FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Young Russian Players to Sign in Career Mode

The Russian Premier League is filled with talent, especially when it comes to the teams who compete in the UEFA Champions League, such as CSKA Moscow, Zenit, and Lokomotiv Moscow. Their national team is undergoing a transitional phase as they try to emulate their quarter-final appearance in the 2018 World Cup.

Many solid players have come through the ranks in Russia, such as Artem Dzyuba and Igor Akinfeev, but the likes of Matvey Safonov and Igor Diveev are slowly proving their worth for their home country.

We now show you the best young Russian players that you should target for your Career Mode. For this, all players are under the age of 21-years-old, being ranked by their potential ratings.

Matvey Safonov (73 OVR – 91 POT)

Team: Free Agent
Age: 21
Position: GK
Wage: £0 p/w
Value: £0 million
Best Attributes: 77 GK Reflexes, 76 GK Positioning, 76 GK Diving

The highly-touted 21-year-old Russian GK has been billed as the Federation’s best prospect in net since the legendary Lev Yashin.

Safonov was the starting goalkeeper for Russia in Euro 2020 during their Group B games. The young goalkeeper has been a staple of the Russian national setup, clocking in more than 30 appearances since his under-15s days.

His current team does not appear on FIFA 21; however, you can snap him up as a free agent once you load a new Career Mode. The 6’4’’ goalkeeper has a big frame, with his 77 reflexes, 76 positioning, and 76 diving being his best attributes.

The goalie is, by far, Russia’s best young talent in the game and is certainly someone to watch moving forward.

Igor Diveev (72 OVR – 82 POT)

Team: CSKA Moscow
Age: 20
Position: CB
Wage: £8,100 p/w
Value: £3.8 million
Best Attributes: 76 Strength, 74 Interceptions, 74 Standing Tackle

The CSKA Moscow defender is a promising force at 20-years-old, being the starting centre back for his club and a regular substitute for his country.

Diveev is your perfect young defender that uses his 6’4’’ height well, standing as a brick wall at the back that boasts 76 strength and 74 interceptions. He only has a modest £3.8 million price tag, so pairing him up with a pacey centre back will not only benefit your team but also be kind on your budget.

Born in Ufa, he could mould into a solid Russian defender like Sergey Ignashevich or Viktor Onopko. He would be a smart choice for your team if you need a tall and strong presence along the backline.

Ivan Oblyakov (74 OVR – 80 POT)

Team: CSKA Moscow
Age: 21
Position: CM
Wage: £13,500 p/w
Value: £6 million
Best Attributes: 80 Balance, 79 Dribbling, 78 Short Passing

Ivan Oblyakov could be the next-best talent from Russia. The now-23-year-old is a regular substitute for CSKA Moscow and benefits heavily from the constant rotation of domestic and continental football.

The 74-overall Russian is very flexible as he can play as a CM, defensive midfielder, or even a left winger. His versatility could be an asset for many teams, especially those looking to climb the ranks in Road to Glory challenges.

A native of Vyndin Ostrov, Oblyakov already has modest passing attributes (78 short, 77 long) and a decent 75 sprint speed. He will just need more game time and adapt to any system that you wish to mould him into.

Nail Umyarov (69 OVR – 79 POT)

Team: Spartak Moscow
Age: 20
Position: CDM
Wage: £6,300 p/w
Value: £2.6 million
Best Attributes: 74 Ball Control, 73 Short Passing, 72 Balance

The 20-year-old defensive midfielder from Spartak Moscow is a raw talent who could impact the Russian National Team in the future.

He has a modest frame of 6’0’’ while having ample passing range and versatility. Umyarov can also play as a central midfielder and can develop into a decent box-to-box midfielder for your team, utilising his 69 dribbling, 63 acceleration, and 64 sprint speed.

The young talent is still down the pecking order for his current club. However, his £2.6 million valuation could make him a steal for several clubs looking for a sound midfield investment.

Vadim Karpov (64 OVR – 79 POT)

Team: CSKA Moscow
Age: 17
Position: CB
Wage: £500 p/w
Value: £1.1 million
Best Attributes: 72 Jumping, 70 Short Pass, 68 Standing Tackle

Vadim Karpov could be one to watch, especially in FIFA 22, given his young age and decent potential. The Russian centre back is only 17-years-old and could be a target for many teams in the future.

His 6’3’’ frame stands out, but the CSKA Moscow talent also has a Low/High work rate, which is perfect for being the rock for your defence, as are the youngster’s 72 jumping and 68 standing tackle.

The teenager is sometimes featured on the bench for his club, but he’ll certainly be given more first-team action in the years to come. The Russian national team is deep in defence, but they might look to eventually introduce this young talent during this transition phase.

All the best Russian wonderkids in FIFA 21

With the top young Russian talents detailed above, here are all of the best Russian wonderkids to sign in FIFA 21’s career mode.

Russia is definitely a place that not many gamers scout for talent. Still, the Russian Premier League boasts many hidden gems and possible bargains that be found, especially for the goalkeeper and midfield positions.