In preparation for TOTY, EA has upgraded every single one of the free Classic XI Heroes that were given out in December. Every single Hero from that drop was upgraded by exactly 2 OVR. These upgrades have really improved some of the cards, like Cahill and Ze Roberto, while making existing meta cards like Matuidi and Kompany even better.
Based on their existing Playstyles+, newly upgraded stats, and in-game performance, we’ll be ranking the best Heroes from the Classic XI drop following these TOTY Honourable Mention upgrades. Check if you were lucky enough to get one that makes our list! And if you got a dud like Viali or Gomez, you can focus on getting better players during TOTY by getting FC 26 coins from LootBar to open packs or buy from the market.
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Top Classic XI Heroes in FC 26 After The TOTY Honourable Mention Upgrades
Blaise Matuidi
Matuidi was already the best Hero from this batch, and the new upgrades have made him even better. He’s one of the top CDMs in the game because of his in-game animations which make him feel so busted. The easiest way to explain what he feels like is to call him a taller Kante. He’s always at the right place at the right time to intercept passes. He's surprisingly physical and fast too compared to what his 84 Pace and 87 Physicality might suggest. The best part of this card though isn’t the defending. It’s how good he is at passing.
After the upgrades, Matuidi’s Passing is 92 now. That’s made even better by Tiki Taka+ as well as base Pinged Pass and Incisive Pass. He’s not the greatest going forward because of his 74 Shooting and 79 Dribbling but that’s not much of an issue. Base Press Proven makes the left stick dribbling feel smooth and since he’s a DM you don’t have to worry about shooting. As a Holding DM set to Roaming, he’s one of the best defensive mids in the game right now.
Claudio Marchisio
Matuidi was always the best pull when these Classic XI heroes initially dropped. But, after upgrades, Marchisio can go toe to toe with him.He has Gullit Gang stats, with 83 Pace, 87 Shooting, 85 Passing, 87 Dribbling, 83 Defending, and 83 Physicality. He also has base Intercept, Anticipate, Press Proven, Long Ball, and Incisive. In-game he’s everywhere and feels silky smooth on the ball, while being great defensively off of it.
The only real downside to this card that relegates Marchisio to the number 2 spot is his Playstyle+. First Touch+ is better than nothing, but it’s still not very useful for a CM/CDM like Marchisio. Still, his excellent stats, animations, and base Playstyles make him one of the best cards after the recent upgrades.
Vincent Kompany
Kompany is the only defender from the Classic XI set, and he’s definitely top-tier following his upgrades. The +2 boost has brought his pace up to 81, which is a huge boost for a tall CB like him. His already great defensive stats are also way better now, sitting at 90 Defending and 88 Physicality. He’s also got Anticipate+, base Block, Slide Tackle, Aerial Fortress, and Bruiser. Kompany is a bully in-game, a lot like Vidic, Stam, Van Dijk, or Maldini. He may not be as great as their best cards, but he’s still a high-tier defender that’s easily one of the best cards in Classic XI.
Harry Kewel
Kewel wasn’t the best of pulls initially. But, these upgrades right before TOTY are making him look a lot juicier now. His card, on top of having Quick Step+ and base Rapid, now also has 94 Pace. He’s also got base Trickster paired with 90 dribbling. His stats all around are great for a winger with 87 Shooting and 91 Passing as well. Plus he has base Low Driven which helps with his finishing so much.
The biggest downside to this card that makes it less great compared to the other three is his preferred foot. He’s a LW/LM with a left foot, and only 3* WF. But, he’s got both base Gamechanger and Inventive, so it doesn’t completely kill this card like it could with other left footed LWs. His high pace, smooth dribbling and great passing make Kewell a really good LW. If he had more passing Playstyles, he could be a great fit for his secondary position at CAM too. And that’s the end of our list.
If you didn’t have the luck of packing any of these four, don’t be disappointed. There are much better players than even these four out there, and more are yet to come with TOTY dropping soon. If you want even better cards than these in your squad, you can get FC 26 players from LootBar.
Conclusion
These free Classic XI Heroes were a great touch from EA, and these TOTY Honourable Mention upgrades have made them even better. Some people may have already used them in an SBC, but those that held own will be glad to see they got an improved player to potentially use. Even if you don’t have one of the best Heroes or other good ones like Ze Roberto, Guti etc. you don’t need to worry. Improve your squad as much as possible during TOTY if you buy FC 26 coins from LootBar to get all the best packs or players on the market.
