Hello everyone, Franklin here, making a return to the starting lineup as Shahmeer takes a well-deserved rest.

And well, we have a lot to cover, with Festival of Football: Answer the Call kickstarting the World Cup season in FC 26, a Cruyff SBC already putting players on high alert, and five new evos arriving to keep you occupied during the weekend.

Well, let’s get this FUTcast started, shall we?

Promo & Event Updates

Festival of Football: Answer the Call Team 1

Focused on players who are both guaranteed or still fighting for their spots within their respective World Cup squads, Festival of Football: Answer the Call is all about making each star shine. And to push you to root for all, the promo cards will also receive a +1 OVR, ++ roles, and a third PlayStyle+ if called to an international tournament this summer.

Here are the first team’s top-rated picks, as well as their face stats and PlayStyles+.

  • Jude Bellingham (93 OVR / CAM): 88 PAC, 90 SHO, 88 PAS, 93 DRI, 85 DEF, and 90 PHY. Finesse Shot+ and Technical+

  • Julián Alvarez (93 OVR / ST): 91 PAC, 93 SHO, 90 PAS, 93 DRI, 65 DEF, and 87 PHY. Power Shot+ and Finesse Shot+

  • David Raya (92 OVR / GK): 91 DIV, 90 HAN, 92 KIC, 93 REF, 80 SPD, 90 POS. Deflector+ and Pinged Pass+

  • João Neves (92 OVR / CM): 87 PAC, 80 SHO, 91 PAS, 93 DRI, 90 DEF, and 90 PHY. Technical+ and Incisive Pass+

  • N'Golo Kanté (92 OVR / CDM): 87 PAC, 74 SHO, 85 PAS, 91 DRI, 93 DEF, and 87 PHY. Intercept+ and Pinged Pass+

  • Nico Williams (92 OVR / LW): 97 PAC, 87 SHO, 88 PAS, 92 DRI, 43 DEF, and 80 PHY. Rapid+ and Quick Step+

  • Ryan Gravenberch (92 OVR / CDM): 87 PAC, 85 SHO, 90 PAS, 92 DRI, 91 DEF, and 91 PHY. Intercept+ and Bruiser+

Promo Takeaways

  • The Highlights: Bellingham’s pairing on Finesse+, Technical+, Tiki Taka, and Intercept makes him by far the game’s best all-around midfielder. Ryan Gravenberch, Kanté, and João Neves are also highlights, with the former taking the spot as THE premier CDM. Julián Alvarez, Nico Williams, and Karim Adeyemi can become unstoppable when in set formations.

  • Solid Picks: In a world where everyone has an elite CB, Harry Maguire shines as a solid pick. Angelo Stiller then follows as one of the promo’s best CDMs. Julian Araujo and Spinazzola are elite but hard-to-link fullbacks.

  • Best World Cup Bets: Ryan Gravenberch, Julián Alvarez, João Neves, and Nico Williams are by far the best bets, as they are already meta picks and have guaranteed spots in their respective World Cup squads.

Pack Value Alerts

To celebrate the arrival of the promo, a new wave of themed packs has also arrived at the store. As you can guess, though, none of them are cheap.

Answer the Call Guarantee Pack

Includes 10 84+ Rare Gold Players, with two guaranteed to be 86+. Also provides a 1 out of 3 89+ FOF: Answer the Call player pick. All items are untradable.

  • Cost: 250,000 Coins / 1,500 FC Points

  • Odds: Gold 75+ (100%), Gold 82+ (100%), Gold 88+ (84%), TOTW (50%), Hero (2.1%), Icon (1.1%), FOF: Answer the Call (33%).

  • Verdict: High Risk.

  • Why? Might reward you with 2M+ picks if you are lucky. Only 13 out of its 30 possible players make up for the value spent.

Final 26 Pack

Includes 26 Rare Gold Players rated 84 or higher. 11 are then guaranteed to be 86+, three 87+, and one to be 90+. All items are untradable.

  • Cost: 300,000 Coins / 1,500 Coins

  • Odds: Gold 75+ (100%), Gold 82+ (100%), Gold 90+ (99%), TOTW (83%), Hero (2.6%), Icon (1.3%), FOF: Answer the Call (89%).

  • Verdict: Skip

  • Why? The pack’s promo rate might be enticing, but don’t be fooled; the odds are definitely against you.

SBC Spotlight

A good array of SBCs have been released since we last saw each other, with Winter Wildcards Cruyff being considered the biggest IQ test. Well, here’s our overview of all:

  • World Tour Mitoma (87 LM, ~50K) — Worth it. Mitoma’s price, evolution potential, and elite PS+ selection make him an easy choice.

