EA FC 26 The World’s Game Update (v1.6.0): Full Pitch Notes

The official news is here, and it’s massive. EA SPORTS has released the full Pitch Notes for The World’s Game Update – the final major content drop for EA FC 26.

Launching 28 May for FC Mobile and 4 June for console/PC (PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC, Switch), this update celebrates the summer of international football with a brand‑new 48‑team tournament mode, 53 fully licensed national teams.

And gameplay tuning based on community feedback, huge Career Mode additions, a revolutionary Token system in Ultimate Team, and a free 93 OVR Festival of Football ICON Pelé just for logging in.

Plus, two brand new ICONs: Rivellino and Mario Kempes. Let’s break down every major change in the official Pitch Notes.

Update – May 28: Good news! The update is finally live and available to download now.

EA FC 26 Title Update v1.6.0

The World’s Game

The centrepiece is a standalone 48‑team international tournament mirroring the real World Cup format:

• 3 group stage matches – top two advance, plus the eight best third‑placed teams.
• Knockout rounds from Round of 32 to the final.
• 53 fully licensed and playable national teams (41 real World Cup qualifiers), including Brazil, England, France, Cabo Verde, Uzbekistan, and more.
• New true‑to‑life stadiums: Gillette Stadium, BMO Field, plus Central Maw – a brand‑new arena built for top‑tier international atmosphere.
• Full list of licensed nations (see Pitch Notes). Note: Bosnia & Herzegovina and Congo DR start with generic kits; authentic kits arrive later.

See the list of fully licensed nations below:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Canada, Colombia, Congo DR, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, England, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Netherlands, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Korea Republic, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Wales.

The tournament mode is also available in Career Mode, and you can now add a national team to manage at the start of any new save. End of Season Live Starting Points let you jump in just before the tournament begins.

Gameplay

Based on community feedback, EA has made key gameplay changes:

• Bruiser / Bruiser+: Shoulder challenge boosts reduced. Dribblers with Enforcer now resist better. Strength and PlayStyle differences determine outcomes more authentically. Improved detection of challenges from behind.

• Intercept: Players with 90+ Interceptions (even without the PlayStyle) now get the same interception animations as those with Intercept – making attributes matter more.
• Team Press: AI defenders are less aggressive when Team Press is activated in the defensive half – marking is looser, and they won’t double up unnecessarily. In the attacking half, it’s unchanged.

These changes aim to reward skill and attribute investment, not just PlayStyle spam.

# Related

EA FC 26 Title Update v1.6.0: EXCLUSIVE New Real Faces

Career Mode

• International Men’s Tournament fully integrated into Career Mode (same structure as the standalone mode).
• Additional national teams licensed and added – you can now manage a national team from the start of any new save.
• End of Season Live Starting Points – jump in right before the tournament.
• Festival of Football themed ICONs and Heroes and weekly Manager Live Challenges (starting 5 June).
• New Season objectives for playing with national teams.
• Penalty Shootouts – a limited‑time event available from 28 June in FUT and Kick‑Off.

Football Ultimate Team

This is the biggest FUT overhaul of the year.

Festival of Football ICON Pelé (Free!)

• Log in and play between 5 June and 24 July to earn a 93 OVR Festival of Football ICON Pelé.
• Also get three ‘Choose Your Journey’ Evolutions – pick between ST (Low Driven+), CAM/CM (Incisive Pass+), or LW/RW (Finesse Shot+).

Evo Undo & PlayStyles Lab

• Evo Undo: Roll back and fully reset Evolutions. If you reset a tradeable player, they become tradeable again.
• PlayStyles Lab: Choose your own PlayStyles and PlayStyles+ for selected Evolutions (Star Performer, National Pride, etc.). FUT Birthday items become eligible too.
• Evo Repeatables: Earn additional Evolution entries as rewards.

Tokens – A New Reward System

• Festival of Football Tokens are earned through Rivals, Squad Battles, Rush, Live Events, Objectives, and SBCs.
• Cap of 1,000 Tokens per week (5,000 total over the event).
• Tokens can be spent in a dedicated Store on Players, Packs, Evolutions, and customisation. Not everything is unlockable – choices matter.
• FUT Champions Tokens also introduced, with a separate store for Red Player Items.

New Player Additions

• Over 100 new international players added to FUT.
• Two brand new ICONs: Rivellino (Brazil) and Mario Kempes (Argentina).
  • Debut as Greats of the Game versions on 19 June.
  • Base versions available in packs from 26 June.

Festival of Football Campaigns

• Path To Glory (5‑19 June): Live Player Items that upgrade with real‑world results.
• Greats of the Game (19‑26 June): Rivellino & Kempes.
• Glory Hunters (26 June – 10 July): PlayStyle customisation.
• Phenoms (10‑17 July): Rising stars.
• Summer Stars (17‑24 July): Finale celebration.

Also, a Journey of Nations Event Hub with over 250 challenges across five continents (North America, Asia/Oceania, Africa, South America, Europe) – each week themed around iconic players and historic nations.

Clubs

The following updates have been made to the Clubs to expand the range of ways you can customize and improve your models:

• Archetype level cap increased from 90 → 95.
• Customisable PlayStyle slots from 8 → 9 (unlocked at level 95).
• Signature PlayStyles increased from 3 → 4 (new options for each Archetype, e.g., Boss gets Anticipate, Engine gets Rapid, etc.).
• Fourth Signature PlayStyle can be upgraded to PlayStyle+ at level 95.
• Maximum attribute ranges increased for all Archetypes (e.g., Shot Stopper Vision now max 99, Maestro Short Pass max 99).

We have explained the update to you in full, but if you like to read all the details and delve deeper, you can visit the official website of the game.

Final Whistle

The World’s Game Update is the definitive end‑of‑cycle celebration for EA FC 26. ReFIFA has always been keen to provide you with news and updates before anyone else.

A full 48‑team tournament mode with 53 licensed nations, two new stadiums, meaningful gameplay tuning (Bruiser nerf, Intercept buff, Team Press fix).

And Career Mode national team management, a revolutionary Token system in FUT, over 100 new international players, two brand new ICONs (Rivellino, Kempes), and – simply for logging in – a free 93 OVR Pelé.

The update will be released soon on all platforms. Keep an eye on our website, choose your team, and get ready for an exciting summer of football.