FIFA 18 Ultimate Team: Festival of Futball (FOF) Team of the Matchday 1 Predictions

The first round of matches have been completed at the World Cup, and FIFA 18 have finally shown their hand as to what cards they will be releasing for the tournament. On the World Cup edition of Ultimate Team, players who are Man of the Match get a ratings boost, but no new card. However, in the FIFA 18 Ultimate Team, the Festival of Futball is kicking off. On Wednesday, June 20 and 4pm BST the Team of the Matchday will be released.

We already know Hirving Lozano, Isco and Cristiano Ronaldo will be in there, but who will be joining them? RealSport predicts the 11 players who deserve to be in the Team of Matchday 1. 

Hannes Thor Halldorsson (OVR 67 – FOF 84)

Iceland claimed a massive point off Argentina in their World Cup opener, and they have goalkeeper Hannes Thor Halldorsson to thank. The Randers man made six saves, including a Lionel Messi penalty, as Argentina let fly 27 shots during the clash in Moscow.

That result should see Halldorsson’s rating jump enormously from 67 to 84 on Ultimate Team. The goalie’s 67 base card is priced at 1,400 coins on PS4 and 950 on Xbox One, and he has an 80 rating on the World Cup mode.

Under threat from: Kasper Schmeichel (OVR 83)

Kieran Trippier (OVR 78 – FOF 83)

Few would have expected Kieran Trippier to be the most creative player at the World Cup so far, but the England right wing back created six chanced for his country in their last gasp 2-1 win over Tunisia.

A brilliant performance should not only secure his place in the England line up, but also claim a spot in the Team of the Matchday. We expect Trippier’s 78 overall to jump to 83, with his base card priced at 850 coins on PS4 and 1,200 on Xbox One. The defender’s World Cup rating lies at 80. 

Under threat from: Nacho Fernandez (OVR 81)

Jose Maria Gimenez (OVR 83 – FOF 87)

If it hadn’t been for Jose Maria Gimenez, Uruguay would be in a very different position going into Matchday 2. Not only was the Atletico Madrid man a rock in defence alongside Diego Godin, but he grabbed the injury time winner against Egypt to take the three points.

Gimenez’s rating should now increase from 83 to 87, with his base card costing 1,800 coins on PS4 and 2,000 on Xbox One. The centre back has an impressive 85 rating for the World Cup, due to his Man of the Match boost, which improved from 83.

Under threat from: Diego Godin (OVR 88)

Aleksandar Kolarov (OVR 81 – FOF 85)

Aleksandar Kolarov was the hero for Serbia in their 1-0 win over Costa Rica, whipping in a trademark free-kick. Now 32, his best days may be behind him, but he is so vital to his country in a World Cup where they could be the surprise package.

The Roma man’s 81 overall should improve to an impressive 85 for the Festival of Futball. Kolarov has a base card of 81 which will cost 1,500 coins on both consoles, with an 82 in-form setting you back 20,000 on PS4 and 21,500 on Xbox One. A 90 Team of the Season card costs 81,500 on PS4 and 85,000 on Xbox One, with Kolarov’s World Cup rating now 83 following his boost from 80. 

Under threat from: Andreas Granqvist (OVR 80)

Hirving Lozano (OVR 79 – FOF 91)

Mexico picked up the result of the round by defeating World Champions Germany, and it was Hirving Lozano who got that massive goal. Fresh off the back of a superb season with PSV Eindhoven, there is no doubt some clubs will be looking at the winger this summer.

Lozano’s 79 overall will increase to an incredible 91, which has already been revealed. His left wing base card is priced at 800 coins on PS4 and 900 on Xbox One, with an 84 right wing in form card costing 15,250 coins on PS4 and 16,750 on Xbox One. An 89 Team of the Season (RW) will set you back 88,000 on PS4 and 89,000 on Xbox One. His World Cup rating is now 84 after an increase from 81. 

