R9 Ronaldo immediately establishes how extreme the stakes are, with an 11-million-coin card becoming the centerpiece of a challenge that risks effectively wiping out the creator’s FC 26 club. The objective is simple but effective: assemble 23 players rated 99, then win a single match or discard the entire squad. Adding a one-goal handicap for every missing 99-rated player gives the squad-building phase genuine importance rather than making it a lengthy prelude to the match.
The construction of the squad works best when limited resources force uncomfortable choices. Marcelo is preferred at left back despite Cucurella already being available, Van Dijk costs roughly two million coins, and Pedro Porro becomes a painful necessity at right back because no suitable 99-rated alternative is already owned. Those decisions create a steady tension between building the strongest possible starting eleven and simply completing the 23-player requirement without exhausting the remaining coins.
Ronaldinho becomes the clearest example of spectacle winning out over financial caution. Spending nearly five million coins on him leaves very little money for the remaining positions, but the choice fits the stated ambition of creating an all-star team alongside Maradona and Ronaldo. The later purchase of Dembélé compounds the problem, and the presenter openly recognizes that it may have been a poor decision once only 944,000 coins remain with three places still unfilled.
That shortage leads to one of the stronger stretches of the challenge. Completing Rafael Leão's SBC, quick-selling lower-rated special cards, buying Graham Hansen as the cheapest viable option found, and finally locating an affordable Patri Guijarro turn what could have been routine menu navigation into a genuine scramble. Reaching all 23 99-rated cards therefore feels earned, even though descriptions such as "world's best ever" remain subjective; the challenge is primarily driven by overall ratings, availability and personal preference rather than a systematic comparison of every possible 99-rated card.
The presentation is energetic throughout, with exaggerated reactions and constant anxiety over the potential discard helping sell the consequences of each purchase. That style suits a high-stakes Ultimate Team challenge, although the rapid movement between prices, positions, SBCs and alternate players can become messy. Several player names are also pronounced or described inconsistently, while repeated like-and-subscribe appeals briefly interrupt otherwise useful moments of squad progression.
The final match provides the payoff the build needs. Falling 2-1 behind makes the discard threat briefly credible, especially alongside the admission that defending remains a weakness, before the expensive attack begins producing. Ronaldinho contributes, Ronaldo scores after a fake shot, Zubimendi joins the scoring, and Leão helps turn the game into a comfortable late lead, allowing the episode to conclude without sacrificing the assembled collection.
Pros
- Requiring 23 99-rated cards and imposing a goal penalty for missing players gives the squad-building phase meaningful consequences.
- Limited coins create genuine selection dilemmas, particularly around Van Dijk, Pedro Porro, Ronaldinho and Dembélé.
- The late scramble involving SBCs, quick-selling cards and searching for affordable 99s provides a satisfying completion arc.
- Putting the entire squad at risk makes the eventual match feel consequential rather than decorative.
- Falling behind before the attack takes control gives the gameplay section a clear competitive payoff.
Cons
- Calling the finished squad the world's best relies heavily on overall rating and personal preference rather than a structured comparison of the available 99-rated cards.
- The rapid succession of prices, positions, SBC decisions and player changes can be difficult to follow.
- Some impulsive purchases undermine the budgeting strategy before becoming problems that must be solved later.
- Repeated subscription prompts and occasional confusion over player names slightly disrupt the flow.
A straightforward 99-rated squad challenge becomes considerably more entertaining because every extravagant purchase makes completing the bench harder and every mistake threatens an enormously valuable club. The frantic final recruitment and comeback in the decisive match give the episode a satisfying arc, even if the claim of assembling the absolute best possible team is more playful than rigorously demonstrated.
