Week one of the FC Pro Open is in the books, and after a night of enthralling FC24 action, it’s time for the FC Pro Draft Review, where we take a look at how each player picked their team and how those decisions influenced the results.
After previously having 8million coins to spend on their draft during the qualifiers, all players at the FC Pro Open saw their budgets changed to 5million, though they did receive one free item from the current Thunderstruck promotion. All five pros selected the option of Thunderstruck Ronaldinho as their free player.
Teams in full
Mark11 - Schmeichel, Cancelo TB, Lucio, van Dijk, Hakimi, Putellas, Ronaldinho TS, TOTW Bellingham, Neymar, Mbappe, Hansen
EmreYilmaz - Alisson, Mendy, Eder Militao, van Dijk, Cancelo TB, TOTW Valverde, Putellas, Bellingham TB, Ronaldinho TS, Mbappe, TOTW Son
Lukas - Schmeichel, Cancelo TB, Marquinhos TB, van Dijk, Llorente, Putellas, Ronaldinho TS, De Jong, Vinicius Jr, Ginola, Hansen
H1Dalgo - Van der Sar, Hernandez, van Dijk, Eder Militao, Hakimi, TOTW Bellingham, Ronaldinho, Valverde, Vinicius Jr, Mbappe, Dembele RTTK
Umut - Alisson, Cancelo TB, van Dijk, Kounde, Walker, Bellingham TB, Putellas, TOTW Valverde, Ronaldinho TS, TOTW Son, Mbappe
FC Pro Open Week One FC Pro Draft Review
The first match of the evening for Emre Yilmaz and Umut saw an epic 4-4 encounter, a clash between two players who both ended week one unbeaten.
Umut showed plenty of defensive skill when manually moving his goalkeeper while controlling defenders, and that was often the difference across the night in a number of impressive performances. Umut also was the only player to select Jules Kounde in defence, opting for one of the quickest and most agile defenders in the game, and who has the Jockey+ playstyle. This looked to be a pick that suited Umut’s own playstyle.
The two players from the live broadcast in match one were also the only two who chose both Alisson and TOTW IF 88 Son Heung-Min. The Tottenham Hotspur and South Korea international forward was a key player across the night with a number of strong runs past defenders before producing accurate cutbacks, as well as being reliable with his timed finishing.
Despite the other three players spending more on their goalkeepers by selecting Icons, it was Emre Yilmaz who conceded the fewest total goals with 11 across the four matches – a high value choice with the cheaper Alisson item in favour of Van der Sar and Schmeichel.
Trailblazer Joao Cancelo was one of the most popular selections, with the Manchester City full-back selected in four of five teams, while Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk picked up a 100% selection rate. The Dutch international was consistent across the night as he continued to win duels cleanly, with Emre Yilmaz noting him as a notable MVP in his side.
Kylian Mbappe was also one of the standout stars, and it may have come as a surprise to some that he was only selected in four of the five drafts. Lukas, who was one of the top scorers at the FC Pro Open Global Qualifiers, opted against selecting the Frenchman in favour of David Ginola. Ginola did deliver in the final group match in which Lukas won against Mark11, but overall he scored the fourth fewest goals of any player in week one.
Alexia Putellas is also noteworthy after a run of consistent matches in four of the five teams competing in week one, providing a regular trivela threat that she showed in one of the final matches of the evening between Umut and Mark11, who showed signs of improvement after a slow start.
Some percentages from week one of the FC Pro Open
Only two items were selected by all five players to earn a 100% pick rate; Virgil van Dijk and Thunderstruck Ronaldinho.
Kylian Mbappe, Trailblazers Joao Cancelo, and Alexia Putellas were selected in four of the five teams.
It may come as a surprise that Neymar, an item that is often a popular option among pros and ultimate team players, was only selected once. Meanwhile, Kyle Walker, Ferland Mendy, and Theo Hernandez were also only selected by 20% of the teams in week one – three items that are commonly seen during Ultimate Team Champions.
Here’s how the group looks after week one of the FC Pro Open
The performances of Emre Yilmaz and Umut see them in prime position, and that’s good news for players holding FC Pro Live items Renan Lodi and Donyell Malen. Both items are set to receive two IF upgrades, a new playstyle, and a new playing position after both pros secured 10 points from the first round of matches. It was also good news for anyone holding Sadio Mane, who will receive an upgrade to 89 OVR as well as a new playstyle and playing position.
Group A are scheduled to play the second round of games on week five which is scheduled for January 8. All competitors will have the chance to change their teams next time around, and there will be plenty of new items available that could feature at the FC Pro Open by then.
Who won the draft at week one of the FC Pro Open?
The decision to go with Alisson in favour of an Icon saw Emre Yilmaz and Umut able to invest more into their attack, and that decision looked to pay off without harming their defences. They were the two top scorers in week one with a forward partnership of Mbappe and TOTW Son, and that might see a future trend begin to develop in which Icon goalkeepers are selected less often.
Emre Yilmaz was able to include the Real Madrid partnership of Ferland Mendy and Eder Militao, while Umut opted for Kounde and Walker. Given the relatively small margin between those two combinations, and identical teams in all nine other positions, it looks like it’s a draw for week one.
Who do you think won the draft? Be sure to let us know at @EASportsFCPro on X.
