly surpassed by Necib. The Frenchwoman is an absolute legend in Lyon. With OL, she won eight French championship titles in a row, celebrated six of her seven national cup victories and triumphed three times in the Champions League.
This is a remarkable achievement, rounded off by three European Championship appearances, two World Cup nominations, and just as many Olympic appearances with Les Bleues. In FC 26, the developer sees the dribbling-strong (91) creative player coming in from the wing. She is listed as a left midfielder, but is actually too slow for that position.
However, if Necib were to be given an alternative position in the center, she could be a real meta card. With better dribbling than Aimar, identical passing (88) and pace (85) ratings, and better finishing (85), the 38-year-old would be a force to be reckoned with in her FC debut. Not least because of her PlayStyle+ “Decisive Pass.”
Wandervogel fires off wonderful shots
Quaresma, meanwhile, can boast of having won trophies at most of the different clubs he has played for. Whether Portuguese, Italian or Turkish championships and cups – the powerful right winger has won them all. He also has the Premier League under his belt. He has one Champions League victory more than Aimar, while Necib stands out for having won a title with the national team: in 2016, the veteran crowned himself European champion with the Selecao.
While one could possibly argue about the exact choice of a passing or dribbling play style for Necib or Aimar, there is little room for debate with Quaresma. EA SPORTS almost inevitably awards him “Gamechanger”+, thereby enhancing the Portuguese player’s outside-of-the-foot shots.
The extroverted dribbling artist has always been known for these skills, but he also impresses in other areas: his pace (89), shooting (87), and especially dribbling (92) are extremely strong. That’s why Quaresma is likely to cause some defensive lines a lot of trouble.
