EA Sports FC 27 is bringing Ted Lasso back through AFC Richmond Women, with Career Mode, Ultimate Team and Nelson Road implications, but reports differ on exactly when every part arrives.
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Store links: EA Sports FC 27 on Steam
AFC Richmond returns, but the squad has changed
EA Sports FC 27 is bringing Ted Lasso back into EA’s football series through AFC Richmond Women, the Lady Greyhounds, rather than the men’s team that appeared in FIFA 23. That is the concrete shift at the center of this EA FC 27 crossover: the familiar fictional club is back, but the playable focus has moved to the women’s side to match the current Ted Lasso season.
Metro reports that EA is tying the crossover to Ted Lasso’s fourth season, which began in August and centers on the women’s AFC Richmond team. TheXboxHub similarly frames the addition as a renewed partnership between EA Sports and Warner Bros., with Ted Lasso content returning alongside AFC Richmond Women. Bleacher Report says Ted Lasso, Coach Beard and the AFC Richmond Lady Greyhounds are part of EA Sports FC 27.
For fans who used AFC Richmond in FIFA 23, that creates an immediate expectation gap. The prior crossover was built around the men’s Greyhounds, the fictional Premier League side associated with characters such as Roy Kent, Jamie Tartt and Dani Rojas. Game Rant reports that those men’s-team favorites are not the playable focus in EA Sports FC 27 because Ted is now managing the women’s team in the show. The novelty-club appeal remains, but the roster fantasy is different.
Where AFC Richmond Women fits in FC 27’s modes
The reported mode support is broader than a simple exhibition cameo. Metro says AFC Richmond Women will be available in regular play, Career Mode and Ultimate Team. Brit Brief reports the same spread across regular matches, career mode and Ultimate Team, while TheXboxHub says the crossover includes new Career Mode content, Football Ultimate Team rewards and Nelson Road.
GiveMeSport’s guide gives the most practical route for players looking for AFC Richmond Women FC 27 content. According to that outlet, AFC Richmond does not sit inside one of FC 27’s licensed leagues. Instead, players can find the team by going to Kick-Off, filtering to Women’s Teams, setting the country to Rest of World and selecting AFC Richmond. GiveMeSport also says the same Women’s Teams and Rest of World filters work when starting a new Manager Career save.
That placement matters for how the team will be used. A Rest of World slot usually signals a licensed special case rather than a club embedded in a full domestic competition structure. For Kick-Off players, that is simple enough. For Career Mode players, it means the draw is likely the role-play hook of taking over Richmond rather than the authenticity of playing through the club’s real league pyramid, because the club is fictional and the sources do not describe a dedicated Ted Lasso league setup.
Ted Lasso is a manager again, and Nelson Road gives the crossover a home
Ted himself is part of the package, not only the badge and shirts. Metro reports that Jason Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso is back as a playable manager in Career Mode, and that Nelson Road, AFC Richmond’s home stadium, will be available as a stadium option. Bleacher Report also names Ted Lasso and Coach Beard as part of the FC 27 content.
GiveMeSport reports two specific Ted implementations: Ted is available as a manager in Career Mode and as a manager item in Ultimate Team. Game Rant says Ted can be seen on the touchline during AFC Richmond matches and can be selected as a Career Mode manager by choosing Women’s Teams as the gender filter and Rest of World as the country. Game Rant adds that, after selecting him, players can change teams, so its guide says Ted is not restricted to women’s clubs.
That is the part of the Ted Lasso EA FC 27 crossover most likely to outlive the initial novelty. Special teams can become one-night Kick-Off picks. A recognizable manager, a stadium option and Ultimate Team manager item can travel through longer saves and squad-building routines. EA has not, based on the supplied reports, detailed whether Coach Beard has a separate gameplay role or is present mainly as part of the crossover presentation.
The Lady Greyhounds arrive with a playable ratings profile
For players who care about how a novelty squad actually feels on the pitch, the early reported numbers place AFC Richmond Women in the middle tier rather than among FC 27’s elite sides. GiveMeSport says the squad has a three-and-a-half-star rating, down from the four-star rating the men’s AFC Richmond team had in FIFA 23. Game Rant reports the same three-and-a-half-star team rating.
GiveMeSport identifies striker Jay as the standout player at 80 overall, with center-back Davis at 79, left-back El Sherif at 78 and goalkeeper Boots at 77. Game Rant’s table lines up with those headline ratings and lists a broader squad that includes a mix of named show players and generated players filling the remaining positions. GiveMeSport also says characters from the show make up part of the squad, with generated players filling the gaps.
