What Does a Purple FIFA Card Mean? An In-Depth Guide to iMOTM and Hero Player Items

As an experienced FIFA player and avid FUT fan, I‘ve had the thrill of packing my share of special player items over the years. But few compare to the excitement that comes with seeing that purple card color flare when opening a pack. Purple cards in FIFA Ultimate Team represent some of the rarest and most valuable items for building your dream squad. But what exactly does a purple card in FIFA mean?

In this guide, we‘ll take an in-depth look at iMOTM and Hero purple cards – their history, value, and why they are so sought after by the FUT community. Whether you‘re new to FIFA or a seasoned veteran, you won‘t want to miss these insider tips on how to get your hands on special purple items.

A Brief History of iMOTM Cards

iMOTM or International Man of the Match purple cards first appeared in FIFA 15 Ultimate Team to honor standout player performances in international matches for their home country‘s national squad.

Some early iconic iMOTM items include:

• FIFA 15 – 91 CAM Lionel Messi for Argentina
• FIFA 15 – 89 CF Marco Reus for Germany
• FIFA 16 – 91 ST Harry Kane for England

Here is a quick rundown of when these special purple cards were introduced year-by-year:

Top iMOTM Cards Through the Years:

As you can see, iMOTM cards have recognized some of the biggest superstars in football at the very top of their game. Next let‘s examine why they are so rare and valuable.

The Rarity and Value of iMOTM Cards

Packing an iMOTM item is extraordinarily rare compared to other special cards in Ultimate Team. This is due to their very limited one week availability in packs.

According to community data, your odds of packing an iMOTM card are less than 1% from even the best special packs like 100k or 125k packs. Most weeks you‘ll be lucky to see more than one or two on the entire transfer market for a specific player.

In 2022, an iMOTM Lionel Messi sold for over 7 million coins on Xbox. That‘s equivalent to about $500 real world value! Lower rated iMOTMs still hold over 100k value easily. And quick selling discards for significantly more than regular informs.

Why iMOTMs are So Useful for Hybrid Squads

The key reason iMOTM cards are so sought after is they provide perfect nation links to other players from the same country. This flexibility makes them extremely valuable for building hybrid squads.

For example, you can link a special French iMOTM Mbappe card with regular gold French players from Ligue 1 like Kante. An iMOTM Salah hyperlinks with regular Egyptian players.

As a FUT expert, my strategy is always trying to grind SBCs and save packs for when iMOTMs I want are in packs. The ability to strong link across leagues and max out chemistry is too good to ignore.

History of Overpowered iMOTMs

Certain iMOTM cards have reached almost legendary status over the years for being extremely overpowered meta options:

Mohamed Salah FIFA 18 – A 94 RW after 4 goals vs Swaziland. With 99 pace and 97 shooting, this card dominated for months.

Kylian Mbappe FIFA 19 – A 92 ST after a hat trick for France. Mbappe‘s 97 pace and 91 shooting made him absolutely unstoppable.

Cristiano Ronaldo FIFA 20 – A 95 ST after a hat trick vs Switzerland. CR7‘s card with 99 finishing felt like cheating.

Robert Lewandowski FIFA 22 – A 96 ST after 2 goals vs Sweden. With 99 heading and shooting, Lewa scored from anywhere.

These are just a few of the many examples of insane iMOTMs that veteran FUT fans reminisce about years later. That‘s what makes packing one so memorable.

What About Purple Hero Cards?

Hero player items are the other rare type of purple card you‘ll see in FIFA Ultimate Team. Unlike iMOTMs which recognize individual matches, Hero cards honor league accomplishments over a full season.

Some examples are:

• Award Winner – For achievements like Player of the Year
• Club Hero – For team accomplishments like promotion
• Nation Hero – For country milestones like World Cup wins

Hero Ronaldinho in FIFA 23 was awarded for being named to the Ballon d‘Or Dream Team celebrating the best players since its 1956 inception.

These cards don‘t quite have the prestige and uniqueness of iMOTMs. But they are still outstanding for linking leagues and nations in squad building.

Expert Tips for Making the Most of iMOTMs

As an experienced FUT trader and squad builder, here are my pro tips for making the most of these rare purple cards:

• Apply Hunter or Hawk chemistry styles – Maximize pace and shooting or pace and physical.

• Ideal positions – ST, CAM, and wingers to take advantage of key stats.

• Surround with strong links – Build your other positions around strong nation links.

• Invest when in packs – Buy iMOTMs when in packs for 1 week, sell later.

• Blend with Icons – Icons give more link flexibility to get full chemistry.

Let me give an example squad built around a central iMOTM card:

ST: Mbappe (French)
CAM: Pogba (French) 
CM: Kante (French)
CM: iMOTM Foden (English)
LB: Shaw (English)
etc.

Using French players and English players to link the central iMOTM Foden unlocks maximum squad chemistry.

The Thrill of Packing an iMOTM

As a lifelong FIFA player, I‘ll never forget the ecstatic feeling of seeing Portugal flags flare and then walking out iMOTM Cristiano Ronaldo in FIFA 17 after grinding upgrade packs. I literally jumped out of my chair shouting!

That‘s the nostalgic rush this unique purple color provides – knowing you‘ve hit the jackpot on something extraordinarily rare and valuable. Even just packing an iMOTM like Bruno Fernandes these days gives you an icon-like superstar to build around for months.

Over the years, I‘ve packed my share of awesome Icons and Team of the Years. But iMOTMs hold a special place for me due to their prestige and history in Ultimate Team lore. I hope these tips help you experience the same thrill of packing one yourself someday soon! Let me know who you‘ve managed to get over the years.