After months of speculation, EA has finally revealed the cover star for EA Sports FC 26, and it’s none other than Swedish icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Returning to the franchise for the first time since Fifa 23, the cover pays homage to a famous photo of a young Ibrahimovic in his childhood bedroom, complete with Ronaldo posters on the wall.
EA and Ibrahimovic famously clashed publicly over use of his image rights during the Fifa 21 era, but it looks like any bad blood has since been buried. The games developer has also announced that Ibrahimovic will be added to FC Mobile later this week ahead of FC 26’s launch.
The first official FC 26 trailer is expected to drop tomorrow (16 July), with the game likely launching in September. Those who pre-order the Ultimate Edition are expected to get early access, as with previous years. Here’s everything you need to know about FC 26, from trailer to release date.
When will the ‘EA Sports FC 26’ trailer drop?
EA has announced that the first FC 26 reveal trailer will drop at 4.57pm on Wednesday 16 July. You’ll be able to watch it on EA Sports’ YouTube channel, but we’ve also embedded it below for your convenience.
‘EA Sports FC 26’ release date: When could the game come out?
Of all the things we can predict about EA Sports FC 26, the release date is by far the easiest. Since Fifa 06, EA has stuck to a reliable pattern, launching each year’s game on the last Friday in September. If history repeats itself, EA Sports FC 26 should land on Friday 26 September 2025.
As with previous years, anyone who pre-orders the Ultimate Edition of the game is expected to get early access, likely unlocking the game a full week before launch. We don’t anticipate EA deviating from that well-established timeline.
‘EA Sports FC 26’ features
Rumours about FC 26 have been dropping in recent weeks, but we can’t be certain about their reliability, so take everything here with a pinch of salt.
In late June, reliable insider FutSheriff, who was the first to leak the return of Ibrahimovic, announced more Ultimate Team icons coming to the game later this year. They include Andres Iniesta and Toni Kroos, both tipped to debut as central midfield Icons. They would be joined by Marcelo, the former Real Madrid left-back, and Francesco Totti, whose inclusion has long been requested by fans.
The leaks also include a number of women’s football legends, including Alex Morgan, Sissi, Sara Thunebro and Steffi Jones, continuing EA’s integration of female players into Ultimate Team. Other rumoured additions include Oliver Kahn, Arjen Robben, Giorgio Chiellini and Cha Bum-kun.
There’s also speculation from another leaker that Brazilian midfielder Dunga and German striker Oliver Bierhoff could also be added to the roster. Both were recently added to FC Online, something that previously foreshadowed Gareth Bale’s addition to FC 25.
FutSheriff has also claimed that Liga MX would be returning to EA FC.. After losing the licence a few years ago to Konami’s eFootball, the Mexican top-flight is reportedly making a comeback in FC 26, with clubs like Club America, Chivas, Tigres and Monterrey all expected to appear.
Fans are also speculating that there will be a shake-up to Weekend League, with some suggesting the competitive mode could split into two tiers for lower divisions and a division for higher-ranked players, with players qualifying directly through Division Rivals, removing the need for separate playoffs. We haven’t seen a reliable source for this one, but it’s been doing the rounds.
Meanwhile, a new open-world mode could be in the works for FC 26, according to a post from FUT Latest, early FC 26 tests reportedly include small shared spaces like training grounds and dressing rooms, with the leaker mentioning clothes shops, houses and car ownership. FUT Latest is a new leaker, so we’ll have to wait and see on this one, but it’s no secret that EA has a long-term vision to bring more social, open-world-like gameplay to its franchises.
‘EA Sports FC 26’ platforms
EA Sports FC 26 is expected to launch on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and most likely both the Nintendo Switch and the new Nintendo Switch 2. Last year’s game marked a turning point for Switch players, with a full non-legacy edition running on the Frostbite engine. That same parity is expected again, though Switch players missed out on HyperMotion V and cross-platform play.
With the Switch 2 now officially released, we hope that the upgraded hardware will finally support EA’s advanced animation system HyperMotion V. Cross-play is also expected to return across PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Best ‘EA Sports FC 25’ deals
‘EA Sports FC 25’, PS5: Was £49.99, now £19.99, Amazon.co.uk
If you’re still yet to pick up a copy of FC 25, now’s the perfect time to lace up your boots. The game is currently 55 per cent off at Amazon for PS5. FC 25 introduces smoother gameplay, new Rush modes and mixed-gender squads in Ultimate Team — making it the most feature-rich entry in the series so far.
Looking for more? Read our round-up of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games right now
