The FUTTIES promotion has returned to EA Sports FC 26 Ultimate Team, and this year’s summer event is treating retired legends with the same outrageous boosts as active superstars. Icons like Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, and Zlatan Ibrahimović, along with Heroes such as David Ginola and Nemanja Vidić, are receiving upgrades that push their ratings up to 99 overall, grant perfect 5-star skill moves and weak foot, and equip them with five PlayStyle+ traits as well as up to 18 Player Roles++. For anyone still building their dream squad in the final months of FC 26, these special cards are the ultimate endgame targets.
The initial upgrade applied to every FUTTIES Icon and Hero is nothing short of astonishing. EA Sports holds nothing back during this final mega-promo, juicing key attributes such as pace, shooting, passing, dribbling, defending, and physicality deep into the high 90s. For many cards, that means the overall rating leaps to 98 or even the absolute maximum of 99. Alongside the stat inflation, secondary upgrades also arrive in the form of improved skill moves and weak foot stars, new primary and secondary positions, and a generous set of Player Roles—often with the coveted ++ designation—that make these items versatile in any formation. All of this is complemented by a fixed combination of PlayStyles and PlayStyle+ traits. While regular FUTTIES cards for active footballers allow players to choose their own PlayStyles, the Icon and Hero versions come with carefully curated, meta-defining selections right out of the pack.
But can these iconic figures get even better after their release? The short answer is no. The FUTTIES Icons and Heroes are non-dynamic items in EA Sports FC 26. Once they drop into packs, objectives, or SBCs, their stats, traits, and PlayStyles are locked permanently. Because the starting upgrade already pushes them to near-perfect levels, any further boosts would be overkill and could unbalance the competitive scene. Players should therefore view each legendary card as a finished product, not a project that will evolve over time. This design is deliberate: EA wants these throwback superstars to feel immediately elite without the uncertainty of live performance updates.
Chemistry is another reason why these cards stand out. Every FUTTIES Icon and Hero provides a strong chemistry link, automatically locking into any squad on full chemistry regardless of league or nationality. This ease of integration turns them into universal puzzle pieces, ideal for hybrid teams that mix multiple promotions and leagues. With chemistry bonuses active from the first whistle, the boosted attributes shine even brighter on the pitch, especially when paired with the additional Player Roles and PlayStyles. It’s no surprise that top-tier players immediately chase these items to fill the final gaps in their line-ups.
EA has been rolling out FUTTIES Icons and Heroes in multiple batches throughout the summer, often alongside “Best of” re-releases that bring back fan-favorite special cards from earlier in the year. Leaks and community trackers have hinted at a packed schedule that includes returning versions of Thierry Henry, Ronaldo Nazário, and Mia Hamm, among others. While EA hasn’t officially confirmed every name, the pattern of upgrades remains consistent: a huge overall boost, perfect or near-perfect weak foot and skill moves, a full suite of five PlayStyle+ traits, and expanded secondary positions that reflect the player’s real-life versatility. Each batch also introduces some lower-rated Hero cards that still receive generous boosts, making them affordable yet powerful choices for casual and competitive players alike.
As the FUTTIES promotion marks the final major content drop before the focus shifts to the next instalment of the franchise, these Icon and Hero items serve as a farewell celebration of football history. The upgrade system in FC 26 has been notably more generous than in previous years, with many cards bypassing the traditional 97 or 98 cap to reach the perfect 99 overall rating. Observers note that this is a deliberate move to keep the endgame fresh and to reward loyal players who have stuck with Ultimate Team throughout the entire cycle. The result is a market flooded with absurdly powerful legends, leading to some of the most creative and high-scoring matches the community has ever seen.
Whether you are a newcomer hoping to catch up or a veteran aiming for every 99-rated gem, the FUTTIES Icons and Heroes represent the ultimate prize. Their arrival transforms squad building into a playground of possibilities, where a front three of upgraded Maradona, Ronaldinho, and Ibrahimović can coexist with modern stars on full chemistry. While the event may not hold any more secrets in terms of dynamic upgrades, the sheer spectacle of seeing historic players with such astonishing numbers is enough to keep the hype alive until the very last day of FC 26 Ultimate Team.
As detailed in Game Informer, endgame promotions tend to emphasize immediate, plug-and-play power spikes rather than live, performance-based progression—an approach that fits FC 26 FUTTIES Icons and Heroes as finished “ultimate” items. Framed through that lens, the 99-rated ceilings, stacked PlayStyle+ suites, and broad Role++ coverage function less like incremental upgrades and more like a deliberate late-cycle sandbox, where chemistry-friendly legends are designed to drop straight into any squad and reshape match flow instantly.