EA FC 26 4-3-1-2 Formation Breakdown: Why The Tactic Is The New Meta After Holiday Update 1.3.0?

Posted: Dec 02, 2025 Views: 18

Posted: Dec 02, 2025

Source: IGGM

Good news! EA Sports FC 26 released the brand new Holiday Update 1.3.0 on December 2nd. This patch isn't just a simple update to improve gameplay; it's a major update bringing a series of feature improvements and fixes.

Holiday Update 1.3.0

In Ultimate Team mode, the most significant change is the improvement to the goalkeeper. Manual goalkeeper movement is now more restricted because in open matches, the goalkeeper's movement speed and coverage area are significantly reduced, and Rush To Center mechanic in open matches has been removed.

Several targeted improvements aim to enhance the goalkeeper's saves and reaction time. Goalkeepers will react more sensitively to first shots, and the probability of save errors will be reduced. In Competitive mode, goalkeepers transition faster after receiving the ball, allowing for smoother throws, dives, and dribbling.

In addition, they slightly improved the transition speed of skill moves, especially after pull-back actions, fixed the issue of slow player reactions in set-piece attacks, and corrected the problem of AI mistakenly kicking corner kicks out of bounds.

These improvements not only significantly enhanced the player experience but also revitalized a previously underrated formation, namely the 4-3-1-2 formation.

EA FC 26 4-3-1-2 Formation Breakdown: Why The Tactic Is The New Meta After Holiday Update 1.3.0?

Why Is The 4-3-1-2 Formation Underrated?

The 4-3-1-2 formation is often underestimated. While it possesses strong central attacking capabilities, creating difficult-to-mark attacking threats and enhancing midfield dominance, this formation relies too heavily on fullbacks to create width. This can lead to fullbacks being frequently exposed to defense and consuming a lot of stamina.

Furthermore, when opponents with fast wingers exploit space on the flanks to break through your defense, midfielders must move up to cover, often isolating fullbacks. When full-backs are pushed too far forward, the team becomes vulnerable to quick counter-attacks, especially against wide-open teams like those using a 4-3-3 formation.

However, compared to this disadvantage, the advantages of the 4-3-1-2 formation are significantly more pronounced. This formation is adaptable to various playing styles, from long-ball counters to possession-based teams, thus flexibly meeting the needs of different coaches and players. Furthermore, the two strikers and one attacking midfielder densely packed in the center allow for strong control and creative attacks through the middle.

Because this formation demands high tactical flexibility, its advantages are often overlooked. However, after FIFA 26 1.3.0 patch update, players can utilize full-backs and flexible midfielders to cover these flanks, creating a powerful central attack and a compact team formation. This makes the 4-3-1-2 formation a top choice for teams that prioritize midfield control.

How Does Update 1.3.0 Affect This Formation?

First, as we mentioned before, this update improves AI and optimizes player roles, allowing players to more effectively utilize the advantages of the 4-3-1-2 formation. Players like fullbacks can now more easily control the flanks while maintaining a solid central structure.

Furthermore, changes to player movement and the ability to set more specific player roles allow players to create smoother, more flexible formations, thus better controlling their team's performance at different stages of the match.

Based on current trends, after the 1.3.0 update, the 4-3-1-2 formation is highly likely to break the previous dominance of the 4-5-1 formation and become more competitive and viable.

4-3-1-2 vs 4-5-1

In EA FC 26, the 4-3-1-2 formation is an attacking, narrow formation consisting of two forwards and one attacking midfielder, designed to launch quick and direct attacks through the center.

In contrast, the 4-5-1 formation is more balanced and compact, relying on a striker and five midfielders for support, providing greater defensive stability and midfield control, especially against counter-attacks.

Therefore, the 4-3-1-2 formation is generally more suitable for aggressive attacks, while the 4-5-1 formation is defensively solid and excels at controlling the midfield.

However, after the 1.3.0 patch update, the 4-3-1-2 formation is clearly more advantageous than the 4-5-1 formation because it can form a more threatening four-man attacking combination in the final third and provides a better midfield and defensive structure through its unique player roles. These factors allow the 4-3-1-2 formation to deliver greater attacking firepower and more creative attacking options.

On the other hand, the 4-5-1 formation, because of its heavy reliance on wingers and midfielders to support the striker, can easily lead to the lone striker becoming isolated and struggling to organize attacks. Furthermore, if the wingers are the only source of attacking support, the formation's attacking methods are easily predictable by the opponent, making it easier for them to defend. Therefore, the era of the 4-5-1 formation's dominance in FUT 26 may be coming to an end!

How To Effectively Use 4-3-1-2 Formation?

When using a 4-3-1-2 formation in EA FC 26, the focus should be on building a narrow central attacking system. To achieve this, one midfielder should act as a defensive midfielder, another as a balanced playmaker or box-to-box midfielder, and a third player responsible for attack.

