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Three Decades Later, FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 Remains the Gold Standard of International Football Games

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will mark a notable negative milestone for the EA FC franchise. For the first time since the tournament was last in the United States 32 years ago, there will be no officially licensed World Cup in the game for EA FC players to enjoy. This is the natural byproduct of severing ties between the series and the sport’s top governing body, which famously served as the series’ title for more than two decades.

Amazingly, the game that kicked off that legacy 28 years ago with the World Cup in France can still lay claim to a level of World Cup representation that the last edition in the series to cover the Cup officially, Qatar 2022, did not match. Here’s why FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 will always hold a special place in sports gaming lore.

The Long Legacy Of FIFA: Road To World Cup 98

When EA Sports debuted their World Cup games in 1998, there was little reason to expect that it would be in the form of a game that set a bar so high that nearly every successor has even come close to touching, let alone clearing.  

EA Swung Big On A Less Understood Part Of International Football

The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in existence, with the sport known as “the World’s Game” for very good reason. With the final tournament being such a massive international spectacle, it can be easy to assume that everything related to it has always been appointment viewing, but this has not always been the case. This is particularly the case in the United States, one of the biggest gaming markets on the planet, but also a country that had only a passing interest in the sport as a spectator event in the 1990s.

After the US was chosen to host the 1994 World Cup, the game was on the upswing in the US, including the launch of Major League Soccer in the wake of the tournament. Despite that, in an era when the internet was just beginning to proliferate and was nowhere near as ever-present in the lives of everyday people as it is today, not many American gamers would have known or cared about the qualification procedures of European nations, let alone what was going on in Oceania.

Despite this, EA decided to recreate the qualifying process as faithfully as possible, trusting that a game with many options and opportunities would be inherently appealing on its own. They were right.

Few Games Have Matched Road To World Cup 98’s Depth

While the FIFA license stayed with EA Sports for nearly 30 years and spanned seven World Cups, this level of detail was uncommon for the series. Only twice did EA reproduce qualifying, and only with the 2010 edition did they attempt to do so for every confederation.

That such incredible detail was achieved on the Nintendo 64, a system with a fraction of the storage available to developers, makes it even more remarkable. The N64 version fit the entire game into 12 megabytes on its standard Nintendo 64 cartridge. For comparison, this week EA announced that Caleb Williams would be the cover artist of Madden 27 and included an image of the Deluxe Edition in the artwork for the release, which comes in at 12.7 megabytes.

For less space than one promo picture for a modern game, developers included 172 national teams, 16 stadiums for the matches, the underlying structure to guide those teams through six regions’ qualifying journeys, a World Cup, and the in-game engine used to play the games. It’s a staggering accomplishment.

The In-Depth Qualifying Made New Fans Of The International Game

The legacy of FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 doesn’t end with the impression it left on the gaming world; it was also a key part of many fans’ journey toward becoming international football obsessives. Still in its early days of home application, the internet was not yet an ever-present part of daily life in the late 90s. For many sports fans, myself included, Road to World Cup 98 was an introduction to the broad and deep world of World Cup qualification.

As with the 2010 edition, which popular Football Manager and soccer culture YouTuber Zealand has cited on stream as the start of his obsession with the various confederations, the game introduced many gamers to new high-stakes sports to follow. Many soccer fans can trace the intensity of their love for the game, if not their interest altogether, to the introduction provided by Road to World Cup 98.

As gamers around the world dive into The World’s Game update for EA FC 26 ahead of and during the World Cup, there will be plenty of fun on offer. But it will not be able to replicate the magic that was FIFA: Road to World Cup 98.

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First new FIFA game in four years coming to Netflix next week for World Cup 2026

FIFA World Cup 2026: Launch Edition screenshot
Football’s coming home… to Netflix (Delphi Interactive)

FIFA has announced a release date for its first major game since parting ways with EA, and it kicks off on the same day as the World Cup

After EA dropped the FIFA licence in 2021, the football association has announced two new games so far from different developers. 

The first was FIFA Heroes from ENVER studio, a five-a-side arcade-style experience with cuddly mascots which, after a few delays, is set to launch June 22 on PC and mobile. 

The other title is FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition, a collaboration between FIFA and Netflix which was announced in December last year. While it was always slated for the summer, to coincide with the FIFA World Cup 2026, Netflix has now confirmed it will officially launch Thursday, June 11 exclusively on the streaming service. 

