There's still life left in FIFA 21, but that doesn't mean there's any harm in looking ahead to the next instalment of the FIFA franchise.
FIFA 22 will arrive on October 1st, with FIFA Ultimate Team sure to be a fan favourite once again.
The ICON promotion is one of the standout features in the FUT game mode, and that looks set to be the case once more.
Here is everything you need to know.
Latest News - New ICONs Leaked
We're are just over three weeks away from the launch of FIFA 22, and we've got a host of new potential ICONS in the mix.
A range of new European and South American greats look set to be added to the roster, with recent stars finally making their debut. The names circulating around the rumour mill are as follows:
- Cafu
- Alfredo Di Stefano
- Iker Casillas
- Wayne Rooney
- Robin Van Persie
- Luis Fabiano
There has been rumours of the return of some of those who featured as ICONs in previous releases, with the likes of George Weah and Teddy Sheringham touted, although there is little evidence to suggest EA will offer them a return.
FUT Heroes Revealed
FUT ICONs are going to have some competition this year!
EA have officially confirmed the arrival of a new set of cards, known as FUT Heroes.
The Heroes cards are similar to ICONs in that they are former players, all of whom had a groundbreaking moment in their career that saw their popularity rocket as a result.
12 players have been confirmed so far, and you can learn everything that you need to know right here.
Release Date
FIFA 22 will be released on Friday October 1st 2021.
Those who pre-order the Ultimate version of the EA title will be able to begin playing on Monday, September 27th.
ICONs are expected to arrive at launch.
FUT 100+
FIFA 21 saw 100 ICONs land in game for the first time in the history of the title, with the likes of David Beckham, Eric Cantona and Ashley Cole making their ICON debut.
It would be a huge shock if that number didn't get increased further this year, with EA likely to add another batch of footballing greats into FUT in time for FIFA 22.
We are yet to recieve any confirmed arrivals for next year, but that hasn't stopped the rumour mill from circulating...
Predictions
There are plenty of names we'd love to see enter the ICON fray, including a host of recently retired stars.
Here are a few that we think could don the white and gold card come September.
Iker Casillas
There is plenty of top tier ICON goalkeepers, but surely there is room for San Iker?
The Real Madrid and Spain great won pretty much everything there is to win both domestically and internationally. He will appear eventually, but the question is; when?
Robin Van Persie
Dutch forward Robin Van Persie is widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever grace the Premier League.
The former Manchester United and Arsenal man retired from professional football back in 2019 and could join the ICON roster this year.
Wayne Rooney
Wazza announced his retirement earlier this season, swapping the pitch for the dugout as he moved into management with Derby County.
His FIFA 21 End of an Era card is deemed by many to be one of the best of the FUT year, a sign of things to come perhaps?
ICON Swaps
ICON Swaps made its debut in FIFA 20, tasking players with completing a series of objectives in order to earn themselves some incredible rewards.
The promotion allowed players to unlock ICONs without spending a penny and has been a huge hit with FUT fanatics, but will it return in FIFA 22?
We're yet to recieve official confirmation from EA, but there seems to be no reason why they would opt to remove such a popular part of the Ultimate Team calendar.
Expect to see plenty more tokens up for grabs in FIFA 22. In the meantime, be sure to check out our FIFA 22 hands-on preview.