From May 28, players will be able to download The World’s Game Update for FC 26 at no additional cost. The brand-new international tournament mode launches on June 4, bringing the summer of international football to EA SPORTS FC 26 with a 48-team competition, 53 fully licensed and playable national teams, and new stadiums inspired by the host countries.
Although the tournament is not officially licensed by FIFA, The World’s Game Update still delivers one of the biggest international football experiences ever added to the franchise. Players will be able to lead their nation to glory, rewrite football history, and enjoy new content across Kick Off, Career, Clubs, and Football Ultimate Team.
- Brand-new 48-team International Tournament;
- 53 fully licensed and playable national teams;
- 41 nations competing over the summer;
- Manager Live Challenges;
- New Player Career experience;
- New authentic stadiums, including Gillette Stadium and BMO Field;
- Central Maw, a new stadium built for top-tier international football;
- Football Ultimate Team Festival of Football content;
- Exclusive 93 OVR Festival of Football ICON Pelé reward;
- Three Choose Your Journey Evolutions.
Players who log in and play FC 26 between June 5 and July 24 will be able to earn a 93 OVR Festival of Football ICON Pelé and three Choose Your Journey Evolutions. PlayStation Plus members will also receive exclusive content, while FC 26 remains available as part of the PS Plus lineup until June 16.
National Teams List
| Nation | ATT | MID | DEF | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Algeria |
75 | 76 | 76 | 4 |
 Argentina |
84 | 83 | 79 | 5 |
 Australia |
69 | 71 | 70 | 3.5 |
 Austria |
77 | 79 | 78 | 4 |
 Belgium |
82 | 82 | 78 | 4.5 |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
76 | 70 | 72 | 3.5 |
 Brazil |
82 | 81 | 83 | 5 |
 Cape Verde |
69 | 69 | 71 | 3 |
 Canada |
77 | 73 | 76 | 4 |
 Colombia |
79 | 79 | 78 | 4 |
 Croatia |
78 | 79 | 78 | 4.5 |
 Curaçao |
66 | 69 | 69 | 2.5 |
 Czechia |
78 | 75 | 75 | 4 |
 DR Congo |
78 | 71 | 75 | 4 |
 Ecuador |
73 | 76 | 79 | 4 |
 Egypt |
78 | 74 | 70 | 3.5 |
 England |
86 | 85 | 83 | 5 |
 France |
87 | 85 | 85 | 5 |
 Germany |
81 | 84 | 85 | 5 |
 Ghana |
78 | 75 | 73 | 4 |
 Haiti |
70 | 69 | 69 | 3 |
 Iran |
73 | 72 | 72 | 3.5 |
 Iraq |
63 | 66 | 64 | 2 |
 Ivory Coast |
80 | 78 | 78 | 4 |
 Japan |
78 | 78 | 77 | 4 |
 Jordan |
66 | 67 | 66 | 2 |
 South Korea |
77 | 74 | 75 | 4 |
 Mexico |
78 | 76 | 75 | 4 |
 Morocco |
80 | 79 | 79 | 4.5 |
 Netherlands |
81 | 83 | 84 | 4.5 |
 New Zealand |
74 | 69 | 69 | 3 |
 Norway |
80 | 81 | 75 | 4.5 |
 Panama |
70 | 70 | 69 | 3 |
 Paraguay |
75 | 75 | 76 | 4 |
 Portugal |
84 | 86 | 84 | 5 |
 Qatar |
73 | 68 | 67 | 3 |
 Saudi Arabia |
74 | 74 | 71 | 3.5 |
 Scotland |
77 | 78 | 75 | 4 |
 Senegal |
79 | 79 | 78 | 4.5 |
 South Africa |
70 | 69 | 70 | 3 |
 Spain |
85 | 86 | 83 | 5 |
 Sweden |
86 | 77 | 76 | 4 |
 Switzerland |
77 | 79 | 76 | 4 |
 Tunisia |
70 | 72 | 72 | 3.5 |
 Turkey |
79 | 80 | 78 | 4.5 |
 USA |
77 | 79 | 77 | 4 |
 Uruguay |
78 | 79 | 79 | 4.5 |
 Uzbekistan |
69 | 67 | 71 | 2.5 |
The World’s Game Tournament
The World’s Game Tournament is the headline feature of the update. Launching on June 4, this standalone 48-team international tournament lets players choose from fully licensed national teams such as Brazil, England, France, Portugal, Argentina, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Morocco, Cabo Verde, Uzbekistan, and many more.
