Whether you are looking for the best FIFA 21 Ultimate Team meta players to strengthen your cheap starter team or are looking for players to score some amazing bicycle kicks, playing with meta cards is simply a no brainer that will reap you success in no time.

So, after playing for quite some time, listening to what the community had to say, and making my own judgment, in today’s article, I will present you with the best FIFA 21 ultimate team meta player cards. So, if you want to solidify your squad, make sure that you grab some of the players on this list as soon as you can.

This article was written based on days of hands-on FIFA testing within our content team. We also gathered input and opinions from wider gaming communities on YouTube, Twitch, forums and social media.

What Are Meta Cards?

Every year, EA either updates or degrades player cards based on their performance during the season. In some cases, without EA’s notice, they make a handful of player cards way better than others. And no, it’s not mostly due to their stats, but rather whether a particular player is built for FIFA’s meta which this year is mostly pace, dribbling, and strength. However, the stats too play a very important role in whether a player is meta or not.

Note: Meta cards don’t have any particular mark on them so that you could spot them easily. Rather, they are normal color (either silver, gold, legendary, or whatever) that the community simply deems as overpowered player cards.

FIFA 21 Ultimate Team Meta Cards

Now that you know what meta cards are and how they are different from any other card in the game, let’s get into the list. But, before we do that, I’d just like to say that I haven’t gone for any particular league, team, or country. Rather, I am going to show you which players are essentially the cards that you must have. So, pick and choose according to your liking and need.

1) Kevin Mbabu (79)

Despite his 79 rating, the right-back from VfL Wolfsburg currently costs around 15,000 coins. Yes, this can be quite dear if you are just starting out but knowing how to get more coins on FIFA 21 will definitely help you get there faster.

Regardless of that, I think that the price is justified as he possesses 89 pace, 73 dribbling, 74 defense, and 81 physical which are all so important in FIFA 21. On top of these amazing stats for a full back, he has 91 stamina, which means that he will easily be able to play for the full 90 minutes without any stamina-related issues begin to arise.

So, if you are making a Bundesliga squad, make sure that you have this guy on your team. He is scary good.

2) Alejandro Gomez (86)

Looking for an attacking midfielder for your Seria A squad? Stop and take a look at this incredible Argentine who has 90 pace, 88 dribbling, 84 passing, and on top of that, possesses 73 stamina.

He can not only be your false 9 that will tear apart the defense and score goals but can also be the playmaker of the team and create chances. You can take advantage of his services which you won’t regret for around 80,000 coins. If you can afford him, buy him right now. Your team will thank you.

3) Aaron Wan-Bissaka (83)

Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka is easily one of the most meta defenders in the Premier League. His stats are quite literally perfect making him one of the strongest defenders in the EPL. He has 86 pace, 80 dribbling, 82 defending, and 74 physical. On top of that, his 79 stamina can help you hold the defensive line under severe pressure for the majority of the match.

Also, due to his height and 83 interception stat, you can rest assured that no one is winning a header in your box against this guy.

At the time of writing this article, you can get the 22-year-old Englishman for around 30,000 to 35,000 coins which is definitely not cheap if you are only just starting out but is definitely going to be worth it.

4) Moussa Sissoko (79)

If you are on the lookout for a Premier League CM, Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko is your guy. As strength is quite a prevalent ability in FIFA 21, his 89 physical stat and 6 foot 2 will definitely give you a hand in establishing dominance in the midfield.

Moreover, his 78 pace, 78 dribbling, and 77 passing will allow you to distribute the ball with ease to one of your fastest strikers on the team and convert every opportunity, provided you know the best ways to score in FIFA 21. As if all that isn’t enough, he has 91 stamina which means that he can run for a very long time without getting fatigued.

If you have between 35,000 and 40,000 coins, you can make Sissoko part of your PL squad today.

5) Ferland Mendy (81)

I know that a lot of La Liga and especially Real Madrid fans will be very happy with this player appearing on this list. In case you haven’t guessed already, I am talking about Ferland Mendy who is easily one of the best young players on FIFA 21.

The 25-year-old Frenchman has 92 pace, which is nicely complemented by 79 dribbling, 78 defense, and 82 physical. Moreover, his 88 stamina will allow you to make use of him for the majority of the match.

Currently, Ferland Mendy will cost you between 90,000 to 100,000 coins. If this is something that you can’t yet afford, I’d recommend you to learn how to trade players for profit in FIFA 21 to make up the coins you need quickly.

6) Allan Saint-Maximin (80)

Without decent wingers, your team is practically incomplete. This is why I decided to add Newcastle United’s Saint-Maximin who not only has 5-star skills, which within itself will help you tear apart defenses but he also has 93 pace and 87 dribbling. I think it’s fair to say that he is truly unstoppable on the wing, and in case there is an open space, rest assured that he will dominate it.

7) Alphonso Davies (81)

Alphonso Davies is another Bundesliga player that is definitely worthy of this list. After playing with Bayern Munich in probably my first game of FIFA 21, he really impressed me. Why? Because he not only has 96 pace which makes him easily one of if not the fastest and best left-backs in not only the Bundesliga but in the entire game, but also his 82 dribbling, 76 physical, and 76 defense.

On top of that, he has 4-star skills and 4-star weak foot. This means that you can easily do 80-90% of all FIFA 21 skill moves including the popular drag back.

He is not only going to be useful for your team in defense but also to attack and tear apart the opposing full-backs on the wing. If you are looking to assign him to your squad, that will come to you at a cost of around 60,000 coins. He is definitely not cheap, but trust me, he is worth every coin.

8) Timo Werner (85)

The 24-year-old German striker Timo Werner. The Chelsea player is not only quick (91 pace) but his dribbling ability (84) and shooting (85) round him up as one of the most complete strikers in the Premier League.

