FC 24 86 Rafael Leao Player Review

Further and further down the rabbit hole with EAFC24 and it would appear that no matter how far down I go, I will never be able to defend properly.  The cut back wing play is on another level and my AI defenders have not returned from the summer holiday between FIFA 23 and EAFC24. 

On the other side of the ball it has been a decent learning curve to unlock the benefits from different PlayStyles and overall just adapting to the new, much slower, gameplay.  Along the way we have been testing many of the popular cards and noticed some debates forming on player quality.

One of the current hot topics is the difference, if any, between two of the more popular NIF cards equipped with the RAPID PlayStyle Plus… Rafael Leão and Ousmane Dembélé.  For today’s review we dive into the Portuguese speedster, before looking at the Frenchman, and then ultimately making a decision at the end of the Dembélé review.

In order to set Leão up for success it was a stint as both the RM and ST in my, still in testing phase, 4-4-2 formation.  With speed to spare and the RAPID PlayStyle Plus already in place, it was the FINISHER Chemistry Style that seemed best suited to get the most out of the Milan superstar.

Leão proved to be both scorer and provider all qualification long in the following squad:

Overall 

16 goals and 4 assists in 7 matches (two RQ just before halftime) puts Leão just a goal contribution outside of a crazy 3.0 goal contribution per match.  Made even more impressive given the difficulty of opponents and squads in the qualifying pool.  The card is a weapon, and a dangerous one at that.

Main Statistics – Pace

Pace Rating: 10/10

PlayStyles: Rapid Plus, Quick Step

It is no surprise that Leão is incredibly fast in the game… that surprise came in just how dominant that Pace can be in game.  We all have those moments in the past where X defender, caught Y attacker, despite a substantial pace difference… With Leão, these moments are almost non-existent.

Part of the dominance comes from the quick start as Leão benefits from both the QUICK STEP PlayStyle and a baseline 93 ACCELERATION.  The drive out of the gates, both on and off the ball, is noticeable and despite the CONTROLLED AcceleRATE… there is nothing controlled about the chaos Leão causes in those moments.

The next ‘step’ is where the magic happens as Leão’s 93 SPRINT SPEED is transformed into a rocket-boosted, Usain-Bolt-fluid, defense-crippling, Fast-and-Furious-Nos-Injected version of Pace.  The RAPID PlayStyle Plus has to be up there with one of the more OP PlayStyles and on Leão it not only enhanced the good qualities, but patched over the areas where he struggled. 

Value/Coins

Value/Coins: 5/5

155k and worth every coin.  There is so much to like about Leão and the danger that he provides in attack.  The versatility to play on the wing and as striker is just another check box on a card that has a lot to offer.   

Good vs. Bad 

Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

In the end everything Leão does well largely comes back to Pace and as long as that is not nerfed, he will cause issues well into a power curve increase. 

+ Dribbling with Leão is about 2 parts pace and 1 part actual dribbling quality.  The QUICK STEP PlayStyle is again on display as coming out of dribbles and just movement in general feels so explosive.  The FINISHER does add 93 AGILITY, 84 BALANCE & 99 DRIBBLING into the mix, which certainly isn’t hurting the end results.

+ The Shooting is another area where the versatility is maintained with Leão certainly able to find the back of the net.  The FINESSE SHOT, 4 STAR WEAK FOOT & 96 FINISHING proving a lethal combination.  As I experimented with the Precision Shooting Setting the 84 SHOT POWER felt less of an issue in game.

As I said, even the negatives are bailed out by the Pace in a way.

- The Passing with Leão isn’t the best and with 75 VISION, 80 SHORT PASSING & 63 LONG PASSING it was to be expected.  But the 4 assists in 7 matches is a nice striker return and in general was created again by Leão’s Pace, followed by square balls into the box to tap in.  Call it sweaty… Call it abuse of mechanics… But they all look the same on the stats sheet.

Closing Words

Rafael Leão has set the bar at a level that even an Ultimate Team favorite like Ousmane Dembélé is going to find difficult to vault over.  In the end Leão is a fantastic example of what happens when good statistics are met with fantastic PlayStyle boosters.  Tons of fun.. A must try!

Hoping you are well.  Cheers for reading.