EA Sports FC 26 The World's Game: Everything You Need to Know

With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching, EA Sports FC 26 is not waiting on the sidelines. The World's Game update, due out May 28 for EA Sports FC 26 and EA Sports FC Mobile, gives players a chance to lead a nation through a new 48-team international tournament that kicks off in-game on June 4.

EA Sports does not hold the official FIFA World Cup license, but the update includes 53 fully licensed and playable national teams, 41 of which are competing in the real tournament. Fully licensed sides include Brazil, England, France, Cabo Verde, and Uzbekistan. New venues such as Gillette Stadium and BMO Field join Central Maw, a stadium designed to capture the atmosphere of top-tier international football.

Licensing and National Teams

National team inclusion depends on EA Sports securing licensing rights directly and complying with applicable laws, including U.S. sanctions, which may limit partnerships with certain federations. That means the update features two non-licensed teams with authentic players—Egypt and Japan—and five non-licensed generic squads: Algeria, Curaçao, Iran, Iraq, and Jordan.

The fully licensed and playable national team list includes:

**Will feature generic kits as of June 4, updated to include authentic kits in a future update.

Tournament Format

The standalone tournament does not just ease its way in—it kicks the door down. Players take their chosen nation through three group stage matches. The top two teams from each group advance, along with the eight best third-placed teams across all groups. From there, the knockout rounds begin with the round of 32 and build toward the tournament final.

Ultimate Team and the Festival of Football

Ultimate Team receives a dedicated Event Hub, Festival of Football themed campaigns, and a steady flow of new content. Anyone who logs in and plays FC 26 between June 5 and July 24 earns a 93 OVR Festival of Football ICON Pelé and three 'Choose Your Journey' Evolutions.

During the Festival of Football, more than 100 new international players are added to the FUT pool of items. Two new ICONS, Rivellino and Mario Kempes, debut with special Greats of the Game versions on June 19, then their Base versions become available in packs from June 26.

Evo Undo, PlayStyles Lab, and Evo Repeatables

A server release following the update on June 4 lets players roll back and fully reset Evolutions in their Club. If an originally tradable player is reset, they return to tradable status. FUT managers can have their cake and eat it too, experimenting with new players and then selling them if the fit isn't right.

The Festival of Football introduces a new PlayStyles Lab, allowing players to choose preferred PlayStyles and PlayStyles+ for:

• Festival of Football: Star Performer

• Festival of Football: National Pride

• Festival of Football: National Pride Champions

• Glory Hunters

FUT Birthday items are also eligible for the PlayStyles Lab, replacing the Birthday Bakery Evolutions. Meanwhile, a new item type called Evo Repeatables allows players to earn additional evolution entries in upcoming Festival of Football content.

Tokens and FUT Champions Tokens

Tokens are a brand new reward type designed to give players more choice over how they play and what they earn in FUT. Starting June 4, Festival of Football tokens can be earned across Rivals, Squad Battles, Rush, Live Events, select Objectives, and select SBCs. Tokens become the primary way to earn rewards in FUT each week from Season 8 onwards, with a weekly cap of 1,000 Tokens and a total of 5,000 available during the Festival.

Tokens are earned only through playing FUT and are not available inside Store Pack offers. Higher rank finishes still reward both Tokens and additional rewards for top competitors.

FUT Champions Tokens and a FUT Champions Store also arrive in Season 8, featuring rotating special Red FUT Champions Player Items each week. Champions Tokens allow players to save rewards over multiple weekends or collect weekly rewards, and higher win finishes continue to provide additional Coins.

Gameplay PlayStyles Changes

EA Sports continues to tune gameplay balance based on community feedback.

Bruiser

• Slightly reduced the boost to shoulder challenges from Bruiser and Bruiser+

• Added a slight boost to the receiver of the shoulder challenge if they have Enforcer or Enforcer+

• Improved shoulder challenge outcomes so stumble direction and force reflect the difference in Strength and PlayStyles between players

• Improved detection of challenges from behind

Intercept

• Changed the Intercept PlayStyle to make Attributes more impactful while preserving the PlayStyle benefit

Penalty Shootouts Event

To mark the beginning of knockout football, a new limited-time event called Penalty Shootouts arrives on June 28 in Football Ultimate Team and Kick-Off.

Clubs Updates

Clubs receives expanded ways to customize and improve Archetypes:

• Increased Archetypes level cap

• Increased Archetype customisable PlayStyle slots

• Increased Signature PlayStyles from 3 to 4

Fourth Signature PlayStyles include:

Shot Stopper, Deflector, Sweeper Keeper, Far Throw, Progressor, Intercept, Boss, Anticipate, Engine, Rapid, Marauder, Trickster, Recycler, Tiki Taka, Maestro, Incisive, Creator, Quick Step, Spark, Technical, Magician, Inventive, Finisher, Acrobatic, Target, Press Proven.

The fourth Signature Playstyle can be upgraded to PS+ at Level 95. The maximum range of Archetype-specific Attributes has also been increased for Shot Stopper, Sweeper Keeper, Progressor, Boss, Engine, Marauder, Recycler, Maestro, Creator, Spark, Magician, Finisher, and Target.

It is not all sunshine and rainbows for every federation, though. Licensing constraints and U.S. sanctions mean a handful of squads appear with generic kits or generic players, but the overall package still captures a global tournament feel. As June 4 approaches, the update shapes up to be one of the broadest international football experiences in EA Sports FC history.