Exploratory Data Analysis of EA Sports FC 24
A Data-Driven Look into Football’s Top Players and Leagues
About EA FC 24:
EA Sports FC 24 is the first installment in the EA Sports FC series, succeeding the iconic FIFA series after the conclusion of EA’s partnership with FIFA. Developed by EA Vancouver and EA Romania, and released on 29 September 2023, the game continues EA’s tradition of delivering top-tier football simulation.
With improved gameplay, advanced technology, and a wide selection of teams and leagues, EA Sports FC 24 offers players an immersive football experience across platforms including PlayStation, Xbox, Windows, and Nintendo Switch.
About the Dataset:
The dataset used in this analysis was sourced from Kaggle, originally scraped from the publicly available website, sofifa.com. It originally contained a comprehensive set of data on over 180,000 male players and nearly 7,000 male teams, with additional data on female players, teams, and coaches.
To focus on the most relevant information for this analysis, the dataset has been streamlined to include only about 5,000 male players and 179 male teams, covering 9 major football leagues from across the world. This curated selection was made to highlight top players, teams, and leagues while maintaining diversity in terms of playing styles and geographical representation.
Data Cleaning Process
To ensure the dataset was ready for analysis, a thorough data cleaning process was undertaken. This process involved multiple steps to streamline and enhance the quality of the data:
- Removed Historical Data: Records from previous years (2015–2023) were removed, leaving only the most recent data for the current year. This allowed for a more focused analysis on the latest player and team statistics.
- Removed Unused Columns: Columns that were irrelevant to the analysis, such as identifiers or historical metrics not required for this project, were removed to reduce clutter and streamline the dataset.
- Replaced Special Characters: Any special characters within the dataset were replaced with their correct values (for example, ‘Mbapp√©’ became ‘Mbappé’)
- Checked for Null Values and Redundancies: The dataset was checked for any null values and redundancies. Fortunately, no null values were present, and redundancies were removed where applicable to ensure accuracy in the data.
- Filtered for 9 Countries and Top Leagues: Data was filtered to retain only records for 9 specific countries. Within these countries, only the top leagues were kept. The 9 leagues featured in this analysis are:
- Bundesliga (Germany)
- Eredivisie (Netherlands)
- La Liga (Spain)
- Liga Portugal (Portugal)
- League 1 (France)
- Major League Soccer (United States)
- Premier League (England)
- Pro League (Saudi Arabia)
- Serie A (Italy)
The Club Details Page
The Club Details page provides in-depth information on each club featured in the game. This page serves as a complete snapshot of each club’s on-field and tactical setup. This page includes key details such as:
- Basic Club Information: Overview of the club’s name, location, and league.
- Team Ratings: Comprehensive breakdown of the club’s overall strength, as well as specific ratings for attack, midfield, and defense.
- Player List: A visual representation of the club’s current list of players and some information about them.
- Default Formation: Displays the team’s default formation used in matches.
- Manager Information: Insights into the club’s manager, including name, nationality, and preferred tactics.
Player Profile Page:
The Player Profile page offers a comprehensive look at each player’s individual attributes and abilities. Key details include:
- Player Information: Name, photo, age, nationality, and club affiliation.
- Player Abilities Chart: Detailed breakdown of key stats like pace, dribbling, passing, shooting, and more, allowing users to analyze the player’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Player Attributes Radar Chart: Radar chart showing the players different attribute values.
- Pitch Map: A visual pitch map that illustrates the player’s ability to perform in various positions.
Inspiration for the design of this page was gotten from sofifa.com.
To Go to the Player Profile page, Right-Click on a player in the Club Details page, Point to Drill through, and select ‘Player Profile’.
Player Comparison Page:
The Player Comparison page allows the user to compare players based on their skills and attributes.
It shows the players’ photo, age, preferred foot, position, and overall game rating.
Key Insights from the Data
Our exploration of the EA Sports FC 24 dataset yielded several key insights into modern football:
1. Player Age Distribution
The dataset reveals that most players reach their prime between the ages of 23 and 29. This peak performance range dominates many top leagues, with players in this bracket holding key positions in both club and national teams. Notable outliers, such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, continue to perform at the highest level despite being in their late 30s.
2. Positional Versatility
In modern football, versatility is crucial. Players like Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) can excel in multiple midfield and attacking roles, making them valuable assets for their teams. The analysis of player profiles shows that many top-tier players can perform well in two or more positions, giving their managers tactical flexibility.
Using a football pitch visual, we can map out where these players shine the most, identifying key positions and alternative roles. For example, Fernandes plays best as a central attacking midfielder (CAM) but can also perform well as a central midfielder (CM).
3. Top Performers Across Leagues
Several standout players emerge across the dataset, dominating key attributes like finishing, pace, and dribbling. Here’s a look at the best of the best:
- Most Valuable Player: Erling Haaland (Manchester City) — € 185M Value and € 340K (per week) Wage.
- Best Finisher: Erling Haaland (Manchester City) — 96 Finishing
- Fastest Player: Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain) — 97 Pace
- Best Dribbler: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) — 94 Dribbling
- Best Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) — 90 Overall
Conclusion: Analyzing the Modern Game
The data-driven exploration of EA Sports FC 24 provided a fascinating insight into the players and leagues that define modern football. Whether you’re a coach looking to understand player profiles, an analyst exploring league dynamics, or simply a fan, the insights uncovered in this analysis show the depth of information that can be drawn from player data.
