It may be EA FC now, but the franchise formerly known as FIFA operates a little like a footalliing time capsule when you dig back through its history. From team lineups to cover stars, it’s a great way to catch up on footballing history – or just check out the latest Barclaysman lineup. Ratings are fun to look at too, but arguably not as much as players’ potential stats, as covered in an EA post dubbed FIFA 14 Future Stars back in 2013.
The list packs 40 of the world’s most exciting football talents, complete with their starting and potential stats. Still, it would be fair to say some of them didn’t live up to expectations, while others have become modern-day mainstays.
(Image: Handout)
Naturally, many of the players on the list found their way to the Premier League. Fred went from Shakhtar Donetsk to Fenerbahce via Manchester United, becoming a bit of a cult hero in the process – although we’re not sure he ever hit the heights of his proposed 85 overall rating. Luke Shaw also made it to the Red Devils, as did Antony Martial. Juan Iturbe spent some time at Bournemouth on loan from AS Roma.
A few of the players on the list are now unattached, with the likes of Kyriakos Papadopoulos now without a club following a string of injuries, as well as Ishak Belfodil, Clement Grenier, and top pick Zakaria Bakkali. It’s fair to say he had the world at his feet by hitting an Eredivisie hattrick at just 17 years old (setting a record in the process).
Bakkali’s move to Atletico Madrid broke down in 2014, before he was frozen out for rejecting a new contract at PSV. He eventually moved to Valencia the next year, before a goalless loan to Deportivo La Coruna and moving to Anderlecht. Most recently, he played for RKX Waalwijk.
Bakkali was touted to have a 90 rating for his potential, which would have put him in a similar bracket to superstars like Messi, Ronaldo, and modern day Mbappe. Some had better luck, though. Mateo Kovacic has done well at Chelsea and Manchester City, while Leandro Paredes and Marco Veratti are still playing for AS Roma and Al Arabi respectively.
Others had more tragic endings, like Junior Malanda who played for VFL Wolfsburg up until his passing in a car accident at the age of just 20 in 2015.
The top 10 predicted in 2014 is:
- Zakaria Bakkali
- Adrian Centurio
- Oliver Torres
- Victor Andrade
- Jurgen Locadia
- Nicolas Lopez
- Juan Iturbe
- Mattia De Sciglio
- Fred
- Filip Duricic
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