The single attacking midfielder should link up with the two forwards, while fullbacks are responsible for stretching the attack, as there are no wingers in this formation.

The specific player roles and instructions used for this formation are as follows:

Striker (ST): Use Advanced Forward and set Stay Central and Get in Behind instruction to make him the primary scoring threat.
Attacking Midfielder (CAM): Place this player between the midfielders and forwards to connect the attack. Instructions can include Get Forward or Get in Behind, depending on whether you want him to play as a second striker or a link-up player.
Holding CM: Set to Stay Back While Attacking and Cover Center to provide a solid defensive foundation.
Box-to-Box CM: Use Balanced instruction or Get Forward to balance defense and attack.
Playmaker CM: Can use Playmaker or Box-to-Box role to add attacking dimension, but should be set to Stay Back While Attacking and Cover Center.
Full-backs (LB/RB): Because of the narrow formation, full-backs must spread out. It's recommended to set them to Balanced or Join the Attack to support the attack, but if they are not flexible enough, Stay Back While Attacking is often a safer option.
Center-backs (CB): Keep these players' default instructions to maintain defensive stability.
Goalkeeper (GK): Use the default instructions or set to Goalkeeper and Balanced for increased flexibility.

To maximize the effectiveness of this formation, you must effectively utilize your full-backs, instructing them to actively spread the floor, while simultaneously ensuring they can quickly track back after an attack.

In short, you need to be prepared to adapt your tactics based on your opponent. If the opponent attacks down the flanks, you may need to switch to a more conservative formation or make tactical adjustments to cover the wide areas.

Regardless, after the 1.3.0 update for FC 26, we anticipate the 4-3-1-2 formation will soon become popular again, as it provides strong attacking firepower through the center while maintaining good defensive stability, making it ideal for possession-based, high-pressing tactics. Give it a try!

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EA FC 26 Magician Of The Right Evolution Guide | Requirements, Upgrades, And Best Players To Choose
EA FC 26's Black Friday sale not only brought numerous powerful special cards, but also many SBCs and evolutions that can significantly boost player performance.

The newly released evolution is Magician of the Right, which can greatly improve the strength of right-wing players. This evolution is also a chain evolution with a total of 5 levels. Let's take a look at the details of this evolution and popular choices.

Magician Of The Right Evolution

Magician of the Right is an evolution limited to right-wing players. The player's OVR cannot be higher than 85, and you must complete it within one week of unlocking this evolution. Furthermore, this evolution is not free; it requires 700 FC 26 points or 60,000 FC 26 coins to unlock, and cannot be repeated.

Magician of the Right Requirements:
- Overall: Max 85
- Playstyle: Max 10
- Playstyle+: Max 1
- Not Rarity: World Tour Silver Stars
- Position: RW
Magician of the Right Total Upgrades
- Overall: +15 | Max 87
- Shooting: +15 | Max 83
- Acceleration: +20 | Max 91
- Agility: +20 | Max 88
- Balance: +20 | Max 89
- Ball control: +20 | Max 90
- Crossing: +20 | Max 86
- Curve: +20 | Max 87
- Dribbling: +20 | Max 88
- Long Passing: +30 | Max 88
- Reactions: +20 | Max 85
- Short Passing: +30 | Max 90
- Free Kick: +20 | Max 87
- Sprint Speed: +20 | Max 91
- Stamina: +20 | Max 80
- Vision: +20 | Max 89
- Composure: +20 | Max 87
- Weak Foot: +2 | Max 4
- Skills: +2 | Max 4
- Playstyles+: Rapid+ | Max 1
- Playstyles: Finesse Shot | Max 6
- Roles: Winger++/Inside Forward++/Wide Playmaker+
This evolution makes many players who were previously not a good fit for the current game meta much more useful by adding key player styles and improving attributes. This evolution also adds Finesse Shot Playstyle to left-footed players on the right wing, completely changing their attacking threat and allowing them to cut inside and finish with high-quality shots.

Furthermore, this evolution not only increases Playstyles, but also significantly enhances basic speed, dribbling, and shooting attributes, all of which can drastically change a player's performance.

How To Choose Players?

Magician of the Right evolution is quite practical, so you can't just choose players randomly. Instead, you should choose players who, after evolving, are closer to the meta Playstyle. Evaluate these players comprehensively, considering whether there are more cost-effective alternatives.

You need to pay attention to changes in players' base stats such as speed, dribbling, and shooting. Secondly, you need to consider chemistry style pairings. For example, how can you further optimize players like Hunter, Engine, Finisher, and Marksman?

The addition and variation of player styles is the core of the evolution. Focus on players with key Playstyles such as Finesse Shot, First Touch, Quick Step, and Rapid. These players, combined with Rapid+, will have stronger attacking capabilities.

Additionally, you need to evaluate the suitability of players on the right flank RW, RM and even CAM positions, especially whether they have received key positional instructions such as Inside Forward. Additionally, a player's weakest foot star rating is also an important factor to consider.

