What is your favorite sport? Do you ride for American football, or is baseball your thing? Does hockey make your adrenaline rise or is basketball more your cup of tea? Whatever your fancy, video games will always step in to make you feel like you are a part of the fun. Most of us were not blessed with athletic grace. We are not going to be the next Lebron or Gretzky, and that’s quite all right. We don’t have to be because we have developers who want to give us the experience of being these people without the endless training and bruises to prove it. Don’t worry soccer fans; we didn’t leave you out because this whole list is about the phenomenon that is FIFA 2018.

In September of last year, EA engaged in its annual tradition of making the soccer community stand on its heels with excitement for the release of the newest FIFA game. This year’s installment has a lot of new features and technology for players to exploit. Soccer’s popularity is gaining ground in the United States, but it is already the cat’s pajamas across the world. So, FIFA is a welcome addition to the shelves for many sports gamers. So, if you ever wondered what it is like to develop the next soccer superstar or deliver a mean cross that no one can defend, you have come to the right place. Here are 25 awesome things you didn’t know you could do in FIFA 2018.

25 A Quick Switcheroo

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One of the most difficult things to manage in a video game and real-life soccer games are substitutions. How do you get players in and out quickly without giving up vulnerability? EA Sports has you covered in FIFA 2018. This newest version of the game allows players to quickly switch players in and out without having to go into the game menu.

Choose your subs wisely!

This substitution can be planned before the match, so the game will allow players to set replacements in motion a lot more rapidly. Now, this does require some forethought on the side of the gamer. They have to decide who needs to become positioned to come into the game at various parts throughout the match. Regardless of the required effort, this perk is worth a use.

24 Get That Rookie Up To Speed

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Okay, so who goes through the training activities on games? They seem dull, unnecessary, and entirely unrealistic to what you will actually be facing in the game. However, FIFA 2018 rewards those who are ready to through the trouble. You know that rookie you have been eyeing in the game? The one you probably spent time monitoring through the youth development program? Many gamers may scoff at the training offered for the soccer players, but it can really add the finishing touch to an energetic rookie who needs more polish. Their skill can drastically increase if they go through this process. So, don’t automatically disregard the training events in FIFA 2018, they can turn a mediocre player into someone who is actually useful to the team.

23 Hush The Haters!

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Story mode has become a pretty popular component to many sports games. It would make sense that even sporting game aficionados would enjoy the story elements seen in RPG games in a sports game. FIFA 2018 quenches the thirst of these gamers by offering a story mode called, “The Journey.” FIFA 2018’s story mode follows the up-and-coming star and rookie, Alex Hunter.

Haters are unfortunately gonna hate. 

Unfortunately, everyone has to start somewhere, and his first game will see boos from many in the crowd, but if he scores a goal and the player has Alex go over to the television cameras, he will celebrate by giving his loyalty to the audience at home. Don’t let the crowd intimidate Alex, set up the ultimate payback with a stellar goal celebration.

22 Set Off The Rivals

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American football fans may think they have the most intense rivalries but are apparently not aware of soccer teams from around the world. These teams and their fans do not play when it comes to getting in the game. American fans are not always able to travel abroad to see how this dynamic works, so FIFA 2018 has given them a front row seat to some of the most significant rivalries in sports. FIFA 2018 is well versed in who dislikes who. When a player chooses teams from a rival squad, then the selected players will look at one another and growl and glare instead of just ambling around in a dull state. You know these teams mean business when EA sports has inserted these rivalries into the game.

21 Um…Is My Referee A Celebrity?

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If there are any games that specialize in celebrity cameos, it would be sports games. These players schmooze with some of the most famous faces in the world, and many are considered celebrities in their own right. We bet you have heard the name David Beckham, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo whether you consider yourself a major soccer fan or not. How would you feel if you saw one of these faces as your referee in the game?

We would be too starstruck to play!

Well, that’s precisely what happened when some players first booted up FIFA 2018. Some players noticed that when they first played FIFA 2018, some of the refs had familiar faces. Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville are ex-players who were seen wearing the famous black ref jerseys. See who else you can spot.

20 Showing The Love

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Again, American football and basketball fans may think they have the mandate on fan loyalty, but soccer fans make actually take the cake on this one. From painting faces in country flags to singing national anthems at the drop of a hat, soccer fans know that their country’s bragging right are on the line. Therefore, they are always open to showing the love in any way possible to their home team. FIFA 2018’s developers noticed this and added in a subtle little nod to fan dedication. FIFA 2018 does a great job of making the soccer playing experience feel as real as possible. Players can look to the stands and see the fans showing some love by waving signs with the player’s team icon on them.

