EA Sports FC 26
EA Sports FC 26 is an association football simulation video game developed by EA Vancouver and EA Romania and published by Electronic Arts. It was released worldwide on 26 September 2025 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Amazon Luna. It is the third installment in the EA Sports FC series following EA FC 24 and EA FC 25. The ultimate edition has Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the cover whilst the standard edition sees the return of Jude Bellingham and the introduction of Jamal Musiala.
Gameplay
EA Sports FC 26 introduces significant gameplay innovations which include a complete overhaul of dribbling mechanics, enhanced artificial intelligence for player positioning, and more lifelike goalkeeper animations. The game also features two distinct gameplay presets: Competitive, tailored for Ultimate Team and Clubs with faster-paced action and smarter AI; and Authentic, designed for Career Mode with realistic football behaviors and tactics based on real-world data.Various changes were also done to Career Mode, especially Manager Career. Manager Live Challenges were added, which allowed players to choose specific challenges to complete, such as winning the Treble, or being on top of the league by Christmas. Another new feature was Unexpected Events, which meant events similar to real-life scenarios such as players being home sick could affect your club. Player career also received some changes, notably the addition of Archtypes. That feature allowed players to choose a specific path or playing style for their player to progress, with enabled more personalization to the experience.
Swedish former footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović appears as the cover athlete of the Ultimate Edition, while Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala feature on alternate covers of the standard editions.
Licenses
FC 26 features more than 20,000 licensed players across over 750 clubs, 35 leagues, and national teams. FC 26 contains the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Women’s Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Conference League, and the UEFA Europa League all fully licensed. It is also home to the Premier League, LALIGA EA SPORTS, Bundesliga, Barclay’s Women Super League, etc. Certain national football teams, such as the Brazil national football team and Japan national football team, are absent due to licensing restrictions. Inter Milan, A.C. Milan, Atalanta and Lazio, are all once again absent, and are instead named Lombardia FC, Milano FC, Bergamo Calcio, and Latium, respectively.New icons were also added to the game. They were available for pre-order up until August 26, 2025. The icons were; Alex Morgan, Zlatan Ibrahimovíc, Marcelo, Andrés Iniesta, Caroline Seger, Francesco Totti, Toni Kroos, Oliver Khan, Giorgio Chiellini, Cha-Bum-kun, Sissi, and Steffi Jones.
Several stadiums make their first appearance in FC 26, including; Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium, Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Tüpraş Stadyumu, Holstein-Stadion, Stade de la Beaujoire, Red Bull Arena, Stadion Wankdorf, St. Jakob-Park, and the renovated Stadion am Böllenfalltor. The Allianz Arena, absent since FIFA 20, also returns. In addition, Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, home of Inter Miami CF, makes its debut. Several existing venues have also undergone rebuilds for FC 26, including Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, Fratton Park, and Stamford Bridge.
Release
FC Showcase
FC 26 Showcase'','' a free preview version of the game, was also released on 26 September 2025. It is available on the PlayStation5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Series X and Series S|Xbox Series X|S. The modes available are Kick-Off where can you play with against teams, Learn to Play, where you can play learn the basics of FC 26, and Clubs, a 5V5 mode. In Mexico and the United Arab Emirates, a limited version of Ultimate Team is available.Reception
FC 26 received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregation website Metacritic. OpenCritic determined that 83% of critics recommended the game.The game was nominated for "Best Sports/Racing Game" and "Innovation in Accessibility" at The Game Awards 2025, but did not win either category.