Hey everyone, OS writer and FUT expert Franklin Borges here—filling in for Shahmeer while he gets some well-deserved downtime.
Shifting gears from European competitions to the international break, EA FC 26’s Festival Of Football: Captains is here to celebrate those who have either succeeded in or are still fighting to lead their countries to the promised land.
And following last week’s model, this comes in the shape of a promo squad featuring both meta favorites and an honestly badly timed pick within its 40+ lineup, as well as new themed SBCs and even more grindable objectives. So get your notes ready, because there’s a lot to talk about today.
Promo & Event Updates
Festival of Football: Captains Team 1
Kylian Mbappé (92 OVR / ST) | Harry Kane (91 OVR / ST) | Virgil van Dijk (90 OVR / CB) |
Ewa Pajor (89 OVR / ST) | Cristiano Ronaldo (89 OVR / ST) | Gianluigi Donnarumma (89 OVR / GK) |
Lindsey Heaps (88 OVR / CAM) | Robert Lewandowski (88 OVR / ST) | Irene Paredes (88 OVR / CB) |
Leah Williamson (88 OVR / CB) | Naomi Girma (87 OVR / CB) | Pernille Harder (87 OVR / CAM) |
Ada Hegerberg (87 OVR / ST) | Martin Ødegaard (87 OVR / CM) | Bernardo Silva (87 OVR / CM) |
Dominik Szoboszlai (87 OVR / CAM) | Álvaro Morata (87 OVR / ST) | Caroline Weir (87 OVR / CAM) |
Giovanni Di Lorenzo (86 OVR / RB) | Giovanni Di Lorenzo (86 OVR / RB) | Griedge Mbock (86 OVR / CB) |
Andrew Robertson (86 OVR / LB) | Edson Álvarez (86 OVR / CDM) | Kosovare Asllani (86 OVR / CAM) |
Jessie Fleming (86 OVR / CM) | Nicolás Otamendi (86 OVR / CB) | Nicolae Stanciu (86 OVR / CB) |
Aurélien Tchouaméni (86 OVR / CDM) | Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir (86 OVR / CB) | Jordan Ayew (85 OVR / RM) |
Orri Óskarsson (85 OVR / ST) | Aldana Cometti (85 OVR / CB) | Nathan Collins (85 OVR / CB) |
Jordan Henderson (85 OVR / CDM) | Lukáš Hrádecký (85 OVR / GK) | Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (85 OVR / CDM) |
Tim Ream (85 OVR / CB) | Sherida Spitse (85 OVR / CB) | Piotr Zieliński (85 OVR / CM) |
Rebeca Bernal (84 OVR / CB) | Ben Davies (84 OVR / CB) | Dolores Silva (84 OVR / CM) |
Trai Hume (84 OVR / RB) | Mykola Matviienko (84 OVR / CB) |
Promo Takeaways
Best Cards: To no one’s surprise, Mbappé is the highlight here, even if many might miss his now-signature Quick Step+. Virgil van Dijk and CR7 are also sure hits, with the former receiving a +5 PAC and Jockey+, while the latter keeps the standard set by his Ratings Reload version. The newest addition to the premier keeper’s list, Donnarumma also looks unbelievable.
Players To Look Out For: To the delight of all Liverpool fans, Szoboszlai has once again received a phenomenal card, this time featuring Pinged Pass+. Ewa Pajor also looks promising.
Unexpected Surprises: A player no one would have expected to see here early in the season, Jordan Henderson shines via his versatility. Andy Robertson is also sure to perform, even if his price is a bit inflated at the moment.
Pack Value Alerts
I’m the Captain Now Player Pick (100,000 Coins / 800 FC Points)
Contents: 15× 82 OVR+ Rare Gold Players, also includes a 1 of 3 85 OVR+ Gold Rare Player Pick (All Untradable). The pack has a 62% chance of featuring an 86+ card, a 31% chance of featuring a TOTW pick, and an 11% chance of housing a Festival of Football: Captains representative.
Verdict: A worthy investment when looking for a few walkouts or an almost sure promo card. As always, keep your excitement under control to avoid disappointment.
SBC Spotlight
Although Flashback Ángel Di María is the showstopper for me, the first Festival Of Football: Captains SBC brings an excellent all-rounder RB/LB option in Giulia Gwinn.
