When is FC 26 TOTY? Voting and release date speculation
Another calendar year has nearly ended, and that means it’s nearly time for EA Sports FC to drop its latest Team of the Year promo. Returning fans will know that FC (formerly known as FIFA) always rounds off the year by honouring the greatest players to grace the pitch over the previous 365 days. FC 26 TOTY, like every TOTY in recent memory, will start with some fan voting action before the winners are announced and dropped into Ultimate Team packs. So, what is the schedule likely to look like for FC 26 TOTY? Keep on reading and we’ll run you through what to expect in terms of year-end footy goodness. When will voting start for FC 26 TOTY? Our speculation We would predict that FC 26 TOTY voting will start on or around Monday 5th January 2026, based on the previous form. Last year, for example, the voting started on the first Monday back at work after the new year (FC 25 TOTY started on Monday 6th January 2025, to be precise). Voting should last for about a week — looking back at last year, it ended on Sunday 12th January. And the voting should take place on the official EA Sports FC website. View Green Video on the source website When will FC 26 TOTY be released? Our speculation We would predict that FC 26 TOTY cards will start being released on or around Friday 16th January 2026. Again, we’ve based this prediction on last year’s drop, which saw the first set of cards (attackers) being released two Fridays after the voting began. We would expect to see a number of different drops on consecutive Fridays. Last year, the first week saw the attackers, the second week gave us the full men’s and women’s squads, and the fourth week unleashed the 12th Man and 12th Woman. As for UK launch times, it tends to be 6pm GMT on Fridays for FC drops. Of course, EA could buck tradition at any point, but we’d be surprised to see that happen with such a reliable promo as this. We’ll be sure to update this page as and when we have official information about FC 26 TOTY. Certainly, we wouldn’t expect to see any movement until Christmas and New Year’s are behind us! Read more: FC 26 best formations and tactics explained FC 26 cheap 84, 85, 86, 87 and 88-rated players in Ultimate Team FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players with high Career Mode potential Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 reveals free preview mode and 10 classic squads
And they say there's no such thing as a free lunch...
Perhaps feeling festive, EA has announced a new free FC 26 preview mode, alongside ten Classic XI Teams for Kick Off and Kick Off Rush, featuring teams with legendary players. The preview mode lets players dip their toes into EA FC 26 without having to pay a penny, and have access to a limited selection of modes and clubs to try out: Kick-Off Mode with a limited set of top clubs. Clubs Rush with limited progression. Learn to Play. If you do decide to purchase the full game, you can carry over your stats progression, meaning you won’t have to start from scratch all over again. The press release states that “EA SPORTS FC 26 Showcase will be available to play on PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X|S, Amazon Luna, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One”, but curiously makes no mention of Nintendo Switch or Switch 2. The ten classic XI Teams are comprised of Icon, Hero and standout players of today for a number of different teams from famous leagues. Check them out below: Classic XI: Bayern Munich Manuel Neuer | GK Philipp Lahm | DF Franz Beckenbauer | DF Lúcio | DF Bixente Lizarazu | DF Bastian Schweinsteiger | MF Lothar Matthäus | MF Jamal Musiala | MF Michael Olise | FW Thomas Müller | FW Franck Ribéry | FW Classic XI: Chelsea Petr Čech | GK Reece James | DF Marcel Desailly | DF Ricardo Carvalho | DF Ashley Cole | DF Claude Makélélé | MF Gianfranco Zola | MF Frank Lampard | MF Cole Palmer | FW Didier Drogba | FW Eden Hazard | FW Classic XI: Juventus Gianluigi Buffon | GK Lilian Thuram | DF Fabio Cannavaro | DF Giorgio Chiellini | DF Gianluca Zambrotta | DF Manuel Locatelli | MF Andrea Pirlo | MF Zinedine Zidane | MF Roberto Baggio | FW Gianluca Vialli | FW Alessandro Del Piero | FW Classic XI: Liverpool Alisson Becker | GK Jeremie Frimpong | DF Virgil van Dijk | DF Jamie Carragher | DF John Arne Riise | DF Mohamed Salah | MF Xabi Alonso | MF Steven Gerrard | MF John Barnes | MF Kenny Dalglish | FW Ian Rush | FW Classic XI: Real Madrid Iker Casillas | GK Dani Carvajal | DF Fabio Cannavaro | DF Fernando Hierro | DF Roberto Carlos | DF Toni Kroos | MF Claude Makélélé | MF Jude Bellingham | MF Zinedine Zidane | FW Raúl González | FW Kylian Mbappé | FW Classic XI: Bundesliga Oliver Kahn | GK Philipp Lahm | DF Franz Beckenbauer | DF Jürgen Kohler | DF Bixente Lizarazu | DF Lothar Matthäus | MF Tomáš Rosický | MF Toni Kroos | MF Jay-Jay Okocha | FW Thomas Müller | FW Zé Roberto | FW View Green Video on the source website Classic XI: La Liga Iker Casillas | GK Carles Puyol | DF Fernando Hierro | DF Ronald Koeman | DF Luís Figo | MF Xabi Alonso | MF Andrés Iniesta | MF Paulo Futre | MF Johan Cruyff | FW Raúl González | FW Zinedine Zidane | FW Classic XI: Ligue 1 Petr Čech | GK Lilian Thuram | DF Marcel Desailly | DF Laurent Blanc | DF Bixente Lizarazu | DF Robert Pirès | MF Blaise Matuidi | MF Eden Hazard | MF Zlatan Ibrahimović | FW Ronaldinho | FW Thierry Henry | FW Classic XI: Premier League Peter Schmeichel | GK Jamie Carragher | DF Vincent Kompany | DF Rio Ferdinand | DF Ashley Cole | DF Patrick Vieira | MF Frank Lampard | MF Steven Gerrard | MF Alan Shearer | FW Wayne Rooney | FW Thierry Henry | FW Classic XI: Serie A Gianluigi Buffon | GK Cafu | DF Paolo Maldini | DF Fabio Cannavaro | DF Gianluca Zambrotta | DF Ruud Gullit | MF Andrea Pirlo | MF Zinedine Zidane | MF Alessandro Del Piero | FW Ronaldo Nazário | FW Diego Maradona | FW And that’s that! You can check out the Pitch Notes from the official page to see all the new changes made. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 cheap 84, 85, 86, 87 and 88-rated players in Ultimate Team
Strengthen your team with these players.
Who needs to spend money on packs when you can just load your team with a few of the cheapest high-rated players in FC 26? Sure, you might not get Claudia Pina, but whether you're building up a squad from zero or just need some fodder to complete a few SBCs, these cheap players have sky-high ratings for rock-bottom prices. Naturally, you'll still want to make sure you're getting your Division Rivals rewards and qualifying for FUT Champs to get your free packs in, and you'll need the best FC 26 formations for that. But if you're in a rush, here is a full list of the cheapest 84 to 88-rated players in FC 26 Ultimate Team. FC 26 cheap high-rated players in Ultimate Team Prices can always fluctuate throughout the year, so be sure to check out the 'Average Transfer Market Price' for each player for the most up to date price, or you could just have a look on FutBin. Anyway, without further ado, here are the cheapest 84-88-rated players in this year's Ultimate Team: Cheapest 84-rated players in FC 26 Emily Fox – 1.1k Coins Giada Greggi – 1.2k Coins Alex Greenwood – 1.2k Coins Hannah Hampton – 1.2k Coins Sjoeke Nüsken – 1.2k Coins Ellie Carpenter – 1.2k Coins Sergej Milinković-Savić – 1.2k Coins Rúben Neves – 1.2k Coins Alejandro Baena – 1.2k Coins Cata Coll – 1.2k Coins Merle Frohms – 1.2k Coins Exequiel Palacios – 1.2k Coins Willi Orban – 1.2k Coins Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir – 1.2k Coins Janina Minge – 1.2k Coins Cheapest 85-rated players in FC 26 Manuela Giugliano – 2.4k Coins Caroline Weir – 2.5k Coins Patrik Schick – 2.5k Coins Cristiana Girelli – 2.6k Coins Yui Hasegawa – 2.6k Coins Caitlin Foord – 2.7k Coins Kim Little – 2.7k Coins Naomi Girma – 2.7k Coins Keira Walsh – 2.7k Coins Chiamaka Nnadozie – 2.7k Coins Alexandra Popp – 2.7k Coins Svenja Huth – 2.7k Coins Marta Vieira da Silva – 2.7k Coins Wendie Renard – 2.7k Coins Fabián Ruiz Peña – 2.7k Coins Cheapest 86-rated players in FC 26 Ona Batlle Pascual – 4.3k Coins Ann-Katrin Berger – 4.4k Coins Klara Bühl – 4.4k Coins Lea Schüller – 4.4k Coins Pernille Harder – 4.5k Coins Bruno Guimarães – 5k Coins Rúben Dias – 5.1k Coins Hakan Çalhanoğlu – 5.4k Coins Temwa Chawinga – 5.4k Coins Michael Olise – 5.6k Coins Claudia Pina Medina – 6k Coins Gregor Kobel – 6.4k Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7.8k Coins Marc-André ter Stegen – 10.5k Coins Cheapest 87-rated players in FC 26 Ada Hegerberg – 6.3k Coins Leah Williamson – 6.4k Coins Lucy Bronze – 6.5k Coins Millie Bright – 6.5k Coins Beth Mead – 6.6k Coins Sam Kerr – 6.7k Coins Lindsey Heaps – 6.8k Coins Rose Lavelle – 6.9k Coins Serhou Guirassy – 6.9k Coins Jonathan Tah – 7k Coins Chloe Kelly – 9.4k Coins Kevin De Bruyne – 9.4k Coins Katie McCabe – 10.25k Coins Yann Sommer – 10.75k Coins Alexis Mac Allister – 12.25k Coins Cheapest 88-rated players in FC 26 Christiane Endler – 8.7k Coins Irene Paredes Hernández – 8.8k Coins Marie Katoto – 9k Coins Robert Lewandowski – 9.7k Coins Gabriel dos S Magalhães – 9.8k Coins Jan Oblak – 13k Coins Ewa Pajor – 15.5k Coins Guro Reiten – 16k Coins Bukayo Saka – 21.5k Coins Lautaro Martínez – 22k Coins Débora C de Oliveira – 34.75k Coins View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 Ultimate Scream: Release date and what to expect
I scream, you scream, we all Ultimate Scream Team!