If you're unsure which player to choose, it's highly recommended to select players with their strong foot on the opposite side. This means using left-footed players on the right wing and right-footed players on the left wing, making their shots after cutting inside more threatening.

Popular Players

80 OVR Marcus Rashford

While Marcus Rashford has always been popular, to include him in this evolution, you need to ensure he has earned a RW position through previous evolutions. He's not suitable for players who only have the basic card. After evolution, consider using Engine chemistry style.

84 OVR Salma Paralluelo

This evolution makes her more compatible with the current meta. Crucially, she gains Finesse Shot Playstyle and is better suited to the right flank thanks to Inside Forward++, allowing this left-footed player to cut inside from the right and execute Finesse Shots, greatly increasing her versatility.

84 OVR Jérémy Doku TOTW

This card has excellent stats after the evolution, with dribbling improving to over 90 and gaining Playstyles like First Touch. However, his weakness is that as a left-footed player, Evolution primarily strengthens the right flank, while he is better suited to the left.

81 OVR Rayan Cherki

81 OVR Rayan Cherki looks quite good after this evolution, especially in the attacking midfielder position. However, if you already own his previous free Evolution version, this upgrade isn't necessary.

85 OVR Désiré Doué

Désiré Doué's base gold card already has advantages in RW position such as Inside Forward+ and Wide Playmaker++, and he also has a 4-star weak foot. While he gains stat improvements, it doesn't create a significant change.

78 OVR Estêvão

This evolution grants Estêvão a significant boost to his base stats, making him fast and giving him Quick Step+ and Rapid Playstyles, making him an excellent card. The downside is that as a left-footed player, he lacks ideal player roles on left wing. If you want to build a Chelsea team, this is a pretty good choice.

81 OVR Amaiur Sarriegi

Amaiur Sarriegi is a powerful female footballer. After evolution, her stats are extremely high, and she possesses a large number of useful Playstyles, such as Finesse Shot, First Touch, and Technical Dribbling. She is very threatening whether playing on the wing or as a striker.

85 OVR Marco Asensio

This evolution adds the crucial Finesse Shot Playstyle to him, compensating for his previous weaknesses. Possessing both Tiki Taka and other Playstyles makes him an excellent choice for left-footed players on the right wing.

The above is a general player recommendation for Magician of the Right. This evolution isn't free, so choose carefully.
EA FC 26 Top 3 Through-Ball Techniques To Help You Break Defenses

In EA FC 26, your through balls are frequently intercepted because of defensive positioning, opponents' high pressing, and the game's AI sometimes being set to force interceptions.

Fortunately, in the developers' recent November update feedback, they explicitly stated that CPU AI will be reworked in FC 26 v1.1.3, improving its ability to track off-the-ball runs, make quick decisions, and maintain formation, while reducing the previous tendency to aggressively push forward to intercept offside players.

So, for now, external AI factors are being eliminated. To improve your through ball success rate and dominate Weekend League, you must change your passing style, especially against strong opponents. But don't worry, here we share three through ball techniques to quickly break through the opponent's defense and accurately pass to the target position. Let's take a look!

Add Curve To Your Passes

First, the technique we'll discuss is adding a curve to your through balls. This is highly effective when the opponent anticipates the through ball opportunity and intercepts the pass.

Simply put, to execute this technique, hold down L2/LT button before charging the pass. This instructs your player to add a curve to the pass, making the ball go around defenders, much like a curved shot goes around the goalkeeper.

Therefore, instead of passing a predictable straight ball, aim to get the ball around obstacles, i.e., moving attacking players. This technique is even more effective if your player has Incisive Pass Playstyle.

Furthermore, this technique works when there are defenders between the passer and the target player, as a straight pass is too risky. Curved through balls can also be very effective when attacking players are making diagonal runs into the backline, allowing you to send the ball along their running path instead of forcing it through the wall, reducing the risk of interception.

In crowded central areas, a curved pass to the flanks can create excellent opportunities that standard through balls cannot reach - a point many players overlook.

Dinked Pass

Next, we'll introduce Dinked Pass, feared by all defenders today. Simply double-click the through ball button.

At first glance, it seems no different from a regular through ball, but you won't realize the enormous difference until the very last moment when your player gently lifts the ball.

Instead of skimming across the grass like a typical through ball, giving defenders a chance to slide or intercept, the ball bounces off their legs, creating a fantastic opportunity for your attacking players to chase it down.

This Dinked Pass is especially important when the defense pushes forward aggressively, leaving space. The curved trajectory allows the ball to easily bypass sliding tackles and tackles. This pass is perfect for lobbing the ball behind full-backs or center-backs, allowing your running players to make runs.

The reason Dinked Pass is so efficient is that it doesn't fly high like a lob; it just bounces gently, which is why it reaches the attacking player's feet faster and avoids interception.

This type of pass is very effective at close range, especially inside or near the box. If you can use Dinked Pass correctly inside the box, you can create volley opportunities.