That profile is important for expectations. A three-and-a-half-star team with an 80-rated striker should be viable for casual Kick-Off sessions and themed Career Mode saves, but the reported ratings do not suggest a fantasy superclub. The most interesting on-field question is whether players build around Jay as the focal point or use Richmond as a development save where the fictional identity matters more than starting quality. The sources provide ratings, but not enough detail on play styles, weak-foot ratings, skill moves or tactical presets to judge the squad’s deeper competitive value.
The timing is the one messy part of the story
The clearest unresolved issue is timing. Metro reports that EA says the Ted Lasso content is coming with the new season, without giving an exact release date. Metro then notes that Season 2 of EA Sports FC 27 starts on October 22 and says players should expect the Ted Lasso content around that time. Brit Brief reports the same uncertainty, saying EA has not specified an exact date and that the content is expected around Season 2.
That conflicts with guide-style reports already describing AFC Richmond as selectable. GiveMeSport, published October 4, says there is nothing to unlock and that Richmond is available from the moment players start the game. Game Rant, published September 18, also presents AFC Richmond Women as findable in the Women’s Teams, Rest of World section and gives a full ratings table.
The safest reading is that the public reporting is split between hands-on or guide information that treats the team as already accessible and news reports that frame the crossover’s broader rollout as tied to FC 27’s next season. The sources do not resolve whether all elements arrived at launch, whether some were visible early, or whether themed Ultimate Team and Career rewards are the season-timed portion. Players checking specifically for rewards should treat those as less certain than the team’s reported menu location until EA publishes exact examples or a dated in-game schedule.
Ultimate Team rewards are promised, but the details are still thin
Ultimate Team is where the crossover could have the biggest live-service reach, but it is also where the confirmed detail is thinnest. Metro says EA is promising themed rewards across Career Mode and Ultimate Team, while also noting that EA has not provided exact examples. Brit Brief repeats that themed rewards are planned but unspecified. GiveMeSport separately reports that Ted is available as a manager item in Ultimate Team.
That leaves practical gaps. The supplied sources do not confirm whether players should expect objectives, Squad Building Challenges, cosmetics, tifos, kits, badges, stadium items, player items, loan cards or paid store bundles. They also do not provide pricing, expiry dates or reward requirements. For Ultimate Team players, the responsible advice is to watch the FC 27 Season 2 rollout and in-game objectives rather than assuming the crossover will hand out high-value cards.
The ESRB details listed in Game Rant’s FC 27 database entry include “In-Game Purchases” and “Includes Random Items,” which is standard live-service context for EA’s football economy, but it does not say anything specific about the Ted Lasso items. Until EA details the reward path, the confirmed FUT takeaway is narrower: Ted is reported as a manager item, and themed rewards have been announced without examples in the reports provided.
Why AFC Richmond Women matters to licensed-team and novelty-squad fans
AFC Richmond Women matters because FC’s licensed football world usually trades on real clubs, real leagues and authenticity, while Ted Lasso gives EA a different kind of recognizable asset: a fictional club with a fanbase, a stadium identity and a television storyline that can be played inside familiar modes. Metro notes that EA bills this as the first time Ted Lasso has featured in the EA Sports FC games, while also pointing out the technicality: Ted and the men’s AFC Richmond appeared in FIFA 23 before EA’s football series moved away from the FIFA name.
The women’s-team focus also gives the crossover a sharper identity than a straight FIFA 23 repeat. Abbie Hern, who plays striker Gemma Jay in the show, said in a statement quoted by Metro and Brit Brief that it was special to play with AFC Richmond the first time and “amazing” to see herself as part of the Lady Greyhounds squad in EA Sports FC 27. Her quote frames the team as a way for fans to connect with the women’s side on the pitch and fold Richmond into their own football stories.
For players, the recommendation depends on what they want from EA Sports FC 27 Ted Lasso content. If the appeal is a quick novelty match, the reported Kick-Off path through Women’s Teams and Rest of World should be the first place to check. If the appeal is a long Career Mode save, the draw is taking a mid-tier fictional squad and giving it a proper arc. If the appeal is Ultimate Team value, wait for EA’s exact reward details, because the current reporting confirms the theme but not the grind, cost or item quality.