The FM27 senior shortlist by position: the players who win matches now, the roles they suit and the ones the match engine has passed by.
FM27 best players
Best-player lists are usually a list of famous names. That is not useful in FM27, because the match engine rewards role fit more than reputation, and the new Tactical Effectiveness system punishes a squad built from highlights. The shortlist below is organised by job: who wins the ball, who progresses it, who finishes the move.
One caveat before the names. Sports Interactive does not publish current ability scores for senior players, and any list that claims exact numbers is guessing. The judgements here are about role fit and the attributes the engine actually uses.
Goalkeepers
The modern goalkeeper is a sweeper first and a shot-stopper second, but only if your defensive line is high. If you sit deep, shot-stopping is worth more than distribution.
- Gianluigi Donnarumma — the best pure shot-stopper in the game. Suits a deep block or a mid block; less comfortable as a sweeper.
- David Raya — the best fit for a high line. Command of area and distribution make him a twelfth passer.
- Thibaut Courtois — still elite at 34, and still the best at saving the shots that should go in.
- Alisson — the most complete of the four, and the one who ages best because his game is positioning rather than reflexes.
If you cannot afford an elite keeper, spend the money elsewhere. The gap between the fifth-best keeper and the fifteenth is smaller than the gap between a good and a bad centre-back.
Centre-backs
- William Saliba — pace, composure and the ability to defend a high line. The best all-round centre-back for a pressing side.
- Virgil van Dijk — the best aerial defender in the game, still. Pair him with a faster partner.
- Josko Gvardiol — a left-footed centre-back who can also play left-back, which is worth a squad slot on its own.
- Rúben Dias — the organiser. His mental attributes make the players around him better.
- Alessandro Bastoni — the best ball-playing centre-back for a back three.
The engine rewards a partnership more than two individuals. One aggressive header, one cover defender. Two aggressive centre-backs leave space behind; two cover defenders get bullied.
Full-backs
- Achraf Hakimi — the best attacking right-back in the game. Needs a holder to cover him.
- Alphonso Davies — the fastest left-back, and the best at recovering his own mistakes.
- Trent Alexander-Arnold — the best passer from right-back, and a liability in a one-on-one. Play him with a defensive winger ahead of him.
- Andrew Robertson — the template for a supporting left-back: stamina, crossing, no drama.
- Denzel Dumfries — the best value attacking right-back if you cannot afford Hakimi.
Midfield
- Rodri — the best holder in the game. Positioning, passing and the ability to screen a back four alone.
- Jude Bellingham — the best box-to-box midfielder. Arrives in the box, wins the ball back, scores important goals.
- Florian Wirtz — the best number ten in open space. Needs runners ahead of him.
- Pedri — the best at keeping the ball under pressure. Suits a possession side with a slow tempo.
- Declan Rice — the best all-round English midfielder: set pieces, pressing, leadership.
- Federico Valverde — the most versatile. Right midfield, central midfield, right-back in an emergency.
A midfield three should have one holder, one progressor and one runner. Buying three number tens is the most common way to lose the midfield battle in FM27.
Forwards
- Kylian Mbappé — the best forward in the game. Pace, finishing, movement; suits any system that plays him in behind.
- Erling Haaland — the best penalty-box striker. Needs service; will not create for himself.
- Harry Kane — the best deep-lying forward. Scores and creates, but slows a counter.
- Bukayo Saka — the best right winger for a possession side. Two-footed, presses, takes set pieces.
- Vinícius Júnior — the best left winger in space. Less effective against a deep block.
- Cole Palmer — the best penalty-area creator from the right half-space.
- Lautaro Martínez — the best pressing forward: work rate, finishing, link play.
- Alexander Isak — the best runner in behind among the senior strikers.
The shape of a shortlist
A title-winning squad in FM27 usually has:
- One elite goalkeeper, or a very good one behind a strong defence.
- Two centre-backs who complement each other, not two clones.
- One attacking full-back and one supporting full-back.
- A holder who can play alone, and two midfielders who can run.
- At least two forwards who can play in behind, because the engine rewards depth of run.
That is eight or nine elite players, not eleven. The rest of the squad should be specialists: a set-piece taker, a defensive winger, a target forward for the last ten minutes.
Age and the effectiveness curve
Senior players peak later in FM27 than the wonderkid lists suggest. A centre-back at 30 is usually at his best; a winger at 30 is usually declining. The engine models this through physical attributes, and the effectiveness gauge notices when a 33-year-old is asked to press for ninety minutes.
The practical rules:
- Goalkeepers: buy at 27–32, keep until 36 if their mental attributes hold.
- Centre-backs: buy at 24–29, sell at 32.
- Midfielders: buy at 22–27, sell at 31 unless they are holders.
- Wingers and strikers: buy at 21–26, sell at 29–30.
The game's star rating is a coach's opinion, not a promise. A four-star player in the right role outperforms a five-star player in the wrong one. Check the role attributes before the star rating.
Where the value is
The best players are expensive, and the transfer market in FM27 is not generous. Three cheaper routes:
- Contract expiry. The free agent list includes players who would cost £30m in a normal window.
- Wonderkids one tier down. The wonderkid hub has 90-potential players at clubs that will sell for a fraction of the elite fee.
- The loan market. A loan with an option to buy is the cheapest way to test a player against your system.
Building around one star
If you can only afford one elite player, buy the one who touches the ball most in your system: a holder for a possession side, a striker for a direct side, a goalkeeper for a low block. A star who does not get the ball is a marketing signing.
The best tactics page shows which roles carry the most responsibility in three systems, and the transfers guide explains how to structure a deal when the budget does not stretch to a release clause.
Sources
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