FC 25 Future Stars Icon Butragueno Player Review

TOTY came and went and in the end I ended up one of the fortunate ones, packing TOTY Grimaldo (who I previously reviewed and loved) at the 11th hour.  My condolences to those of you that put in the time and effort, recycling like Captain Planet, only to not get your just rewards.  In the end it was a solid promo mixed with gameplay improvements and packs to grind providing an overall snapshot of exactly what this game should be.

Now we jump straight from the TOTY hangover into another fan favorite in the Future Stars promo.  More often than not a “why is x player not on the list?” argument than anything, the Future Stars promo has produced some of the greatest cards in Ultimate Team history.  The Future Stars ICONs is another fantastic addition and steered the course for this weekend's review.  Emilio Butragueño is both a legend of the real and virtual pitch and I could not wait to test him out this weekend.

Still with the 4-5-1(2) and was happy to see that Butra received the Advanced Forward++, which is a personal favorite (and I think widely used).  The Chemistry Style was just as simple this time around as the HAWK Chemistry Style really stands out as the premium option for getting the most out of this card.  With little fuss everything  was good to go into Weekend League with Butragueño leading the line in the following squad:   

Rating: 9/10

I have to immediately say that Butragueño has to be in the top 10, maybe even top 5 finishers in Ultimate Team history… And I don’t mean this version specifically (although as you can imagine he was fantastic), I mean collectively there are not many cards that have been this good across every Ultimate Team edition.  I would be interested to hear other names… For me R9 & Rashford immediately come to mind on that list as well.  Regardless of the nostalgia, this card is another version to add in the Butra collection of fantastic cards and I think the 18 goals in 5 matches (one was a d/c and not even a rage quit as well) promptly ends any debates on that fact.

Main Statistics – Shooting

Weak Foot: ★★★★★

Shooting Rating: 10/10 

PlayStyles: Power Shot Plus, Finesse, Trivela, Chip Shot

Not many cards boast all of the key Shooting PlayStyles with Thunderstruck Rooney the most notable having the same combination as Butra.  Thunderstruck Raul has arguably the better combination of Finesse Plus and regular Power Shot… But regardless it is clear that Butra has all of the tools needed for finding the back of the next and he did so successfully time and time again this weekend.

One thing Rooney and Raul do not possess is the 5 STAR WEAK FOOT on top of those PlayStyles and only added to the threat in front of goal.  Not to mention the 99 FINISHING, 98 SHOT POWER & 94 LONG SHOTS, which do the damage that they suggest they will and perform when called upon.  I think the real strength with Butra’s card is that he has the ability to hurt opponents in a variety of ways and he carries out all of those skills at a high level.  

I have mentioned a few times that I often revert back to Winter Wildcard Dalglish when needing to sweat it out.  Even more so than the finishing it is because of his movement and the positions that King Kenny takes up.  I must say that Butra was just as good, if not better, at finding the space and producing the finish required to reward that movement.  Such a good all-around striker.

Value/Coins

Value/Coins: 5/5

I don’t know what price Butragueño would have to be for me to lower the value for coins here.  I have not even started on the variety of other ways Butra can hurt an opponent, and based on Shooting alone I would pay a premium price.  There are areas (like the Passing) that you maybe wish had a little bit more to give, but as an out and out goal scorer there are not many better.

Good vs. Bad 

Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

The best part about Butra is that he delivers the statistics that he has.  For instance the long passing is not great, but the short passing is spot on… The benefit comes from the fact that when you consider how many areas of this card are highly rated and knowing that you will get those statistics back in performance.

+ I just mentioned the Passing as a perfect example of the statistics and again the 88 SHORT PASSING was quality and produced the 2 assists while providing combination opportunities leading back to more Butra goals.  The lack of any PlayStyles does mean that you are not getting those brilliant through balls or intricate one touch plays, but you can adjust for this and still get the ball from point A to point B

+ The Pace and Dribbling with this card are just about as key as the Shooting.  The HAWK delivers the 99 ACCELERATION and is central to everything Butra does well in and around the box.  The QUICK STEP + EXPLOSIVE AcceleRATE is a lethal combination and then you add the TECHNICAL Plus Dribbling to top it all off.  Butra is a nightmare to contain with the 93 AGILITY & 93 DRIBBLING providing immediate movement after the FIRST TOUCH, aiding in turning and quick direction changes.  Certainly a left stick dribbling dream.

Closing Words

Standing 168 cm | 5’6 Butragueño was never shielding the likes of Saliba or Konate off of the ball and who needs to with the plethora of Dribbling statistics and attributes at your disposal.  But it is worth noting that there were no surprises with Butra in the Physical category. In the end this review was filled with nostalgia and goals with Butragueño dominating my opponents throughout this review.  If you have enjoyed Butra cards in the past then this is a definite replica of those good times.  If you are newer to the game or have not tried Butra in the past I would suggest you take a chance and see why he is such a fan favorite.  100% must try.                                             

Hoping you are well. Cheers for reading.