EA FC 24 John Barnes ICON SBC - How to complete, fodder cost, solutions, and more

John Barnes ICON SBC (Image via EA Sports)

With the Black Friday celebrations in full swing, the John Barnes ICON SBC has been released in EA FC 24, allowing players to complete the dedicated Squad Building Challenge to get their hands on the legendary player's in-game ICON card. The Jamaican-born British left-winger is one of the greatest English players to play the game, and the special card featuring Barnes is going to be quite expensive.

Dedicated challenges such as the John Barnes ICON SBC allow players to pack the card by completing a series of tasks. While that can be tedious, it is, on paper, cheaper than trying to buy the card from the in-game transfer market or relying on pack openings.

This article is a short guide to the whole Squad Building Challenge, with a handy list of all the requirements to help EA FC 24 players track their progress. An estimated cost of completing the challenge has also been provided to help players determine whether the card is worth it.

The John Barnes ICON SBC is the latest dedicated Squad Building Challenge featuring an ICON card to be added to EA FC 24

The John Barnes ICON SBC has six discreet tasks that must be completed before EA FC 24 players can get their hands on his special card. Considering the challenge will be live for about a month, players can take their time to complete it. Furthermore, they can also complete the On Loan task early to get a five-match loan card version of the Liverpool legend.

On Loan Task

# of players in the squad: Exactly 11
Player level: Silver or Gold

Estimated Fodder Cost: 2,200 Coins across all platforms

EA FC 24 players looking to get their hands on the card for real will need to complete the rest of the tasks. Here are the requirements with estimated fodder costs of each listed below.

Task 2: Born Legend

# of players in the squad: Exactly 11
Player level: Exactly Bronze
# Rare cards: Exactly 11

Estimated cost of fodder: 2,200 Coin across all platforms

Task 3: Rising Star

# of players in the squad: Exactly 11
Player level: Exactly Silver
# Rare cards: Exactly 11

Estimated cost of fodder: 3,300 Coin across all platforms

Task 4: Digger

# of players in the squad: Minimum of 11
# of players from Liverpool: Minimum of 1
Squad Rating: Minimum of 83

Estimated cost of fodder: 17,000 to 17,500 Coin across all platforms

Task 5: The Three Lions

# of players in the squad: Minimum of 11
# of players from England: Minimum of 1
Squad Rating: Minimum of 85

Estimated cost of fodder: 64,000 to 65,500 Coin across all platforms

Task 6: League Legend

# of players in the squad: Minimum of 11
# of players from Premier League: Minimum of 1
Squad Rating: Minimum of 86

Estimated cost of fodder: 97,500 to 98,000 Coin across all platforms

Is the John Barnes ICON SBC worth it? Special card's ratings discussed

The total cost of completing the John Barnes ICON SBC is around 190K coins. Considering the large price tag that will not be easy to justify for many, EA FC 24 players will need to weigh their options carefully. Here are the in-depth ratings of the John Barnes ICON card to help make a proper decision.

Overall: 87
Pace: 89
Shooting: 85
Passing: 83
Dribbling: 89
Defending: 44
Physicality: 83

While the 89 pace and dribbling ratings are nice to have for left-wingers, the rest of the stats are a bit lackluster. Especially considering the cost associated with completing the SBC. EA FC 24 players should also note that the James Barnes ICON SBC is not a Thunderstruck version, such as the recently released Michael Ballack challenge.