The Early Access of FC 24 currently allows first experiences with Football Ultimate Team (FUT) – and with the new women in the mode. Have the virtual female players been integrated competitively?
2, 5 and 7. These are the top 10 positions occupied by women in the official player value database for EA SPORTS FC 24. The rankings are not really accurate, as Alexia Putellas in second place and Kylian Mbappé in first place both have 91 points in the overall rating. Among the twelve gold cards with an overall rating of at least 90 are four female players – a third of the top.
The overall ratio of women to men in FC 24 is 1,501 to 16,169, less than a tenth. So are the female professionals overrepresented at the top? The fact that EA SPORTS was able to license far fewer women’s leagues than men’s leagues speaks against this. And above all: the strongest ones. Accordingly, almost only the best women’s teams and the best players are represented.
For the men, the developer can boast a much larger portfolio of league licences. Which, in proportion, flushes significantly more weaker-rated players into FUT. So, if anything, one could speak of an underrepresentation of women at four to eight gold cards in the top 12. However, every experienced FIFA player knows: Overall ratings are overrated in many cases anyway.
Often only Putellas can halfway keep up
A closer look at the six basic values reveals a more accurate picture. In the tempo ranking, the first players with Trinity Rodman, Delphine Cascarino and Rosemonde Kouassi (94 each) occupy a shared seventh place. Mbappé (97) is enthroned at the top, followed by five other men. Shooting is also a man’s business on the podium, with Erling Haaland, Harry Kane (93 each) and Robert Lewandowski (91) outscoring Putellas (90).
The Spaniard plays the second best passes on virtual paper (91), but has to admit clear defeat to Kevin De Bruyne (94). In terms of dribbling, it is again Putellas who has received the best score of a woman: 92. Lionel Messi (94) and Neymar (93), however, are a bit ahead of her in FC 24 in that respect. The first – shared – top female position goes to a German. With her digital physique, of all things.
Defensive dominance of two female players
Lena Oberdorf has been awarded 89 points by EA SPORTS. And thus as many as the four best male professional colleagues in this category. Especially the physicality is in the focus of critics of the women’s integration in FUT. Many fans feel it is unrealistic for the publisher to rate the attribute similarly for male and female players. The had already explained this to eSport.
But there is also a basic value in which two virtual women outperform all men: defence. French captain Wendie Renard (91) and Spaniard Mapi Leon (90) take first and second place. Only one of six main attributes in which female players are ahead. Small consolation: Three 90+ values on the gold card were awarded to a woman and a man, Putellas and Mbappé. At least there is equality here.