‘Tis the season to be spooky, and EA Sports is getting in on the frightful festivities with FC 26 Ultimate Scream and we’ve got the release date and what to expect explained! Ultimate Scream has been a yearly fixture since FIFA 17 and has persisted through to the EA FC era. And so you don’t miss out on other timed rewards, be sure to check out the FC 26 Pepsi promotion! FC 26 pre-season rewards also came out recently, and while not game-changing, they are a nice boost to your Ultimate Team. If Career Mode is more your bag, you’ll definitely want to get the lay of the land on who’s who when it comes to FC 26 Wonderkids, as getting a high-potential player early on can prove to be an excellent investment. But as for FC 26 Ultimate Scream Team, read on to find out all you need to know! FC 26 Ultimate Scream release date The FC 26 Ultimate Scream release date is 6PM BST Friday 24th October 2025. This was confirmed by EA in a post on X (Formerly Twitter). View oEmbed on the source website The event will last for two weeks, with Ultimate Scream Team One becoming available from 24th October to 31st October, and Team Two becoming available from 31st October to 7th November. Team One will remain available throughout the second week. FC 26 Ultimate Scream: What to expect Over on X (formerly Twitter), @FC26News_ revealed ahead of the Ultimate Scream launch what players we can expect. View oEmbed on the source website For a full list of the players, check them out below! Vini Jr | ST | 90 | Brazil Joshua Kimmich | RB | 89 | Germany Debinha | RW | 89 |Brazil Javier Mascherano | CDM | 89 | Argentina Antonio Di Natale | LW | 89 | Italy Sakina Karchaoui | LB | 88 | France Jorge Campos | GK | 88 | Mexico Marek Hamsik | CM | 88 | Slovakia Bryan Mbeumo | ST | 87 | Cameroon Peter Crouch | CAM | 87 | England Nathan Tella | CAM | 86 | Nigeria Rafael Leão | ST | 86 | Portugal Thomas Muller | ST | 86 | Germany Juan David Cabal | CB | 85 | Germany Pablo Fornals | CM | 85 | Spain Alex Berenguer | CAM | 85 | Spain Madison Haley | RW | 85 | USA Desire Doue | CB | 85 | Ireland Danny Da Costa | RB | 84 | Germany As for how Ultimate Scream works, these players will receive time-limited boosted stats via Halloween-themed upgrades, and they can be unlocked either by booster packs or by way of Squad Building Challenges or special objectives. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 Pepsi promo: All rewards and how to get them before the end date
Halo and Mountain Dew, Call of Duty and Monster – it’s a carbonated symbiotic relationship as old as time, and this time, it’s an FC 26 Pepsi promo, and we’ve got all the rewards with how to get them before the end date explained! Speaking of goodies, be sure to check out what FC 26 pre-season awards you can unlock before it’s too late! You’ll definitely want to grab all the rewards you can get, as monetisation is rife in FC 26, as noted in our review. Rewards could help you net some top players, such as the best FC 26 wonderkids, who can help bring your team to success as the season goes on. And with said rewards, as the promo trailer tells us, all players can lift the ultimate silverware, not just David Beckham. But as for the FC 26 Pepsi promo rewards and when and how to get them, read on! When does FC 26 Pepsi promo start and end? The FC 26 Pepsi Promo started 16th October 2025 and will end 29th December 2025. That gives us a little over two months to collect some of the ultimate silverware for ourselves. Though the promo ends on the 28th of December, it’s unclear when Pepsi with codes will be available in shops. It will likely be harder to come by as we approach the last day, so if you’re keen to get some promos, it’s probably safer to do it sooner, lest you miss out on all the fun! All FC 26 Pepsi promo rewards The official Pepsi Promo FAQ page lists the rewards as follows: Pack 1: Includes 1 Rare Gold Player Pick (Pick 1 of 3), rated 80 or higher. All items untradeable. Pack 2: Includes 1 Stadium Theme, 1 Tifo, 1 Background Tifo, and 1 Badge. Also, 1 Consumable SP Item that grants 1,000 Season Points towards the active seasonal ladder when redeemed. All items untradeable. It also states that “Each participant can redeem a maximum of x2 unique codes from promotional Pepsi products and to receive x2 Pepsi in-game rewards packs per EA Account.” How to get FC 26 Pepsi promo awards To get FC 26 Pepsi promo awards, you need to purchase cans or bottles of Pepsi that have EA Sports FC 26 branding and say ‘CLAIM YOUR REWARD’ on them. When you have purchased it, the code will be found either on the inside label if it is a bottle, or under the pull ring if it is a can. When you have got your code, you need to head to the Pepsi Promo page, make a Pepsi account, link it to your EA account and finally enter the unique code. After this, the rewards should appear in your account! Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 pre-season rewards: How and when to get them
If you were there for the end of FC 25, then you're probably wondering when you will get your FC 26 pre-season rewards. For completing a set of objectives in the final weeks of FC 25, players were able to earn themselves a bunch of free packs in FC 26. With the game having now been out for a few weeks, when are FC 26 pre-season rewards released, and how can you claim them? FC 26 pre-season rewards: How and when to get them FC 26 pre-season rewards will be released on 14th October 2025. It isn't confirmed exactly what time these rewards will become available, but you can expect it to be around 6pm BST, which is roughly when updates to FC 26 tend to take place. Once the rewards are added to the game, you don't have to do anything in particular to claim them – simply wait for them to appear in your account, and potentially refresh Ultimate Team a few times if you don't see them straight away. Even if rewards are added to the game at this time, they may not appear on your account immediately, as it can take a while for the in-game servers to refresh, so it's worth bearing in mind that you may have to have a bit of patience. All FC 26 pre-season rewards The FC 26 pre-season rewards may not be anything amazing in the grand scheme of things, but are a very nice boost to your early-game squad building, especially if you need some fodder for SBCs. Here is a full list of FC 26 pre-season rewards: 84+ 5x Players Pack – Unlocked by reaching Level 40 in the Season 10 Ladder in FC 25 82+ 5x Players Pack – Unlocked by completing the Pre-Season Crafting Upgrade Completionist objective in FC 25 80+ 10x Players Pack – Unlocked by completing The Club is Yours I in FC 25 Hero Loan Player Picl – Unlocked by completing The Club is Yours I in FC 25 81+ 7x Players Pack – Unlocked by completing the Road to FC 26 Evolution in FC 25 80+ 10x Players Pack – Unlocked by completing The Clubs is Yours II in FC 25 CM Box-To-Box++ Evolution – Unlocked by completing The Club is Yours II in FC 25 83+ 3x Players Pack – Unlocked by completing The Club is Yours III in FC 25 Icon Loan Player Pick – Unlocked by completing The Clubs I Yours III in FC 25 View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players with high Career Mode potential
If you want the best young players to sign in Career Mode, then you can't say much better than our list of FC 26 wonderkids. From the very best in the game to the hidden gems you can unearth for your own save, these are the future world beaters of your save. We've got helpful guides to the best wingers and best defenders if you need a fix right now, and be sure to check out our best formations to help out too. But for talented youngsters, our list of the best wonderkids in every position is your key to the best young players FC 26 has to offer. Best young players in FC 26 Career Mode The best young player in FC 26 Career Mode is Endrick. That's mostly because of his incredibly high potential ability, but he also has a decently high starting OVR rating and fairly affordable transfer value, too. As well as him, here is the full list of the top 10 best wonderkids in FC 26: Endrick: Age 18 | Real Madrid | ST | 77 OVR | 91 POT Dean Huijsen: Age 20 | Real Madrid | CB | 82 OVR | 89 POT Kenan Yıldız: Age 20 | Juventus | CAM, LM, LW, CM | 79 OVR | 89 POT Nico Paz: Age 20 | Como | CAM, CM | 79 OVR | 89 POT Jorrel Hato: Age 19 | Chelsea | LB, CB | 78 OVR | 89 POT Arda Güler: Age 20 | Real Madrid | RM, CAM, RW | 81 OVR | 89 POT Gavi: Age 20 | FC Barcelona | CM, CAM | 83 OVR | 89 POT Estêvão: Age 18 | Chelsea | RM, CAM, RW | 78 OVR | 89 POT Rodrigo Mora: Age 18 | FC Porto | CAM, LW, ST | 76 OVR | 89 POT Jorthy Mokio: Age 17 | Ajax | CDM, CM, LB, CB | 70 OVR | 89 POT We've defined wonderkids as players who are under 21, which is why some big names like Cole Palmer, Pedri and Jude Bellingham don't feature. We haven't just considered potential for this list, but also how much they could grow, how much they cost and what their contract lengths are. Many players are going to be too expensive for all but the very richest clubs, which is why we've excluded a few – the likes of Lamine Yamal, Désiré Doué and João Neves, for example. Unsurprisingly, the list is dominated by attacking talent, with little room for defenders and goalkeepers. That's why you can scroll down for our lists of the best wonderkids for each position. Best young strikers in FC 26 The best young strikers in FC 26 with the highest potential are: Francesco Camarda: Age 17 | Lecce | ST | 65 OVR | 87 POT Mathys Tel: Age 20 | Tottenham | ST, LW, CAM | 77 OVR | 86 POT Eli Junior Kroupi: Age 19 | AFC Bournemouth | ST | 74 OVR | 85 POT Conrad Harder: Age 20 | RB Leipzig | ST, CAM, LW, CM | 74 OVR | 85 POT Charalampos Kostoulas: Age 18 | Brighton | ST, CAM, RM | 72 OVR | 85 POT Marc Guiu: Age 20 | Chelsea | ST | 71 OVR | 84 POT Francesco Pio Esposito: Age 20| Lombardia FC (Inter Milan) | ST | 72 OVR | 84 POT Jerónimo Domina: Age 19 | Unión de Santa Fe | ST | 70 OVR | 84 POT Nelson Weiper: Age 20 | 1. FSV Mainz 05 | ST, CAM, CM | 70 OVR | 84 POT Chido Obi: Age 17 | Manchester United | ST | 65 OVR | 84 POT The most important thing for a striker is to be able to bang in goals for your team, and while some of these players may require some training, all of them have the potential to do that for teams of any budget. They're especially handy if you can get one or two of them on loan for a club in a lower league. Francesco Camarda is the pick of the bunch here. While his starting OVR of only 65 is low, this makes him the perfect signing for a smaller club on a long-term save. Over time, he has the potential to grow 19 points, finishing on a whopping 87 OVR, placing him as one of the best in the world. For more ready-made options, the likes of Leipzig's Conrad Harder or Brighton's Charalampos Kostoulas are some great choices that won't break the bank. Best young wingers in FC 26 If you're after a tricky young winger, here are the best Career Mode picks in FC 26: Geovany Quenda: Age 18 | Sporting CP | RM, LM, LW, RW | 76 OVR | 88 POT Antonio Nusa: Age 20 | RB Leipzig | LM, CAM, LW | 76 OVR | 88 POT Rio Ngumoha: Age 16 | Liverpool | LM, LW | 68 OVR | 88 POT Assane Diao: Age 19 | Como | LM, RM, LW | 76 OVR | 87 POT Ethan Nwaneri: Age 18 | Arsenal | RW, CM, RM | 76 OVR | 87 POT Julien Duranville: Age 19 | Borussia Dortmund | RM, LM, ST, RW | 72 OVR | 87 POT Pablo Garcia: Age 18 | Real Betis | RM, ST, LM, RW | 68 OVR | 87 POT Maher Carrizo: Age 19 | Vélez Sarsfield | RM, CAM, ST, RW | 72 OVR | 86 POT Leo Sauer: Age 19 | Feyenoord | LW, CAM, LM | 72 OVR | 86 POT Chemsdine Talbi: Age 20 | Sunderland | RM, LM, RW | 73 OVR | 86 POT Having pacey players who can whip in a cross or cut inside is a blessing in FC 26, and some of these players are excellent choices who will regularly chip in with goals and assists. You really can't ask for more in a winger than Geovany Quenda. Not only does he have a great starting OVR of 76 and a whopping 88 POT, but he can play wherever you want him. Right wing, left wing, right midfield, left midfield – the man can do it all. Further down the list, we have some excellent young picks in the form of Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha, Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri and Real Betis's Pablo Garcia, all of whom have a high POT for anyone willing to put in the work to develop them. Best young midfielders in FC 26 The lads controlling the tempo, we've grouped CMs, CAMs and CDMs all together into one, as a lot of the time, these players can play multiple roles. Here are the best young midfielders for FC 26 Career Mode: Franco Mastantuono: Age 17 | Real Madrid | CAM, RW, ST | 77 OVR | 88 POT Lucas Bergvall: Age 19 | Tottenham | CM, CDM, CAM | 77 OVR | 87 POT Warren Zaïre-Emery: Age 19 | Paris Saint-Germain | CM, CDM, CAM | 80 OVR | 87 POT Kees Smit: Age 19 | AZ Alkmaar | CAM, CM, RM | 72 OVR | 87 POT Arthur Vermeeren: Age 20 | Marseille (on loan from RB Leipzig) | CM, CDM, CAM | 77 OVR | 87 POT Ayyoub Bouaddi: Age 17 | Lille | CM, CDM | 75 OVR | 86 POT Lewis Miley: Age 19 | Newcastle | CM | 72 OVR | 86 POT Archie Gray: Age 19 | Tottenham | CDM, CB, RB, RM | 75 OVR | 86 POT Sverre Nypan: Age 18 | Middlesbrough (on loan from Manchester City) | CM, CAM, ST | 69 OVR | 86 OVR Paul Wanner: Age 19 | PSV | CAM, RW, CM | 72 OVR | 86 POT Tom Bischof: Age 20 | Bayern Munich | CM, CDM, RM, CAM | 76 OVR | 86 POT Mario Stroeykens: Age 20 | Anderlecht | CM, CAM | 74 OVR | 86 POT Lennart Karl: Age 17 | Bayern Munich | CAM, RM, CM | 63 OVR | 86 POT Christos Mouzakitis: Age 18 | Olympiakos | CM, CAM | 71 OVR | 86 POT Konstantinos Karetsas: Age 17 | Genk | CAM, RW, CM | 70 OVR | 86 POT There are so many excellent players to choose from in the centre of the park, with every budget covered. If you've got the cash to splash, Franco Mastantuono, Lucas Bergvall and Warren Zaïre-Emery are the obvious choices – high starting OVR and the highest POT in the list. As your budget decreases, things become more interesting. Lennart Karl offers excellent value for money, and you could even have yourself a Greek midfield pairing of Christos Mouzakitis and