FIFA 22 career mode allows players to build a world-beating team, win games and trophies and recruit some of the best wonderkids.
Whilst not all teams will have the spending power to make huge moves in the transfer market early on, the dream of each FIFA manager is to have a team capable of reaching the very top eventually.
Much like in real life, there are many players in-game that can be the very best.
Read: SPORF’s FIFA 22 review.
And whilst in real life you can’t always guarantee that a promising player will go on to be successful, the beauty of FIFA is that you can have control over moulding each player to become world class. With position changes, individual training and more, FIFA 22 arguably offers the most immersive development programme yet.
With that in mind, here are five of the best FIFA 22 career mode wonderkids with high potential (all figures via FifaCM):
Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax)
Rating: 78 Potential: 90
Ryan Gravenberch has been one of the emerging stars of an Ajax side that has dominated domestic and European football so far this season.
The 19-year-old is a regular starter for Erik ten Hag’s side and has registered a goal and an assist in 16 appearances in all competitions.
On FIFA, his rise will continue, with a potential overall of 90 in the future. His contract at Ajax expires in 2023, so he may be one to look at further down the line with a pre-contract deal in mind.
Pedri (FC Barcelona)
Rating: 81 Potential: 91
At the age of just 18, Pedri is already making waves across world football. Comparisons to Iniesta and Xavi are frequent.
In truth, Barcelona fans have rarely seen a player so comfortable in possession since those two legends of the game. When available, Pedri is already a star in the first team, and FIFA predicts his rise to continue.
The Spanish international can go up to 91 potential in career mode with the proper training, turning him into one of the best midfielders in the game. His in-game value reflects his new six-year contract in real life, although you can pay his release clause of around £123.5 million to snap him up.
Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Rating: 84 Potential: 92
Much like in real life, Phil Foden is considered a top prospect on FIFA 22.
The 21-year-old has starred for Manchester City this season. He has five goals and four assists in 12 appearances in all competitions. Foden is unquestionably one of the biggest talents to emerge from the club’s academy.
He starts FIFA 22 at an 84 overall and is capable of playing multiple positions. In time, you could get him to reach an overall of 92 – a growth of eight overall points.
The problem for any non-Manchester City players is that Foden doesn’t come cheap. He’ll cost you around £80 million at the beginning of the game.
Kai Havertz (Chelsea)
Rating: 84 Potential: 92
Kai Havertz is another exciting attacking midfielder that can reach world-class levels on FIFA 22.
His first season at Chelsea wasn’t a complete success, mainly due to injuries and testing positive for Covid-19. But he did end the season by scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final. In this campaign, he has four goals in 14 appearances in all competitions.
On career mode, Havertz can reach a potential of 92 if you train him correctly and he performs in-game. He costs the same amount as Foden to purchase and has an extra year on his Chelsea contract to 2025.
Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Image Credit: EA SPORTS
Rating: 91 Potential: 95
As the best wonderkid on FIFA 22, Kylian Mbappe can reach an unrivalled overall rating of 95 in career mode.
The Frenchman starts off the game as one of the best players in the world anyway. Only Robert Lewandowski (92) and Lionel Messi (93) are rated higher. It’s scary to think how dominant a 95-rated Mbappe could be.
But the key reason for Mbappe being on this list is because, when it comes to purchasing him on career mode, you probably have a better chance of signing him than any other name we’ve talked about – provided you can afford his wages.
The 22-year-old’s current deal expires in the summer of 2022, meaning you can likely approach him on a pre-contract agreement in January of the first season.
Featured Image Credit: Getty