Developed and published by Delphi Interactive, FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition is a football sim which supports up to four players. According to Netflix, the game includes all 48 teams and 16 real-world stadiums in the World Cup, across the US, Canada, and Mexico. 

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The game is free for all existing Netflix subscribers and can be accessed through the ‘Games’ tab. Controller wise, FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition is played using your phone, which you connect to the game via a QR code. 

If you’re expecting the graphics to rival competitor EA Sports FC however, you might be disappointed. Based on the trailer, it looks like a step back in time, and it doesn’t help that the clip covers up the gameplay constantly with splashes of text all over the screen.

FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition is described as ‘the kickoff’ of a ‘streamlined, high-energy version of the game focused on immediate fun’. Netflix says it is planning on adding ‘depth, complexity, and technical refinements to updated versions’. 

Speaking about the game, Alain Tascan, president of Netflix Games, said: ‘The FIFA World Cup is going to be the cultural event of 2026, and now fans will be able to celebrate their fandom by bringing the game right into their living rooms.

‘We want to bring football back to its roots with something everyone can play with just the touch of a button.’

It’s difficult to gauge FIFA’s expectations for this Netflix partnership, but the streaming service isn’t exactly a powerhouse in the industry. At one point it seemed as if it was trying to be but more recently it starting curtailing its gaming plans and closing internal developers.

The only other sports game on the service is Football Manager 2026 Mobile, while other titles include Dead Cells, Arranger, Before Your Eyes, Kentucky Route Zero and Oxenfree

FIFA World Cup 26: Launch Edition
An obfusticated trailer isn’t a promising sign (Delphi Interactive)

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How to do a low driven shot in FC 26 explained

One of the most consistent ways to score in FC 26 is with a reliable low driven shot – but how do you do one?

When your striker has good enough finishing, it can feel like a well-placed low driven shot flies into the bottom corner every time you use it.

But if their finishing isn't up to scratch, you might find yourself dragging it wide more often than not, so make sure check out some cheap high-rated players and wonderkids too.

Once you've got your strikers raring to go, let's go through exactly how to perform a low driven shot in FC 26.

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

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.

Furthermore, it can be a bit easier to drag the shot wide, compared to more accurate regular and finesse shots.

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:

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.

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FC 26 World Cup event: Release date and what to expect

The FIFA World Cup is but a week away, if you can believe it, and EA Sports is celebrating with their traditional FC 26 World Cup update.

It's one of the most popular modes in the game, giving players the chance to enjoy the pinnacle of football in Career Mode, Ultimate Team and more.

So, if you want to know what EA has prepared for us for WC26, here is everything you need to know about FC 26's World Cup event – The World's Game – including when it starts and what to expect.

When does the FC 26 World Cup event start?

The FC 26 World Cup event, dubbed 'The World's Game', starts on 4 June 2026.

While an initial update went live on 28 May, introducing some changes to PlayStyles and more general gameplay changes, the full update arrives a week later.

There's a lot to come as part of it, so for the full details…

What to expect from the FC 26 World Cup event

The World's Game brings a huge amount of new content to FC 26, including a whole new game mode.

To make things easier to parse, we've split everything up into sections.

The World's Game tournament mode

The flagship mode of the update, also called The World's Game, will give you the chance to play through the tournament.

Multiple new nations will be added to the game, giving players the option of using one of 53 different teams, with 41 of the teams from this year's World Cup included.

There are several glaring omissions, such as Japan, who do not make the cut due to licencing agreements.

Furthermore, host stadiums such as Gillette Stadium and BMO Field will be added to the game.

Ultimate Team

International football comes to Ultimate Time, bringing with it new Evolutions, Festival of Football Tokens, and weekly Festival of Football campaigns and objectives.

The Tokens are a new type of item that can be earned from playing modes like Rivals and Squad Battles, as well as for completing certain Objectives and SBCs.

Tokens will become the primary way to earn rewards in FUT from here on out, and can be spent on the rewards you actually want, giving players much more choice in what they earn from their time in the game.

The higher you finish in your divisions each week, the more Tokens you earn, with a maximum cap on the number of Tokens you can earn by playing matches each day.

A similar, but separate system will be implemented for FUT Champs, with FUT Champions Tokens being eligible for rewards in a separate store.

Along with that, players who log into the game during the event will earn a 93 OVR Festival of Football Icon Pelé, with three 'Choose Your Journey' Evolutions.