19 Ace That Cross

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There is nothing like a good cross. A way to get the ball to another player without leaving it vulnerable for someone else to steal it. It is a skill even the greats struggle with, but you can master it in FIFA. In other versions, this move was a little lacking, but FIFA 2018 is trying to right the wrong and allow players to execute this move better.

Make others throw their controllers in frustration.

FIFA 2018 now allows players to pull off the ultimate cross. All gamers have to do is use R1/RB to make a high floating cross. If players double tap the button then can then perform a low to the ground cross. We are sure you are going to want to take a screenshot or video of yourself pulling this off.

18 No Pain No Gain!

via fifplay.com

Soccer players don’t have the luxury of padding and helmets when these guys decide to sacrifice themselves; it could turn out badly. That is what makes hard tackles so risky in this game. The tackle in soccer is an art that requires some finesse and can be incredibly useful if players know what they are doing. In previous installments, this feat was a little tricky, but EA is all about turning this game into a realistic and immersive experience. FIFA 2018 has made it a lot easier for players to commit a hard tackle on the opponents. With the press of triangle or Y players can go in the tackle. Practice this one, because it can definitely be a game changer in a close match.

17 You Used To Call Me On My Cellphone…

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Every celebration in FIFA 2018 is unique, and the game allows gamers to go crazy with them. Drake’s hit, “Hotline Bling,” was apparently popular in the soccer world, as FIFA developers saw fit to add a key move from the singer’s choreography into the game. One celebration that players can do is the "cellphone".

Only Drake could have people faking a cellphone call. 

Players roll their hands around in a circular motion with the result looking like a cell phone as in Drake’s memorable video. Imagine the possibilities, could we have a moonwalk celebration next? “Hotline Bling,” is definitely an iconic song, and now it has been immortalized in FIFA 2018. It is cool to see how players choose to celebrate their goals, and FIFA 2018 allows players to have fun with it as well.

16 Do The Scorpion

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Alright, so rumor has it that there are approximately 90 celebrations that players can engage in after scoring a goal. So, gamers have their pick. However, we never said that some of these options were not a little bizarre, but who are we to judge? Soccer players have always enjoyed showing off their happiness of scoring a goal in various creative ways. One, in particular, is "The Scorpion."Gamers can make their team join in to form a scorpion with one player out front kicking with their legs to mimic the claws. We sincerely admire the work and creativity these developers put into capturing what real players have done to rub a goal in the opponent’s face. Maybe American football players should take note and give this one a try.

15 Break Those Ankles!

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Alright, so let’s get this out of the way right now, no one’s ankles are actually being broken. The only feeling that accompanies this phrase is a broken spirit and probably a little embarrassment. In basketball, it is popular to fake someone out and in turn “break their ankles.”

Oooo, that sounds like it hurt...

The person is caught off guard by the move and tries to keep up with the ball, but their movement is not quick enough, resulting in the use of the phrase. In FIFA 2018, this move is more powerful than ever. Players can efficiently change their direction as they are dribbling the ball to gain some speed on the opponent, trick them to jump to the other side and push past them for a goal.

14 Bring The World Of FIFA 18 To GTA

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Tired of the same old GTA V characters? Are you looking for some variety in how you play the game? Well, GTA V has to be one of the most densely modded games of all time. You never know when you are doing to see a character from another series inserted in the game. So, you knew the mods eventually had to come to sports as well, right? Are you compelled to see soccer’s most prominent stars making their way through the crime-ridden streets of GTA V? Well, someone created a mod that puts FIFA 18 players in GTA. You can watch Cristiano Ronaldo looking out over the landscape with his opulent car, or Neymar run through the streets causing havoc. It’s entirely up to you!

13 Take The Goalie For A Spin

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So, this is our one and only outright glitch on this list. There have been some discoveries of glitches allowing gamers to snatch some notable players, but some of those are disputed (and not looked on too kindly by EA). This glitch is a little more harmless, but as with most things like this that appear in a video game, it is a weird and glaring oversight.

Cannot have a sports game without a glitch. 

