Although we can often sit and have a great debate about which player is better in real life, when it comes down to FC 26 rankings, understanding which striker you can get the most out of can be the difference between winning and losing a game. Obviously, in real life, there’s not much that separates Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland; they are both world-class talents and are at the zenith of their powers.
On FC 25, Mbappe was the obvious pick. Some argued he was too good. I would often go Real Madrid in the online seasons mode solely because of Mbappe, once you got space with him and could sprint with the ball, it was over.
On FC 26, while the game may have only recently come out, the Frenchman’s abilities and speed have certainly not slowed. For Haaland, he has somehow gotten better, and the term “man mountain” comes to mind - but which one of these footballing megastars is the better player to have on your team in FC 26? Let’s take a look.
What Do The Pros Say?
If you play regularly online, or you are a fan of EA Sports FC eSports, then you’ll notice a pattern of teams that people pick. This is to be expected. Any team that has the depth or talent of a Real Madrid, Man City, or Barcelona is going to be the team of choice, rather than a bang-average 4-star team.
As professional video gaming leagues heat up and standards increase, this fuels tournament viewership and overall prize money, and injects life into the burgeoning market. With more people betting on eSports matches, there’s a growing demand for data and analytics that help people identify the best players for FUT online, or, for those who prefer regular reasons, which players or teams will give them the most significant advantage.
While this was clearly Real Madrid in FC 25, the question is not as easy to answer on the latest instalment of FC. Manchester City have serious quality across the pitch, and now that the season is updated to reflect live form and current squad performance, it can be even trickier to give a definitive answer to this question.
Although FC eSports doesn’t have the same prize money on offer, or generate the same buzz on social media as some of the more popular games do, like you can see in the post below, there is a growing market for FC 26 - and analytics can play a vital role in bringing the pros on board and boosting the presence of FC 26 eSports on social media.
The Importance Of A Balanced Team
Just because a team has a superstar in it doesn’t always mean they are a guaranteed shoo-in for the win. I remember back during the Ronaldo and Messi years, Cristiano was always the better choice of the two. His physicality and stats made him a more powerful striker going forward, and it was hard for EA Sports to truly replicate Messi's magic, as the game mechanics often rewarded players with tenacity and size rather than individual flair.
This is a balance that has shifted over time, with more emphasis on special developing talents that have the potential to become world-class, and why the balance of a team in FUT is often more important than the ability of one or two star players.
However, even the question we are posing today still reflects the same dynamics. Mbappe is a powerhouse because of his speed, and Haaland is a powerhouse because he is a unit—one of the physically strongest strikers to have ever played in the EPL. Just because one might be marginally better than the other, this doesn’t mean that the team has a better collective chance of winning.
Mbappe or Haaland - Final Say
If you were picking out of these two, then you’d have to give the nod marginally to Mbappe; his speed on the game can be electrifying at times. While Haaland is unbeatable in the air and a deadly finisher, he doesn’t have the link-up play or the ability to skip around players in the same way Mbappe does.
In real life, there really isn’t much to separate them. Mbappe is streets ahead at the top of the La Liga scoring chart with 13 goals, and Haaland is the same in the EPL, with one more than Kylian.
Now that FC has integrated the latest form and boosted players based on their recent league and Champions League performance, it looks as though the battle will be between these two.
Some believe that Harry Kane deserves a mention in this list too, and while he has a better goals-to-game ratio than both, some argue he is doing it in an inferior league. Let’s face it, though, if you have Mbappe, Haaland, or Kane, then your team isn’t exactly going to struggle, but if you wanted to single out one striker that is the top of the pile, then at the moment, it is Mbappe.