Hammer Issa Diop is the recipient of a newly-released ‘Special’ Ultimate Team card in EA SPORTS’ FIFA 22 – the first Hammer to be granted one this season.

The Frenchman has been granted a UEFA Europa League Road to the Knockouts’ card in FIFA Ultimate Team, which will dynamically upgrade in the event that the Hammers qualify for the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League.

What’s more, the card will upgrade even further should Diop’s West Ham team register three wins in their final four group stage matches of the Europa League, with two out of two so far.

This could lead to some significant upgrades for the 24-year-old’s in-game presence, with the Hammers currently top of – and yet to drop a point or concede a goal in – Group H of this season’s competition.

The ‘Road to the Knockouts’ card boosts Diop’s overall rating out of 100 in FIFA 22 from a mid-tier 77 to a highly promising 83, and immediately makes him the highest-rated Ultimate Team card for a West Ham player in the game.

The card, along with ‘Road to the Knockouts’ cards across the other UEFA Champions League and Europa League teams, will be released within in-game packs at 6pm on Friday 15 October.

Diop’s new card has a comprehensive defensive skillset, with strong attributes including Physical (84), Defensive (83) and Pace (76) – giving a weighted OVR total of 83.

Last season, West Ham recorded an incredible 14 ‘special’ FIFA cards for their players in FIFA 21, after eleven Team of the Week nominations, a Player of the Month card for Jesse Lingard and a Premier League Team of the Season card for Tomáš Souček.