FC 27 Debuts Its POTMs: Malen, Olise, Raphinha and Groß Kick Off the Year in Ultimate Team

Ultimate Team now has its first POTMs of the season. As reported by Areajugones, EA Sports has revealed the opening batch of Player of the Month cards for EA Sports FC 27, and there are four winners: Malen, Olise, Raphinha and Groß. Each one receives a special card for being the standout player in their league during the period under review.

It might look like minor news in the promo calendar, but it isn't. POTMs are one of the few promos that directly connect what happens on the real pitch with what happens in your Ultimate Team club. And as the first of the FC 27 cycle, they mark the start of the race to upgrade squads at a time when the game is still fresh and every new card can shift the meta of the opening weeks.

What You Need to Know

• EA Sports has revealed the first POTMs of FC 27, a classic promo that returns every month.
• The four winners in this first batch are Malen, Olise, Raphinha and Groß.
• The card rewards the player who has stood out the most in their league over the relevant month.
• The core information comes from Areajugones, which covered the announcement of this first release.

What POTMs Are and Why They Matter in Ultimate Team

Player of the Month is a series tradition that has held firm since the name change from FIFA to EA Sports FC. The concept is simple: each month, partner leagues pick their best player and EA releases a special version of that player's card in Ultimate Team. It isn't a big, flashy promo like the season's major events, but a recurring fixture that sets the rhythm of the competitive year.

Its appeal lies in the fact that it depends on real-world performance. It isn't EA handpicking which player deserves the spotlight, but what the player has actually done in their competition. That gives these cards a storytelling element that resonates with football fans: if your favorite player is on a hot streak, you know there's a chance they'll end up in your squad with an upgraded version.

Who This First Batch Affects

The first to feel it are competitive players, especially those playing Division Rivals and Champions from the very first weekend. At this stage of the game, when most squads still rely on base cards, any upgraded version of an attacker or midfielder with good stats can make a real difference. Names like Olise and Raphinha, highly rated attacking profiles, usually spark immediate interest in the community.

The other major group affected is content creators. POTMs generate review videos, comparisons, squad-building challenges and breakdowns of whether the SBC is worth completing (assuming that's how the cards are obtained, something the source doesn't specify). For an FC channel, the start of each monthly promo is a chance to hook the audience with quick, useful content.

Our Take

Here at Underworld Lordz, we like POTMs, and we'll say it plainly: they're one of the most honest promos in Ultimate Team. They reward real performance, break up the monotony between major events and give the community a reason to actually follow the leagues. The fact that FC 27's first batch includes profiles as different as Malen, Olise, Raphinha and Groß is also a good sign: there's variety in positions and playstyles, not just filler strikers.

That said, we also have a criticism we repeat every year: a POTM's real value depends on how EA designs the card and when it arrives. If the stat boost is modest or the cost to obtain it skyrockets, the reward ends up as a mere collectible nobody uses in serious matches. For competitive players, a card that looks great but adds nothing on the pitch is wasted time and coins. We hope EA strikes the right balance between rewarding the player's achievement and offering something genuinely useful.

For content creators, the advice is clear: don't just announce the card. Your audience already knows who won. What adds value is testing it in real matches, comparing it with alternatives on the market and saying clearly whether it's worth it or not. That's how you build credibility.

What Do You Think?

The FC 27 season has just started and the first POTMs are already here. Do you think the picks are fair? Is there a player you feel deserved it more? Drop by the team chat or our Discord and let us know: which of the four POTMs would you put in your competitive squad right now?