  • FoF: Answer the Call Rayan Cherki (90 RW, ~170K) — Worth it. Cherki’s 5/5, Rapid+, and Technical+ combo make him untoppable when in 1v1s. Much like Cancelo during Fantasy, he is also guaranteed to get the promo’s upgrades.

  • Winter Wildcards Johan Cruyff (90 RW, ~350K) — We won’t judge. Much like WW Red Ronaldinho, this SBC is made for those who don’t expect to pack Cruyff during FC 26’s tenure. Just keep in mind that the card will need an evolution to fit the current meta.

Cheapest Solution For Rayan Cherki

Task

Requirements

Recommended players (rating)

Manchester City

Team Rating: Min 85 Must have: At least one Manchester City player / At least one TOTW representative

2x 82’s, 5x 84’s, and 4x 86’s

France

Team Rating: Min 86 Must have: At least one player from France

3x 87’s, 3x 86’s, and 5x 84’s

Premier League

Team Rating: Min 86 Must have: At least one Premier League player / At least one TOTW representative

3x 87’s, 3x 86’s, and 5x 84’s

Top Form

Team Rating: Min 87 Must have: At least one TOTW representative

3x 88’s, 4x 87’s, and 4x 84’s

87-Rated Squad

Team Rating: Min 87 Must have: At least one TOTW representative

3x 88’s, 4x 87’s, and 4x 84’s

Market Watch

Market Overview: The market is recalibrating following FUT Birthday, with Index 100 now at 53.46. The price of low fodder seems to be starting to stabilize, while 86+ cards find themselves in freefall.

Low-Rated Fodder Stabilizes:

  • Index 81: DOWN -3.68%.

  • Index 84: DOWN -1.50%.

  • Action: WAIT. Low-rated cards are now easier than ever to find. Either save or use them on SBCs.

High-Rated Fodder Continue To Crash:

  • Index 86: DOWN -7.99%.

  • Index 87: DOWN -9.41%

  • Inder 88: DOWN -12.82%

  • Action: BUY. Objectives and SBCs continue to grind down the prices of 86, 87, and 88 cards. Get them now!

Evolutions

Five new evolutions have arrived with FOF: Answer the Call, with most of them being free.

National Captain (500,000 Coins / 1,500 FC Points) + National Captain: Final Touch

  • Overview: A premium triple PS+ evolution offering a +46 OVR increase, the 4/5 combo, massive increases to all face stats, and the following PlayStyles: Intercept+, Incisive Pass+, Power Shot+, Anticipate, and Finesse Shot. As a chain evolution, National Captain: Final Touch can only be used after fully evolving a National Captain and provides ++ roles and another wave of regular PSs.

  • Verdict: Worth It. Although the price might make some resent it, National Captain’s upgrades can give birth to 2M+ CMs for a fraction of its price. It can also be used to close out long Bronze and Silver chains with a bang.

    Euro Trio (Free)

    • Overview: A Bruiser+ evo, which pairs the PlayStyle with pretty much all of the best defensive picks in the game. Repeatable.

    • Verdict: Must Do. Who can say no to a free Bruiser+ CB/CDM? If you have completed the Winter Wildcards Red Ashley Cole SBC, it can also allow him to finally join your starting eleven.

    Euro Minitrip (Free)

    • Overview: A evo usable only on Spanish, French, and Dutch players. Offers increases to PAC, PAS, and DRI, as well as Pinged Pass+, Tiki Taka, and Incisive Pass, among other PlayStyles. Repeatable.

    • Verdict: Must Do. If you are looking for a CDM or prefer to play from the back, this evo will allow your backline to break apart lines on its own.

South American Stars (Free)

  • Overview: A dribbling evolution providing Technical+, Rapid, Press Proven, First Touch, and Trickster, as well as +7 PAC, +5 SHO, and +5 DRI. Repeatable

  • Verdict: Must Do. Although it’s under 87 OVR requirement might lock some beasts away, the evolution’s duo PS+ treatment feels like the perfect upgrade to both once meta picks, like Flashback Di María, or promising investments, aka POTM Endrick.

Quick Hits

  • Promo: Festival of Football: Answer the Call feels like a fun break. Bellingham, Alvarez, Gravenberch, Neves, Kanté, and Williams are the biggest highlights.

  • Player SBCs: Cherki can be a fun find. Go for Cruyff if you just want to have fun.

  • Market: Invest in 86 to 88-rated fodder while they are down.

  • Evos: All free evolutions feel amazing. National Captain is a steep but worthy investment if you have the coins.

That’s it for us today. Good luck with the grind, and once again, thank you for the support.

Franklin Borges

Keep Reading