Two of Barcelona’s brightest young stars are reportedly the next Players of the Month, with Lamine Yamal expected for La Liga on Friday and Claudia Pina landing on Monday for Liga F. Both POTM cards have leaked early, giving the community a full look at their upgraded stats and playstyle plus changes. The early talk suggests that Pina’s SBC might become one of the most popular of the entire FC 26 cycle.

Lamine Yamal POTM: A balanced upgrade that stays true to his strengths

Yamal’s POTM version is a straightforward improvement of his gold card. Every stat receives a one point increase, keeping his profile consistent and focused on fast dribbling and ball control. His Technical playstyle plus stays exactly the same, which means the silky animations and first touch advantages remain his biggest selling point.

Upgrade from base gold

  • Overall +1
  • +1 pace
  • +1 shooting
  • +1 passing
  • +1 dribbling
  • +1 defending
  • +1 physical
  • Technical playstyle plus unchanged

Compared to his UCL Primetime (1.2M coins)
The POTM becomes a budget friendly alternative, but the Primetime version remains superior:
-2 pace
-3 shooting
+1 passing
-5 dribbling
+1 defending
+1 physical

Yamal’s POTM should still be an excellent pick for La Liga or Barcelona themed squads. His playstyle plus alone keeps him competitive even if this version is not the dribble monster that the Primetime card is.

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Claudia Pina POTM: Finesse Shot plus replaces Low Driven plus and the community is already debating it

Claudia Pina has been the most dominant attacking card in FC 26 relative to her rating. Her base and Cornerstones items have consistently outperformed their numbers thanks to her movement, shooting animations and playstyle effects. Her POTM upgrade builds on that reputation and introduces a new twist.

The leaked POTM gives her Finesse Shot plus instead of Low Driven plus, which has been one of the strongest playstyle plus options in the entire game. Replacing such a powerful mechanic adds an interesting layer because Finesse Shot plus has always been a community favorite, especially for players who rely on green timed curlers from the edge of the box.

Importantly, Pina is still expected to keep Low Driven as a standard playstyle, so the loss might not be as big as it looks at first. This means she should still be able to produce the same rapid, low trajectory finishes that made her previous cards so dangerous while gaining a new long range threat.

Upgrade from base gold

  • Overall +1
  • +1 pace
  • +1 shooting
  • +2 passing
  • +1 dribbling
  • +2 defending
  • +2 physical
  • New playstyle plus: Finesse Shot plus

Compared to her Cornerstones card (485K coins)
-1 pace
-1 shooting
Same passing
Same dribbling
+1 defending
+1 physical

On paper the Cornerstones version stays slightly faster and slightly more clinical, but the POTM’s Finesse Shot plus may easily outweigh that. For players who rely on wide angles, timed shooting or cut inside patterns, this new playstyle plus could make Pina even more effective than her market version.

What this means for the SBC market

Yamal’s POTM is shaping up to be an attractive, low cost option for players who want a reliable dribbler without spending over a million coins. Pina’s POTM is the one that has the community buzzing. Her combination of strong animations, reliable finishing and a new playstyle plus makes her very likely to be completed by a massive share of the player base.

Even with the change from Low Driven plus to Finesse Shot plus, she is still expected to be one of the most popular SBC attackers of the entire FC 26 cycle.