In FIFA 26, the success rate of this type of pass is extremely high, but it requires relatively high reaction and ball control stats from the player executing the pass. Therefore, if you want your through balls to be more effective, you can buy FC 26 coins to invest in suitable players. More importantly, coinciding with the Thanksgiving and Black Friday double celebration, IGGM is offering a limited-time lucky draw to reward users, giving you a 100% chance to win a large coupon and save money when buying coins!

First Time Through Balls

Finally, let's talk about the most underrated method in the through ball mechanic: First Time Through Balls. This is an excellent way to quickly break through the opponent's defense, especially effective in a three-man backline.

For this tactic to work, you need three players: one in the center, one running down the flank, and ideally a striker in the attacking third who will act as your link-up.

When you have your central player dribbling the ball, point the left stick at the winger and tap L1/LB button. This will trigger his run, and he will begin exploring the space ahead.

At this point, you need to pass the ball to your striker while observing the winger's run. However, be careful not to try to control the ball with the striker.

While the ball is still in flight, accelerate and deliver a regular pass or a lobbed pass to the winger. Before the opponent can react, you've completed the breakthrough. Timing is crucial when executing this tactic.

Additional Tips

Finally, I'd like to remind you that for these three types of through balls to work, you need to keep the receiving player actively running, because the ball will travel along their running path, not their current position. If they remain stationary, these techniques will not work.

At the same time, you can still control the ball with the player currently dribbling, but the key is to observe the runs. If the running player can safely break through the defense, you can try a through ball.

In short, successfully executing these through ball tactics requires a lot of practice in matches. You must also understand which shooting method will lead to a goal in crucial moments, which is very important in one-on-one situations with the goalkeeper.
EA FC 26 TOTW 11 & Best Of TOTW Revealed | How To Unlock New Players?
Not only FC 26, but many previous FC games have released new Team of the Week (TOTW) squads weekly after release, giving you the opportunity to continuously upgrade your club roster and always have the strongest players.

Only players who have performed exceptionally well in real-world leagues over the past week can be selected for TOTW, and the game releases a Best of TOTW squad once a certain number of TOTW squads have been accumulated.

For example, this year's EA FC 26 Best of TOTW compiled a list of the best squads based on the squads from the previous ten weeks, and it was released during TOTW 11 and Black Friday Thunderstruck campaign.

Based on this, we will introduce the ultimate FUT 26 TOTW 11 and this year's Best of TOTW squads, as well as strategies for obtaining these cards.

FC 26 TOTW 11

This lineup was added to Ultimate Team Pack at 6 PM on November 26th. You have a chance to obtain them by redeeming packs or playing the game until the release of TOTW 12 next Wednesday.

We previously predicted the players selected for TOTW 11, but the final official lineup is as follows:
- Lavelle - OVR 89
- Karchaoui - OVR 88
- Eze - OVR 87
- Cristiano Ronaldo - OVR 86
- Ait Bouldal - OVR 86
- Ane Azkona - OVR 86
- Pickford - OVR 86
- Ferran Torres - OVR 85
- Barnes - OVR 84
- Soulé - OVR 84
- Undav - OVR 84
- Fabio Abreu - OVR 84
- Losada - OVR 83
- Karl - OVR 83
- Savona - OVR 83
- Álex Febas - OVR 83
- Pobega - OVR 83
- Laborda - OVR 83
- Shiozaki - OVR 83
- Naujoks - OVR 83
- Ekeroth - OVR 83
- Armstrong - OVR 83
- Skytta - OVR 83
How about it? Does this list overlap with your predictions? If there are any you like, hurry up and get them!

FC 26 Best Of TOTW

This event uses Team of the Week players from the past 10 weeks of FIFA 26's release as a database. It selects some popular or outstanding players with an OVR of over 85 and brings them back to the game, giving you a chance to win the players you're missing.

