FC 24 Founders Evolution Nunez Player Review

New promos, new card designs, new leagues, new players, new features and a new name… EAFC 24 kicked off its inaugural season with a bang this weekend, offering a wide range of opportunities to explore the game and build your ultimate team.

For me… and I don’t think I am alone on this… The Evolution cards are the one area that I really hope EA can get it right and offer continuous opportunities to take players you want, and turn them into something usable based on the current power curve.

There have been a lot of popular options floating around since the initial release of the Evolution options and maybe none more so than the Uruguayan speedster, Darwin Núñez.  The Founders Evolution dropped as a sort of thank you, or bonus for being a part of the newly developed EAFC franchise… and Núñez continues to look like one of the best options. 
After winning 6 Division Rivals matches it was time to put Núñez to the test and no better way than leading the line in my… yes, its back, for now… 4-2-2-2 formation.  The application of the FINISHER chemistry style did the trick and it was off into some more Division Rivals battles in the following squad:

Overall 

Having used quite a few players in both my personal squad and the occasional  online draft, a trend of play styles and movement is beginning to emerge in stronger players.  Núñez certainly benefited from the +2 Overall, +3 Pace, +3 Dribbling, +3 Physical and +3 Shooting … but it had to have been the +1 WEAK FOOT upgrade that really made the biggest impact from the two levels of evolution.

Main Statistics – Pace and Physicality

Pace Rating: 9/10

Physical Rating: 10/10

Height: 187cm | 6’2

From the outset of this review it was clear that the base version of Núñez is already a handful to contain.  The prospect of being able to upgrade the already dangerous 88 ACCELERATION & 92 SPRINT SPEED is certainly a key reason that this card has been such a popular choice.

In large part Núñez also benefits from the size and different AcceleRATE options that come along with his base card and all work towards an extremely rapid Sprint Speed.  However, those same attributes also contribute to the Acceleration not feeling as lethal.  Núñez is not necessarily slow to take off, but alongside Dembele it was a notable difference, hence the 9/10.

Value/Coins

Value/Coins: 5/5

Currently sitting at 30k I would say that Núñez ticks all of the boxes to be worth the value even as a NIF version… the minor issue being that so far this year it has felt like the Weak Foot will be a bigger deal.  While the added statistics are attractive, it is worth pointing out again that Núñez getting a free weak foot upgrade certainly adds the most value to evolving this card in the end.

Good vs. Bad 

Good vs Bad Rating: 4/5

+ When you add the +3 Shooting statistics, apply a FINISHER chemistry, and then get the 4 STAR WEAK FOOT… Núñez starts to feel like a serious goal threat at all times.  Only thing missing is that extra star to hit perfection.

Having already discussed the speed and size of Núñez it is just a few areas of concern left to discuss.

- Passing feels like it is going to be even more challenging this year and after using the likes of Szoboszlai with the whipped pass trait it is clear that some players just won’t be able to move it around the park quite the same.  For Núñez this was a bit of an issue.  The 72 SHORT PASSING & 68 LONG PASSING not always finding the right targets.

- Similar to the Acceleration issue, Núñez both benefits and is hurt by his size, and the same can be said when looking at the dribbling.  When you have 88 STRENGTH (after the Evo) it doesn’t always matter and Núñez protects the ball incredibly well… but there were times when I just wished the card had a bit more Agility and Balance to complete some of the turns I was looking for.

Closing Words

All in all it is just good to be back and able to work towards something new.  The Evolution concept is something that Ultimate Team has been crying out for and hopefully, fingers crossed, it leads to some unique opportunities and different squad ideas.

As for our first review, it is clear why so many EAFC Managers are picking the Uruguayan.  The Weak Foot upgrade is a game changer on an already meta card and adds an added threat to an already loaded arsenal.  You could do a lot worse than the Liverpool man for your Founders Evolution selection… and I am interested to know who others have gone with in the end? Let me know what formations are working for you as well as I would be interested in giving them a go.

Hoping you are well.  Cheers for reading.