Another big addition is the PlayStyles Lab, which will let you choose preferred PlayStyles and PlayStyles+ for four new Evolutions.

Festival of Football: Journey of Nations is an event that will require you to assemble certain international-themed squads each week to complete objectives.

The teams will centre around FIFA confederations according to the following schedule:

  • North America (CONCACAF) – 4-11 June
  • Asia + Oceania (AFC + OFC) – 12-18 June
  • Africa (CAF) – 19-25 June
  • South America (CONMEBOL) – 26 June-2 July
  • Europe (UEFA) – 3 July

To help with your team building, more than 100 new international players will be added to the FUT player pool, including two brand-new Icons: Rivellino and Mario Kempes.

Festival of Football Campaigns

A total of five campaigns will take place in Ultimate Team between 5 June and 24 July, adding themed items to the game:

  • Path To Glory: 5-19 June
    • Path to Glory opens the Festival of Football celebrations, following the journey of each nation with live Player Items that upgrade alongside the international action
  • Greats of the Game: 19-26 June
    • Greats of the Game is all about the legends, introducing two new Icons, Mario Kempes and Rivellino, to honour big name players who defined eras of The World's Game
  • Glory Hunters: 26 June-10 July
    • Glory Hunters brings PlayStyle customisation to selected Player Items for more control over squad building
  • Phenoms: 10-17 July
    • Phenoms shines a light on football's next generation. Spotlighting young players and debutants looking to stand out as the world watches on.
  • Summer Stars: 17-24 July
    • The Festival of Football finale culminates in a celebration of the biggest moments and greatest performers.
View Green Video on the source website

Career Mode

The men's World Cup will be added to Career Mode, with the same structure as in The World's Game mode.

The international teams that are being added to the game as part of this update will also be made available to manage at the beginning of a new save.

Further introductions include End of Season Live Starting Points to allow you to take charge right before the World Cup kicks off, new Festival of Football Icons and Heroes, new Live Challenges and Season Objectives.

Penalty Shootouts Event

Last, but not least (well, probably the least, if we're being honest), is the new Penalty Shootout Event.

It's exactly what it sounds like – a limited-time event that lets you play out a penalty shootout.

It will be available in both Kick-Off and Ultimate Team.

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.

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FIFA has banned fans from taking water bottles into World Cup stadiums despite extreme heat fears, and many are seeing this move as a huge cash grab

Whenever I see a controversy about the FIFA World Cup 2026, such as the New Jersey transportation price hike, I assume nothing else will follow. But it appears controversies keep emerging. According to the Daily Mail, FIFA has announced a regulation that will prevent fans from bringing water bottles into stadiums.

With World Cup games being held in the summer, the extreme weather conditions across the US, Canada, and Mexico seem to have sparked fear among the audience. This is because experts have predicted that over 90 percent of games will be played in temperatures above 82.4°F (28°C). As one can already guess, staying hydrated will play a crucial role here.

It’s not like FIFA has banned water bottles completely, as it appears one can buy them from the venue. Per The Athletic, FIFA has informed ticket holders that “reusable water bottles are no longer permitted at the FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums.” Since fans cannot bring their own reusable water bottles, they are quite concerned, according to the Daily Mail.

It looks like FIFA initially allowed water bottles and then banned them later

According to the available information, it appears that FIFA initially allowed fans to bring water bottles, but just weeks later, they reportedly banned them. Initially, it stated, “For the avoidance of doubt, empty, transparent, reusable plastic bottles, up to (1 liter in) capacity, may be brought into the Stadium.”

🚨JUST IN: FIFA will not allow fans to bring water into World Cup stadiums

The price of a water bottle at MetLife stadium during the tournament is expected to be between $6-$8 pic.twitter.com/h8893Ipfta

— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) June 4, 2026

That sounds fair. Carrying multiple 1-liter bottles, I think, may have been enough to meet water requirements. Otherwise, one can always buy an additional water bottle from the stadium. However, on June 2, the authority revised its statement, stating, “For the avoidance of doubt, reusable water bottles may not be brought into the stadium.”

It appears this change wasn’t very welcomed by the fans. Per the source, one of them wrote on X, “Those drinks are going to be absolutely shocking in price. Water will be $10 at least. The scandal just keeps getting bigger.” Another one shared a concern, “So what happens when they run out? Because in 95° heat and 60,000+ people – They might. This is f****** ridiculous.”