The release time for Best of TOTW is the same as TOTW 11, but it lasts for nine days, expected to end on December 5th. The complete list of relevant players is as follows:
- Salah - OVR 92
- Alexia Putellas - OVR 92
- Haaland - OVR 91
- Bellingham - OVR 91
- Vini Jr. - OVR 90
- Kane - OVR 90
- Shaw - OVR 90
- Vitinha - OVR 90
- Mapi Leon - OVR 90
- Debinha - OVR 89
- Buhl - OVR 88
- Lavelle - OVR 88
- Rice - OVR 88
- Caicedo - OVR 88
- McCabe - OVR 88
- Maignan - OVR 88
- Harder - OVR 87
- Messi - OVR 87
- Reijnders - OVR 87
- Bruno Guimaraes - OVR 87
- Berger - OVR 87
- Calhanoglu - OVR 87
- Mateo - OVR 86
- Gakpo - OVR 86
- Chawinga - OVR 86
- Polkaj - OVR 86
- Aubameyang - OVR 86
- Pulisic - OVR 86
- Laurent - OVR 86
- Yeremay - OVR 86
- Weir - OVR 86
- Pedro Goncalves - OVR 86
- Walsh - OVR 86
- Grimaldo - OVR 86
- Diaz - OVR 86
- Rodrygo - OVR 86
- Dabritz - OVR 86
- Laia Aleixandri - OVR 86
- Ruben Neves - OVR 86
- Stanway - OVR 86
- Gravenberch - OVR 86
- Oberdorf - OVR 86
- Joao Neves - OVR 86
- Gvardiol - OVR 86
- Alvaro Carrera - OVR 86
- Inigo Martinez - OVR 86
- Pavard - OVR 86
- Eder Militao - OVR 86
- Ballard - OVR 86
- Marcos Llorente - OVR 86
- Carpenter - OVR 86
- Oyarzabal - OVR 85
- Berardi - OVR 85
- Gnabry - OVR 85
- Nusa - OVR 85
- Mahrez - OVR 85
- Antony - OVR 85
- Kumagai - OVR 85
- Stiller - OVR 85
- Konsa - OVR 85
- Modric - OVR 85
It has to be said, this is a truly massive lineup! This also means your chances of getting TOTW players through card packs will be significantly higher, unless you only want one or two specific players.

How To Get New Or Returning TOTW Players?

Time is limited, but there are many players to acquire, so FC 26 offers several ways to obtain TOTW players, which we will list for you one by one.

Trading In The Transfer Market

This is probably the simplest and most direct method. Simply consume coins to instantly find player cards that others are selling but that you happen to lack by filtering for specific players or player positions.

However, if you don't play many matches or have a low win rate, resulting in insufficient coins, it's best to get FC 26 coins for sale as soon as possible and trade to redeem your desired players in time to avoid missing out.

Obtaining And Opening Packs

Once TOTW 11 and Best of TOTW lineups are activated, they will be added to all gold card packs in the game. In addition, special promotional card packs released by FC 26 during Black Friday will also contain TOTW players, with a higher drop rate.

We generally recommend checking the pack drop rates displayed in the shop before farming for packs to plan your farming strategy more effectively. As for how to obtain FIFA 26 packs, the main methods currently include:
- Earning packs with coins or in-game credits.
- Completing daily, weekly, and season objectives, as well as specific milestone challenges.
- Leveling up Season Progression to unlock pack rewards at different tiers.
- Playing Division Rivals and Squad Battles for ranking rewards.
- Participating in weekend leagues and achieving specific rankings.
- Completing available SBCs.
- Participating in Moments mode to earn stars and redeem them for packs.
It‘s worth noting that other events launching on November 26th alongside TOTW 11 and Best of TOTW include rewards that can earn you packs, such as the new SBC Pre-Black Friday Challenge 1.

This SBC will last for 3 days, and completing the following related challenges will reward you with a non-tradable Prime Gold Players Pack:
- Player Nationality: At least 3 different nationalities.
- Players from the same league: Up to 5 players from the same league.
- Players from the same club: At least 4 players from the same club.
- Player rarity: Minimum Gold quality.
- Player OVR: Minimum 80.
- Team chemistry: Minimum 31.
- Squad size: Exactly 11 players.
More Black Friday deals will be available next week, making this the perfect time to complete all new SBCs to earn packs and unlock more TOTW players!

It's worth mentioning that IGGM Black Friday sale also started on November 26th at 08:00 UTC! You can win shopping discounts or coupons every day until the same time on the 30th!

That's all for this time. Hopefully, you can fully utilize in-game events to further expand your FC 26 squad before 2026 arrives! Have fun!
EA FC 26 TOTW 11 Predictions: Best Candidates For Each Position
Team of The Week 11 promotion that all FIFA fans have been eagerly anticipating is almost here again! Each week's TOTW roster includes special cards with permanent attribute boosts, boasting higher stats than the regular versions, and the selected players are those who performed exceptionally well in real matches last week.

With domestic football nearing its end, the exciting performances of various clubs and national teams have led to numerous changes in the standings, bringing some unexpected shifts. Therefore, the competition for this TOTW 11 roster is exceptionally fierce.

So, before the official Team of The Week 11 roster is announced, let's predict the best players for each position based on their specific match performances this week. You can use these predictions to invest in some currently undervalued players in advance; perhaps they will receive special cards with higher attribute upgrades and collectible value because of a standout performance in a particular match, becoming next week's star player.

Mark Flekken - Goalkeeper
- GK Diving: 79
- GK Handling: 76
- GK Kicking: 80
- Reflexes: 80
- Positioning: 76
For the goalkeeper position, Mark Flekken is a strong contender for FC 26 TOTW 11, given his outstanding performance in the recent Bayer Leverkusen match, making several crucial saves to help his team secure the victory.

As we mentioned before, special cards like TOTW are awarded to players who play a significant role in real-world matches. Flekken's performance clearly meets this criterion, making him a strong contender for TOTW 11.

