EA SPORTS FC 26 Puts Bellingham, Musiala, and Zlatan on the Covers
This year’s cover lineup brings together three different kinds of football star power. Jude Bellingham returns after last year’s debut, now joined by Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala. The two once shared a room on England’s youth team. Now they’re sharing the global cover of EA SPORTS FC 26.
Musiala called it “a crazy feeling” and said his little brother will be thrilled. Bellingham reflected on their early days playing the game together and said it’s a moment that shows how far they’ve come.
Zlatan Ibrahimović is also in the mix, taking the spotlight on the Ultimate Edition cover. EA revealed his spot earlier this week and added another big name to this year’s lineup.
Gameplay Changes Powered by Feedback
EA says FC 26 is shaped by feedback from the community, and this year’s gameplay changes back that up. The trailer and announcement highlight tweaks across the board, from smoother dribbling and better run curves to improved goalkeeper positioning powered by reinforcement learning.
There are also new close-body animations and updates to Playstyles and Player Roles. All of it is meant to make matches feel more responsive and true to real football.
For those who want a different pace, FC 26 adds two gameplay presets. Authentic Gameplay focuses on realism in Career modes, while Competitive Gameplay tightens control for modes like Ultimate Team and Clubs.
Career Mode, FUT, and Archetypes Get Major Updates
Career Mode is getting a shake-up this year with the new Manager Live feature. It adds a constantly updating hub filled with challenges based on real-world football scenarios. You’ll also still have access to Original Career and Live Start Points, giving you more ways to jump in.
In Football Ultimate Team, FC 26 brings in Live Events and new Tournament modes, along with refreshed versions of Rivals and Champs. It’s all designed to give you more variety and reasons to return each week.
Clubs and Player Career now include Archetypes, which are inspired by famous footballers. You can build and customize your player by unlocking new perks and boosting key attributes over time.
Community-Focused Features and Release Info
EA is leaning into community involvement more than ever with a new initiative called FC Feedback. It brings together different ways for fans to help shape the future of the series. That includes a dedicated feedback portal, forums, social channels, and even community-led design councils.
According to EA, many of this year’s changes came directly from suggestions made by fans. From gameplay to customization, the goal is to make FC 26 feel more responsive to what the community wants. EA SPORTS FC 26 launches worldwide on September 26 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, and Amazon Luna.
Are you excited about the cover stars or the new gameplay updates? Let us know which features you’re most looking forward to this season.
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