In my opinion, the comments suggest that fans are taking this decision as a cash grab. This is because higher demand for water bottles at the stadium might double the original prices. As a result, fans who have already paid for an expensive ticket might have to pay more for a bottle of water.

Fans are looking furious, but at the same time, FIFA’s explanation for banning bottles also sounds fair. According to NBC News, a spokesperson for the global soccer governing body said, “FIFA made the decision to prohibit bottles to prevent risk and injury to players and attendees.”

They also added, “Outside bottles are already prohibited at several of these venues for safety considerations, and FIFA is applying this consideration across its tournament stadiums.” It appears that safety is a concern from FIFA’s side, hence the water bottle ban. Their latest statement might sound controversial, but it doesn’t seem to impact the World Cup’s hype. All eyes are on the games now.

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FIFA accidentally gave 60 fans free World Cup tickets through a glitch, then sent them an email giving them seven days to pay or lose their seats

FIFA has confirmed that around 60 fans received World Cup 2026 tickets at no cost due to a website glitch during checkout. The governing body is now requiring those individuals to pay within seven days or face cancellation of their seats. The issue came to light on June 4, 2026.

As detailed by BroBible, FIFA addressed the error directly, confirming in a statement: “FIFA can confirm that approximately 60 FIFA World Cup 2026 fans received a communication on Wednesday, 3 June, regarding tickets that had been allocated at no charge (0 USD) due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process.” The organization attributed the error to a payment processing failure on its end.

FIFA stated that it “regrets the error and any inconvenience caused” and confirmed that “the tickets requested by these fans remain reserved, and the affected fans have been invited to complete payment of the correct amount.” According to an email released online by Ticket Talk Network, fans have exactly seven days to submit payment. If the deadline passes without payment, the tickets could be rescinded entirely.

FIFA’s ticketing headaches go well beyond a checkout glitch

This ticketing error arrives amid broader scrutiny of FIFA’s operations. Officials from New York and New Jersey have begun investigating whether various ticketing practices violated consumer protection laws, and FIFA has received subpoenas from the attorneys general of both states. These legal inquiries are requesting detailed information on several matters, including the specific use of variable pricing, amid separate complaints over seat downgrades affecting premium ticket buyers.

🚨 FIFA has confirmed a website glitch has left dozens of fans getting FREE tickets for the World Cup 2026.

Supporters reportedly have 7 days to complete payment or lose their seats. @SkyNews

— Soloball (@OginiSolomon) June 5, 2026

The landscape of complimentary tickets remains inconsistent across different groups. While the general public is dealing with payment glitches and potential cancellations, the Saudi Arabian football association announced that its fans will receive complimentary tickets during the tournament. The association stated: “On this occasion, Saudi Arabia is offering free tickets for Saudi National Team fans present in the U.S. We wish our national team the best of luck as it represents the Kingdom with pride, passion, and the full force of a nation behind them.”

FIFA’s ticketing policies are notoriously strict. A spinal cord injury charity was previously forced to cancel a raffle for World Cup tickets after a FIFA representative noted that tickets are issued as “personal, revocable licenses” intended to “protect the integrity and fair allocation of tickets, ensure that access is provided through controlled and secure channels, and safeguard the commercial rights that underpin the organization and delivery of the FIFA World Cup.” \

For fans navigating refunds or payment questions, FIFA’s official ticket cancellation and refund support page outlines the relevant processes. The tournament has faced broader criticism over its pricing, with high costs drawing scrutiny from advocacy groups ahead of the event.

For the 60 affected fans, the deadline to secure their seats stands. Failure to complete payment within the seven-day window will result in the tickets being cancelled.

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FC 26 Division Rivals rewards: How FUT Rivals rewards work

Division Rivals in FC 26 sees some interesting changes being made to the system we've all become so accustomed to in recent years.

Still, just like Squad Battles and FUT Champs, Rivals remains one of the best ways to earn rewards every week in Ultimate Team.

The biggest new addition is that of Bounties, a mechanic to help you quickly make your way up the divisions, even if you lose the odd game.

So, for an overview of how it all works, as well as when Division Rivals rewards are released, read on!

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:

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.

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FC 26 best formations and tactics

Whether you're years into a Career Mode save or tearing it up in FUT Champs, it's important to make sure you have the best formations and tactics in FC 26.

No matter your style of play, be that fast and aggressive, or defensive and counter-attacking, these tactics cater for everyone.