Konstantinos Karetsas, the latter of which is tipped for very great things, indeed. Best young full-backs in FC 26 The role of the full-back is more important in modern football than ever, defending solidly but also getting forward and whipping in crosses, so here are the best choices at RB and LB in FC 26: Givairo Read: Age 19 | Feyenoord | RB, RM | 75 OVR | 88 POT Myles Lewis-Skelly: Age 18 | Arsenal | LB, CM | 78 OVR | 87 POT Lewis Hall: Age 20 | Newcastle | LB | 80 OVR | 86 POT Joaquin Seys: Age 20 | Club Brugge | RB, LB, RM | 73 OVR | 86 POT Diego León: Age 18 | Manchester United | LB, LM | 64 OVR | 85 POT Martim Fernandes: Age 19 | FC Porto | RB, RM | 75 OVR | 85 POT Josh Acheampong: Age 19 | Chelsea | RB, CB, CDM, RM | 70 OVR | 85 POT Elias Baum: Age 19 | Eintracht Frankfurt | RB, RM | 72 OVR | 84 POT Patrick Dorgu: Age 20 | Manchester United | LB, LM | 74 OVR | 84 POT Semm Renders: Age 17 | Royal Antwerp | RB, RM | 62 OVR | 84 POT Even going back to the FIFA days, EA FC has always had a bit of an issue with young full-backs, with very few of them ever having much potential to grow – that's the same this year, as you can tell. Givairo Read is certainly the pick of the bunch. Not only does he have the highest POT of the lot, but he's also going to cost you a lot less than the likes of Myles Lewis-Skelly and Lewis Hall, both of whom are also great choices. On the cheaper end of the spectrum, Diego León and Semm Renders will get you coverage on both flanks, all for a couple million quid – not too shabby, eh? Best young centre-backs in FC 26 The heart of your defence, having a strong, fast CB could be the difference when it comes to keeping goals out – here are the best wonderkid CBs in FC 26: Pau Cubarsi: Age 18 | FC Barcelona | CB | 82 OVR | 88 POT Finn Jeltsch: Age 18 | VfB Stuttgart | CB | 72 OVR | 87 POT Luka Vušković: Age 18 | Hamburg | CB | 72 OVR | 87 POT El Chadaille Bitshiabu: Age 20 | RB Leipzig | CB | 75 OVR | 87 POT Pietro Comuzzo: Age 20 | Fiorentina | CB | 74 OVR | 86 POT Leny Yoro: Age 19 | Manchester United | CB | 78 OVR | 86 POT Yarek: Age 20 | PSV | CB, LB | 73 OVR | 85 POT Pau Navarro: Age 20 | Villareal CF | CB, RB CM | 70 OVR | 85 POT Jan-Carlo Simić: Age 20 | Al-Ittihad | CB | 70 OVR | 85 POT Tobías Ramírez: Age 18 | Argentinos Juniors | CB | 69 OVR | 85 POT Pau Cubarsi may be small (he's a growing lad, after all), but Barca's diminutive centre-back tops out our list of the best young CBs with an excellent 88 POT. There's plenty of value to be had lower down the list, however, with Stuttgart's Finn Jeltsch and Hamburg's Luka Vušković offering 87 POT for relatively low cost. If you've looking for a player with more first-team potential from the get-go, however, then you probably want to look at the likes of Manchester United's Leny Toro or RB Leipzig's El Chadaille Bitshiabu instead. Best young goalkeepers in FC 26 The final line of defence, if you get yourself a wonderkid GK, you could be set for the next 20 seasons if you're lucky! So, here are our picks for the 10 best young GKs in the game: Guillaume Restes: Age 20 | Toulouse FC | GK | 78 OVR | 86 POT Matthieu Epolo: Age 20 | Standard Liège | GK | 73 OVR | 85 POT Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro: Age 20 | AZ Alkmaar | GK | 71 OVR | 84 POT Dennis Seimen: Age 19 | SC Paderborn (on loan from VfB Stuttgart) | GK | 66 OVR | 84 POT Mike Penders: Age 19 | RC Strasbourg (on loan from Chelsea) | GK | 73 OVR | 84 POT James Beadle: Age 19 | Birmingham City (on loan from Brighton) | GK | 70 OVR | 82 POT Robin Risser: Age 20 | RC Lens | GK | 72 OVR | 82 POT Lucca Brughmans: Age 17 | Genk | GK | 59 OVR | 82 POT Ewen Jaouen: Age 19 | Stade de Reims | GK | 68 OVR | 82 POT Tiago Pereira Cardoso: Age 19 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | GK | 67 OVR | 82 POT Just like with the full-backs, there really aren't very many good options for wonderkids in the goalkeeping department. Guillaume Restes of Toulouse is your best option, with the highest OVR and POT, but for that reason he's also the most expensive of the bunch. Standard Liège's Matthieu Epolo might be a better choice, if you want to save a few bob, but if you're really strapped for cash, Lucca Brughmans of Genk is the perfect choice, but be aware that even at his peak, he'll still never be a truly world-class goalkeeper for you. Best cheap young players in FC 26 with high potential: Hidden gems Most of the players we've already listed are going to cost you a pretty penny, so they may be unattainable for all but the richest clubs. That's why we've put together a list of some more budget-friendly players who would be perfect signings for a Championship-level team looking to gain promotion, who can grow alongside your team as it moves up the world. Bailey Rice: Age 17 | Rangers | CDM, CM | 61 OVR | 83 POT Francis Onyeka: Age 18 | VfL Bochum | CAM, CM | 60 OVR | 83 POT Louis Page: Age 16 | Leicester City | CM, CDM, CAM | 61 OVR | 83 POT Hugo Pinilla: Age 19 | Real Zaragoza | RM, CAM, LM, RW | 62 OVR | 83 POT Kaye Furo: Age 18 | Club Brugge | ST | 63 OVR | 83 POT Mofe Jemide: Age 18 | Crystal Palace | CB | 62 OVR | 83 POT Dylan Leonard: Age 17 | Western United FC | CB | 63 OVR | 83 POT Nathan De Cat: Age 16 | Anderlecht | CDM, CM | 63 OVR | 83 POT Arturo: Age 18 | UD Las Palmas | RW, LW, RM | 63 OVR | 83 POT Juan David Obando: Age 18 | Atlético Nacional | CAM, CM | 60 OVR | 82 POT If you've got a tiny transfer budget, then fret not! You can still get a few decent wonderkids for your team, and if you're willing to put in the effort to develop them, they'll grow with your team as it improves. That's especially true of many of the under-18 players, such as Bailey Rice of Rangers, Louis Page of Leicester City and Nathan De Cat of Anderlecht. These players would be great signings for a mid-table or bottom-half EFL Championship team, as they'll make decent squad players, eventually developing into first-team stars who can hopefully carry you into the Premier League in the long run, at which point you'll have the transfer budget to upgrade. Best young women to sign in FC 26 Last year, EA introduced women's football to Career Mode, so there's now a whole new market of wonderkids ready for you to sign. We've compiled a selection of the best young women players to sign in FC 26 Career Mode: Vicky López: Age 18 | FC Barcelona | CAM, RW, CM, ST | 80 OVR | 91 POT Giulia Dragoni: Age 18 | Roma (on loan from FC Barcelona) | CAM, RW, CM, ST | 80 OVR | 91 POT Sydney Schertenleib: Age 18 | FC Barcelona | CAM, CM, LW, ST | 74 OVR | 89 POT Olivia Smith: Age 20 | Arsenal | ST, RM, CAM | 79 OVR | 89 POT Michelle Agyemang: Age 19 | Brighton (on loan from Arsenal) | ST | 76 OVR | 89 POT Lily Yohannes: Age 18 | OL Lyonnes | CM | 73 OVR | 88 POT Wieke Kaptein: Age 19 | Chelsea | CM | 78 OVR | 88 POT Alyssa Thompson: Age 20 | Chelsea | LM, RM, LW | 81 OVR | 88 POT Clara Serrajordi: Age 17 | FC Barcelona | CM, CAM, CDM | 65 OVR | 88 POT Alara Şehitler: Age 18 | Bayern Munich | RM, CAM, RW | 73 OVR | 87 POT If you fancy a team to manage, FC Barcelona not only has four players in the top 10, but all of the top three best young women's players in the game (bar Real Madrid's Linda Caicedo, who we've excluded as she is the most expensive player in the game). But if you aren't managing a financial powerhouse, we recommend trying to poach Clara Serrajordo from Barcelona for her sky-high growth potential of 23. Other more budget-friendly options would be Lily Johannes from Lyonnes and Alara Şehitler from Bayern Munich, though anyone on this list would be an incredible signing for your team in the long run. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 Squad Battle rewards: Full list and when to claim rewards
FC 26 Squad Battles rewards are some of the easiest ways to earn coins and packs in Ultimate Team, but what is actually on offer? Squad Battles, which pits players against AI-controller teams instead of real players, is a little more casual than Division Rivals and FUT Champs, but still rewards players with some great prizes for competing. Here’s the full list of Squad Battles rewards and how to redeem them. FC 26 Squad Battles rewards release time Squad Battles rewards go live at 8am BST, 9am CET, 12am PT or 3am ET on Sundays. Consider it a nice way to start the day with your coffee and a bunch of packs. You can redeem the rewards in-game, but you’ll also find them available when launching the EA FC Companion App after that time has passed. All EA FC 26 Squad Battles rewards While it's a little less competitive, Squad Battles still has some great rewards, particularly if you can put in the time to play all 18 weekly matches (16 AI squads, plus a Featured Squad and the Team of the Week). Here are the rewards you’ll get at each level. Note, the points required can change each week, so be sure to check them in the Competitions menu of the companion app or the in-game menu. Bronze 3 - 1x Premium Gold Loan Player Bronze 2 - 1x 75-85 Rare Gold Player and 1x 75+ Rare Gold Player Bronze 1 - 3x 75-85 Rare Gold Players and 3x 75+ Rare Gold Players Silver 3 - 1x Consumable Pack, 5x 75+ Rare Gold Players, 3x 75-85 Rare Gold Players Silver 2 - 4x 75-85 Rare Gold Players, 3x Consumable Packs, 16x 75-85 Rare Gold Players Silver 1 - 3x Consumable Packs, 9x 75+ Rare Gold Players, 4x 75-85 Rare Gold Players Gold 3 - 6x 75+ Rare Gold Players, 1x Rare Consumable Pack, 3x 82+ Rare Gold Players, 4,000 Coins Gold 2 - 5,500 Coins, 9x 75+ Rare Gold Players, 1x Rare Consumable Pack, 1x 84+ Rare Gold Player, 1x 82+ Rare Gold Player Gold 1 - 12x 75+ Rare Gold Players, 1x Rare Consumable Pack, 1x 84+ Rare Gold Player, 1x 83+ Rare Gold Player, 6,500 Coins Elite 3 - 12x 75+ Rare Gold Players, 1x Rare Consumable Pack, 12x 84 + Rare Gold Players, 8,000 Coins, 1x 83+ Rare Gold Player Elite 2 - 2x Rare Consumable Packs, 12x 75+ Rare Gold Players, 3x 84+ Rare Gold Players, 10,000 Coins Elite 1 - 15x 75+ Rare Gold Players, 12,000 Coins, 4x 84+ Rare Gold Players, 2x Rare Consumable Packs Rank 1 - 200 - 1x 85+ Rare Gold Player, 2x Rare Consumable Packs, 15x 75+ Rare Gold Players, 3x 84+ Rare Gold Players, 15,000 Coins Note, these rewards aren’t cumulative. If you get Elite 1 rewards, you won’t get Elite 2 rewards and everything else that came before. Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed - Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids - Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 wingers - Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 Division Rivals rewards: How FUT Rivals rewards work
There are some pretty major changes to the FC 26 Division Rivals rewards compared to previous Ultimate Teams, including what rewards are actually on offer! Alongside FC 26 Squad Battle rewards and FC 26 FUT Champs, these are some of the best ways to earn rewards in Ultimate Team. The big change is the addition of Bounties – a new mechanic that lets you make your way through each stage quicker, even if you lose a game here and there. But for now, let's take a look at everything you need to know about Division Rivals rewards in FC 26. What day are Division Rivals rewards released? Division Rivals rewards are released every Thursday at 8am BST. This is much the same as it was in FC 25 and FC 24 before it. Fortunately, with the new Bounty system, you won’t have to wait another seven days if you’re none too happy about the rewards you receive. FC 26 Division Rivals Ultimate Team rewards Ultimate Team Rewards in FC 26 Divisions Rivals come from the usual weekly Rival Awards on Thursdays, like in FC 25, as well as the Bounty and Duel rewards. Here are the full rewards for each Tier in FC 26 Division Rivals: Elite Division Weekly Reward x1 1 of 3 82+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x2 1 of 3 84+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 81+ TOTW Player Pack (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Premium Gold Pack (Untradeable) 11,000 Coins Reward Upgrade x2 1 of 3 83+ Rare Gold Players Pick x2 1 of 3 85+ Rare Gold Players Pick x1 81+ TOTW Player Pack (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Mega Pack 25,000 Coins Division 1 Weekly Reward x2 1 of 3 84+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 TOTW Player Pack (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Premium Gold Pack (Untradeable) 9,000 Coins Reward Upgrade x1 1 of 3 83+ Rare Gold Players Pick x1 1 of 3 84+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 81+ TOTW Player Pack (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Mega Pack 20,000 Coins Division 2 Weekly Reward x3 1 of 3 83+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Premium Gold Pack (Untradeable) 7,000 Coins Reward Upgrade x1 1 of 3 81+ Rare Gold Players Pick x2 1 of 3 84+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Mega Pack x1 81+ TOTW Player Pack (Untradeable) 15,000 Coins Division 3 Weekly Reward x2 1 of 3 83+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Premium Gold Pack (Untradeable) 5,500 Coins Reward Upgrade x1 1 of 3 81+ Rare Gold Players Pick x2 1 of 3 83+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 Mega Pack x1 TOTW Player Pack (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) 10,500 Coins Division 4 Weekly Reward x2 1 of 3 82+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Premium Gold Pack (Untradeable) 4,500 Coins Reward Upgrade x1 1 of 3 81+ Rare Gold Players Pick x2 1 of 3 83+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 83+ Rare Gold Player Pack (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Mega Pack (Untradeable) 9,000 Coins Division 5 Weekly Reward x2 1 of 3 80+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Premium Gold Pack (Untradeable) 4,000 Coins Reward Upgrade x1 1 of 3 80+ Rare Gold Players Pick x2 1 of 3 83+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Mega Pack (Untradeable) 8,000 Division 6 Weekly Reward x2 1 of 3 80+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 5x Common Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) 3,500 Coins Reward Upgrade x1 1 of 3 80+ Rare Gold Players