EA Sports FC 27 TOTW 8: Rodman leads with an 88 as Unai Simón and Fermín climb to 86

EA Sports has released Team of the Week 8 for EA Sports FC 27 Ultimate Team and, according to information published by Vandal, this batch is headed by Trinity Rodman, Unai Simón and Fermín López. The new black cards can now be pulled from packs worldwide, but they come with an expiry date: they will be available until Wednesday 11 November at 19:00 CET.

It might look like routine news, since there is a TOTW every week, but for anyone competing in Rivals or Champions the Team of the Week sets the pace of the market. It decides which players get more expensive, which Squad Building Challenges will ask for In Form cards and, above all, how much money is worth spending before the next promo arrives. At Underworld Lordz we look at it through a competitive lens.

What you need to know

• Twelve players make up TOTW 8, with Trinity Rodman as the highest-rated card in the squad at 88.
• Unai Simón (86) is the goalkeeper of the week and Fermín López (86) the standout central midfielder, two names of particular interest to anyone running a Spanish squad.
• Kerolin Nicoli also reaches 86 as an attacking midfielder, while Morgan Rogers sits at 85 and Yannick Carrasco at 84.
• The rest of the squad ranges between 81 and 83, with names like Van Hecke, Weghorst, Pelova, Demirović, Ayari and Diego Moreira.
• The cards will only be in packs until 11 November at 19:00 (CET).

The full TOTW 8 squad

Here is the complete list of Team of the Week players, as reported by Vandal, with their position and overall rating:

The concentration of talent on the left flank stands out: three of the twelve are left wingers (Rodman, Rogers and Carrasco), which leaves anyone looking for reinforcements on the right with a single option, Diego Moreira, and at the bottom of the table at that. The squad mixes men's and women's football seamlessly, something that has been the norm in Ultimate Team for several editions now.

What it changes for your squad

For the average Rivals player, the most interesting card is probably Unai Simón. An 86-rated goalkeeper with LaLiga and national team links is a convenient pick for any Spanish squad that has not yet invested in a higher-meta promo card. Fermín López, along the same lines, fits as a central midfielder in Barça or Spain national team squads, and his jump to 86 makes him a natural candidate for challenges that require a TOTW card of that rating.

Trinity Rodman, with her 88, is the jewel of the squad and the card that will set the high price point for this batch. The rest, the 81 to 83 cards, usually have a very short life on the market: they sell cheap in the first few days and almost all of them end up as challenge fodder. If you need an In Form to complete an SBC, the usual trick still applies: wait for the first 48 hours of hype to pass before buying.

Our take

Let's be honest: the Team of the Week has been losing weight within Ultimate Team for several editions. With a major promo almost every week, an 82 or 83 black card is competing against special cards that arrive with inflated stats and upgraded PlayStyles. TOTW 8 is no exception. Apart from Rodman, and perhaps Unai Simón and Fermín for very specific squads, few of these cards will see real minutes in a high-level Champions match.

Even so, it is not all negative. We like that EA keeps rewarding real-world performances from the matchday, because it connects the game with what happens in the stadiums and gives content creators and streamers who open packs live something to talk about. What we miss is the TOTW being an object of desire again rather than a formality. A cumulative upgrade system for these cards or more generous rewards for pulling an In Form would be a step in the right direction.

From a competitive standpoint, our recommendation is not to spend coins on the bulk of the squad. Save your budget for whatever comes after 11 November and use TOTW 8 for what it is today: a source of challenge fodder and, in Rodman's case, a card to keep an eye on if her price drops to a reasonable range.

What do you think?

We are convinced the TOTW needs a facelift, but maybe you are still getting value out of it in your squad. Do you think any card from this TOTW 8 deserves a starting spot in your team, or is it just another week to skip? Let us know in the team chat or on our Discord.