Damon Mirani - CB
- Pace: 53
- Shooting: 32
- Passing: 49
- Dribbling: 53
- Defending: 64
- Physicality: 76
Damon Mirani is a potential contender for Centre Back of the Week, having scored two league goals in Heracles' 4-2 victory over Go Ahead Eagles, laying the foundation for his team's home win. This is a significant contribution for a defender.

Damon Mirani's outstanding performance in this match earned him a high score of 8.6 on several live score apps, and these external ratings are frequently considered in Team of the Week's predictions. Even if he doesn't make the last cut, he's almost guaranteed a spot on the bench.

Ismaëlo Ganiou - RB
- Pace: 71
- Shooting: 54
- Passing: 54
- Dribbling: 61
- Defending: 62
- Physicality: 76
Ismaëlo Ganiou has been in excellent form this season. In the 69th minute of the match on November 22nd, he scored the only goal for Lens, helping the team to a 1-0 victory over Strasbourg. This victory moved Lens up to second place in Ligue 1 standings. Therefore, Ganiou's performance definitely deserves a TOTW card.

Murillo - CB
- Pace: 84
- Dribbling: 71
- Defending: 70
- Physicality: 76
- Passing: 70
- Shooting: 68
Murillo scored a goal and kept a clean sheet in Nottingham Forest's recent 3-0 victory over Liverpool, earning him Man of the Match (MOTM) award. As a central defender, his ability to contribute both offensively and defensively makes him a standout in this week's Team of the Week.

Harvey Barnes - LM
- Pace: 83
- Shooting: 80
- Passing: 75
- Dribbling: 81
- Defense: 43
- Physicality: 68
Harvey Barnes is also a strong contender for this week's Team of the Week, having scored two goals in Newcastle Utd's 2-1 victory, securing a crucial win and earning him MOTM award. This outstanding individual performance is a key factor in his nomination.

Tommaso Pobega - CDM
- Pace: 74
- Shooting: 76
- Passing: 70
- Dribbling: 74
- Defending: 74
- Physical: 74
In Bologna's recent 3-0 victory over Udinese, Tommaso Pobega scored twice, one of which stemmed from a mistake by Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye. His goals were key to the team's win and has helped Bologna maintain their strong momentum in Serie A this season. Based on this outstanding performance, Pobega is expected to be selected for EA FC 26's TOTW 11, and his player rating is likely to rise to 83.

Eberechi Eze - CM
- Pace: 74
- Shooting: 80
- Passing: 81
- Dribbling: 87
- Defending: 50
- Physical: 68
After Liverpool and Manchester City both suffered defeats, Arsenal thrashed arch-rivals Tottenham, with Eberechi Eze's outstanding performance being a key factor in Arsenal's victory. The English player scored a hat-trick, helping his team to a 4-1 win over Tottenham, hailed by many media outlets as a dominant victory.

Lamine Yamal - LW
- Pace: 85
- Shooting: 81
- Passing: 86
- Dribbling: 90
- Defending: 23
- Physicality: 53
Lamine Yamal, based on his recent outstanding performances and status as a historically great young talent, is highly likely to be selected for EA FC 26's TOTW 11 squad and receive a special card. His exceptional dribbling, chance-creating, and all-around game abilities make him a highly sought-after player in FIFA series.

Furthermore, Yamal recently broke a record by being selected as the youngest player in the 2025 FIFPRO Men's World 11, further increasing his chances of being included in Team of the Week.

Michael Olise - RW
- Pace: 78
- Shooting: 80
- Passing: 84
- Dribbling: 87
- Physical: 78
- Defending: 50
Michael Olise delivered a stellar performance in Bayern München's recent 6-2 victory over Freiburg. He scored two goals and sealed the win with a beautiful curling shot, extending their unbeaten start to Bundesliga season to 11 games. Olise's excellent passing efficiency and precise corner kicks perfectly illustrate why so many players are willing to spend FC 26 coins to acquire him. Therefore, his inclusion in this week's team is almost a foregone conclusion.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - ST
- Pace: 82
- Acceleration: 76
- Shooting: 83
- Positioning: 88
- Finishing: 85
- Dribbling: 78
- Passing: 72
Aubameyang has recently scored twice, continuing his hot streak and helping Marseille to a 5-1 victory over Nice on Friday, climbing to the top of Ligue 1 standings. Therefore, he is definitely a top contender for this week's TOTW. More importantly, Aubameyang has just been selected as a POTM Tracker, with a significantly improved overall rating, making his selection even more likely.

Deniz Undav - ST
- Pace: 66
- Shooting: 82
- Passing: 74
- Dribbling: 80
- Defending: 33
- Physical: 77
Deniz Undav scored a hat-trick in the 3-3 draw against Borussia Dortmund, his second hat-trick in his Bundesliga career. After conceding a penalty that gave Dortmund the lead, they were unstoppable, hitting all three of their shots to help Stuttgart equalize. Undav ultimately won Man of the Match award with 72% of the vote.