Having played with him on a number of occasions on FIFA 21, I can easily say that his 71 physical is plenty to get around even the toughest of defenders, especially when using agile dribbling as a way to humiliate opposing players, create chances, and convert them into goals.

He is the most expensive card on this list, costing around 250,000 coins on the market right now. He may not be easily affordable for most, but if you have enough coins, try him out and buy him. You will not regret it.

9) Rodrigo (82)

Next up, we have Leeds United’s Rodrigo. Despite his relatively low rating, he has 91 pace, 81 dribbling, and 79 shooting. Essentially, what I am trying to say is that if you play the “pass and go” 1-2 attacking strategy, rest assured that Rodrigo will be the reason behind most of your goals.

I am currently running a Spanish squad in Ultimate Team and can comfortably say that this guy is a beast. Besides, you can also get him on your team for the mere ten to 13 thousand coins (depending on the platform that you play on).

So, if you are looking to tear apart and smoke pretty much every defender on the game, buy him and become every defender’s nightmare.

10) Carlos Alberto Torres (90)

Having fast strikers is important, however, chances are that your opponent too has the same idea. Therefore, to counter opponents that are already making use of fast strikers is to have just as quick and strong defenders that can put up a fair challenge to every quick striker/winger.

If you have around 900,000 coins, the best player on FIFA 21 that has the highest combination of pace/strength is the 90 rated Brazilian legend Carlos Alberto Torres. He not only has 90 pace which is more than the big majority of strikers and wingers on FIFA 21 but also has 85 strength, which too also happens to be one of the highest for any defender on FIFA 21.

On top of that, he has 86 stamina which means that he can easily be the backbone of your defense for the duration of the whole game (even if it is a really high-paced game).

11) Clinton Mata (77)

For the ones that cannot afford the legend Carlos Alberto Torres, don’t worry, I have you covered with this 77 rated Angola international CB. His name is Clinton Mata and he plays for the Belgian Club Brugge.

I was trying to build the fastest cheap squad and came across this guy. He is a true powerhouse that will take your defensive line to a whole new level against the mere 850 coins. He has 82 pace, 74 strength, and 89 jumping. You can be sure that very few people can win headers against this guy. What is even better about him is that he has 91 stamina, which basically means that he will run and run for the entire game without getting tired. This also means that when your opponent’s strikers start to tire out, late-game Clinton Mata will be able to easily win every ball.

12) Inaki Williams (81)

Having played with Inaki Williams when I built my first La Liga Ultimate Team, I can confidently tell you that this player is absolutely insane. As you probably already know, pace is the single most important physical feature of a striker in FIFA 21, and so, with his staggering 94 pace, it was a no brainer that I added him not only to my team but to this list of meta players.

What is even more interesting is his price point, which holds at around 2,000 on average across all the different platforms. Besides being very quick with his feet, Inaki Williams also has 78 dribbling, 79 shooting, and being 6ft 1, he has 81 strength which can help him win headers from corners and crossings with ease.

Moreover, he can also be of great help when it comes to scoring from your own corner kick opportunities.

13) Marc-Andre ter Stegen (90)

As you already know, scoring goals on FIFA 21 isn’t as difficult as it used to be in previous years. With this, it is also easy to say that you will concede quite a few goals that really shouldn’t have gone in on the first place.

Thus, grabbing one of the most meta goalkeepers in FIFA 21 can be of a great benefit to the number of goals that you concede. My choice, in this case, is the first goalkeeper on this list, the Barcelona star, Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

He is not only relatively affordable for his amazing stats (around 40k across all platforms), but will easily be the best investment that you can make to your defensive aspect of the squad. He enjoys 88 diving, 90 reflexes, 85 handling, and 88 positioning.

14) Kalidou Koulibaly (88)

And finally, I’d like to present you with one of the most meta defenders in FIFA 21. He goes under the name of Kalidou Koulibaly. The fact that he plays for the Italian Napoli, the Senegal international is undoubtedly amongst the most powerful defenders not only in Seria A but on FIFA 21 as a whole.

You can take advantage of his services against the mere 30 to 35k, which are a worthwhile investment as he has 75 pace, 89 defense, and 86 physical. Essentially, it would be very hard for an opposing strike to out-strengthen this guy. The fact that he is 6 foot 2 would make this task even more difficult. Besides, rest assured that no one is winning a header in your box from crossings and corner kicks.

More Meta Cards to Pick From

In case we couldn’t spoil you for choice, here are some other insanely good meta players that you absolutely need in your squad.

Player Card (Rating)PositionLeagueTeamPrice Range
Douglas Costa (84)LMSeria APiemonte Calcio/Juventus42,000
Leroy Sane (85)LMBundesligaBayern Munich129,000 – 140,000
Lucas Moura (83)RMPremier LeagueTottenham67,000 – 85,000
Anthony Martial (84)STPremier LeagueManchester United147,000 – 170,000
Ousmane Dembele (83)LWLa LigaBarcelona70,000 – 80,000
Joe Gomez (83)CBPremier LeagueLiverpool91,000 – 110,000
Kieran Tierney (78)LBPremier LeagueArsenal5,800
Thomas Partey (84)CMLa LigaAtlético de Madrid27,000 – 28,000

How Are Meta Cards Different to Normal Player Cards?

As I mentioned above, meta player cards don’t have any particular feature that would identify them as a meta card. They are simply player cards that are for whatever reason much better than their counterparts (even if they have slightly or significantly worse stats). In other words, they just perform better. A meta card can be anything from the strongest defender to a cheap 5 star skiller.

Final Thoughts

While the meta cards are expensive for a reason, if you can afford any of the listed above, make sure to make those players part of your team as early as possible. I can guarantee that you will see their benefit straight away, and the reason why I added them to this list today.