Pick x2 1 of 3 82+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Mega Pack (Untradeable) 7,000 Coins Division 7 Weekly Reward x2 1 of 2 78+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 75+ 7x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 5x Common Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) 3,000 Coins Reward Upgrade x1 1 of 3 80+ Rare Gold Players Pick x2 1 of 3 82+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Premium Gold Pack (Untradeable) 5,500 Coins Division 8 Weekly Reward x2 1 of 2 75+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 75+ 7x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) 2,000 Coins Reward Upgrade x2 1 of 3 80+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Premium Gold Pack (Untradeable) 4,500 Coins Division 9 Weekly Reward x1 x3 Common Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 75+ 7x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) 1,500 Coins Reward Upgrade x1 1 of 2 75+ Rare Gold Players Pick (Untradeable) x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 Premium Gold Pack (Untradeable) 3,000 Coins Division 10 Weekly Rewards x1 86+ Rare Gold Player Pack (Untradeable) Reward Upgrade x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) 2,000 Coins Bounty rewards can be: Rivals Points Champions Qualifications Points Coins Packs Season XP Stage Skips How Division Rivals works in FC 26 Ultimate Team Divisions Rivals in FC 26 works a bit differently compared to FC 25, namely, by being less grindy and not as punishing. This is down to the new Bounties system, which can net you Rivals Points, Champions Qualifications Points, Coins, Packs, Season XP and even Stage Skips, and Duels, which allow you to net points even if you lose. Bounties are similar to daily quests in Fortnite, in that they are small challenges that will net you rewards that are typically larger than the sum of their parts. On the official Ultimate Team Deep Dive page, EA gives the following as examples of the kind of Bounties we can expect: Score the first goal Score the last goal Win by two or more Keep a clean sheet Duels are special Bounties that can only be achieved by one player, such as scoring the first or last goal. Even if you lose the match, if there was an active Bounty on scoring the last goal, you would still receive rewards, making for a much less grindy experience. With more rewards and Stage Skips, you’re likely to progress far quicker than you did in FC 25, and have more fun while you’re at it. Can you be relegated in Division Rivals? Yes, you can be relegated in FC 26 Division Rivals. New to FC 26 are Limited Checkpoints, which are breakable checkpoints that will track how many losses you’ve had and will enable relegation if you lose too many matches. Once you pass the threshold, you will drop a stage. This is intended to make sure you don’t get stuck in matchmaking purgatory, facing off against opponents who perhaps haven’t broken as many controllers in their time… Read more on FC 26: FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 best formations: Our favourite tactics to use FC 26 strikers: Best forwards to use FC 26 defenders: Best CB, RB and LB FC 26 cheap players: Top bargains to use Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 FUT Champs rewards: Full list, start time and format explained
FC 26 FUT Champs is one of the best ways to earn rewards within FC 25, bringing players together every weekend in the Weekend League to compete in the highest-stakes matches within Ultimate Team. Much like FC 26 Division Rivals and FC 26 Squad Battles, these rewards offer players the chance to earn coins, packs, and rare players, so long as you rack up the wins. So, what are the FUT Champs rewards this year, and when is the start time? Here's the full breakdown on everything you need to know about FC 26's premiere competition. When does FUT Champs start and end in FC 26? FUT Champs runs every week from 8am on Thursday until 8am on Tuesday. The one exception was the first event of the year, which began on Friday 3rd October, giving players a slightly longer period to qualify. There is no time restraint, so even if the current Weekend League is still ongoing, you can still start earning points towards qualifying to next week's event. Speaking of which… How to qualify for FC 26 FUT Champs To qualify for FUT Champs, you need reach Division 6 in FUT Rivals and earn 1,000 Champions Qualification Points. Qualification Points are earned by playing matches in Rivals, with wins rewarding you with more points. That means, assuming you've started off in a lower rank, you should be pretty close to 1,000 by the time you hit Division 6 anyway. Once both criteria are fulfilled, you can spend your 1,000 points to qualify for that weekend's FUT Champs event. In FC 25, there was also a Play-Off phase, requiring you to win three out of five games to make it to the FUT Champs Finals, but this has now been removed in favour of the old system of straight qualification. While this will be good news for some, as it means there are far fewer games to slog your way through each week, if does mean we won't be getting any of those handy Play-Off rewards this year, either. FC 26 FUT Champs Finals ranks and rewards Make it through the Play-Offs, and you'll get to take part in the Champions Finals. Here, you have 15 games to play, and your final rewards are based on the total number of wins you get – one win equals one point – with Rank I requiring you to win all 15 games. Here is a full list of all the Ranks, their points requirements and their respective rewards: Elite I: 15 points x1 84+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 83+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 84+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 88+ 3x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 83+ 3x TOTW Player Pack x2 Cornerstones Guarantee Pack (Untradeable) 85,000 Coins Elite II: 14 points x1 84+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 83+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 84+ 6x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 86+ 3x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 83+ 3x TOTW Player Pack x1 Cornerstones Guarantee Pack (Untradeable) 65,000 Coins Elite III: 13 points x1 83+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 82+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 84+ 6x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 86+ 3x Rare Gold Players Pack x2 81+ TOTW Player Pack x1 Cornerstones Guarantee Pack (Untradeable) 50,000 Coins Elite IV: 12 points x1 83+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 82+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 86+ 3x Rare Gold Players Pack x2 81+ TOTW Player Pack x1 Cornerstones Guarantee Pack (Untradeable) 40,000 Coins Elite V: 11 points x1 83+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 82+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 85+ 3x Rare Gold Players Pack x2 81+ TOTW Player Pack x1 Max 87 Cornerstones Guarantee Pack (Untradeable) 30,000 Coins Champion I: 10 points x1 83+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 85+ 3x Rare Gold Players Pack x2 81+ TOTW Player Pack x1 Max 87 Cornerstones Guarantee Pack (Untradeable) 25,000 Coins Champion II: 9 points x1 83+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 85+ 2x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 81+ TOTW Player Pack x1 Max 87 Cornerstones Guarantee Pack (Untradeable) 20,000 Coins Champion III: 8 points x1 82+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 83+ Rare Gold Players Pack x1 85+ 2x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 81+ TOTW Player Pack 16,000 Coins Champion IV: 7 points x1 82+ Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 84+ 3x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 81+ TOTW Player Pack 13,000 Coins Champion V: 6 points x1 80+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 84+ 3x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 81+ TOTW Player Pack 11,000 Coins Contender I: 5 points x1 80+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 84+ 2x Rare Gold Players Pack x1 81+ TOTW Player Pack 9,000 Coins Contender II: 4 points x1 77+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 84+ 2x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 81+ TOTW Player Pack 7,000 Coins Contender III: 3 points x1 76+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 84+ 2x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) 5,500 Coins Contender IV: 2 points x1 75+ 10x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 83+ 2x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) 4,000 Coins Contender V: 1 point x1 75+ 5x Rare Gold Players Pack (Untradeable) x1 83+ Rare Gold Player Pack (Untradeable) 2,000 Coins Read more on FC 26: FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 best formations: Our favourite tactics to use FC 26 strikers: Best forwards to use FC 26 defenders: Best CB, RB and LB FC 26 cheap players: Top bargains to use Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 English players: Highest-rated English players in every position
59 years of hurt, but a pretty good FC 26 team.
With the Premier League being one of the biggest leagues in the world, and a pretty decent national team, you may be wondering who the best English players are in FC 26. Whether you're looking to sign a few big names in Career More, or are after some extra chemistry in Ultimate Team, you can't go wrong with some of the names on this list. So, we've put together a quick run-down of the best English players in every position in FC 26 for you to peruse at your leisure! FC 26 English players: Highest-rated English players in every position Over the last decade or so, England has produced some of the best talent in world football in both the men's and women's game. If you're looking to level up your team with a few Three Lions or Lionesses stars, here are the top 10 highest-rated English players in FC 26: Jude Bellingham | 90 | CAM, CM | Real Madrid Alessia Russo | 89 | ST, CAM, CM | Arsenal Harry Kane | 89 | ST | Bayern Munich Bukayo Saka | 88 | RW, RM | Arsenal Cole Palmer | 87 | CAM, RM, ST | Chelsea Lauren Hemp | 87 | LW, LM | Manchester City Chloe Kelly | 87 | RM, RW | Arsenal Leah Williamson | 87 | CB, CDM | Arsenal Beth Mead | 87 | RM, RW | Arsenal Declan Rice | 87 | CDM, CM | Arsenal That's the overall top 10, but if you want to get a bit more specific, then you can read on for a look at the top 10 English players in every position! Best English strikers in FC 26 Here is a list of the best English STs in FC 26: Alessia Russo | 89 | ST, CAM, CM | Arsenal Harry Kane | 89 | ST | Bayern Munich Ollie Watkins | 84 | ST | Aston Villa Bethany England | 82 | ST | Tottenham Nikita Parris | 82 | ST, RM, RW | London City Lionesses Rachel Daly | 81 | ST, CAM, CM | Aston Villa Ivan Toney | 81| ST | Al-Ahli Dominic Solanke | 80 | ST | Tottenham Agnes Beever-Jones | 78 | ST, LM, LW | Chelsea Ebony Salmon | 78 | ST, LM, CAM | Aston Villa Best English wingers in FC 26 Here is a list of the best English wingers in FC 26: Bukayo Saka | 88 | RW, RM | Arsenal Lauren Hemp | 87 | LW, LM | Manchester City Chloe Kelly | 87 | RM, RW | Arsenal Beth Mead | 87 | RM, RW | Arsenal Lauren James | 85 | RM, CAM, RW | Chelsea Phil Foden | 85 | RW, CM, LW, RM | Manchester City Anthony Gordon | 83 | LW, RW, LM | Newcastle Jarrod Bowen | 83 | RM, ST, RW | West Ham Leah Galton | 82 | LM, CAM, LW Mason Greenwood | 82 | RM, CAM, RW | Marseille Best English midfielders in FC 26 We've included all the midfield positions – CDM, CM and CAM – into one list, to make things a bit easier. Here are the best English midfielders in FC 26: Jude Bellingham | 90 | CAM, CM | Real Madrid Cole Palmer | 87 | CAM, RM, ST | Chelsea Declan Rice | 87 | CDM, CM | Arsenal Ella Toone | 85 | CAM, CM | Manchester United Georgia Stanway | 85 | CDM | Bayern Munich Keira Walsh | 85 | CDM, CM | Chelsea James Maddison | 84 | CM, CAM | Tottenham Eberechi Eze | 83 | CAM, LW, ST | Arsenal Fran Kirby | 83 | CAM, RW, CM | Brighton Morgan Rogers | 82 | CAM, RM, LM CM | Aston Villa Morgan Gibbs-White | 82 | CAM, ST | Nottingham Forest Jess Park | 81 | CM, RW, RM | Manchester United Katie Zelem | 81 | CM, CAM, LM | London City Lionesses Elliot Anderson | 80 | CDM, CM | Nottingham Forest Ruben Loftus-Cheek | 80 | CM, CAM | Milano FC (AC Milan) Best English full-backs in FC 26 Here are the best English LBs and RBs in FC 26: Lucy Bronze | 87 | RB, RM | Chelsea Trent Alexander-Arnold | 86 | RB, RM | Real Madrid Benjamin White | 83 | RB | 83 | Arsenal Ashleigh Neville | 81 | RB, LB, LM, RM | Tottenham Niamh Charles | 81 | LB, RM, RB, LM | Chelsea Hannah Blundell | 81 | LB, RB | Manchester United Reece James | 81 | RB | Chelsea Lewis Hall | 80 | LB | Newcastle Tino Livramento | 80 | RB, LB, RM | Newcastle Kieran Trippier | 80 | RB, RM | Newcastle Best English centre-backs in FC 26 Here are the best English CBs in FC 26: Leah Williamson | 87 | CB, CDM | Arsenal Millie Bright | 87 | CB | Chelsea Maya Le Tissier | 84 | CB, RB | Manchester United Alex Greenwood | 84 | CB, LB, LM | Manchester City Millie Turner | 82 | CB, CDM | Manchester United Marc Guéhi | 82 | CB | Crystal Palace Ezri Konsa | 82 | CB, RB, RM | Aston Villa John Stones | 82 | CB, RB | Manchester City Fikayo Tomori | 81 | CB | Milano FC (AC Milan) Lotte Wubben-Moy | 80 | CB | Arsenal Best English goalkeepers in FC 26 Lastly, here are the best English GKs in FC 26: Hannah Hampton | 84 | GK | Chelsea Mary Earps | 84 | GK | Paris Saint-Germain Jordan Pickford | 84 | GK | Everton Anna Moorhouse | 81 | GK | Orlando Pride Dean Henderson | 81 | GK | Crystal Palace Nick Pope | 81 | GK | Newcastle Khiara Keating | 80 | GK | Manchester City Ellie Roebuck | 78 | GK | Aston Villa Aaron Ramsdale | 77 | GK | Newcastle (on loan from Arsenal) James Trafford | 76 | GK | Manchester City View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 defenders: Best CB, RB and LB in Career Mode
From centre-backs to full-backs, these are FC 26’s best defenders.
