With the World Cup just weeks away, IGN has an exclusive first look at The World’s Game update for EA Sports FC 26 and EA Sports FC Mobile, including new screenshots and details.
The World’s Game Update, launching May 28, lets players lead a nation in a new 48-team international tournament mode starting June 4. While EA Sports doesn't hold the official FIFA World Cup license (the series rebranded to EA Sports FC in 2023), the update features 53 fully licensed and playable national teams, 41 of which are competing in the actual World Cup.
Fully licensed and playable national teams include Brazil, England, France, Cabo Verde, and Uzbekistan. New stadiums include Gillette Stadium and BMO Field, alongside Central Maw, “a new stadium built to capture the atmosphere of top-tier international football.”
The slideshow below includes two exclusive images showcasing the Mexico and Morocco national teams as they appear in The World’s Game update.
EA Sports confirmed that The World’s Game features two non-licensed teams with authentic players (Egypt, Japan) and five non-licensed generic squads (Algeria, Curaçao, Iran, Iraq, Jordan). “National team inclusion depends on our ability to secure licensing rights directly and comply with applicable laws and regulations, including U.S. sanctions, which may limit our ability to partner with certain federations,” EA Sports explained.
*Teams will feature generic kits as of June 4, with authentic kits added in a future update.
The standalone 48-team tournament takes you through three group stage matches, with the top two teams progressing alongside the eight best third-placed teams across all groups. From there, knockout rounds begin with the round of 32 before culminating in the tournament final.
Meanwhile, Ultimate Team gets a dedicated Event Hub, Festival of Football themed campaigns, and more. Log in and play FC 26 between June 5 and July 24 to receive a 93 OVR Festival of Football ICON Pelé and three ‘Choose Your Journey’ Evolutions.
Throughout Festival of Football, EA Sports will add over 100 new international players to the FUT pool of items, as well as two brand new ICONS: Rivellino and Mario Kempes. They’ll debut with special Greats of the Game Versions on June 19, before their Base versions become available in the FUT pool of items for Packs from June 26.
