When you think of the most popular video games each year, you may think of Fortnite, Minecraft, or Call of Duty. However, a game that consistently remains near the top of the charts is EA Sports’ FIFA 26.
EA Sports’ FC26, or more commonly called FC26, is a soccer video game in which players can play many different online and offline game modes. It is accessible on consoles like the PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS5, Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, and PC. On the game’s cover, we see premier soccer superstars Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, respectively. FC26 has five main game modes that I will touch upon. Kick-off, seasons, career mode, pro clubs, and ultimate team.
Kick-off is a simple mode where you can play against an AI or your friends on your couch. This game mode is casual; you can pick your favorite team to use, and I personally have many memories playing with my friends on this game mode.
Seasons is an online game mode where you and sometimes a friend can play against others online using your favorite team. Similar to kickoff, you get to challenge and move up the ranks in this game mode.
Career mode is an offline mode that has two different ways to play it. You can have a managerial career where you take over a team as a manager of the club, or you can become a player who starts your career, and you can live your life as a professional soccer player.
Pro Clubs is an online mode where you and your friends can create your own custom characters that you can personalize completely. This game mode is really fun from my personal experiences, as you can spend hours laughing about what happens in the game or laughing at your own avatar.
Finally, Ultimate Team. The crown jewel of every FC game, and the one that makes the most money and is most popular. It is an ultra-competitive game mode where you make a team and collect players, evolve players, and even buy players with the Ultimate Team coin currency. Watching your team get better and using lots of skill rewards you in this game mode.
A personal review of the game: it’s alright. All of the offline game modes are very fun, especially career mode. However, the gameplay is a bit inconsistent. The first week of the game, before the first patch, was amazing. Defenders in position, attacking was free-flowing, and players did not feel like trucks turning. However, after the first patch, the fluidity of the game dropped. EA has tried to fix this, and in recent weeks, it has been better, and I have personally had a lot of fun attacking and defending in FC26.
While FC26 has its flaws, it is still the best soccer game out there, and they have no competition. With friends, the game is even more fun, and if you are looking for a competitive game you can put hours into, FC26 is the perfect game for it.