Here’s an overview of all newly-released noteworthy SBCs, as well as a look at the first Continental Completionist one (Europa Upgrade).
Flashback Ángel Di María (87 RW / ~80K) — Pairing his affordable price with solid/high stats, Technical+, and a 5-star Skill Moves, Di María has everything to be a fun out-of-the-meta pick, as well as a demon when in the hands of skillers. Keep in mind that the card does not have Icon Chemistry.
Festival Of Football: Captains Giulia Gwinn (86 RB / ~90K) — A highlight via her Jockey+, 87 PAC/86 DEF combo, and ability to play on both sides of the pitch. Perfect for those who have the links and are looking for a versatile wingback.
Europa Upgrade (~140K): A 12-step SBC rewarding players with World Tour Benjamin Šeško (84 OVR / ST) via an OBJ reward and multiple packs. Best to wait and invest in the above.
World Tour Marcos Leonardo (~40K): A simple two-step SBC demanding two 84 squads. Easily skippable in the current state of the game.
Cheapest Solution for Flashback Ángel Di María
Task | Requirements | Quick Solution |
Argentina | - Rating: Min 83 - Min 1x Player from Argentina - Min 1x TOTW | - TOTW Wesley Saïd (83) Gold Rare Palacios (84) - Gold Bella Bixby (81) - Gold Matthias Ginter (82) - Gold Bethany England (82) - Gold Rare Vanessa DiBernardo (83) - Gold Signe Bruun (82) - Gold Rare Vanessa Gilles (83) - Gold Rare Zubimendi (86) - Gold Rare Stanislav Lobotka (83) |
Top Form | - Rating: Min 84 - Must include 1x TOTW | - TOTW Jaedyn Shaw (83) - Gold Rare Stefan de Vrij (84) - Gold Rare Palacios (84) - Gold Rare João Cancelo (84) - Gold Rare Dumfries (84) - Gold Rare Alex Baena (84) - Gold Rare Damaris Egurrola (84) - Gold Rare Alex Greenwood (84) - Gold Rare Aleix García (83) - Gold rare Olga Carmona (84) |
85-Rated Squad | - Rating: Min 85 - Must include 1x TOTW | - TOTW Laia Aleixandri López (86) - Gold Rare Isco (84) - Gold Rare Janina Minge (84) - Gold Rare Cata Coll (84) - Gold Rare Tabitha Chawinga (85) - Gold Rare Nico Schlotterbeck (85) - Gold Rare Lukaku (84) - Gold Rare Emily Fox (84) - Gold Rare Linda Caicedo (85) - Gold Rare Sandro Tonali (86) - Gold Rare Giada Greggi (84) |
Market Watch
Last 24 Hours: As 85+ Gold Rares flood the yet-to-recover market, the values for up to 87 cards continue to skydive, with the latter being down by over 8%. The arrival of the I'll Protect You evolution has also caused the price of many below 84 OVR Gold Rare CBs to take a massive fall.
Takeaway: Take this chance and go after the fodder needed to complete the new SBCs and stock a few 86/87’s in expectation of the future Festival of Champions debuts.
Evolutions
Festival of Football: Captains arrived with a set of two paid evolutions, Silver Armour and I'll Protect You. Here’s an overview of both:
Silver Armour (100K Coins / 1.000 FC Points)
Requirements: CB Exclusive (World Tour Silver Stars Excluded). Max 84 OVR and 87 PAC. Must have fewer than 10 regular PlayStyles/one +.
Overview: The long-awaited CB evo, offering huge boosts to stats but keeping your player’s ceiling at around 80-85.
Is It Worth It?: No, you can find better CBs for way cheaper in the market.
I'll Protect You (15K Coins / 100 FC Points)
Requirements: CDM exclusive (World Tour Silver Stars Excluded). 74 OVR. Must have a max 80 PAC and no more than 10 PlayStyles.
Overview: A silver-focused evolution that fails to offer boosts worth its price.
Is It Worth It?: No, 15K is a lot in the current market and can net you a way better pick for tournaments.
Quick Hits
Focus on stacking up fodder and do not miss Giulia Gwinn. Di María is also set to be a cheap beast, so keep that in mind.
Stock up on 84/87 fodder while prices are down.
That’s all for today and, as always, may luck be on your side.
Franklin Borges