Under threat from: Philippe Coutinho (OVR 87)

Hector Herrera (OVR 79 – FOF 85)

Hector Herrera was another star man in that 1-0 win over Germany. The central midfielder negated the likes of Toni Kroos and Mesut Ozil superbly, and set up counter attacks by playing the ball forward to the front three.

The Porto man may only have a 79 rating on Ultimate Team, but this could now improve to 85 for the FOF. That base card costs 750 coins on PS4 and 1,500 on Xbox One, with his World Cup rating now 83 following its boost from 80. 

Under threat from: Valon Behrami (OVR 77)

Aleksandr Golovin (OVR 76 – FOF 85)

Aleksandr Golovin’s performance in the first game of the World Cup has already alerted interest from across Europe. The central midfielder started on the left side for Russia and claimed two assists, as well as a stoppage time free-kick to polish off a 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia.

Golovin’s 76 overall rating should now improve all the way to 85 for the Festival of Futball. The CSKA Moscow midfielder’s base card costs 700 coins on PS4 and 750 on Xbox One, with his World Cup rating having increased from 79 to 82. 

Under threat from: Paul Pogba (OVR 88)

Denis Cheryshev (OVR 79 – FOF 84)

Denis Cheryshev surprised us all when he came off the bench for Russia to score twice in their 5-0 drubbing of Saudi Arabia in the opener. The Villarreal left midfielder also scored in Russia’s second game against Egypt, giving him a great chance again of making the Team of Matchday 2.

Cheryshev’s 79 overall rating on Ultimate Team is valued at 1,000 coins on both consoles. His World Cup rating now lies at 81 following an increase from 76. 

Under threat from: Steven Zuber (OVR 75)

Cristiano Ronaldo (OVR 94 – FOF 98)

Cristiano Ronaldo is the first name on this team sheet. He single-handedly got Portugal a point in their toughest group game against Spain with a superb hat trick. That free kick was a fitting strike from the best player in the world, and in this kind of form, you cannot rule European champs Portugal out of this World Cup. 

Ronaldo’s 94 rating should improve to an FOF rating of 98, with his left wing base card costing 339,000 on PS4 and 299,000 on Xbox One. His 99 Team of the Year card is priced at 2.4 million on PS4 and 2.1 million on Xbox One, with his Team of the Season (ST) setting you back 2.2 million on PS4 and just over 2 million on Xbox One. For the World Cup mode, Ronaldo has a 96 rating which improved from 95. 

Under threat from: Yussuf Poulsen (OVR 76)

Diego Costa (OVR 86 – FOF 90)

Diego Costa’s brace looked to have been enough to steal a victory for Spain against Portugal, but Cristiano Ronaldo had other ideas. Costa’s directness and power up front give Spain’s creative midfielders the perfect focal point to work off, and you can expect the Atletico Madrid hero to bag a few more before the tournament ends.

We expect Costa’s 86 rating to improve to 90, with his base card costing 9,700 coins on both consoles. An 87 European Man of the Match card will set you back 41,750 on PS4 and 34,000 on Xbox One, with his 87 Ones To Watch priced at 34,000 on PS4 and 30,000 on Xbox One. On the World Cup mode, Costa is rated at 86 after an increase from 84. 

Under threat from: Harry Kane (OVR 88)

Isco (OVR 86 – FOF 95)

A slightly surprising choice is Spain’s Isco. Playing on the left wing, Isco was Spain’s best midfielder in the heavyweight clash against Portugal, and almost scored an absolute cracker with a striker that hit the bar and bounced back off the goal line. 

Isco’s 86 rating has been revealed to rise to 95, with his CM base card costing 7,900 coins on PS4 and 8,100 on Xbox One. An 88 CAM in-form is priced at 97,500 on PS4 and 90,500 on Xbox One, with a 94 Team of the Season setting you back 165,000 on PS4 and 185,000 on Xbox One. 

Under threat from: M’Baye Niang (OVR 78)

RealSport's FOF Matchday 1 prediction