If you don't concede, you can't lose – that's reason alone to stack your squad with some of the best defenders in FC 26. From towering centre-backs to marauding full-backs, these players are the perfect compliment to your team, especially if you're using one of the best FC 26 formations. If you're after a youthful spark, you might want to check out some of our FC 26 wonderkids, or if you're after some budget signings in Ultimate Team, maybe take a look at the cheapest high-rated players. But for defensive stalwarts, you can read on for a full list of the best FC 26 defenders in each position. Best defenders in FC 26 (Men) Looking for a ball-playing CB or a brick wall? You’ll find them in this list, along with flying full-backs capable of overlapping with the game’s best wingers. Despite Liverpool's Van Dijk being the top-rated defender and the best male CB in FC 26, it’s PSG that has three players in the top 10. Virgil van Dijk | 90 | CB | Liverpool Achraf Hakimi | 89 | RB | Paris Saint-Germain Gabriel | 88 | CB | Arsenal Alessandro Bastoni | 87 | CB | Lombardia FC (Inter Milan) Marquinhos | 87 | CB | Paris Saint-Germain William Saliba | 87 | CB | Arsenal Jonathan Tah | 87 | CB | Bayern Munich Jules Kounde | 87 | RB | FC Barcelona Trent Alexander-Arnold | 86 | RB | Real Madrid Nuno Mendes | 86 | LB | Paris Saint-Germain These are the overall top 10, but if you're looking for a more specific breakdown, here are the best defenders in each position. Best centre-backs in FC 26 Here are the top 10 best CBs in FC 26: Virgil van Dijk | 90 | CB | Liverpool Gabriel | 88 | CB | Arsenal Alessandro Bastoni | 87 | CB | Lombardia FC (Inter Milan) Marquinhos | 87 | CB | Pars Saint-Germain William Saliba | 87 | CB | Arsenal Jonathan Tah | 87 | CB | Bayern Munich Antonio Rüdiger | 86 | CB | Real Madrid Rúben Dias | 86 | CB | Manchester City Willian Pacho | 86 | CB | Paris Saint-Germain Ibrahima Konaté | 86 | CB | Liverpool Best left-backs in FC 26 Here are the top 10 best LBs in FC 26: Nuno Mendes | 86 | LB | Paris Saint-Germain Federico Dimarco | 85 | LB | Lombardia FC (Inter Milan) Theo Hernández | 84 | LB | Al-Hilal Joško Gvardiol | 84 | LB | Manchester City Marc Cucurella | 82 | LB | Chelsea Alphonso Davies | 82 | LB | Bayern Munich Alejandro Balde | 82 | LB | FC Barcelona José Gayà | 81 | LB | Valencia CF Miguel Gutiérrez | 80 | LB | Girona FC Maxim De Cuyper | 80 | LB | Brighton Best right-backs in FC 26 Here are the top 10 best RBs in FC 26: Achraf Hakimi | 89 | RB | Paris Saint-Germain Jules Koundé | 87 | RB | FC Barcelona Trent Alexander-Arnold | 86 | RB | Real Madrid Dani Carvajal | 85 | RB | Real Madrid Marcos Llorente | 84 | RB | Real Madrid Joāo Cancelo | 84 | RB | Al-Hilal Jeremie Frimpong | 83 | RB | Liverpool Benjamin White | 83 | RB | Arsenal Reece James | 82 | RB | Chelsea Giovanni Di Lorenzo | 82 | RB | Napoli Best defenders in FC 26 (Women) Barcelona’s CB pairing of Mapi Leon and Irene Paredes sits atop the women’s defence rankings (and joint top in terms of the best female CB rankings). Barca's RB, Batlle, isn’t far behind, either. Chelsea has three players of their own in the top 10, too. Mapi Leon | 89 | CB | FC Barcelona Irene Paredes | 89 | CB | FC Barcelona Leah Williamson | 87 | CB | Arsenal Millie Bright | 87 | CB | Chelsea Lucy Bronze | 87 | RB | Chelsea Katie McCabe | 87 | LB | Arsenal Ona Batlle | 86 | RB | FC Barcelona Selma Bacha | 85 | LB | OL Lyonnes Naomi Girma | 85 | CB | Chelsea Wendie Renard | 85 | CB | OL Lyonnes For more tips on building out your FC squad this year, check out more of our articles below. Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to redeem FC 26 pre-order bonuses explained
Another year, another FC, and FC 26 has come with a whole array of nice pre-order bonuses to help get you started in FUT. Depending on which version of the game you pre-ordered, there are different bonuses on offer, and you may not have even received your bonuses yet. So, read on for a quick explainer on how to redeem pre-order bonuses in FC 26 as well as a run-down on the full list of bonuses you'll receive for having purchased each edition. How to redeem FC 26 pre-order bonuses explained If you've pre-ordered FC 26 but haven't received your bonuses, there are probably a couple of reasons for this, and it all depends on whether you're playing on console or PC. If you're a console player, then make sure you're logged in to the EA Account that you used to purchase the game. Most of the time, your bonuses will simply be sent to the 'Unassigned Items' section. Simply head to the 'Store' tab, and select the 'Claim Your New Items' option to receive all those lovely bonuses. If you're on PC, things are a bit more annoying, but still not that bad. Head to the EA Sports FC 26 page on the Steam store. Scroll down to the bit where all the different versions of the game are listed, as well as the option to purchase FC Points. You should see an option here to redeem your pre-order bonuses. Simply select this, make sure your game is updated to the latest version and boot it up. Then, follow the same steps as above and you should receive your bonuses! FC 26 pre-order bonuses: What's in all the different versions? Like in previous years, there are two different version of FC 26 to purchase: The Standard Edition and Ultimate Edition. Both come with different bonuses, and it should be noted that the Ultimate Edition can only be purchased digitally, while the Standard Edition is available in both physical and digital forms. FC 26 Standard Edition pre-order bonuses The FC 26 Standard Edition comes with the following pre-order bonuses: 92+ Icon (untradeable) for EA Sports FC 25 (sold separately) 3x Icon Career Players 5-Star Coach in Manager Career 5-Star Youth Scout in Manager Career Manager Live Challenge Content 1 Archetype Unlock Consumable 2 Double Archetypes XP Consumables You can nab yourself a physical copy of FC 26 from GAME for £64.99, or alternatively, digital copies can be found on Loaded for £47.99 on PC or £49.99 on Xbox. Sorry PlayStation players, but you'll have to pay full price for your digital copy – £69.99 from the PlayStation Store. FC 26 Ultimate Edition pre-order bonuses And now…here are all the pre-order bonuses you get with the FC 26 Ultimate Edition: Up to 7 Days Early Access 93+ Icon (untradeable) for EA Sports FC 25 (sold separately) 6,000 FC Points over 2 months Additional Player Evolution Slot Season 1 Premium Pass 3 Icon Career Players 5-Star Coach in Manager Career 5-Star Youth Scout in Manager Career Manager Live Challenge Content 1 Archetype Unlock Consumable 2 Double Archetypes XP Consumables Basically, you're just paying extra for that nice wad of FC Points. Being digital-only, you can grab yourself a copy of the Ultimate Edition from Loaded for £71.99 on PC, £72.99 on Xbox, or direct from the PlayStation Store for £89.99 (this is with 10 per cent off, but the discount is only available until 26th September). View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Whether you're tearing it up in FUT Champs or clawing your way to the top in Career Mode, you'll need the best FC 26 formations and tactics to lead the way. Some of these tactics will see you aggressively pressing to keep your opponents on the back foot, while others will happily sit back before striking on the counter attack. Of course, you'll want to make sure you're using the best players, whether that's those with the highest ratings or the best wonderkids in Career Mode. But for the best formations and tactics in FC 26, read on! Best FC 26 formations and tactics codes Below are what we reckon are the best FC 26 formations and tactics to use: 5-2-1-2 — code: hs6DE6JnsjB 4-1-2-1-2 Narrow — code: pwCtqtBxznF5 4-2-1-3 — code: BZdBinRRLHdR 3-4-2-1 — code: f46F?txvpfzc 4-2-3-1 Wide — code: 8ZUmCsUEGA4e Clicking on each of those will take you to the formations and explain what they’re good for. 5-2-1-2 One of the best tactics in last year's game, the 5-2-1-2 is just as powerful in FC 26. Giving you five at the back to defend with (and sometimes six, if you count your Holding CM), this tactic focuses on solid defensive play followed up with lightning-fast counters. Your three CBs defend narrowly, giving your marauding full-backs more opportunity to dart down the wings, supporting your forwards with crosses from out wide or through balls down the middle. A two-man strike partnership up top with a Shadow Striker CAM in behind them gives you plenty of attacking threat, with the trio making attacking runs and playing off each other to create clear-cut changes to score. Tactical Preset: Custom Code: hs6DE6JnsjB Formation: 5-2-1-2 Build-up Style: Counter Defensive Approach: Balanced Goalkeeper: Defending, Keeper Left and Right Back: Attacking Wingback, Balanced Centre Backs: Defenders and Defend, Ball-Playing Defender and Defend Central Midfielder: Holding, Defend Central Midfielder: Playmaker, Attack Center Attacking Midfielder: Shadow Striker, Attack Striker: Poacher, Attack Striker: Advanced Forward, Attack 4-1-2-1-2 Narrow The key to the 4-1-2-1-2 Narrow formation is its flexibility. It offers great potential for build-up play, with your midfielders pinging passes up the field, but thanks to their Player Roles, you can have them play a bit wider if you prefer to stretch defences. Again, just like the previous formation, it utilises two strikers up top, but this time with a Half-Winger in behind, adding a bit of width in the final third. Alternatively, you could change your CAM to a Shadow Striker if you feel like you need a bit more presence in the box. Depending on how you want to play, you could swap any of the CMs for a Half Winger, inverting one or both of your full-backs to overload the centre of the pitch and catch your opponents out. Tactical Preset: Custom Code: pwCtqtBxznF5 Formation: 4-1-2-1-2 Narrow Build-up Style: Counter/Short Passing Defensive Approach: Balanced Goalkeeper: Defending, Keeper Left and Right Back: Fullback, Balanced Centre Backs: Defender and Defend Central Defensive Midfielder: Holding, Roaming Central Midfielders: Box-to-box, Balanced Center Attacking Midfielder: Half Winger, Balanced Striker: False 9, Build Up Striker: Advanced Forward, Attack 4-2-1-3 This unique formation makes full use of Player Roles, defending as a 4-2-1-3, but transforming into a 3-3-3-1 with the ball. One midfielder drops back into defence, while your full-backs invert to fill the space. Up top, your wingers act as Inside Forwards, offering space out wide while still being able to cut inside to shoot or provide crosses and through balls to your central striker, who will play as an Advanced Forward. While you have to rely heavily on your front three and the CAM in behind on attack, the two lines of three behind them mean when you lose the ball, you can often steal it back immediately, or safely transition into a strong defensive wall should you fail to. Tactical Preset: Custom Code: BZdBinRRLHdR Formation: 4-2-1-3 Build-up Style: Counter Defensive Approach: Balanced Goalkeeper: Defending, Keeper Right back: Falseback, Balanced Left back: Falseback, Balanced Defensive midfielder: Holding, Defend Defensive midfielder: Centre Half, Defend Central Attacking Midfield: Playmaker, Balanced Right Winger: Inside Forward, Balanced Left Winger: Inside Forward, Balanced Striker: Advanced Forward, Attack 3-4-2-1 The key to the 3-4-2-1 is defending from the front. A four-man midfield offers plenty of attacking support, and helps keep you safe centrally, but does leave your flanks somewhat exposed, so you want to force the ball into the centre of the park when you're on the back foot. Up front, a Deep-Lying Playmaker and Box-to-Box CM offer some attacking threat from deep, while a more advanced Playmaker CAM is there to provide through balls to a Shadow Striker CAM and a Poacher ST who will hang around the box looking for a tap-in. Because of the defensive shortcomings of this formation, you want pacy CBs who can quickly track back, as well as midfielders with great passing to ping through balls quickly up the pitch for your attacking trio to get in behind on the counter. Tactical Preset: Custom Code: f46F?txvpfzc Formation: 3-4-2-1 Build-up Style: Counter Defensive Approach: Deep Goalkeeper: Defend Defenders: Defender, Defend Defenders: Stopper, Balanced Right Midfielder/ Left Midfielder: Wide midfielders, defend Central Midfielders: Box-to-box, Balanced / Deep Lying Playmaker, Defend Center Attacking Midfielder: Shadow Striker, Attack Center Attacking Midfielder: Playmaker, Balanced Striker: Poacher, Attack 4-2-3-1 Wide You can't go wrong with a classic. The 4-2-3-1 Wide is the most balanced formation here, offering as much defensive stability as it does attacking threat. Your back four hang back with two Holding CDMs in front, making your team both hard to break down and protected from counter-attacks. A Playmaker CAM combines with two Inside Forwards at RM and LM, who will make progressive runs both down the wing and cutting inside, dragging defenders out of position for your Advanced Forward ST to exploit the space and score some goals. Tactical Preset: Custom Code: 8ZUmCsUEGA4e Formation: 4-2-3-1 Build-up Style: Short Passing Defensive Approach: High Goalkeeper: Defending, Keeper Left back: Fullback, Balanced Right back: Falseback, Defend Centre Backs: Defender, Defend Central Defensive Midfielder: Holding, Defending Central Defensive Midfielder: Holding, Defending Center Attacking Midfielder: Playmaker, Balanced Right Midfielder / Left Midfielder: Inside Forward, Balanced Striker: Advanced Forward, Attack Best manager tactics in FC 26 Ultimate Team If you hold a particular manager in reverence, you can literally take a page out of their book by using the exact formations and tactics they use: If you lose a match, you’ll know exactly who to blame! We wouldn’t go invoicing Pep Guardiola for a broken controller though… Here are some of the best manager tactics you can currently use in the game: Mikel Arteta Hansi Flick Xabi Alonso Unai Emery Antonio Conte Ruben Amorim Arne Slot How to enter tactic codes in FC 26 It’s not inherently obvious how to import codes in FC 26, so we’ve got how to do just that listed below! Go to your squad in Ultimate Team Push the left stick in to bring up the Squad Actions Now head to Team Management Scroll over to the Use Code screen Press X/A to import code and then you're good to go Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
EA Sports FC 26 review: A solid, if skippable, entry let down by ridiculous monetisation
