FIFA 22 Heroes list adds Ginola, di Natale and Abedi Pele

(Image credit: EA)

FIFA 22 Heroes are a cunning way of EA meeting community demand for more classic players in Ultimate Team. Unlike Icon cards, each retired legend added to FIFA 22 in this way is assigned to a particular league in which they shone during their career, and you need to line them up against current-day players (or fellow Heroes) from that league to maximum team chemistry. Below we profile nine of the yesteryear favourites available in this way, before sharing the complete FIFA 22 Heroes cards list.

Mario Gomez (88, Bundesliga)

A long-time FIFA favourite having only retired in 2020, Gomez returns to the series with a super-powered card honouring his spells at Stuttgart, Bayern and Wolfsburg. At club level the 6ft 2in target man snagged 231 goals in 456 appearances, adding 31 more in 78 runouts for Germany. If you adopt an all-Bundesliga side in FIFA 22 then an inevitable Physicality rating of 90+ is going to see you good for the entire season – albeit at a hefty initial cost.

Tim Cahill (85, Premier League)

Capped 108 times for Australia, the box-to-box midfielder’s career encompassed Millwall, New York Red Bulls, Shanghai Shenhua, Hangzhou Greentown, Melbourne City and Jamshedpur – but FIFA 22 celebrates his scintillating spell at Everton. Cahill spent eight years on the blue half of Merseyside, smashing 56 goals in 226 games, and being named the club’s player of the year in 2004-05.

Diego Milito (88, Serie A)

The Argentine’s international exploits fall short of contemporaries on this list, to the tune of a meagre 25 appearances and four goals. The same can’t be said of his club career. After netting 34 times in 137 matches for Racing Club, Milito moved to Italy, banging home 57 goals across two spells at Genoa, and 62 in 128 games at Inter Milan. In 2010, while at the San Siro, he scored both Serie A and Champions League honours, being named man of the match in the final of the latter by scoring twice to triumph over Bayern.

Jorge Campos (87, Liga BBVA MX)

Alongside Bruce Grobbelaar and Rene Higuita, Mexico’s greatest goalkeeper has to be considered one of the most eccentric net-minders of all time – and it’s great to see his 1990s performances earn FIFA 22 recognition. Campos wore colourful kits, notched 130 international appearances, and occasionally played up front too – netting 35 goals across his career. Clubs on his CV include UNAM, LA Galaxy, Chicago Fire and Puebla.

Robbie Keane (86, Premier League)

Wolves, Coventry, Leeds, Spurs, Liverpool, West Ham, Villa, Celtic: Keane remains beloved by fanbases around the UK for his lung-busting performances and spectacular finishing. An 83-goal spell at LA Galaxy makes him pretty popular in California too. The plucky Irishman retired in 2018 after amassing 146 caps and 68 goals for his country, and should be a popular Premier League card in FIFA 22. But will EA include his trademark cartwheel-to-forward-roll goal celebration?

Abedi Pele (89, Ligue 1)

Does that face look familiar? If so it’s probably because Abedi Pele is father to Swansea forward Andre Ayew and Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew. The former Ghana captain is considered one of the greatest African footballers ever, and won the Champions League with Marseille in 1993 as part of a six-year spell where he notched 23 goals in 112 games. 16 goals in 61 matches followed while on loan at Lille, and he also counts Lyon, Torino and 1860 Munich as former clubs.

Fernando Morientes (89, La Liga Santander)

The Spaniard’s spell at Liverpool won’t be celebrated in FIFA 22 – or elsewhere – anytime soon, but it was an aberration in an otherwise outstanding career. Morientes won the Champions League an incredible three times with Real Madrid, in 1998, 2000, and 2002, and clocked up 143 goals in 421 in a career that also encompassed Zaragoza, Monaco and Valencia.

Clint Dempsey (85, MLS)

A bit of a blow to Fulham fans here. While 50 goals in 189 appearances make Demspey a Craven Cottage legend, it’s his return to the States in 2013 which is celebrated in FIFA 22. The ensuing spell with Seattle Sounders brought 47 goals in 115 games, to go with a haul of 57 in 141 at international level. Demspey won the MLS Cup with Seattle in 2006.

Sami Al-Jaber (86, MBS Pro League)

The ultimate one-club man, Al-Jaber turned out for Al-Hilal from 1989 to 2007 – only breaking the 18-year run for a brief four-match loan spell with Wolves in 2000. He hammered 204 goals in 376 matches for the side where he remains an icon, and added 46 more strikes in his 156 caps for Saudi Arabia. Al-Jaber represented his country in four World Cups: 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006. At time of writing he’s assistant manager of Scottish side Hearts.