In conclusion, this is our complete prediction for FC 26 TOTW 11 lineup. The weekly release of new player cards keeps the player community active and continues to provide exciting new content for players to look forward to and acquire. The release of these special cards offers more possibilities for every player's ultimate team building. If you want to keep your team competitive on the field, then you can't miss these player cards!
EA FC 26 November Feedback Update Disappoints Players | No Real Fixes, AI Defense Issues & December Nerfs Expected

EA FC 26 released its November Feedback Update on November 26th. This update brought no substantial changes, mainly serving as a review of their update plans and arrangements for upcoming updates.

Players were undoubtedly disappointed with this update, as it was filled with empty promises rather than detailed solutions, specifics, or timely actions.

November Feedback Update Content

The developers believe that the shooting and goalkeeping are still severely unbalanced, and therefore goalkeeper movement will be nerfed in the December update.

Regarding the defensive AI, the developers stated that the adjustments were made due to previous enhancements to jockeying, and that any future changes would be announced in advance, but no new measures were announced.

Additionally, the developers acknowledged that the computer-controlled AI in Squad Battles mode was too powerful. Their initial intention was to make defensive phases more interesting and reduce frustration when off the ball, but the changes have actually worsened the game environment. The developers stated that they won't be able to resolve this issue until early 2026.

Player Feedback For Updates

Many players believe that FC 26 updates until now not only failed to solve the problems but actually made the game worse.

Manual Defense

Even players with excellent manual defense skills, able to use manual tackles and interceptions to stop attacks, cannot secure possession.

This is because after a defensive player completes a defensive action, there is a brief period of recovery time, during which the attacking team can immediately regain possession and launch an attack.

Slow Player Reactions

Players on the field respond to control commands with a delay, and many players have reported latency exceeding 60ms, making gameplay very clunky.

Speed Attribute Anomaly

The current pace stat behaves abnormally. Claudia Pina (86 OVR) only has a pace of 79, yet she can outpace players faster than her in matches. This speed anomaly isn't limited to Pina; Virgil van Dijk also exhibits this issue. The pace stat has been problematic for some time, but the developers haven't fixed it.

Updates Changed The Game Environment

At launch, FIFA 26 offered a rich variety of tactics and formations. However, after the update v1.1.0, 4-5-1 formation became the only dominant meta formation. This formation packs a large number of players into the midfield, forming a dense, wall-like defense.

Furthermore, due to the overly powerful defensive AI, players now tend to avoid manually controlling defensive players. Instead, they hold down the R1 button to call for teammates to provide support, letting the AI handle the defense automatically, while manually controlling forwards to track back and harass. This defensive approach requires no skill but is highly effective, resulting in almost every player becoming a defensive expert.

Corresponding to this passive defense, players' offensive methods have also become limited. Currently, players primarily rely on high-speed wing breakthroughs followed by cutback passes or finesse shots from the edge of the penalty area. Beyond these attacking methods, other offensive and defensive maneuvers are largely ineffective.

This environment frustrates players who value manual control and diverse attacking styles. Because each match's lineup and flow are similar, they find the game less engaging.

FC 26 Current Status

The first 3-4 weeks after release were the best time of EA FC 26, and even for FIFA series in recent years. It was highly responsive, with timely feedback. Manual defense and interceptions were effectively rewarded, and successful tackles kept the ball firmly in place.

Furthermore, the lack of a unified meta allowed for various formations and tactics to be effective, making the game exciting and resulting in high player retention and online player numbers.

However, the developers didn't give players enough time to adapt to the initial excellent controls. Instead, they prematurely heeded complaints from players who weren't skilled at manual defense, mistakenly buffing the AI defending. The developers should prioritize fixing defensive issues with kickoffs and corners, incorrect pass selection (especially leading to offsides), and the unbearable input delay on consoles.

The October and November updates regressed the game to the AI-dependent, passively defensive, and frustrating state of its predecessors, FUT 24 and FC 25, erasing all the strengths of its initial release.

The current disappointing gameplay will only lead to player churn. Even with abundant in-game events like Thunderstruck sales and tournaments, the poor core gameplay renders everything meaningless.

November Feedback Update reviewed the main content of official patches since the game's release, and the developers acknowledged that the patches introduced many problems. It's currently unknown whether the official December patch will fix these issues. However, the simplest and most direct way to make the game fun again is to roll back the game version, building the December update on top of the initial release version and only fixing genuine bugs like kickoffs and corner kicks, rather than changing the core gameplay.

While November Feedback Update doesn't offer any substantial content, it will bring some festive cheer to FC 26. Coupled with Thunderstruck sale starting this Friday, a large number of players will return, and some very powerful player cards will be available.

