Celtic striker Giakoumakis makes FIFA 22 FUT Team of the Week alongside Sancho and Kane

By Euan Davidson

February 23, 2022

Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis has a strong reason to load up FIFA 22 just now, after being awarded Team of the Week status alongside stars like Jadon Sancho and Harry Kane.

Giakoumakis netted a hat-trick for the Bhoys against Dundee, each with his first touch, and each with a different part of his body. It was a dictionary definition “perfect” hat-trick, and it’s been rewarded by EA Sports.

FUT, or FIFA Ultimate Team if you prefer, is a game mode which allows players to buy and trade players to build a squad. Classic players, including Celtic’s own Henrik Larsson, have featured in the game mode, which has had over 9.1 million users since launch [Gamelevate].

EA Sports announced the Team of the Week stars earlier this evening.

Alongside Sancho and Kane, there are also some other familiar names and faces. Not least Barcelona and former Arsenal man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

How much this will actually mean to the Greek striker is unknown. However, FIFA remains popular not just among gamers, but players too. Player ratings are serious business, and it often leads to scenes of disbelief when new editions of FIFA are released each year.

For Celtic fans who play the game, it’s a nice bonus. The former VVV-Venlo striker has been finding real form at Celtic Park, especially since the beginning of 2022. Ange Postecoglou has said, though, that he’s not going to rely solely on Giakoumakis for goals against Bodo/Glimt tomorrow night.

Celtic striker Giakoumakis makes FIFA 22 FUT Team of the Week after stunning Dundee display

It’d be fascinating to know what this kind of thing actually means to players.

At the very least, it’s an accolade, and it’s a way for millions of FIFA players to know your name. That’s no bad thing – ask Reo Hatate, who was featured mere weeks ago [Mirror].

That, and it’s a chance to – even virtually – rub shoulders with some big names in football. Robert Lewandowski, Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho; it’s hardly bad company to have, even if it is on a video game.

Do the Celtic players care about this kind of thing?

You’d have to imagine that at least a few of them play FIFA, especially on long away trips, or after training.

Whatever the case, the FIFA FUT Team of the Week means something. It’s unlikely to be extra incentive for a determined character like Giorgos Giakoumakis, but it’s hardly a bad thing either.

Read more: Ewan Henderson starting to impress at Hibernian after Celtic first-team struggles