When it comes to the Ultimate Team mode in FIFA 21, building a team out of the French league players proves to be a significant challenge, mainly because most of the top-tier cards are Paris Saint-Germain footballers, who belong to some of the costliest FUT cards on the market.
Lille may have won the Ligue 1 title this season, but PSG remains the dominant force in French football, as they're by far the richest club in the league and can afford players that are simply out of reach for other clubs in the country. FIFA fans who are willing to take up the challenge of forming a Ligue 1 Ultimate Team will have to deal with the fact that, sooner or later, they'll need to incorporate Paris Saint-Germain stars into their lineup. Of course, that doesn't mean that there aren't any solid cards in other French teams.
Goalkeeper
Best Choice: Keylor Navas. After having won three Champions League titles with La Liga giants Real Madrid, Keylor Navas came to Paris in search of a new challenge (and probably a pay raise, too). Generally regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, the Costa Rican star is one of the safest bets between the posts, not only in a Ligue 1 team but in all of FIFA 21 game modes.Â
Budget Alternative: Steve Mandanda. At 36 years of age, Mandanda remains a top goalkeeper, playing for Olympique Marseille, one of France's biggest clubs. His 84 reflexes rating and positioning valued at 81 will ensure that players who buy him are well-protected at the back.
Right Back
Best Choice:Â Youcef Atal. His overall rating may seem low at 79, but after a deeper dive into his individual statistics, players should have no doubt about Atal's quality as a right back. With 91 pace and dribbling skills rated at 81, he's Ligue 1's most agile player in his position, a crucial quality for a modern-day wide defender.
Budget Alternative:Â Leo Dubois. Lyon's 3rd captain might not be the most skilled player in the league, but he's very versatile, with most of his key abilities (aside from shooting) ranging well above the 70-point mark. His price on the open market fluctuates between 700 and 950 coins, so he's an absolute steal, regardless of whether one wants to use him as a substitute, or a first-team member.
Center Backs
Best Choices: Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe. While the best picks for the right-back positions are OGC Nice and Lyon players, the best central defensive duo consists of PSG's Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe. With the Brazilian's defending stat of 87, and the Frenchman's 84 physicality rating, the pair can hold off even the most dangerous forwards.
Budget Alternatives:Â Pedro Mendes and Jason Denayer. Montpellier's Pedro Mendes may not be the fastest player, but he more than makes up for this with his defensive attributes (79 defending, 80 physicality). Combining him with Jason Denayer, who's pace rating is 75, will make for a very well-balanced defensive pairing.
Left Back
Best Choice:Â Juan Bernat. Players who look for fast wide defenders who are also skilled at recovering the ball from the opposition's strikers should seriously look into purchasing Bernat. He's equally good on the ball as he is without it, and at around 6,000 coins, he's one of the cheapest footballers who currently ply their trade at PSG.
Budget Alternative: Hassane Kamara. For some FUT players, pace is everything. Hassane Kamara is one of the fastest wide backs in Ligue 1, and with him on the left, and Youcef Atal on the right flank, managers can set up a deadly counter-attacking formation.
Right Midfielder
Best Choice:Â Angel Di Maria. Another player in PSG's line-up who used to start for Real Madrid, the Argentinian is an excellent dribbler (87) and passer (85) of the ball. At ~25,000 coins, he's not the cheapest right midfielder out there, but his price is not half bad, especially when compared with other players whose overall rating is 87.
Budget Alternative: Gelson Martins. To say that Monaco's rising star is a fast footballer would be a huge understatement. He's one of the fastest players in the game with a pace rating of 94. With his dribbling rated at 85, he's the perfect choice for FIFA enthusiasts who prefer to run down the wing and cut through to the middle, leaving the opponent's defenders scrambling for the ball.
Center Midfielders
Best Choice:Â Marco Veratti and Houssem Aouar. PSG's Italian superstar is actually quite slow, but his dribbling skills (90) and passing ability (85) make him the perfect candidate for the role of a central midfielder. Combined with the younger and faster Houssem Aouar, they can compose the perfect Ligue 1 midfield.
Budget Alternative: Renato Sanches and Alexandr Golovin. Back in 2016, the then-teenage sensation Renato Sanches was supposed to rapidly rise to international stardom. The next couple of years were not too kind to him, but he still managed to make a name for himself as a versatile and skilled player, both in FIFA and in real life. As for Golovin, the Russian midfielder is able to work some serious magic in the center of the field, with a dribbling rating of 83.
Left Midfielder
Best Choice: Neymar. Much like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, this Brazilian superstar needs no introduction. He moved to PSG in 2017, breaking the world record for the most expensive transfer in the history of soccer. At a 91 overall rating, he is amongst the best players in FIFA. Players who have the coins to get him shouldn't give this addition to their Ligue 1 team a second thought.
Budget Alternative:Â Moses Simon. While he's no Neymar, Moses Junior can still prove to be a gamechanger, especially in a Ligue 1 team composed on a budget. For just 1,700 coins, players will get a winger who is not only fast (92 pace), but also knows how to run rings around defenders, with his 82 dribbling stat.
Striker
Best Choice: Kylian Mbappe. Watching Mbappe breaking record after record on a regular basis, it's easy to forget that he's still only 21 years old! With blistering pace rated at 96, and a 91 dribbling rating, Mbappe is as close to unstoppable as it gets in FIFA 21. With 86-rated shooting thrown into the mix, there is no stopping Mbappe when he gets through on goal.
Budget Alternative:Â Wissam Ben Yedder. While never quite good enough to make it into the French national squad for a major tournament, Ben Yedder is still a very solid player, with an appetite for scoring goals. At an overall rating of 84 and 87-rated dribbling, he is a top-shelf addition to any Ligue 1 squad with an ambition of moving up the Division Rivals ladder.