In training mode, there is a glitch in FIFA 18 where players can make the primary soccer player they are training with disappear. The player literally looks like they vanish into thin air. At this point, the goalie becomes playable, and gamers have been known to take him on a stroll outside the stadium into a pool of nothingness.

12 Play As The Real Ronaldo

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If you are wondering why Ronaldo has that signature bravado to his walk, and question how developers were able to incorporate this into the game, well it’s because the player you see on the screen is actually Cristiano Ronaldo. FIFA 18 went all out to make gamers feel like they were actually involved in an immersive soccer experience. In this game, real players like Ronaldo underwent motion-capture technology where mannerisms were designed around the actual players. The kicks, celebrations, and facial emotions are all representative of the real player. The same is likely true for others in the game. This means you can also blame the real Ronaldo when he can’t make that goal you so desperately need. The marvel of innovation can go both ways.

11 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

via kotaku.com

What is the fun in competitions if you can never compete against someone else you know? Okay, so you beat the AI or computer, but what does that really mean? There is a social element to gaming that successful video games can use to their advantage. People want to compete against their friends or take on a gamer in another country. This is what gaming is all about nowadays, and the studios who figure this out are more likely to be successful in their releases.

Settle disputes with friends in the best fashion ever!

Unlike FIFA 17, FIFA 18 allows players to participate in skill game competitions and challenge their friends. In the past, they could only play with their friends during these competitions, but now they can compete against them. So, you can now use FIFA 18 to decide who will be the next person to buy pizza.

10 Flip It Out

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Again, it’s all about celebrations! FIFA 2018 lets gamers get into the fun by allowing players the opportunity to engage in some end game celebrations. Depending on the gaming system, players can make their in-game athletes do a front flip. This celebration is one that always confused us. It is cool to look at for sure, but this person is taking a risk by potentially hurting the one resource they need to play the game: their legs. We cannot imagine how many times someone pulled off a front flip only to land in the hospital the next day with major injuries. Now, that’s realism! Again, it is a pretty cool move, but we cannot help but cringe every time we see someone do this. Anyways, have fun!

9 It’s A Cheap Move…But It Works

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Sometimes sports are about finding creative ways to win. Every opportunity is exploitable, even if it makes the refs notice a foul the other team committed. One of these major penalties in soccer is the handball. It’s so annoying because it might not be the offending player's fault. However, most are still penalized, and the other team is given a chance for a kick. So, FIFA 2011 introduced the opportunity for handballs.

We have a feeling many are still not happy about this. 

Many fans were upset by the addition since a lot of people were conceding goals. Developers disabled the feature but never actually took it out of the game. In FIFA 2018, all players have to do is turn on the handball feature and players can earn a penalty every five or six games.

8 Speed Up "The Journey"

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The consensus on FIFA 2018’s story mode, "The Journey" is positive. Most people have enjoyed the story of developing Alex Hunter to become a superstar. However, all is not well with the length of time gamers have to spend getting through all of this soccer games. Players have complained that the career mode of "The Journey" runs a bit too long. Well, there is a trick for that gamers can exploit. Players can speed up this game mode by changing the user gameplay customization mode speed to 100 and then select 0 for the CPU Speed and Acceleration. Players can go up seven points in as little as ten minutes. It’s about gaming smarter not harder, so there is nothing wrong with speeding up the monotony of the endless games to get to the good stuff.

7 The FIFA 2018 App Is Actually Useful

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It is normal that gamers groan every time they hear a major game studio push a mobile application that is meant to go along with their game. It is something extra that players are told they need to download, and most of the time it offers no value. It just takes up valuable cell phone space that could quickly be reserved for an extra song or some photos.

We understand your skepticism, but here us out!

However, this is one of those rare times where a mobile gaming app might be worth the look. The FIFA 2018 app might actually be worth the download. While the console makes players scroll through each game card individually, the app creates a nice list of cards available for players to get through, helping them find the picks they need much faster.

6 Leave Them Kids Alone…

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One of the main hallmarks of FIFA 2018 is the youth development option. Many players are not aware of its impact and the choices they have. You could literally be sitting on the next Messi or Maradona. So, it’s time to get well-versed in youth development, because if used right, gamers can become endlessly unbeatable. At the beginning of the game, all players have to do is acquire a Youth Scout, grab players that have ratings or 90 above and then offer them a contract once they threaten to leave. All players have to do is grab them and then leave them alone to develop. This step will create all-star players that can be used in the regular game. If you want an endless supply of talent, then check out the youth development feature.