Of course, any tactic is only as great as the players using it, so make sure you load your team with some high-rated players and wonderkids.

But before that, we'll take you through our picks for the very best FC 26 formations and tactics for you to use in your own games.

Best FC 26 formations and tactics codes

Below are what we reckon are the best FC 26 formations and tactics to use:

Clicking on each of those will take you to the formations and explain what they’re good for.

5-2-1-2

A 5-2-1-2 custom tactic in FC 26.

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

A 4-1-2-1-2 custom tactic in FC 26.

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

A 4-2-1-3 custom tactic in FC 26.

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

A 3-4-2-1 custom tactic in FC 26.

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

A 4-2-3-1 custom tactic in FC 26.

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.

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Please, Tell Me More About The New FIFA Game And The Money Behind It

Please, Tell Me More About The New FIFA Game And The Money Behind It

I may have just been reminded to never judge a book by its cover, but sometimes the cover is so bad that I can't help it.

A few years back EA Sports and FIFA, who had collaborated for decades on the globe-conquering FIFA series of video games, split. EA now makes its own series, EA Sports FC, and FIFA--when not engaging in blatant corruption and cronyism with some of the worst people on Earth--had to find a new partner if they wanted to make some money in the video game space (which they do, all FIFA cares about is making money, see earlier comments).

I’m Taking It As A Bad Sign That Two Big Games Were Announced With No Screenshots
One game overthought it, the other knew exactly what it was doing
Please, Tell Me More About The New FIFA Game And The Money Behind ItAftermathLuke Plunkett
Please, Tell Me More About The New FIFA Game And The Money Behind It

Late last year, it was announced they'd found one! As I said in December:

Earlier today Netflix announced that Delphi, a company you've likely never heard of (they're relatively new, and their only public credit is as support on IO's upcoming 007 game) will be both developing and publishing a new FIFA game.

That was all we knew at the time, but now, courtesy of an interview Delphi recently conducted with GI.biz, we know more. And what we know sucks.

"Delphi has evolved into a full-fledged developer and publisher," [executive producer] Tang-Peronard says. "We believe in a lean, highly experienced core team, supported by best-in-class co-development and outsourcing partners." For FIFA, that includes Refactor Games, based at Delphi's LA headquarters, part-owned by Delphi and backed by venture capital giant A16z's Speedrun fund. Founded in 2021, it launched physics-heavy American football title Football Simulator into Early Access in 2022. The studio employs alumni of VR dev Survios and blockchain dev N3TWORK.

A16z is Andreessen Horowitz, a terrible company even by venture capital's vampiric standards, run by some of the most overt technofascists operating in Silicon Valley today. Refactor's site boasts of hires from rights licensing company OneTeam (whose partners are currently under investigation by the FBI) and N3TWORK (a blockchain studio), and their single published sports game, Football Simulator, is not exactly a smash hit.

None of that guarantees anything! For all we know a new FIFA could turn out to be the sleeper hit of the decade, a true middle finger to complacent AAA sports gaming, a rebirth of the FIFA brand and a reward for the millions of gamers exhausted by EA's near-monopoly on the sport.

Or, you know, it could show FIFA have no idea what they're doing, and they're going to get exactly the game they deserve for it.

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I'm Taking It As A Bad Sign That Two Big Games Were Announced With No Screenshots

I'm Taking It As A Bad Sign That Two Big Games Were Announced With No Screenshots

I don't want to be the Game Announcement Police here, ACAB, but over the last month there have been two big, new video games revealed that were notable not for what they showed off, but for what they didn't.

First up was Total War: Medieval III, which was announced via a live-action trailer (below) and blog post:

Amazing news! There hasn't been a proper historical Total War release since Three Kingdoms (I'm not counting Pharaoh's mea culpa), and Medieval is a long-time fan favourite, so this should have got people excited. Only problem is that there wasn't any gameplay shown. There weren't any screenshots. There wasn't even much art for the game, aside from a single piece shown at the top of a follow-up blog.

Only days later, Creative Assembly announced a second upcoming Total War game coming out much sooner, this time set in the Warhammer 40K universe, and its debut trailer was packed with gameplay footage, right down to giving us a look at the menus and interface.

