FC 27’s Career Mode now includes a redesigned transfer system and changing overalls, making squad planning less predictable. Your ideal club depends on the type of save you want, with dozens of leagues and hundreds of teams available. Some sides begin with a roster ready to challenge for trophies, whereas others require several seasons of rebuilding.
Quick answer: For instant trophies, pick a five-star club like Real Madrid or Manchester City. For a long rebuild, take a fallen giant such as Manchester United or Leicester. For an underdog climb, start with Wrexham, Hearts, or a lower-division side.
Five-star superclubs for an instant title challenge
Eight men’s clubs receive FC 27’s top five-star rating from EA. They are equipped to compete immediately, turning the main task into handling huge expectations and keeping an elite squad rested and effective.
| Team | League | Highest-rated player |
|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | LALIGA | Kylian Mbappé (91) |
| Manchester City | Premier League | Erling Haaland (91) |
| PSG | Ligue 1 | Ousmane Dembélé (90) |
| Barcelona | LALIGA | Lamine Yamal / Pedri (90) |
| Bayern Munich | Bundesliga | Harry Kane / Michael Olise (90) |
| Arsenal | Premier League | Gabriel (89) |
| Liverpool | Premier League | Virgil van Dijk (88) |
| Atlético Madrid | LALIGA | Jan Oblak (88) |
Real Madrid are the strongest all-round pick. Mbappé leads the line, Jude Bellingham and Thibaut Courtois are both 90-rated, and there is genuine quality in every position. Manchester City suit a possession-heavy style built around Haaland’s finishing, while PSG and Barcelona reward quick passing and dribbling through younger technical players who still have room to grow.
Bayern Munich revolve around Harry Kane’s 94 Shooting, the highest among the game’s leading players. Arsenal and Liverpool offer strong defensive foundations, though Arsenal lack an elite out-and-out striker. Atlético Madrid round out the group as a defensively structured alternative to the two bigger Spanish giants.
Sleeping giants to rebuild
These clubs still carry big reputations and, in some cases, real resources, but they need a clear plan to return to the top. Expect strong foundations paired with obvious gaps to fill.
Manchester United (Premier League)
United give you a strong starting squad, ample transfer funds, and capable coaches. The challenge comes from turning real-world underperformance into results on the pitch, creating a focused test even with such powerful initial resources.
Schalke 04 (Bundesliga)
The German side is back where it belongs, but the squad is thin in every department. The rebuild is about restoring a former powerhouse rather than fine-tuning an already competitive team.
Ajax (Eredivisie)
The Netherlands produces a steady stream of young talent, and Ajax remain a domestic force. The gap sits in European competition, so the project is turning a league contender back into a continental one.
Juventus and Napoli (Serie A)
With Juventus, a smart transfer strategy and academy progress are needed to rebuild a club that still has the reputation and resources to challenge at the top. Napoli provide a believable route toward Serie A success, provided you strengthen the squad and develop successors for important positions.
Deportivo La Coruña (LaLiga) and Anderlecht (Jupiler Pro)
Deportivo won LaLiga once and have started this campaign well, making them a strong fit for a Live Start Point save aimed at disrupting Real Madrid and Barcelona. Anderlecht have gone nine years without a Belgian top-flight title, and the Jupiler Pro League’s split structure adds an extra layer to the chase for a first crown in a decade.
Underdogs for a rags-to-riches climb
Lower-division and smaller clubs offer the longest journeys, with tight budgets and modest squads. The table below covers the sides with confirmed star ratings and starting transfer budgets.
| Team | League | Rating | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| C.D. Guadalajara (Chivas) | Liga BBVA MX | 3.5 | $39.02M |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2. Bundesliga | 3.5 | $39.07M |
| Leicester City | League One | 3 | $13.70M |
| Hearts FC | Scottish Premiership | 3 | $5.46M |
| SS Arezzo | Serie B | 2.5 | $2.45M |
| CE Sabadell FC | LaLiga HyperMotion | 2.5 | $979.64K |
Leicester City won the Premier League just over a decade ago but have since suffered a double relegation into the third tier. The task is to trim a bloated wage bill, offload former top-flight players, and climb back up. The league should not be underestimated, as their real-life third-tier start has been tough.
VfL Wolfsburg won the Bundesliga in 2008/09 and finished fourth as recently as 2020/21, yet now sit in the second tier for the first time this century. The goal is instant promotion rather than a slow rebuild.
Hearts FC pushed Celtic all the way last season before falling short late on, and a managerial vacancy after Derek McInnes’s departure makes them an unusually open opening. The Scottish Premiership’s split format and European qualification give the save extra variety.
After an absence of nearly two decades, SS Arezzo are back in Serie B; because they have never played in Italy’s top flight, staying up would already count as an early success. A historic Catalan club, CE Sabadell FC seek their first top-flight appearance since the late 1980s, with midfielder Pere Pons as the player to build around.
Wrexham have climbed through the divisions to reach the Championship, and the next step is the Premier League. Como pair one of the sport’s most scenic stadiums with a serious footballing project, positioning you as the newcomer looking to unsettle Italy’s established sides. Paris FC currently sit third in Ligue 1 with a six-point lead over PSG after five game weeks, giving you a young squad and a direct route to challenging the capital’s richer rivals.
New leagues and self-imposed challenges
The Mexican league is new to FC 27, bringing a playoff format and two shorter seasons each year. C.D. Guadalajara (Chivas) stands out because the club traditionally signs only Mexican players, a restriction that builds a strong regional identity and pairs well with a later move into the national team job.
You can apply similar limits at any club. Athletic Bilbao are the classic example with their Basque-only policy, and a youth-prospects-only rule is another popular way to add difficulty to an otherwise comfortable save.
For a youth-focused project, Borussia Dortmund have the reputation and recruitment profile to attract and develop wonderkids while still facing a real fight against Bayern Munich. Galatasaray suit players who want an immediate domestic title challenge in the Süper Lig alongside a longer push toward consistent Champions League football, while Aston Villa offer a mid-tier Premier League side with enough quality to chase European places and gradually close the gap to the elite.
Star-studded but aging squads
Inter Miami present a different kind of problem. Squad talent is not the issue, with Lionel Messi, Casemiro, and other established names on the roster. The challenge is age: the squad needs a fresh pipeline of younger players to build something that lasts beyond its current stars.
More clubs worth a look
Several other sides fit specific save ideas across Europe’s divisions.
- Tottenham Hotspur, Hull City, and Preston North End for Premier League and Championship storylines.
- Notts County, Stockport County, Lincoln City, and York City for lower-league English climbs.
- Rangers, Falkirk, and Derry City for challenges across Scotland and Ireland.
- Palermo FC, Frosinone Calcio, and Modena 2018 for Italian rebuilds.
- St. Pauli, Würzburger Kickers, and Fortuna Düsseldorf for German lower-tier saves.
- Elche CF, FC Andorra, Boulogne, and ADO Den Haag for smaller sides in Spain, France, and the Netherlands.
There is no wrong choice in Career Mode, only the type of story you want to tell. Match the club to the experience, whether that means defending trophies at a five-star giant, dragging a fallen name back to the top, or turning a lower-league side into a genuine contender.