Both SBCs and Thunderstruck packs will heavily deplete your coins. You can buy reliable and cheap FC 26 coins at IGGM if you don't want to miss out on these powerful players and rebuild your strong team on Black Friday.
EA FC 26 Ultimate Gauntlet 5 Guide | Rewards, Mechanics, And Strategies
Generally speaking, FC 26 only includes Ultimate Team and Career Mode, but each contains more specific events and gameplay, especially Ultimate Team, which covers a wider range.

It's worth noting that some specific events are periodic, held periodically in FUT 26, such as Team of the Week (TOTW) you're probably familiar with, or Ultimate Gauntlet we'll be discussing today.

Ultimate Gauntlet is a limited-time game mode that has been held approximately every two weeks since the launch of EA FC 26, with the latest being Ultimate Gauntlet 5. We'll introduce the gameplay and rewards for this round below.

Ultimate Gauntlet 5 Schedule

This event started at 6 PM on November 24th and will last for 7 days, ending on December 1st. If you want to predict the next round's date to prepare in advance, here are the dates and durations of the first four rounds of Ultimate Gauntlet:
- Ultimate Gauntlet 1: 29/09/2025 - 3 Days
- Ultimate Gauntlet 2: 13/10/2025 - 4 Days
- Ultimate Gauntlet 3: 27/10/2025 - 4 Days
- Ultimate Gauntlet 4: 10/11/2025 - 7 Days
As you can see, the duration of each round is not fixed, but considering that Ultimate Gauntlet 5 also lasted 7 days, the sixth round will probably follow this pattern.

Ultimate Gauntlet 5 Mechanics And Rewards

Ultimate Gauntlet 5 uses the same basic mechanics as the previous rounds. You need to use a completely different lineup in each round to participate or win the competition as required.

The difficulty of this event lies in the fact that once a player has been used in a match, including as a substitute, they cannot be used again. Therefore, even having several exceptionally excellent players is useless - the key is the richness of your club's roster.

Furthermore, the number of times you can participate in each round of Ultimate Gauntlet is limited. Once you've consumed all your attempts, even if the event hasn't ended, you can no longer participate.

The only positive aspect of this type of event is that even if you lose a match, you won't be eliminated and can continue completing the remaining challenges. However, the more matches you win, the richer the rewards.

If you are fortunate enough to achieve the "perfect round" achievement by winning all matches in a single challenge without a loss, you will unlock even greater rewards.

The challenge requirements and rewards for this round of Ultimate Gauntlet 5 are as follows:
- Play one game: You can earn 2x 81+ Players Pack
- Play two games: You can earn 3x 81+ Players Pack
- Play three games: You can earn 7x 80+ Players Pack
- Play 12 games: You can earn 1x 85-89 Rated Player Pack
- Score in three games: You can unlock DLP+ EVO
- Score in five games: You can earn 5,000 Coins
- Score in six games: You can earn 1x 85-87 Rated Player Pack
- Score in seven games: You can unlock the coveted Bruiser+ EVO
- Score in nine games: You can earn 10x 83+ Players Pack
If you complete all the above tasks, you can also unlock 86 Moments Lukas Podolski player card as the ultimate prize!

Best Strategy For Completing This Event

First and foremost, ensure you have enough players. To participate in all three rounds of matches and have a full bench, your club needs at least approximately 54 players.

If this isn't possible, it's best to buy FC 26 coins to exchange more players within the specified time through the trading market or in-game shop to avoid being unable to continue halfway through the game.

If you don't have enough coins, you can also try renting players. They don't require a permanent coin investment but are reliable and very suitable for Ultimate Gauntlet limited-time event.

It's important to maintain a high level of game engagement; completing daily SBCs and objectives will also earn you new player cards. While most of these cards cannot be traded, they are very beneficial for completing Ultimate Gauntlet.

Next, use tools or notes to divide these players into three teams to ensure you don't accidentally reuse players, preventing them from playing in later rounds.

Generally, when assembling teams, it's best not to field all your main players. Instead, distribute them evenly across each lineup to maintain team balance and ensure you're competitive with each round.

In addition, ensure your club has players capable of playing multiple positions to provide more options when filling roster gaps, allowing for more flexible and unrestricted team compositions.

If you want to achieve more than just basic objectives and reach for more challenging results, pay attention to player chemistry when building your team - higher chemistry values provide greater attribute bonuses.

Why Should You Play Ultimate Gauntlet 5?

As we've listed, even if you only participate in matches without scoring, you still have a chance to earn new card packs by completing two or three objectives.

Furthermore, the ultimate reward player, Lukas Podolski's 86 OVR Moments version card, boasts very high stats across the board and is well-suited for use in FC 26, where attacking players currently dominate.

Therefore, participating in Ultimate Gauntlet 5 can enrich your club's composition and potentially improve your team's strength, helping you better navigate later events and matches - don't miss out!

That concludes our introduction. If this has piqued your interest in Ultimate Gauntlet 5, start playing now following our guide!