I'm not drawing a very long bow here to speculate that the Medieval announcement was made a few days prior in an attempt to head off any uproar over the 40K announcement. For those unfamiliar with the franchise, there's a kind of uneasy divide among some in the community, with Total War's longest-serving fans (going back to 1999's Shogun) preferring the series' historical focus over the wilder, more fictional stuff that has featured in the Warhammer (and now 40K) entries. They look at how much money and effort has been poured into the Creative Assembly collab, then look at the relative neglect shown to the historical games (from ending Three Kingdoms support early to whatever the hell happened with Pharaoh), and get pretty mad.

While getting Medieval III out in front like that probably made diplomatic sense to publishers Sega and developers Creative Assembly, I dunno, I think I'd rather a game be announced on its own merits and with something genuine to show off and talk about, rather than shoot a clip and write a blog just so you make some of your own fans less angry. Medieval III is clearly years away (they didn't even hint at a broad window for it to come out), and you went and announced a whole other game a few days later– you didn't have to Elder Scolls VI-ify your next big game!

The Elder Scrolls 6 Announcement Is Now as Old as Skyrim Was When The Elder Scrolls 6 Was Announced - IGN
The Elder Scrolls 6 announcement is now as old as predecessor Skyrim was when The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced, and developer Bethesda hasn’t shared another snippet since.
I'm Taking It As A Bad Sign That Two Big Games Were Announced With No ScreenshotsIGNryan_dinsdale
I'm Taking It As A Bad Sign That Two Big Games Were Announced With No Screenshots

The second game I wanted to talk about is even funnier. Earlier today Netflix announced that Delphi, a company you've likely never heard of (they're relatively new, and their only public credit is as support on IO's upcoming 007 game) will be both developing and publishing a new FIFA game. You might remember that back in 2022 EA Sports (developers of the long-running series) and FIFA (the world governing body for football) split, and ever since EA's series has been called EA Sports FC, or EAFC for short.

Netflix's announcement contains zero images or video of the game. And there's probably a good reason for that: the press release says stuff like "All you need is Netflix and your phone", and "We want to bring football back to its roots with something everyone can play with just the touch of a button", suggesting that whatever Delphi is cooking up, it'll be a lot closer to a casual mobile experience than the blockbuster simulation football fans have long come to expect from series like FIFA (now EAFC) and Pro Evo (now called eFootball).

That obfuscation has paid off handsomely, though, with a ton of mainstream coverage of the announcement hitting today with headlines like:

Fifa video game to return after four years in Netflix exclusive
The game will be made by Delphi Interactive and released in time for the 2026 World Cup.
I'm Taking It As A Bad Sign That Two Big Games Were Announced With No ScreenshotsBBC News
I'm Taking It As A Bad Sign That Two Big Games Were Announced With No Screenshots

There's a small mention of what I've just said above at the bottom of that BBC article, but as a mainstream article intended for a mainstream audience, I guarantee Delphi and FIFA will be thrilled at the number of water cooler and group chat conversations this week that will revolve around the talking point "Boys, did you hear FIFA is coming back?"

I should point out that this isn't the first FIFA game to "return" since the body split with EA; there's already a game called FIFA Rivals, which is basically an antique NFT scam with a playerbase best summed up by the fact the game's official site has a Telegram account.

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When is FC 26 TOTY? Release date, voting and all nominees

It's finally time for FC 26 TOTY, and the voting is now open!

The promo has players vote for the best players in the world from the previous year, with the winners receiving hugely upgraded promo cards.

You can now vote, so here's what you need to know about the promo release date, how to vote and the full list of nominees.

2025 is over, and you know what that means – FC 26 TOTY is about to arrive!

The yearly promo sees players vote for their Team of the Year, with the very best players in both the men's and women's games getting huge promo cards.

With voting about to start, here's what you need to know about the FC 26 TOTY voting and when the promo might begin.

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.

FC 26 TOTY voting and nominees

Voting for FC 26 TOTY began on 7th January 2026, and you can vote now on the EA Sports FC website.

As ever, the nominees are split between men's and women's teams, and by positions.

