Eric Cantona FIFA 21 ICON rating confirmed and moments explained

EA SPORTS have finally revealed the player rating for Eric Cantona’s ICON card in FIFA 21, along with an explanation of the moments picked for his selection.

The former Manchester United striker enjoyed a career of success that many players could only wish for. An icon of the Premier League, no doubt about it.

On September 17, EA SPORTS partnered with the Coyle-Larner Brothers to release information about the Frenchman’s long-awaited induction as a FUT 21 ICON. The brothers are best known for their works in the music and film industries, and many would even claim Cantona himself was a true artist on the pitch.

The one thing players have been wondering since Cantona was unveiled as an ICON, however, was where will he rank against the others? Now, they’ve got their answer.

FIFA 21 Cantona ICON rating and moments

As seen in the image below, the striker will be a 93 OVR in FIFA 21, which puts him right up there with the very best.

Regular FUT players will notice the absence of three ratings, however, which usually represent the base, mid, and prime versions. These are often inspired by different moments of their careers, and that’s exactly the same for Eric.

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Those wondering which moments were selected have their answer, courtesy of EA SPORTS.

The following information was taken from an official press release…

• EARLY Moment – 88 OVR (1988-91) 
  Eric Cantona signed for his boyhood club Marseille at the age of 22 for a French record fee at the time, the same year he won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He then spent 18 months on loan at Bordeaux and Montpellier respectively, winning the 1989–90 Coupe de France with Montpellier in which he played a crucial role by scoring a hat-trick en-route to the final. He subsequently returned to Marseille where he won the 1990–91 French Division 1 in what was his final season for the club.
• PRIME Moment – 93 OVR (1993-94)
  After consecutive league titles in England, first with Leeds and then with Manchester United, the best was still to come for Eric Cantona. In 1993-94 he recorded his highest seasonal goal tally with 25 goals in all competitions. His goals proved vital as Manchester United won the Premier League and FA Cup, earning Cantona multiple PFA awards. That season saw him score some of the league’s greatest ever goals, cementing him as one of the most well-rounded goal scorers the league has ever seen
• LATE Moment – 90 OVR (1995-97)
  Eric Cantona continued to make history in 1995-96 as he became the first non-British FA Cup winning captain after scoring the late winner against Liverpool with a trademark volley. His 14 league goals also helped his side secure further silverware as United won the Premier League. 1996-97 saw Cantona win his 5th English league title and finish as the league’s top assist provider, a credit to his outstanding overall game. He retired in 1997 at the age of 30 as a champion at the top of his game.

First look at Cantona’s ICON cards

Quickly after the news broke online, YouTubers flooded our timelines with images – including all three Cantona forms.

As seen below, from Bateson, the cards look like this:

Cantona on his FUT 21 ICON card

The man himself has even spoken about his induction into the game’s hall of fame system.

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“I am delighted to be inducted as a FUT 21 ICON,” he said. “There are some great players who are in this exclusive club, so it is an honour to join them in EA SPORTS FIFA 21.

“England is a special place for me, as some of the best years of my career were spent there, so it was heart-warming to work with Ben to get a small glimpse of the impact that I had amongst football fans in the country. I am sure we’ll hear of many Cantona goals scored in FIFA this year! ”