Reviewing a yearly sports title like EA Sports FC is an impossible task. In one regard, it should be a reflection of how good that year's game is as a standalone title – in this regard, FC typically fares well. In another, it must be a reflection of how much the game has changed since last year's iteration, how worthwhile it is to upgrade to. Sadly, while the few tweaks EA Sports has made for this year's game are a step in the right direction, I can't help but feel that FC 26 is the most 'same as last year's game' the series has seen in many years. Perhaps the biggest change is the introduction of Authentic and Competitive gameplay, two modes of play for two different audiences. The always-online FUT maniacs get Competitive, a free-flowing, fast-paced mode that allows for the traditionally massive scorelines of 6-7 and the like. Offline play, such as Career Mode, gets Authentic. This is slower, more realistic, and more calculated. Beyond the higher difficulty, you are forced to contend with variables such as a wet pitch or heavy wind. On the face of it, this is an excellent idea – and it is – but its implementation fails to solve an issue that has plagued the game for many years, which is that pace means everything. Whether I'm playing FUT, Career Mode or Kick-Off against my flatmate, the same strategy of hoofing through balls up to a pacy striker pays off in spades. On the flip side, a rapid centre-back is almost a necessity to negate the same strategy when used by your opponents. For all the talk of tactical fluidity and skill expression, it still feels as if no matter how you play, your best option is to load your team with speed, same as always. It's a good start, but needs some fundamental tweaks to really reach its potential. In terms of smaller gameplay tweaks, the name of the game this year has been community feedback, though for much of these tweaks, I would argue the same has happened. Dribbling and movement have been improved, as well as the accuracy of passing and shooting, all of which furthers the effectiveness of that through ball pacy striker routine from earlier. My favourite change is to goalkeepers, who have been made more consistent. This is certainly something I've noticed more, with both my own and opposition keepers proving far more of a challenge to beat, and requiring a bit more thought – more of this please. Now, as dour an evaluation as that may be, I do want to make clear that I still think the gameplay aspect of this year's game is pretty good. It's certainly an improvement on last year's game, and my only real gripe with it is that I wish some of the more fundamental issues had been dealt with. Unfortunately, my main gripe with the game, as it is every year, is the money-grubbing FUT. Again, there are a couple of nice tweaks to this year's game – Live Events add a new way to play that forces you to dig a bit deeper into your cards, using players you may not otherwise. Thankfully, EA has finally also made some changes to disconnects, giving you a chance to earn a win if an opponent disconnects in more situations. That is, unfortunately, the end of it, because beyond this, Ultimate Team remains a bit of a blight on the game. In FUT, you are playing a game of catch-up unless you're willing to shell out quite frankly obscene amounts of money on Packs. It even feels as if Division Rivals and FUT Champs rewards have been slashed this year to facilitate this further. I understand that this is the model that keeps the FC train rolling these days, but I can't help but feel that year on year, the actual quality of the mode and of the promos that were once so exciting falls, while the cost of competing rockets. Even as recently as FIFA 19, I was able to comfortably compete right up to the end of the game's life span without spending a penny, handily making do with whatever players I had scrounged up from free packs. In today's game, even from the very first day of early access, I am lagging behind, coming up against teams full of Mbappés, Bellinghams and ICONs – when the best way to improve at a game is by breaking out the credit card, that is a dire state of affairs. So, what way to make an already bad situation even worse than with the introduction of a Season Pass? That's right! In addition to the roughly £60 you spent on buying the game and any Packs you needed to get started, you also now have to shell out around £9 worth of FC Points to gain access to a new pass that includes unique player cards and even more of those Packs you need to play catch-up with. It's a level of cost that would be hard to justify as an unobtrusive cosmetic-only addition – the likes of Overwatch and Call of Duty don't get away with it, after all. But the fact that if you want to truly compete at the top of the game in FC, you have to repeatedly spend these large amounts of money on top of buying the game outright leaves a very bad taste in the mouth. View Green Video on the source website So, is FC 26 a good game? Well, as I said earlier, the very notion of working that out is a fruitless task. As a standalone game, I do think FC 26 is pretty good. It builds upon the good foundations laid by last year's tactical overhaul, and the gameplay tweaks, however small, are positive. If you buy FC 26, you will enjoy FC 26. But as a yearly sports release, I cannot in good faith say that FC 26 is a worthwhile improvement on last year's game. The changes really are so small that if you're only looking for a game to play with your mates or to dip in and out of Career Mode with, this certainly feels like a year worth skipping, and that's before even talking about the horrendous monetisation practices. Unfortunately, the years of having faith that one day FC would return to its glorious early-to-mid-2010s heyday are over, and I do feel it's a shame that the hard work of many developers ends up tainted by these practices. EA Sports FC in its current form is simply a machine that turns money into virtual cards, all of which will be gone next year anyway, and until something changes to curtail such a practice, we certainly aren't going to be getting anything else. EA Sports FC 26 releases on 26th September 2025 for PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch consoles. We reviewed on PS5. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to unlock the FUT Transfer Market in FC 26 explained
EA Sports FC 26 is available now, but some players in the Ultimate Edition’s early access period have been caught out by the Ultimate Team transfer market being shut when they first log in. Unlocking the transfer market something new players, or those switching platforms, will need to do, and it is tied to completing a small group of objectives. So, if you've fallen into this common pitfall, keep on reading. Here’s what you need to do to unlock the transfer market, and why. How to unlock the Ultimate Team transfer market If you're a new player, to unlock the FUT transfer market in FC 26, you'll need to complete a set of objectives called ‘Venturing Out’ in order. It’s worth noting that you can complete the objectives if you already have the transfer market unlocked, and you’ll earn rewards for doing so. Here are the objectives as they are now, but expect them to change in later seasons. Play 3 Rush Matches - Unlocks 1 Intro to Rewards Evo Complete the Foundations Evo - Unlocks 1 Gold Chemistry Style Consumable Score 10 Goals (Any Ultimate Team Mode) - Unlocks 200 Coins Play 5 Matches (Any Ultimate Team Mode) - Unlocks 1 Gold Pack Completing all of these will also unlock Middlesbrough’s Dael Fry, a Squad Foundations CB with an OVR of 83. View Green Video on the source website Why do players need to unlock the transfer market? So, what's all this about? Why do players need to unlock the transfer market in this year's FUT? EA has provided an official explanation, as follows: “Limiting Transfer Market access for new accounts helps protect the economy from potential rules-breaking activity while ensuring that actual new players are introduced to FUT at a more measured pace,” a support page explains. “It’s one more way we’re focusing on player trust and system integrity from day one.” So, there you have it. EA has their reasons, and if you want to unlock the transfer market, you'll have to put in some grunt work first. Better get to it! Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to do Thierry Henry's viral 'Smirk' celebration in FC 26 explained
FC 26 arrives tomorrow, but if you’ve been watching Ultimate Edition buyers having a lot of fun and shooting a wry smile at rivals when they score, you’ve got Thierry Henry to thank. The Arsenal legend’s signature, twitchy grin has been a meme and shared in gif form for years, and this year it makes its debut for anyone wanting to lay it on thick for their opponents after scoring a worldie. Here’s how to do it. How to do Thierry Henry ‘Smirk’ celebration in FC 26 At the time of writing, you can only do the Smirk celebration if you score a goal with Thierry Henry himself. When you score a goal with Thierry Henry, follow these instructions to do the Smirk celebration: On Xbox press A On PlayStation, press X Just to be double clear: you can only do this celebration when you're playing as Thierry Henry! View Green Video on the source website How to unlock Thierry Henry’s ‘Smirk’ in FC 26 To unlock Thierry Henry’s ‘Smirk’ in FC 26, you'll need to add Thierry Henry to your Ultimate Team squad. He's the only player that can do the Smirk celebration right now. We’ve not yet found a way to unlock the Thierry Henry smirk for other players in the game, but if that changes, we’ll update this page. Will it appear as an SBC reward or store item? It’s hard to say, with the former usually reserved for players. It could be a random drop from an Ultimate Team pack, but as yet, we’ve not found it. Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 Draft Rewards: What do you get for single-player and online drafts?
Now that FC 26 is upon us, so begins another year of Ultimate Team Draft. This mode lets you pick a series of players to put together a squad to run a gauntlet of four matches. This can be done online or in single-player mode, and each has its own rewards on offer. With packs and gold on offer, it’s worth checking out, particularly if you have some draft tokens available. Below, we’ve got the full list of FC 26 Draft Rewards, whether you’re looking to play against the AI or other challengers. Note: These rewards are likely to change from season to season, so be sure to check back. Single Player Draft Rewards Zero Wins 1 Gold Pack 1 Draft Token 1 Win 2 Gold Packs, 1 Silver Pack 2 Wins 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack 3 Gold Packs 2 Gold Packs, 1 Jumbo Premium Silver Pack 3 Wins 1 Gold Pack, 1 Premium Gold Pack 1 Premium Silver Pack, 2 Gold Packs 2 Gold Packs, 1 Premium Gold Pack 1 Premium Gold Pack, 1 Draft Token 3 Premium Gold Packs 1 Premium Gold Pack, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack 1 Jumbo Premium Gold, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack 4 Wins 1 Gold Pack, 1 Premium Gold Pack 1 Premium Gold Pack, 1 Gold Players Pack 1 Premium Gold Pack, 1 Draft Token 1 Premium Gold Pack, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack 1 Rare Gold Pack 1 Gold Players Pack, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack 2 Jumbo Premium Gold Packs 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 1 Draft Token 2 Premium Gold Packs, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 1 Draft Token 1 Premium Gold Pack, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack 1 Mega Pack 1 Premium Gold Pack, 2 Jumbo Premium Gold Packs 1 Gold Players Pack, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack 1 Gold Players Pack, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 1 Mega Pack 1 Rare Players Pack View Green Video on the source website Online Draft Rewards Zero Wins 1 Ultimate Loan Players Back, 2 Gold Packs 1 Silver Pack, 2 Gold Packs 1 Silver Players Pack, 2 Gold Packs 3 Gold Packs 1 Draft Token 2 Gold Packs, 1 Jumbo Premium Silver 1 Win 1 Premium Silver Pack, 2 Gold Packs 1 Silver Pack, 1 Gold Pack, 1 Premium Gold Pack 2 Gold Packs, 1 Jumbo Gold Pack 1 Gold Pack, 1 Draft Token 1 Gold Pack, 2 Premium Gold Packs 1 Premium Silver Pack, 2 Jumbo Premium Gold Packs 2 Gold Packs, 2 Premium Gold Players Pack 2 Wins 1 Gold Pack, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack 2 Gold Packs, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack 2 Gold Packs, 2 Premium Gold Packs 1 Gold Players Pack, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack 1 Gold Pack, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack 1 Premium Gold Pack, 1 Rare Players Pack 3 Wins 3 Premium Gold Packs 2 Premium Gold Packs, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack 2 Jumbo Premium Gold Packs 1 Gold Pack, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 1 Rare Gold Pack 1 Gold Pack, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack 1 Rare Players Pack 1 Gold Pack, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack, 20,000 Coins 1 Gold Players Pack, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack 1 Gold Players Pack, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack, 20,000 Coins 1 Gold Players Pack, 2 Premium Gold Players Packs 4 Wins 1 Gold Pack, 1 Rare Players Pack 2 Jumbo Premium Gold Packs, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack 1 Premium Gold Pack, 2 Rare Gold Packs 1 Premium Gold Pack, 1 Rare Players Pack 1 Premium Gold Pack, 1 Rare Gold Pack, 25,000 Coins 1 Premium Gold Players Pack, 1 Mega Pack 2 Gold Packs, 2 Premium Gold Players Packs 1 Gold Pack, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 1 Rare Gold Pack, 30,000 Coins 1 Gold Pack, 2 Mega Packs 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 1 Rare Gold Pack, 1 Mega Pack 3 Premium Gold Player Packs 1 Premium Gold Pack, 2 Mega Packs 1 Premium Gold Pack, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack, 25,000 Coins 1 Premium Gold Players Pack, 1 Rare Gold Pack, 1 Mega Pack 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 1 Mega Pack, 1 Rare Players Pack 2 Rare Players Packs 1 Premium Gold Pack, 2 Rare Players Pack 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 1 Rare Players Pack, 45,000 Coins 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 1 Jumbo Rare Players Pack 1 Mega Pack, 1 Jumbo Rare Players Pack Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to do a low driven shot in FC 26 explained
EA Sports FC 26 is available now, and as with last year, the low driven shot is particularly good at finding the back of the net. There are plenty of ways to score goals in the game, of course, but there’s some satisfaction in knowing that ‘low drivens’ – as the community calls them – require a little bit of a learning curve to truly master. Here’s how you can pull them off. But, be warned, EA is already posting about changing the meta on these iconic strikes! How to score low driven shots in FC 26 The first thing to consider is where you’re trying to score from. While the Power Shot can be used just about anywhere, the low driven shot remains best when you’re in the box, and can be almost unstoppable within the six-yard box. If you’re in the perfect position, you’ll want to do the following: Power up a shot with the relevant button (B on Xbox, Circle on PS5) Immediately after the shot is powered up, press the button again Expect to spend some time practicing, and also bear in mind that EA has already patched the shot type before launch. It could change further in the coming days. View oEmbed on the source website As you can see in the graphics on this X post, the new version of low drivens may be a little bit less reliable than the old faithful. There are some tradeoffs for low-driven shots. They don’t tend to have the power of, well, the Power Shot, but they do catch goalkeepers off guard and often slide into the bottom corner. The better the player performing the shot is, particularly if they have the Low Driven Shot PlayStyle, also plays a huge part. Expect much higher success rates if they do. Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 managers: Best managers from each major nation