The tournament follows an expanded format. Each nation plays three group stage matches, with the top two teams from each group advancing alongside the eight best third-placed teams. From there, the knockout stage begins with the Round of 32 and continues all the way to the Final.
Group stage advancement is decided by points, head-to-head record, goal difference, goals scored, and fair play points. This should make the tournament feel more dynamic, especially when several teams are fighting for the final third-place qualification spots.
Kick Off Mode
World’s Game Kick Off allows players to jump straight into international action against friends locally or against the CPU AI. More national teams will be playable in Kick Off mode, giving players the chance to recreate major international fixtures or build their own matchups outside the tournament structure.
Players can select from a wide range of licensed nations, play one-off fixtures, and enjoy updated squads, authentic kits, stadium visuals, and commentary inspired by the atmosphere of global football. It is the fastest way to experience The World’s Game without committing to a full tournament run.
Manager Live Challenges and Player Career
The update also expands Career content with Manager Live Challenges and a new Player Career experience. Manager Live Challenges will place users into international scenarios, asking them to guide nations through decisive moments, difficult match situations, and pressure-filled objectives.
The new Player Career experience focuses on the journey of an international footballer during the tournament. Players will be able to build their legacy on the world stage through performances, progression, and key moments across the competition.
Football Ultimate Team
The World’s Game Update also brings international action to Football Ultimate Team. The Festival of Football starts on June 4 with a dedicated Event Hub, themed campaigns, Player Items, new Evolutions content, and major reward changes inspired by community feedback.
Over 100 new international players will be added to the FUT item pool during the event. Two brand-new ICONS, Rivellino and Mario Kempes, will also debut with special Greats of the Game versions on June 19, before their Base versions become available in packs from June 26.
One of the biggest additions is Evo Undo, which will allow players to roll back and fully reset Evolutions in their Club. If the original item was tradable, it will return to its tradable status after being reset. Festival of Football will also introduce the PlayStyles Lab, letting users choose preferred PlayStyles and PlayStyles+ for selected Evolutions.
Tokens are another major change. Starting with Festival of Football, Tokens become the primary way to earn rewards in FUT each week. They can be earned through Rivals, Squad Battles, Rush, Live Events, selected Objectives, and selected SBCs. Players will be able to earn up to 1,000 Festival of Football Tokens per week, with a maximum of 5,000 across the event.
Tokens will have a dedicated Store featuring Players, Packs, Evolutions, and Club Customisation content. Since players will not be able to unlock everything, reward choices should become more meaningful throughout the event.
An Unlicensed but Massive International Experience
Unlike previous World Cup expansions released during the FIFA era, The World’s Game Update is not officially licensed by FIFA. As a result, the update will not use the official FIFA World Cup name, branding, logos, or certain tournament-specific presentation elements.
Despite that, EA has still secured a large number of national team licenses. The update includes 53 fully licensed and playable national teams, with 41 of them competing over the summer. Bosnia & Herzegovina and Congo DR will feature generic kits at launch, with authentic kits planned for a future update.
EA has also explained that national team inclusion depends on licensing rights and applicable regulations. Some teams will therefore appear without full licensing, while others may feature generic squads or kits.
Even without the official FIFA license, The World’s Game Update looks set to become one of the most significant post-launch additions to FC 26. With a full 48-team tournament, licensed nations, new stadiums, FUT Festival of Football content, Career additions, and major gameplay and rewards updates, it should capture much of the excitement and scale of international football’s biggest summer.