EA Sports FC 25 is the latest annual entry for the series formerly known as FIFA. Despite the loss of the FIFA license a few years ago, the series is still going strong featuring a plethora of gameplay options and content. It features teams and leagues from all over the world, obligatory online match-ups as well as fully fleshed-out player career and manager modes.

This series has been a sporting staple since all the way back in 1993 with the launch of FIFA International Soccer. In the decades since it has proved to be a reliable, enjoyable series and as a casual fan of football, it is a series I come back to every few years or so. I am always eager to see what has changed, what has been enhanced or improved as well as checking out whether there is anything new on offer.

EA Sports FC 25 sees the majority of the clubs from last year’s entry returning for another season, with the exception of a few Serie A clubs that have been renamed as fictional teams, old-school style. Some of the others now missing in action are the Belgium national team and the Canada women’s national team, unfortunately. There are a few returning teams though, such as Serie A clubs Roma and Napoli. Debuting teams include the Finland women’s national team, which is great to see.

That said, unless you are a hyper fan of football, or the missing teams are coincidentally your home team, the missing clubs are not going to be a big deal. I personally would like to see the J League back in an EA Sports FC title (the last showing was 2022) but maybe next time around. Either way, there is still an overwhelming amount of content and options here already, so it would just be a nice-to-have.

Aside from the classic quick-play modes, where you just choose your team and have a match against an opponent of choice – which is still fun, mind you – I dug into the player career and manager career a little bit more this time around. In relation to the player career, much like the rest of the game, you can get as in-depth as you like. Aside from deciding on how your player looks, you can choose their background and attributes, choose your level of skill and decide whether you want to start in the premier leagues or whether you want to start with a team in the minor leagues and make yourself into a star.

In between matches and training sessions, you have to deal with e-mails from your agent, telling you how much money you could make elsewhere. You also need to decide where to spend said money, or what comments to post on social media that could either alienate or endear yourself to your teammates. You can just play your character, in their role, or take control of the team in matches and just pass the ball over. I wonder if anyone who creates a player decides to be anything other than a striker.

The Manager Career in EA Sports FC 25 was one of my favourite parts of this entry. Like much of the game, it is as accessible as you like, but, if you really want to get into strategy and all the bits and pieces of managing a team you can do that as well. Hire the right coaches, and the right scouts, keep an eye out for players on the up and up but also keep an eye on your existing players, the dollary-doos in the bank account and make sure the board is happy.

For my career, I chose a grassroots team with very little money, low expectations from the board and little chance of success. But it was pretty cool keeping an eye on the junior league; you can choose to play the games as the players, watch from the sidelines (which is probably more true to life) or just sim a match and see what happens. In some ways, stepping in to play as the team does feel like tipping the scales in your favour but I like having the option to take fate into my own hands if the stakes are high.

I really like the idea of managing a team from the ground up; sure, it would take some time to get my team into the premiership but the idea of taking those junior players and building them up and then taking them with me to greener pastures is pretty enticing. Sure, the classic Sir Alex Ferguson ear bashing, with doors smashed off the hinges, hot tea and scones flying everywhere and a scarlet-faced boot-throwing tantrum after a poor performance is not on the cards, but this is a mainstream game after all.

EA Sports FC 25 also introduces ‘Rush’ which is a 5v5 fast-paced match, with similar rules to a full-on 11v11. It is pretty much like VOLTA which was 3v3 (and is referenced as such, still an option) but on a field rather than a special street-style environment. I personally don’t think it adds much, I would have preferred a comeback of the VOLTA story campaign from 2020 because it was just so different and well-made at the time.

Aside from all the fun and games of playing EA Sports FC 25 solo, this series has always been built around playing with others in hotly-contested matches. Whether that be the classic, 30-year-old tradition of playing this series with friends in front of one TV screen. Or, these days, online. Of course the Ultimate Team and Clubs are present. But as a casual fan and player, I did one match online, got whipped and quit. More practice is required obviously.

But playing one on one, with a friend or a partner is still as much fun as always; despite me throwing a controller onto the couch and walking away after four… four unanswered goals against me. I took a breath and came back for a rematch. Football is truly a game of patience, and mental strength as much as it is skill. In many ways Football tests the bonds that bind, it truly is a beautiful game.