Everybody loves a wonderkid, and in EA Sports FC 26 it is no different.
Before the game is even released each year, certain stats are announced to provide some ideas as to who will be the best players to sign in Career Mode. There are the obvious choices but then some hidden gems with the potential to be the best players in the game.
But travelling over years of FIFAs past, not every wonderkid has managed to live up to their in-game potential.
Sometimes they are hit by a crucial injury. Or personal problems hamper their progress. And others have just hit their peak too early, showing up those who set the FIFA ratings.
But where are those players now? The ones you just had to buy in previous games that you might be surprised to see are still around in the EAFC era. Sadly, with very average ratings.
We’ve taken a look at 12 of the biggest wonderkids from FIFAs past who failed to reach the heights both in real life and on the game.
Wonderkids are players aged 21 and under with high potential and growth in Career Mode.
Have you missed your favourite wonderkid out? Let us know on X or Facebook!
Ahmed Musa (FIFA 14)
- FIFA 14 rating: 76
- FIFA 14 potential: 85
- EAFC 26 rating: N/A
- EAFC 26 potential: N/A
In 2013-14 CSKA were one of the most frustrating teams to play against because they boasted Seydou Doumbia and, more importantly for us, Ahmed Musa. The 20-year-old was an absolute destroyer when it came to pace but also had four-star skill moves and good finishing. In Career Mode there was the potential for him to rise to 85. A solid player.
But his real-life career just hasn’t had the same trajectory and Musa, now 32, is plying his trade in his native Nigeria with Kano Pillars. Obviously that means he isn’t in EAFC 26, which is sad for all those who did still enjoy seeing his face pop up.
Lucas Piazon (FIFA 14)
- FIFA 14 rating: 73
- FIFA 14 potential: 85
- EAFC 26 rating: N/A
- EAFC 26 potential: N/A
Another FIFA 14 star, Lucas Piazon was tipped for greatness in his early Chelsea years. He was being compared to Brazilian legend Kaka! This was mirrored somewhat by his FIFA 14 potential of 85, making Piazon a nice addition to any Career Mode side on the wings.
However, the Brazilian fell victim to Chelsea’s loan system and went to reinvent himself at Braga. Piazon had a year out of the game in FIFA 23 as he was on loan at Botafogo, and EA Sports didn’t have the licenses for Brazil. But he returned in EAFC 24 with Braga, before making his move to Avs FC. Piazon is back out of the game for EAFC 26, playing for Wieczysta Krakow in Poland’s second tier. They have gained promotion though, so he should be back for EAFC 27.
Viktor Fischer (FIFA 14)
- FIFA 14 rating: 74
- FIFA 14 potential: 86
- EAFC 26 rating: N/A
- EAFC 26 potential: N/A
One of FIFA 14’s must-buys, Viktor Fischer had the potential to be a demon on the wings. The 19-year-old already had the pace and dribbling abilities to cause problems despite his initial rating of 74. And then there was the small bonus of his potential to rise 86. It was important you signed him early.
But, like everyone else in his list, Fischer struggled to live up to expectations. After struggling with injury, Fischer retired aged 29, having spent his final season at AIK on loan from Royal Antwerp.
Zakaria Bakkali (FIFA 14)
- FIFA 14 rating: 73
- FIFA 14 potential: 90
- EAFC 26 rating: N/A
- EAFC 26 potential: N/A
If you didn’t sign Zakaria Bakkali in FIFA 14 Career Mode, you weren’t doing it right. The 17-year-old was one of the best wonderkids in the game, starting out at 73 and having the potential to rise to 90 if you played well. With excellent speed and dribbling, it was key to get Bakkali early in your Career Mode before he was swept up by a rival.
Unfortunately things haven’t exactly panned that way in real life with Bakkali leaving PSV to join Valencia, Deportivo La Coruna, Anderlecht (with a loan spell at Beerschot) and RKC Waalwijk. In EAFC 24, Bakkali had an Overall of 67, but he has now been out of the game for two years. That’s out of the virtual game, with no coverage of Moroccan club football — where he plies his trade with IR Tanger.
Richairo Zivkovic (FIFA 15)
- FIFA 15 rating: 69
- FIFA 15 potential: 86
- EAFC 26 rating: N/A
- EAFC 26 potential: N/A
Perhaps a slightly more obscure wonderkid. For those who knew, Richairo Zivkovic was a must have on FIFA 15. The 18-year-old striker started the game with an initial rating of 69 but boasted decent attacking stats. But the biggest drawing point was his potential of 86, which reflected in real-life expectations.
Things just haven’t worked out for the Dutchman, however, as he struggled to make an impact with Ajax. Now 29, Zivkovic has been in and out of the game franchise over the past few editions. He’s currently out, plying his trade with Thailand’s True Bangkok United.
Max Meyer (FIFA 15)
- FIFA 15 rating: 75
- FIFA 15 potential: 87
- EAFC 26 rating: 71
- EAFC 26 potential: 71
One of many German midfielders tipped for a long and successful career, Max Meyer had bags of potential in FIFA 15. Starting with a rating of 75 the CAM was excellent on the ball with 82 dribbling and 82 acceleration, capable of causing problems through the middle – not to mention his potential to rise to 87 Overall.
