FIFA 19 Ultimate Team: Lionel Messi, Jadon Sancho & Marco Verratti Star in TOTW 24
On FIFA 19 Ultimate Team, Wednesday means only one thing: fresh selection of Team of the Week cards.
Giving players boosted stats and attributes to reflect their fine performances over the past week, TOTW is one of the main constants of the Ultimate Team series on FIFA and gives a chance for gamers to use some seriously upgraded cards.
For TOTW 24, the standout undoubtedly is one of the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi, receiving his second in-form of the season, while England and Borussia Dortmund starlet Jadon Sancho adds to his growing reputation with another deserved upgrade.
With a whole host more of exciting upgrades, take a look below for a selection of TOTW 24's most impressive additions.
Lionel Messi (97)
After scoring his 50th career hat-trick (yes, you read that right) against Sevilla to help Barcelona come from behind to earn a huge victory, Messi took his tally to 25 goals in La Liga this season. The Argentine continues to defy belief with his performances, and it is no surprise to see him rewarded with a TOTW card after another game in which he carried the rest of his teammates on his back.
The 31-year-old's second in-form of the season sees him get a position change to RW from his first in-form card, and sees his shooting and passing go up by two to 95 and 94 respectively. And he also gets 99 dribbling. Not too shabby eh?
Marco Verratti (87)
Paris Saint-Germain's midfield dynamo, Marco Verratti is well and truly the heart of soul of the Ligue 1 giants. The diminutive Italian continues to be one of the game's best central midfielders, capable of setting the tempo and breaking up opposition attacks.
The Italian was once again instrumental in his side's 3-0 victory over Nimes on Saturday, whilst he ensured the Parisiens comfortably overcame Dijon by the same scoreline in the French Cup quarter-final on Tuesday night. Receiving just his first in-form of the season (although he does have an Ultimate Scream item), the Italian sees an upgrade to three of his key stats: 86 passing, 80 defending and 90 dribbling.
Jadon Sancho (82)
One of the biggest highlights of European football this season, the English skill machine continues to take the Bundesliga by storm since his arrival at Borussia Dortmund last summer. In a topsy-turvy game against Bayer Leverkusen, the 18-year-old scored again to help his side to a crucial victory, and in doing so registered his eight goal in the league.
With there being a Bundesliga Player of the Month card (84) available, and his FUT Future Stars card rated at a 90, Sancho's second in-form coming in at a 82 might not be the most appealing. But with its expected inexpensive price, and combination of 89 pace and 86 dribbling, it may well be one to keep an eye on.
Gerard Deulofeu (84)
In arguably his best game in English football, Deulofeu looked like a man on a one-man mission against Cardiff last Friday. The Spain international's three goals was the Hornets' first top-flight hat-trick since 1986, and showed all the signs of why the 24-year-old was so highly thought of at Barcelona.
What perhaps makes Deulofeu's first in-form of the season more attractive than it perhaps would have been is the position change. With his regular 81-rated gold card a RM by trade, this new TOTW version sees him move to striker as per the position he played against the Bluebirds. With a searing pace stat of 91, and an excellent pair of dribbling (88) and passing (80) attributes to boot, Deulofeu's card may be the hidden gem of this entire week.
Honourable Mentions
Whilst Lionel Messi quite deservedly takes the limelight this week, there are a clutch of players who may just fly under the radar, despite some impressing looking upgrades. Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha makes his name into the TOTW for only the first time this season surprisingly, and with a position change to LW, could prove an intriguing option for those FIFA 19 players looking to build 5* skill squads.
Meanwhile, fellow Premier League players Michail Antonio and James Tarkowski also receive in-forms, with the Burnley centre-back in particular looking extremely good at 85 rated. In the Bundesliga, Eintracht Frankfurt's goal-machine Luka Jovic nets his second in-form of the game and sees his rating climb to an 86, with four base card stats above 80.