Here is the full list of FC 26 TOTY nominees:

Men's TOTY nominees

Goalkeeper

  • Alisson
  • Thibaut Courtois
  • David Raya
  • Gianluigi Donnarumma
  • Manuel Neuer
  • Jan Oblak
  • Mile Svilar

Defenders 

  • Alessandro Bastoni
  • Denzel Dumfries
  • Gabriel
  • Marc Guéhi
  • Dean Huijsen
  • Jules Koundé
  • Marc Cucurella
  • Marcos Llorente
  • Marquinhos
  • Maximilian Mittelstädt
  • Nuno Mendes
  • Willian Pacho
  • Andre Rațiu
  • David Raum
  • Amir Rrahmani
  • William Saliba
  • Nico Schlotterbeck
  • Jonathan Tah
  • Micky van de Ven
  • Virgil van Dijk

Midfielders

  • Maghnes Akliouche
  • Salem Al Dawsari
  • Nicolò Barella
  • Jude Bellingham
  • Bruno Guimarães
  • Moisés Caicedo
  • Frenkie de Jong
  • Luis Díaz
  • Ritsu Doan
  • Evander
  • Ryan Gravenberch
  • Grimaldo
  • Pierre-Emile Højbjerg
  • João Neves
  • Joshua Kimmich
  • Lamine Yamal
  • Riyad Mahrez
  • Scott McTominay
  • Jamal Musiala
  • Nico Paz
  • Nico Williams
  • Felix Nmecha
  • Michael Elise
  • Riccardo Orsolini
  • Cole Palmer
  • Pedro
  • Raphinha
  • Declan Rice
  • Mohamed Salah
  • Angelo Stiller
  • Corentin Tolisso
  • Federico Valverde
  • Vitinha
  • Kenan Yıldız
  • André-Frank Zambo Anguissa

Attackers

  • Julián Alvarez
  • Antony
  • Ayoze
  • Bradley Barcola
  • Karim Benzema
  • Cristiano Ronaldo
  • Ousmane Dembélé
  • Désiré Doué
  • Anders Dreyer
  • Emanuel Emegha
  • Serhou Guirassy
  • Viktor Gyökeres
  • Erling Haaland
  • Harry Kane
  • Moise Kean
  • Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
  • Robert Lewandowski
  • Romelu Lukaku
  • Lautaro Martínez
  • Jean-Philippe Mateta
  • Kylian Mbappé
  • Bryan Mbeumo
  • Lionel Messi
  • Christian Pulisic
  • Patrik Schick
  • Heung-min Son
  • Vini Jr.

Women's TOTY nominees

Goalkeepers

  • Christiane Endler
  • Hannah Hampton
  • Lorena
  • Chiamaka Nnadozie
  • Constance Picaud

Defenders

  • Selma Bacha
  • Millie Bright
  • Lucy Bronze
  • Ellie Carpenter
  • Emily Fox
  • Vanessa Giles
  • Giulia Gwinn
  • Lauren
  • Katie McCabe
  • Tara McKeown
  • Nerea Nevado
  • Olga Carmona
  • Wendie Renard
  • Izzy Rodriguez
  • Kayla Sharples
  • Leah Williamson

Midfielders

  • Aitana Bonmatí
  • Alexia Putellas
  • Bernadette Amani
  • Sandy Baltimore
  • Klara Bühl
  • Delphine Cascarino
  • Sam Coffey
  • Erin Cuthbert
  • Kenza Dali
  • Fiamma Benítez
  • Taylor Flint
  • Laura Freigang
  • Vanessa Fudalla
  • Manuela Giugliano
  • Pernille Harder
  • Yui Hasegawa
  • Lindsey Heaps
  • Svenja Huth
  • Sakina Karchaoui
  • Chloe Kelly
  • Rose Lavelle
  • Mariona
  • Marta
  • Janina Minge
  • Olivia Moultrie
  • Patri Guijarro
  • Trinity Rodman
  • Georgia Stanway
  • Ella Toone
  • Vicky López
  • Selina Vobian
  • Keira Walsh
  • Caroline Weir

Attackers

  • Alba Redondo
  • Lineth Beerensteyn
  • Mathilde Bourdieu
  • Linda Caicedo
  • Sofia Cantore
  • Selina Cerci
  • Tabitha Chawinga
  • Temwa Chawinga
  • Claudia Pina
  • Kadidiatou Diani
  • Melchie Dumornay
  • Elena Julve
  • Esther
  • Cristiana Girelli
  • Caroline Graham Hansen
  • Edna Imade
  • Clara Mateo
  • Manaka Matsukubo
  • Larissa Mühlhaus
  • Ewa Pajor
  • Alexandra Popp
  • Géraldine Reuteler
  • Alessia Russo
  • Emma Sears
  • Khadija Shaw

Voting should last for about a week – looking back at last year, it ended on Sunday 12th January, and the voting will take place on the official EA Sports FC website.

Read more:

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.

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FC 26 reveals free preview mode and 10 classic squads

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.

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