But Meyer has never really hit the peaks FIFA expected of him with the German’s career stagnating before his move to Crystal Palace, where it only regressed further. In EAFC 26, Meyer (still only 30) is rated at 71 — with no potential to grow — playing for Cypriot side APOEL Nicosia.
Lazar Markovic (FIFA 15)
- FIFA 15 rating: 78
- FIFA 15 potential: 87
- EAFC 26 rating: N/A
- EAFC 26 potential: N/A
When Liverpool signed Lazar Markovic in 2014, the whole FIFA world became excited. The Reds had just bought one of the best wonderkids, as shown by his potential rating of 87 in FIFA 15. The Serbian was fast and a good dribbler, making him very desirable on the flanks.
But, as everyone knows, things just didn’t work out. He struggled at Liverpool and on his various loan moves before lasting less than six months at Fulham. After a few years out of FIFA while playing with boyhood club Partizan Belgrade, Markovic had a season back for EAFC 24, plying his trade with Gaziantep in Turkey. He was just 72-rated then, but wasn’t included in EAFC 25 or EAFC 26. Markovic is currently without a club, leaving Apollon Limassol this summer. So there’s hope.
Hachim Mastour (FIFA 16)
- FIFA 16 rating: 67
- FIFA 16 potential: 86
- EAFC 26 rating: N/A
- EAFC 26 potential: N/A
Joining AC Milan at a young age, Hachim Mastour was tipped to be a star and this was echoed in his FIFA 16 stats. The teenager had a potential rating of 86, growing 67 from his initial Overall and possessed good dribbling stats.
But, much like Zivkovic, Mastour was unable to live up to the hype, something he attributed to outside interest, telling TuttoMercatoWeb: “I noticed the media hype with which I arrived at Milan, which consequently pushed companies and intermediaries to see in me more a chance to make money, than a sporting profile to grow and wait.
“This penalised my sporting growth, also because I wanted to play exclusively, after all I didn’t care much about it [commercial activities], as demonstrated by the fact that I have always trained and acted with seriousness, both at Malaga and at Zwolle.”
Mastour now plies his trade with Italian third-tier club Virtusvecomp Verona. Too low a level to be on EAFC, sadly.
Riechedly Bazoer (FIFA 16)
- FIFA 16 rating: 77
- FIFA 16 potential: 88
- EAFC 26 rating: 72
- EAFC 26 potential: 73
Sticking with FIFA 16, Riechedly Bazoer was an exciting midfielder with bags of potential. He had decent shooting stats for his Overall of 77, could control the ball well and wasn’t bad in the tackle. On top of this he had the potential to rise to 88, becoming one of the best all-round midfielders in the game.
Things just haven’t worked out for Bazoer as he left Ajax for Wolfsburg before returning to the Netherlands permanently with Vitesse after loan spells with Porto and Utrecht. Bazoer spent two years with AZ before joining Konyaspor. Now a centre-back, Bazoer’s Overall has dropped to 72 with potential to grow to only 73. He does have a World Cup appearance for Curacao under his belt, but is now without a club.
Alen Halilovic (FIFA 16)
- FIFA 16 rating: 73
- FIFA 16 potential: 90
- EAFC 26 rating: 70
- EAFC 26 potential: 70
In FIFA 16, Alen Halilovic was enjoying his second season with Barcelona, though the first year of Career Mode will have been spent on loan at Sporting Gijon – which meant you had to wait a little to snap him up. But when you did, he could go on to become one of the best players in the world, with the potential to rise to 90 Overall. He was a must sign.
Despite counting AC Milan among his later clubs, Halilovic’s career just didn’t go the way FIFA predicted as he struggled to make an impact at various sides. Halilovic now plays for Fortuna Sittard in the Netherlands, with an initial Overall of 70 in EAFC 26. There’s no potential to grow…
Jann-Fiete Arp (FIFA 18)
- FIFA 18 rating: 63
- FIFA 18 potential: 89
- EAFC 26 rating: 69
- EAFC 26 potential: 71
A wonderkid on both FIFA and Football Manager, Jann-Fiete Arp was first on most managers’ transfer lists when starting a new game. Playing for Hamburg at the time, the talented tyro had the potential to rise to 89 from his initial rating and could become one of the fiercest strikers on the game.
His potential in real life was seen by Bayern Munich but Arp got lost in the pack at the Allianz Arena, spending most of his time with the reserves before being sent on loan to Holstein Kiel, whom he joined permanently. Arp is still only 26 and is currently plying his trade with Danish side Odense, with very sad EAFC 26 Overalls.
Pietro Pellegri (FIFA 19)
- FIFA 19 rating: 67
- FIFA 19 potential: 87
- EAFC 26 rating: 68
- EAFC 26 potential: 73
Another player who was backed to take over the world at a young age, Pietro Pellegri joined Monaco in 2018 for a €25m fee aged just 16, already piling a lot of pressure on his young head. By the next FIFA, Pellegri had been given a potential rating of 87, so was a good option for a lot of teams looking for a cheap striker to start off with.
In EAFC 26, Pellegri’s Overall has risen from 67 to 68, but his potential has dropped massively to just 73. This is a decrease in one from EAFC 25, with Pellegri recently ending a two-year loan spell at Empoli.