EA Sports FC 26 is back, and players will no doubt be jumping straight into Ultimate Team to build the squad of their dreams. One underrated aspect of the mode, though, is picking your manager. While you’re technically the manager, lining up the correct boss for your squad can give you a chemistry bonus, and you can instantly implement their tactical blueprint, too. Below, we’ve covered the top managers across major leagues in the game by nationality, helping you pick the right man or woman for the job. Wondering how to change their chemistry? We’ve got that covered, too. Best managers in FC 26 from each major nation Best England managers in FC 26 Eddie Howe Marc Skinner Rehanne Skinner Scott Parker Best France managers in FC 26 Regis Le Bris Sonia Bompastor Laurent Blanc Best Spain managers in FC 26 Luis Enrique Mikel Arteta Pep Guardiola Unai Emery Xabi Alonso Best Germany managers in FC 26 Fabian Hürzeler Theresa Merk Hansi Flick Ailien Poese Daniel Farke Best Argentina managers in FC 26 Diego Simeone Carlos Tevez Marcelo Gallardo Mariano Soso Best Netherlands managers in FC 26 Arne Slot Renee Siegers View Green Video on the source website Best Portugal managers in FC 26 Marco Silva Nuno Espírito Santo Ruben Amorim José Mourinho Rui Vitoria Best Italy managers in FC 26 Stefano Pioli Filippo Inzaghi Enzo Maresca Antonio Conte Fabio Grosso Best Brazil managers in FC 26 Péricles Raimundo Oliveira Chamusca Airton Andrioli Tiago Retzlaff Nunes Paulo Autuori de Mello Célia Liése Brancão Ribeiro Paulo César Arruda Parente How to change a Manager’s league If you’ve found a manager you like, but their league doesn’t quite fit with the rest of your team, fear not. You can use a consumable that adjusts the manager’s league, so you can put Mikel Arteta in Serie A, or Daniel Farke in the Bundesliga. Open your squad page Hover over the Manager, and press the Square/X to bring up the radial menu Use the thumbstick to select Apply Manager Consumable Select the league you want If you don’t have the league, you can try and buy it from the transfer market. Good luck with your new gaffer! Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 PlayStyles explained: The best PlayStyles for each position
Not to be confused with Player Roles, FC 26 brings back PlayStyles which help you lean into a player’s strengths. Available in PlayStyles and PlayStyles+, each level gets progressively more powerful. Not only does this mean the players with these PlayStyles more accurately represent their real-life counterparts, but it also means they’re usually more fun to play as. What do PlayStyles do in FC 26? As with the last couple of entries in the series, PlayStyles boost player skills in certain attributes. For example, a striker with the PlayStyle for Finesse Shot will take those types of shots more quickly, and they’ll have better curve and accuracy. Elsewhere, the Incisive PlayStyle will help you split defences. There are 36 PlayStyles in the game so far, split between the following categories: Finishing - 8 PlayStyles Passing - 6 PlayStyles Defending - 6 PlayStyles Ball Control - 5 PlayStyles Physical - 5 PlayStyles Goalkeeper - 6 PlayStyles Best PlayStyles for each position in FC 26 Best PlayStyles for Goalkeepers in FC 26 You can’t go wrong with any goalkeeper PlayStyle, but if you’re looking for stability, these are our picks: Cross Claimer - To pluck balls out of the air Rush Out - Ideal for Ball-Playing Keeper, a new PlayStyle Footwork - Increases the chances of making a save with feet Best PlayStyles for Full-Backs in FC 26 With the full-back expected to contribute to attacks and counter tricky wingers, here are our picks: Relentless - Enhanced stamina for marauding up and down the flanks Whipped Pass - Ideal for early balls into the box Jockey - Helps when defending 1v1 against an opponent Best PlayStyles for Centre Backs in FC 26 Centre Backs need to be a rock in defence, but it’s also handy to have at least some capacity to play the ball long while under pressure. Block - For risking their limbs to prevent the ball finding the net Long Ball Pass - To lob the ball to a teammate to maintain possession Bruiser - For winning possession in duels Best PlayStyles for Central Midfielders in FC 26 Central midfielders need a nice balance of options. Here are our picks, and bear in mind, CDM is up next. Tiki Taka - For quick passes between teammates Pinged Pass - For spraying the ball wide to teammates Press Proven - For keeping the ball even with an opponent trying to win it Best PlayStyles for Defensive Midfielders in FC 26 For your CDM, you’ll want options that turn defence into attack, and you’ll be surprised at how helpful it is to have an Aerial Fortress. Aerial Fortress - The ability to nod an opponent’s goal kick right onto your more creative players is a huge help Anticipate - To win the ball neatly, without conceding a foul Slide Tackle - For those last-ditch situations that prevent an opponent getting through midfield Best PlayStyles for Attacking Midfielders in FC 26 Arguably your most creative players, CAM/RAM/LAM will want to have excellent technical ability and the skill to create space for teammates. Technical - For quick stops and starts to fool an opponent First Touch - To keep the ball at feet, potentially when moving at speed Incisive Pass - For playing a ball straight through the opposition backline Best PlayStyles for Wingers in FC 26 Tricky wingers are one of football’s most exciting aspects, but they also need end product. Here are our picks: Rapid - To create half a yard of space for a cross or shot Trickster - For those flashy skill moves Whipped Pass - To get the ball in the box with accuracy Best PlayStyles for Strikers in FC 26 Strikers come in different shapes and sizes, but these PlayStyles will help create plenty of goalscoring opportunities. Gamechanger - For taking the shot that seems almost impossible Precision Header - For meeting those crosses Power Shot - For when you can’t get in the box but want to have a shot anyway With all of that info in mind, your team will be even better than before thanks to the magic of PlayStyles. Enjoy! Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to move the goalkeeper in FC 26 explained
When your defenders let you down and you're facing a lone striker, you need to know how to move your goalkeeper in FC 26. Any advantage you can get in a one-on-one situation could be the difference between that ball ending up in the back of the net or tipping it out for a corner. We've put together a quick guide to tell you how to move the goalkeeper in FC 26 so you can position your goalie more effectively and keep more shots out. How to move the keeper in FC 26 There are two ways you can manually move your goalkeeper in FC 26, both of which apply to any game mode in which your goalkeeper is AI-controlled. Here are both ways: Holding triangle / Y when you are not in possession will pull the keeper out of the goal and make them run directly towards the ball. This is especially useful to close down space in a one-on-one, but going too early can leave you at risk of being chipped You can also move your keeper around more specifically by pressing down the right analogue stick and moving it around to move the keeper in the direction you want him to move, just like regular players. This method can almost guarantee a save if you correctly guess which way your opponent is going to shoot, but can guarantee them an open goal if you get it wrong. Both of these methods certainly have their pros and cons, and which one you should use depends on the situation. That being said, they're both better than just leaving your keeper on their line all the time, so you should take the time to learn both of these methods, and eventually you'll get a feel for when the best time to use each one is. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 Player Roles explained: Best Player Role for each position, including new options
Learn your box-to-box midfielder from your box-crashing one.
What are the best Player Roles in FC 26? And which ones are new for this year? If these sorts of questions keep you up at night... look no further, friend. FC 25 saw a big update to tactical options last year with Player Roles, but FC 26 has added fresh options for you to use in Career Mode or Ultimate Team. Below we’ll cover what each of the new roles does, and update our list of the best Player Roles for each position on the pitch. New Player Roles in FC 26 <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/01/Alisson-58359f0.jpg" width="4252" height="2832" alt="BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 29: Alisson Becker of Liverpool shouts instructions during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool at Amex Stadium on January 29, 2023 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)" title="Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool: Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round" /> A ball-playing keeper is a goalie who tends to move up to the edge of their defensive third, like David Raya or Alisson, ready to sweep up loose balls while also acting as an additional passing option when facing a high press. There are risks, however, such as being vulnerable to lobs if an opponent wins the ball back quickly. Inverted Wingback Inverted Wingbacks like Myles Lewis-Skelly or Marc Cucurella are similar to last year’s Falseback in that they want to be further up the pitch when on the ball. Rather than sitting at the base of midfield, however, they’ll work to create passing options even higher up, and potentially move into a sort of additional striker spot. Wide Back Wide Backs are centre-halves that are comfortable moving wider to offer coverage for right-backs and left-backs that push up the pitch. Examples include Benjamin Pavard and Piero Hincapié, and they’ll usually play either side of a more regimented CB in a back three. Box Crasher Want a CDM to play like Declan Rice or Patri Guijarro, making late runs into the box to meet a cross or smash in the ball as it bobbles off a defender? The Box Crasher is the Player Role for you. Doing so can leave a gap in your midfield, so be sure to pick someone with plenty of stamina to recover. The best Player Roles in FC 26 There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to picking Player Roles in FC 26, but your best bet is to experiment with the team selection screen to see which areas are covered (look for the green) and where there may be gaps. As fun as it is to play with rampaging full-backs, for example, you’ll need your remaining defenders to cover a lot of space, or get your midfielders to drop back. Here are some of our top Player Roles, in any case. Best Goalkeeper Player Role in FC 26 Our pick, as it was last year, is to go with Goalkeeper - Balanced. This means your stopper will be able to distribute the ball and only occasionally break away to mop up attacks. Options for this year’s game with PlayStyle ++ for the role include the usual suspects of Courtois (Real Madrid), Donnarumma (Manchester City) and Oblak (Atletico Madrid). Best LB and RB Player Role in FC 26 Last year, we went for Falesback here, but this year we’ve gone for Wingback (Balanced). You’ll need your full-back to have plenty of stamina, but they’ll be able to push upfield to open new passing channels or swing in an early cross. Examples include Al-Hilal’s Theo Hernandez and Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol on the left, and Barca’s Jules Kounde and Liverpool’s Jeremie Frimpong on the right. View Green Video on the source website Best CB Player Role in FC 26 We’ve gone with Centre Back (Balanced) this year, helping mitigate the wingback choice and typified by the likes of Arsenal’s Gabriel and Bayern’s Jonathan Tah. These defenders relish physical battles and have enough pace when needed to push players wide of the goal. Best CDM Player Role in FC 26 We love a late run into the box for a bullet header, so we’ve gone with Box Crasher this time. As explained above, the likes of Declan Rice and Kim Little will look to pop up to overload the defence when a cross comes in. Best CM Player Role in FC 26 To facilitate our CDM getting involved in attacks, we’re going for a Box-To-Box (Ball Winning) Player Role in CM. Players like Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde will make tackles to help out the defence, while also keeping it moving in attack. Best CAM Player Role in FC 26 For this, we’ve gone with Playmaker (Build-Up). This means a creative midfielder can drop a little deeper to receive the ball, while also pulling defenders out of position. Ideal candidates here are Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, with both able to use quick feet to get the ball out wide, into the striker, or start something themselves. Best LW and RW Player Role in FC 26 With the centre of the pitch fairly secure and our wingbacks taking up space out wide, it’s a good idea to go for the Inside Forward (Attack) Player Role on the wings. Doing so means the likes of Mo Salah, Vini Jr or Ousmane Dembele will start out wide and cut inside or make attacking runs when crosses come from the opposite side. Best ST Player Role in FC 26 Finally, for our goalscorer, we’ve gone for Poacher (Versatile). This means the player will almost always be in the box, a la Alessia Russo or Alexander Isak, but they’ll be comfortable coming a little closer to midfield to help build chances if they’re not getting the service. Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to earn XP in FC 26: Is the Premium Season Pass worth it?
Unlock big rewards by completing the season pass.
How do you earn XP in FC 26? If that question's on your mind, you've come to the right place for some answers! FC 26 follows on from last year’s entry with a season pass that isn’t solely restricted to Ultimate Team, but if you have been grinding matches in the game’s most popular mode then you may be wondering just how to level up and earn seasonal rewards. It’s not always clear, especially since it can feel very slow to level up, but only some matches will count towards your XP climb. Here’s how to level up more efficiently. How to earn XP in EA FC 26 You can earn XP by completing matches each week in FC 26, but it's worth remembering that these only count as long as they’re part of an objective. Objectives run from weekly tasks to daily tasks, and more long-term options like season-long ones. Take the current Weekly Objectives at the time of writing. These task players with completing one, two and three matches in Manager Live. You can play dozens of matches, of course, but you’ll only get XP for those tied to the aforementioned objectives. Thankfully, objectives appear across the following modes: Manager Career Manager Career - Live Player Career Ultimate Team Clubs The advantage of this system is that you can regularly move between modes to keep things fresh as you climb the season pass. The downside is that if you don’t play Clubs, you’ll feel somewhat locked out of those objectives. View Green Video on the source website Is the FC 26 premium season pass worth it? EA recently debuted a paid version of the season pass, and it’s continued into FC 26. The first offering in this year’s game is included in the Ultimate Edition of the game, and stars a World Tour Tomori at the top. He’s a very solid 86-rated CB, but perhaps the bigger draw will be the extra packs along the way. If you’ve already got it, grind away, but it depends on how keen you are on the additional 15 packs you can earn as to whether you’ll want to spend the money on it if you don’t. Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 Career Mode challenges: Best teams to manage, from avoiding relegation to fairytale football stories
From sleeping giants to relegation candidates, here are some clubs you should check out in EA FC 26’s Career Mode.
