The 97 Times Evolution just dropped in EA SPORTS FC 26 Ultimate Team, and it's one of the more straightforward evos of the late season. Two objectives, two upgrade levels, and a 97-rated ceiling that opens the door to some genuinely useful stat bumps across pace, shooting, dribbling, and more. The catch is knowing which cards are actually worth putting through it.
What are the 97 Times Evolution requirements?
The entry bar is deliberately broad. Any outfield card rated 97 OVR or below qualifies. Goalkeepers are excluded, but every other position is fair game. There's no nationality, league, or PlayStyle restriction, which gives you a lot of flexibility when deciding which card to invest in.
The evolution costs 50,000 coins to activate, so it's not free, but it's also not prohibitively expensive at this stage of the cycle.
FC 26 Guide: Best Players for 97 Times Evolution
How do the upgrade levels work?
The 97 Times Evolution runs across two levels, and the objective for each is identical: play one match in any mode with your active EVO player in the starting lineup. That's as low-friction as it gets.
Level 1 upgrades
- Overall: +4 (cap: 98)
- Passing: +4 (cap: 98)
- Defending: +4 (cap: 97)
- Physical: +4 (cap: 97)
- Weak Foot: +4
Level 2 upgrades
- Shooting: +4 (cap: 97)
- Dribbling: +4 (cap: 97)
- Acceleration: +4 (cap: 97)
- Sprint Speed: +4 (cap: 97)
- Skills: +4
The split is worth paying attention to. Level 1 front-loads passing, defending, and physical, while Level 2 handles the pace and attacking attributes. If you're running a midfielder, both levels matter equally. For a pure striker, Level 2 is where the real value sits.
What's the best card for the 97 Times Evolution?
After running through the eligible pool, a few cards stand out as the strongest picks. The table below covers the top options across different positions and card types.
| Player | Card Type | Position | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonmati | TOTY | CM/CAM | Elite base stats, pace boost makes her terrifying |
| Zidane | Winter Wildcards | CM | Iconic card, skills jump pushes him to 5-star |
| Gullit | Trophy Titans | CM/CAM | Already top-tier, evo adds the finishing touches |
| Modric | TOTS | CM | Passing cap at 98 suits his playstyle perfectly |
| Bruno Fernandes | TOTS | CAM | Shooting + dribbling boosts are exactly what he needs |
| Odegaard | Summer Stars | CAM | Pace upgrade to 97 fixes his only real weakness |
| Vitinha | TOTS | CM | Underrated pick, all-round boosts make him meta |
| Rice | TOTS | CDM | Defending cap at 97 turns him into a wall |
| Kane | TOTS | ST | Shooting to 97 cap is the obvious fit for a striker |
| Bellingham | Star Performer | CM | Already a box-to-box beast, this rounds him out |
| Yildiz | TOTS | LW/CAM | Dribbling and pace at 97 makes him slippery |
| Joao Neves | Phenoms | CM | Defending and physical boosts suit his CDM hybrid role |
For midfielders specifically, Zidane Winter Wildcards and Gullit Trophy Titans are the standout picks. Both already have strong base stats, and the skills boost from Level 2 adds a 5-star skill move upgrade that changes how you can play them in one-on-one situations.
If you're looking for a striker, Kane TOTS benefits most from the Level 2 shooting cap. His pace was already serviceable; getting shooting to 97 makes him one of the cleanest finishers in the game at that point.
FC 26 Guide: Best Players for 97 Times Evolution
Is chaining this evolution worth it?
Short answer: yes, if you have the right base card. Chaining means applying the 97 Times Evo to a card that's already gone through a previous evolution, which means the stat boosts stack on top of an already-upgraded version. Cards like Pogba Ultimate Scream and Vieira Winter Wildcards are specifically mentioned as chain candidates because their base versions don't quite hit the marks you'd want on their own.
The 50,000 coin cost stays the same regardless of whether you're chaining, so the math works out better the more you've already invested in a card.
For players who haven't committed to a chain yet, Odegaard Summer Stars, Xhaka PTG, and de Jong PTG are solid standalone options that don't require additional evo investment to perform well after the upgrade.
Other evolutions worth pairing with this one
The 97 Times Evo doesn't exist in isolation. If you're building out your squad for Division Rivals or the Champions Weekend League Finals, the rest of your evo slots matter just as much. The FC 26 guide collection has full breakdowns for every active evolution, but a few specific ones pair naturally with the cards you'd use here.
Left backs are a common weak point in late-season squads, and the best players for the Left Behind Evolution covers exactly how to spend 50,000 coins there. For central midfielders, the Never Losing It Evolution guide is worth reading before you commit any CM card to the 97 Times Evo, since some picks overlap and you'll want to avoid doubling up on the same player slot.
If you're focused on attackers, the Golden Boot Evolution is available for free and targets a similar stat ceiling, making it a natural complement to what the 97 Times Evo does for your striker.
