EA FC 26 Squad Update (Feb 5, 2026) focuses on presentation and authenticity: dozens of real face scans were added for men’s and women’s players, some players were removed, and Career Mode received new ICON options.
In this article we’ll walk through the added and removed players with Real Faces, and the new Career Mode ICONs. Other changes (ratings, transfers, wonderkids) will be covered in the follow-up article.
Table of Contents
EA FC 26 Squad Update
Added Players with Real Faces
The following players have had their authentic star heads restored or added to the EA FC 26. Here is how they fit into their new squads:
Allan Saint-Maximin (RC Lens): The French flair specialist returns to Ligue 1 as a 77-rated LW, bringing his scanned likeness back to the Lens attack.
Lorenzo Insigne (Pescara): The Italian legend adds a touch of class to Serie B, operating as a 74-rated CAM for Pescara.
Bouna Sarr (FC Metz): Metz bolsters their right flank with the 69-rated RW, who returns to the French top flight with his real face intact.
Rodrigo Ely (UD Almería): Almería secures a scanned veteran for their defense, with Ely commanding the backline as a 76-rated CB.
Erik Thommy (LA Galaxy): The 72-rated CAM brings his creative spark and authentic scan to the star-studded Galaxy roster in MLS.
Carlos Clerc (Real Valladolid): Valladolid’s promotion push is aided by the 72-rated LB, who features a high-quality real face scan.
Manuel Riemann (Alemannia Aachen): The 70-rated goalkeeper brings significant experience and an authentic look to the 3. Liga.
Jaime Seoane (SD Huesca): Huesca’s midfield is led by the 71-rated CAM, whose real-face presence adds immersion to LA LIGA 2 saves.
Henry Kessler (Charlotte FC): The 70-rated American CB remains a key authentic figure for Charlotte in Major League Soccer.
Javi Hernández (Panathinaikos): Taking his talents to the “Rest of World” section, the 71-rated LB joins the Greek giants with his real face.
Joaquín Fernández (SD Huesca): Huesca doubles down on authenticity in defense with this 70-rated CB.
Duncan Watmore (Rotherham United): The 68-rated RW brings his high-energy playstyle and scanned likeness to EFL League One.
Matías Nahuel (Jagiellonia Białystok): The 66-rated LM becomes one of the most authentic players in the Polish Ekstraklasa.
Belal Halbouni (Vancouver Whitecaps): The 64-rated CB provides a realistic defensive option for the Canadian MLS side.
Ryan Raposo (Los Angeles FC): LAFC’s 64-rated RM is now fully integrated with his real-world likeness.
Harry Lewis (Mansfield Town): Even in League One, authenticity matters; the 60-rated GK now features his real face for the Stags.
In addition, these players were added with real faces in National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and will appear in the women’s rosters:
- Michelle Alozie – Chicago Red Stars
- Ryan Gareis – Chicago Red Stars
- Katie Lund – Chicago Red Stars
- Brianna Pinto – Chicago Red Stars
- Savannah McCaskill – Gotham FC
- Hailie Mace – Orlando Pride
- Rachel Hill – Racing Louisville
- Kiki Pickett – San Diego Wave
- Brittany Ratcliffe – Seattle Reign
- Madison Hammond – Utah Royals
- Miyabi Moriya – Utah Royals
Removed Players with Real Faces
The following players were removed from EA FC 26’s live rosters in this squad update:
Premier League
- Raheem Sterling – Chelsea
- Lucas Paquetá – West Ham United
EFL Championship
- Onel Hernández – Charlton Athletic
- Brandon Williams – Hull City
- Boubakary Soumaré – Leicester City
- Matt Phillips – Oxford United
- Nathan Redmond – Sheffield Wednesday
- Manuel Benson – Swansea City
Serie A & Serie B
- Vicente Guaita – Parma
- Brenner – Udinese
- Mirko Antonucci – Bari
Bundesliga & Bundesliga 2
- Timo Werner – RB Leipzig
- Jean-Paul Boëtius – SV Darmstadt 98
LA LIGA 2
- Fali – Cádiz CF
- Aridane – UD Almería
Liga Profesional de Fútbol
- Iván Pillud – Central Cordoba
- Josué Colmán – Newell’s Old Boys
- Evelio Cardozo – Racing Club
- Miguel Borja – River Plate
Allsvenskan
- Pontus Dahlberg – IFK Göteborg
- Martin Olsson – Malmö FF
CONMEBOL Libertadores
- Carlos Zambrano – Alianza Lima
- Roberto Rosales – Deportivo Táchira
- Andrés Ibargüen – Once Caldas
Other Men’s Leagues
- Ivan Cavaleiro – CD Tondela (Liga Portugal)
- Emmanuel Boateng – Gaziantep FK (Süper Lig)
- Yoram Zague – FC København (3F Superliga)
- Greg Cunningham – Galway United (SSE Airtricity League)
- Zanka – LA Galaxy (Major League Soccer)
- Karl Toko Ekambi – Al Fateh (Saudi Pro League)
FA Women’s Super League
- Jorelyn Carabalí – Brighton & Hove Albion
- Leanne Kiernan – Liverpool
Liga F
- Alena Pěčková – SD Eibar
Frauen-Bundesliga
- Kristin Krammer – 1. FC Nürnberg
- Reena Wichmann – Werder Bremen
Première Ligue
- Crystal Dunn – Paris Saint-Germain
- Eva Gaetino – Paris Saint-Germain
National Women’s Soccer League
- Katie Stengel – Gotham FC
- Lauren Flynn – Utah Royals
New Career Mode ICONs
EA FC 26 also added new ICON options you can pick in Player Career and Manager Career modes. These legendary names give Career Mode a fresh set of historic choices:
- Zinedine Zidane: The French maestro is ready to dictate play from the midfield.
- Michael Owen: The ultimate clinical finisher for any “Road to Glory” project.
- Davor Šuker: The Croatian legend brings his world-class left foot to the touchline.
- Lotta Schelin: The Swedish superstar joins the icon pool to dominate the women’s game.
Final Whistle
This Feb 5 squad update improves presentation across leagues and adds impactful ICON choices for Career Mode.
We focused here on the Added Players with Real Faces, Removed Players, and New ICONs; the next article will dig into transfers, wonderkids, rating changes and the rest of the update.
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