While some will no doubt already be cracking open packs and switching formations in FC 26’s Ultimate Team, there’s plenty for Career Mode players to look forward to in this year’s game. From Deeper Simulation (which simulates multiple leagues at once), to managers being on the move, it’s closer to a footballing sandbox than ever. With that in mind, here are some Career Mode scenarios to try for yourself. Before we jump in, don’t forget there are new Live Start Points that run from short, medium, and long-term commitments to a club to fulfil a series of goals. Reckon you can win a preseason trophy within 6 weeks or secure back-to-back promotions? Now’s the time to prove it, with retro kits up for grabs, too. Best Career Mode teams in FC 26 If you want to know who the very best teams in this year's Career Mode are, here's the list: Paris Saint-Germain - 5 Stars - Ligue 1 Real Madrid - 5 Stars - La Liga FC Barcelona - 5 Stars - La Liga Manchester City - 5 Stars - Premier League Liverpool - 5 Stars - Premier League Arsenal - 5 Stars - Premier League Bayern Munich - 5 Stars - Bundesliga Atletico Madrid - 4.5 Stars - La Liga Newcastle United - 4.5 Stars - Premier League Tottenham Hotspur - 4.5 Stars - Premier League Chelsea - 4.5 Stars - Premier League Aston Villa - 4.5 Stars - Premier League Manchester United - 4.5 Stars - Premier League Napoli - 4.5 Stars - Serie A Borussia Dortmund - 4.5 Stars - Bundesliga Bayer Leverkusen - 4.5 Stars - Bundesliga Of course, it's more fun to awaken a sleeping giant or work your way up from a lower league. For our recommended Career Mode challenges, read on! The best career mode challenges in FC 26 Oldham Athletic Transfer Budget: £0.88m Oldham are back in the EFL, but can you get them to the Premier League again? You’ll need to climb the divisions, making signings as you go and pushing to climb back to the zenith of English football. With a small transfer kitty, it’ll be a long-term save that you’ll no doubt spend dozens of hours on. Real Oviedo Transfer Budget: £1.8m A true fairytale story, Real Oviedo fans chipped in to buy shares in the club when it was close to being dissolved. Now, it’s mostly owned by the fans, and has reached La Liga, led by hometown hero Santi Cazorla. Santi’s getting on a bit now, but the midfield magician can help you to safety in your first season following promotion. The rest is up to you. Sunderland Transfer Budget: £35m The Black Cats secured promotion late on in the playoffs, and have proven they can mix it up with Premier League mainstays on their return, but can you guarantee their safety and build on it? Régis Le Bris could be a tough act to follow, but could you build them into a comfortably mid-table size and maybe even push for Europe? Arsenal Transfer Budget: £131m Mikel Arteta’s squad have finished second in the Premier League three years in a row, but spent big in the Summer. Can you guide the Gunners to a long-awaited league title? You’ll be able to lean on a mean defence and a vastly improved array of attacking options, too. Schalke 04 Transfer Budget: £5.12m Humbled two seasons ago with relegation, Schalke 04 missed out on promotion at the first time of asking but are ready to go again. While the club just fired its technical director in real life, the club should be a really fun challenge, with some promising talent. Once you’re back in the Bundesliga, though, you’ll need to stay there. View Green Video on the source website Sampdoria Transfer Budget: £6.91m Another club relegated and looking for a way back up the football ladder, Sampdoria have almost £7m to spend, which puts them in a decent spot in Serie B. The challenge will be maintaining a squad, with plenty of players on loan from other clubs, and many of them expected to go back at the end of the season. MSV Duisburg Transfer Budget: £1.29m Despite being a Bundesliga side back in 2008, MSV Duisburg is now playing in the third tier of German football, having been promoted last year. They’ve made a good start this season, but can you get them back to the top of the German footballing pyramid? Cardiff City Transfer Budget: £4.99m While all eyes are on Wrexham, Cardiff City have dropped to English football’s third tier. They do, however, have a great stadium and the second-best transfer budget in League One. With the likes of Chris Willock and Calum Chambers in the squad, there’s plenty of talent available to reach the Championship again. Inter Miami Transfer Budget: £31.15m Look, it’s not that much of a challenge to take over at Inter Miami. You’re getting a Messi who continues to be absolutely timeless, as well as his former Barca teammates Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez. If nothing else, it’s a chance to build towards the next generation of stars for the MLS club. Who can you tempt to the USA? Manchester United Transfer Budget: £152m It’d be fair to say the Red Devils have had a rough start to the season. The squad needs a clear-out, but this summer window furnished the club with attacking options like highly-rated prospect Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo. If you can rebuild the midfield, there’s every chance you can bring glory back to the red half of Manchester, but you may need to sell some players before you can buy. Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 best starter pack: Which one should you choose in Ultimate Team?
Choose wisely to get your season off to a solid start.
EA Sports FC 26 is here, and Ultimate Team is likely to be the big draw for most players as they buy and trade players to build the best squad they can. When the game starts, however, everyone starts from scratch, and you’ll be tasked with picking an Ultimate Team starter pack, which will include players and consumables to kick things off. Of course, this isn't an easy choice and there's no way to know exactly what you'll get until the decision is actually made. And so, here’s our advice which one you should pick. What's the best FC 26 Starter Pack choice? The best starter pack in FC 26 is the one that best matches the squad you want to built. If you're planning to play with mostly Premier League players — which would make sense, given that it's one of the best leagues in the world in terms of player ratings — you should opt for the Premier League starter pack. You won’t be getting any star players from Starter Packs, but they each lean towards a specific league, so you can start building chemistry from the other. For example, the Premier League pack will have a handful of stars from England’s top league, usually with a couple of Gold options to put straight into your first team. With that in mind, your Starter Pack choice should be dictated by the type of team you want to build. If you’re looking to build a team of La Liga players, for example, then picking Ligue 1 as your Starter Pack doesn’t make a lot of sense. There are some caveats to this, though. For one, Premier League players do tend to pop up in promos more often. Not only does this mean you’ve got a better chance of getting an upgraded player that fits into your squad from promo packs and SBCs, but it also means even if it’s someone you’re not interested in, they could fetch a higher price when you list them on the Transfer Market. The other caveat is that building a team of Premier League talent can be expensive, coin-wise, and you might find yourself racking up a great team of MLS players or even Serie A stars for less. View Green Video on the source website If you just want a solid squad that can compete without spending a whole bunch of coins, consider going for one of the other leagues. Finally, consider the ‘ceiling’ of your chosen league. The game’s best players won’t be easy to get, but if you want to one day put Mbappe or Putellas in a squad, you’ll probably be swayed towards a La Liga/Liga F hybrid squad. Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 goalkeepers: Best GK for your Career Mode or Ultimate Team squad
A brick wall for your opponents to deal with.
FC 26 is available now in Early Access, and ahead of its full launch this week, we’re running down the best players in the game right now. We’ve covered the best defenders, strikers and more, but this time we’re looking at the men and women between the sticks. New Manchester City number 1 Gianluigi Donnarumma sits atop the pile for the men’s game, flanked by Alisson and Courtois, while it’s Christiane Endler who’s top of the list for the women. Below, we’ve got the top 10 keepers for each, so you can find the right signing to bring into your squad. Top FC 26 10 Goalkeepers - Men Unsurprisingly, Italian giant Donnarumma tops this list, but he’s got fierce competition as Alisson and Thibaut Courtois are also ranked 89 OVR. Arsenal’s David Raya, who won the Premier League’s Golden Glove last season, is rated 87. Gianluigi Donnarumma | 89 | Manchester City Alisson | 89 | Liverpool Thibaut Courtois | 89 | Real Madrid Jan Oblak | 88 | Atletico Madrid Yann Sommer | 87 | Lombardia FC (Inter Milan) Mike Maignan | 87 | Milano FC (AC Milan) David Raya | 87 | Arsenal Marc-Andre ter Stegen | 86 | FC Barcelona Gregor Kobel | 86 | Borussia Dortmund Ederson | 85 | Fenerbahce Top FC 26 10 Strikers - Women OL Lyonnes’ goalkeeper Endler is the game’s number 1 keeper for the women's game, but the likes of Ann-Katrin Berger and Brighton’s Chiamaka Nnadozie aren’t far behind. Christiane Endler | 88 | OL Lyonnes Ann-Katrin Berger | 86 | Gotham FC Chiamaka Nnadozie | 85 | Brighton Cata Coll | 84 | FC Barcelona Merle Frohms | 84 | Real Madrid Mary Earps | 84 | PSG Pauline Peyraud-Magnin | 83 | Juventus Phallon Tullis-Joyce | 83 | Manchester United Daphne van Domselaar | 83 | Arsenal Kailen Sheridan | 83 | San Diego Wave Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 Prime Gaming rewards explained: Are there any rewards this year?
For a few years, Prime Gaming rewards were a nice and easy way to get some free packs in each year's FC release. But this year, you may have noticed a distinct lack of any rewards floating about for you to redeem. What's the deal? Here's what you need to know about whether or not there are any Prime Gaming rewards for FC 26. FC 26 Prime Gaming rewards: Are there any rewards this year? Unfortunately, there are no Prime Gaming rewards for FC 26. While Prime Gaming rewards became somewhat of a staple for FC players as an easy way to get packs, it appears that the service has been shut down, with FC 24 being the last game in the series to benefit from it. This was not confirmed by Amazon, who simply reduced the number of rewards over time before silently scrapping the benefit entirely. Mirror Gaming reported last year that "Prime Gaming is opting to take a different route with its gaming offers". "Instead of offering in-game rewards across a host of games, Prime Gaming's focus has shifted to offering full games for free to subscribers," it explained. As a result, instead of being able to get free packs and loan players for your Ultimate Team squad, you'll now be able to get your hands on games like Fallout: New Vegas, Control, Into the Breach and Sid Meier's Civilization 4. While that's great news if you particularly want to play any of those games (and you should, if you haven't already), it's not really the news you want if all you're after is a new striker for your FUT squad. As for whether or not Prime Rewards will be returning in the future, we have no way of knowing, but it certainly doesn't look likely, we're sorry to say. Still, you can still build a decent team on the cheap with our list of the cheapest high-rated players in FUT! View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 Evolutions: Full list and the best players to use for them
Get the most out of your players with these Evolutions.
Evolutions are back in FC 26, and while there are plenty to come throughout the season, there are 9 to use right now ahead of the game’s full launch. For the uninitiated, Evolutions are items that improve your players' stats and can add PlayStyles when you complete objectives, but most need to be completed within a few days. They can help turn your players into superstars, though, and add a cosmetic style when used. Here are all the Evolutions available in FC 26 right now. FC 26 Evolutions: Full list and the best players to use for them Striker’s Rise Cost: Free Timeframe: 1 Week This four-day ‘Training Camp’ Evolution boosts a player’s pace, shooting, passing, dribbling, and physical stats, but you have to use it on a silver player. Southampton’s Joe Aribo is a great choice because he can essentially move to an 83-rated player capable of playing CM, CAM, or ST. The Debut Cost: Free Timeframe: 1 Week This GK-focused Evolution won’t cost you anything and adds +2 to positioning. It’s the first GK Evo, and while it’s not the most exciting, it can improve a player. Our recommendation is Napoli’s Alex Meret, helping him become an even better stopper. Cover Athlete Cost: 30,000 Coins or 500 EA Points Timeframe: 1 Week The first paid Evolution on here gives the Relentless PlayStyle and Playmaker+ to a CM or CAM, but it can also buff other attributes. Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike goes to 85 OVR with this Evolution, but for our money, Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha might be a better choice. He can play ST, CM, LW, or CAM, and it buffs his pace, passing, dribbling, and physical stats. Rising Guard Cost: Free Timeframe: 1 Week This free Evo lets you improve a player’s defending stat by 1. It’s not a big upgrade, but it works nicely on someone like Liverpool’s Milos Kerkez or Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi. View Green Video on the source website Intro to Rewards Evos Cost: Free Timeframe: 12 Months This Evo has two levels and improves a range of shooting stats at level one, and passing and dribbling at level two. Khephren Thuram and Rayan Cherki are great options, but don’t sleep on Joelinton. The Newcastle midfielder getting the upgrade makes him a more well-rounded CM, but he can also play LM and LW. Intro to Training Camp Evos I Cost: Free Timeframe: 11 Months This Training Camp Evolution is for goalies, and helps turn your keeper into a Sweeper Keeper with the requisite PlayStyle+. The choice is yours, really, but we reckon Spurs’ Guglielmo Vicario is worth a go because he has some pretty solid attributes in that regard anyway. Intro to Training Camp Evos II Cost: Free Timeframe: 11 Months Another Training Camp Evo, this one gives players the GameChanger PlayStyle. Liverpool hero Rio Ngumoha is a popular pick, but any striker or winger that you want taking shots is worth a look. Intro to Evolutions Cost: Free Timeframe: 11 Months This ‘Tutorial’ Evolution is a solid option because it improves pace and shooting, as well as a player’s overall stat. He’s been out with injury for a while, but Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal is our pick here since he’s already pretty good, and the boost in stats could help him score more. Club Member Reward Cost: Free Timeframe: 12 Months This free Evo is handy for your strikers. It gives Poacher+, False 9+, Target Forward+ and Advanced Forward+ to attackers. Villareal’s Ayoze Perez is a decent candidate, but for something a little different, you can use it to make Arsenal’s Mikel Merino an even stronger aerial threat. Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
FC 26 midfielders: Best CM and CDM for Career Mode or Ultimate Team
Creativity and stability are the name of the game with these midfielders.
FC 26 is packed with literally thousands of players, but the usual names are likely to be gracing your transfer watchlist in Ultimate Team and Career Mode alike. There are some incredible midfielders among them, too, with Barca trio Putellas, Guijarro and Bonmati leading the way, while Vitinha is now the top-rated CM for the men’s game (although adding CDMs into the mix changes that a bit). We’ve put the best CMs and CDMs together to bring you the top 10 midfielders for men and women in the game. Looking for more of the game’s best players? Check out our guides for the best FC 26 wingers and the best strikers. Best FC 26 Midfielders – Men Manchester City lynchpin Rodri dominates the midfielder list again this year, but PSG's Vitinha, Barcelona's Pedri, Bayern's Kimmich and Madrid's Valverde push him close. Rodri's former teammate, Kevin De Bruyne, is now rated 87 following his Summer move to Napoli. Rodri | 90 | CDM | Manchester City Vitinha | 89 | CM | PSG Pedri | 89 | CM | FC Barcelona Joshua Kimmich | 89 | CDM | Bayern Munich Federico Valverde | 89 | CM | Real Madrid Kevin De Bruyne | 87 | CM | Napoli Declan Rice | 87 | CDM | Arsenal Moisés Caicedo | 87 | CDM | Chelsea Frenkie De Jong | 87 | CM | FC Barcelona Alexis Mac Allister | 87 | CM | Liverpool Best FC 26 Midfielders – Women Barca's midfield trio top the list here, with Arsenal's Mariona the only other midfielder in the 89 OVR range. Elsewhere, the likes of Rose Lavelle and Sakina Karchaoui reach the heights of 87 OVR. Alexia Putellas | 91 | CM | FC Barcelona Aitana Bonmati | 91 | CM | FC Barcelona Patri Guijarro | 89 | CDM | FC Barcelona Mariona | 89 | CM | Arsenal Rose Lavelle | 87 | CM | Gotham FC Sakina Karchaoui | 87 | CM | PSG Grace Geyoro | 86 | CM | London City Manuela Giugliano | 85 | CM | Roma Svenja Huth | 85 | CM | VfL Wolfsburg Georgia Stanway | 85 | CDM | Bayern Munich View Green Video on the source website Read more on FC 26: FC 26 player ratings confirmed: Top-rated players FC 26 wonderkids: Best young players FC 26 fastest players FC 26 soundtrack How to do Siu celebration in FC 26 How to do the Cole Palmer celebration in FC 26 FC 26 FUT Champs rewards FC 26 wingers: Best RW, LW, RM and LM Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.