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EA FC 26's Unbreakables event is ending soon, and based on past event calendars and current leaks, the highly anticipated Winter Wildcards event is returning. It will once again bring a strong festive atmosphere and some of the most exciting special cards of the year, so be sure to log in this Friday to see if there's anything new.

As an annual winter holiday event, Winter Wildcards has always been one of the most popular events in Ultimate Team mode, not only because of its festive atmosphere but also because of the new lineups and gameplay introduced each time. FC 26 is sure to continue this tradition, bringing players even more exciting content.

Currently leaked information reveals the highlights of this event and Team 1 player roster. Players can start planning how to manage their FC 26 coins, card packs, and SBC strategies in advance to prepare for the upcoming holiday event.

When Does Winter Wildcards Start?

According to reliable sources, FIFA 26 Winter Wildcards event will begin on December 19, 2025 (previously the 20th), which is expected to be around these days. The event will last for two weeks, ending on January 2, 2026.

The event's timing perfectly covers the Christmas and New Year holidays, and the official team is expected to ensure daily updates to continuously attract player participation, given that players will have plenty of time to play during the holidays.

The event is expected to succeed Unbreakables event and follow the existing Ultimate Team content calendar. Similar to previous events, the first team will be available through card packs in the first week, and the second team is expected to launch on December 26.

Event Overview

Winter Wildcards is a holiday event that encourages player creativity and player roster diversity. Unlike FIFA 26's TOTW events, which are based on real-world match information, Winter Wildcards focuses more on improving player attributes, special positions, and additional PlayStyles, rather than real-world performance.

As in previous years, the in-game tournament is a single-player tournament with a maximum of 30 attempts. However, other conditions must be met to obtain special and generous rewards.

The event requirements are straightforward: the tournament consists of four rounds, and players must use Ultimate Team to participate. In addition, their lineup must have at least one Winter Wildcards player, and players need to combine players based on their attributes to try to make the team work together at its best.

Players can expect the following from this event:

• Significantly improved attributes for all player positions;
• New PlayStyles and PlayStyles+ traits, generally tailored to the player's new position;
• Includes combinations of current players, Heroes, and Icons;
• Daily SBC and objective missions will be introduced, with completion rewarding valuable card packs or exclusive players.

Event Highlights

The most interesting aspect of this event is that, according to leaked information, some players will receive multiple cards for different positions. For example, PSG's Ousmane Dembele is expected to receive one winger card and one striker card, with the striker card focusing more on finishing ability than speed.

Real Madrid's Ousmane Dembele is also expected to receive cards for both right-back and midfield positions. This allows players to flexibly choose the appropriate position based on their team's needs before the event, greatly increasing the freshness of the game for players.

Another major highlight is the potential re-release of popular player cards from previous events. This means that if you missed out on a card before, you can seize this opportunity to acquire it. I believe Winter Wildcards will be one of the best times for players to start collecting card packs.

This strategy of bringing back player cards has been used in previous events, aiming to increase the value of card packs and give players the chance to obtain previously missed elite cards again.

Leaked Team 1 Roster

While we don't yet know the complete player roster for the event, a Team 1 roster has been leaked, which players can use as a reference.

Current players

• PSG: Ousmane Demebele-LW and ST
• Real Madrid: Federico Valverde-RB and CM
• Arsenal: Gabriel
• Liverpool: Alexis Mac Allister
• Bayern Munich: Jonathan Tah
• Barcelona: Claudia Pina-CAM and ST
• Lyon: Selma Bacha
• Washington Spirit: Trinity Rodman-RM and LM
• AC Milan: Rafael Leao
• Al-Nassr: Kingsley Coman
• Sassuolo: Armand Lauriente
• Marseille: Geronimo Rulli
• Villareal: Gerard Moreno
• Al-Khaleej: Josh King

Heroes

• Bundesliga: Jurgen Kohler
• Serie A: Ivan Cordoba-CB and RB
• Bundesliga: Claudio Pizzaro-New Hero
• Barclays WSL: Jill Scott-New Hero
• LaLiga: Ivan Zamorano-New Hero

Icons

• Zinedine Zidane
• Ronaldinho-LW and CAM
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic-ST and ST
• Julie Foudy-CM and CM
• Luis Figo

This lineup brings together top-tier attackers, versatile midfielders, and powerful defenders, making it one of the strongest team lineups in Winter Wildcards to date.

The above is the key information about the upcoming Winter Wildcards event. Whether you are a casual player or a highly skilled competitive player, EA FC 26 can meet your gaming needs. If this lineup includes the player card you want, get ready to acquire it as soon as possible!

The latest EA FC 26 Team Of The Week 12 roster was released on December 3rd in Ultimate Team mode card pack. Did the players on the list meet your expectations?

Frankly, compared to the dramatic shifts of last week, TOTW 12 lineup is somewhat lackluster overall. However, there are still one or two special player cards that can change the course of a match. Let's take a look at this week's best lineup and my personal opinion!

Team Of The Week 12 Full List

Here is the full lineup for TOTW 12 and the overall ratings for each player:

• GK: Wladimiro Falcone, Lecce/Italy - 85 rated
• GK: Berke Özer, Lille/Turkey - 83 rated
• LB: Dávid Hancko, Atletico Madrid/Slovakia - 86 rated
• CB: Mohammed Salisu, Monaco/Ghana - 83 rated
• CB: Malick Thiaw, Newcastle United/Germany - 86 rated
• CB: Micky van de Ven, Tottenham Hotspur/Netherlands - 84 rated
• RB: Lynn Wilms, Aston Villa/Netherlands - 86 rated
• LM: Vincenzo Grifo, SC Freiburg/Italy - 84 rated
• LM: Alberto Moleiro, Villareal/Spain - 84 rated
• CM: Beni, Vitória de Guimarães/Angola - 83 rated
• CAM: Pablo Fornals, Real Betis/Spain - 84 rated
• CAM: Ella Toone, Manchester United/England - 86 rated
• LW: Claudiu Petrila, Rapid București/Romania - 86 rated
• RW: Phil Foden, Manchester City/England - 86 rated
• RW: David Neres, Napoli/Brazil - 86 rated
• RW: Zlatko Tripic, Viking FK/Norway - 83 rated
• RW: Tadeo Allende, Inter Miami/Argentina - 83 rated
• RW: Florian Thauvin, Lens/France - 83 rated
• ST: Lautaro Martinez, Inter Milan/Argentina - 89 rated
• ST: Ada Hegerberg, Lyon/Norway - 88 rated
• ST: Karim Adeyemi, Borussia Dortmund/Germany - 85 rated
• ST: Ellis Simms, Coventry City/England - 83 rated
• ST: Paul Onuachu, Trabzonspor/Nigeria - 83 rated
• ST: Joel Pohjanpalo, Palermo/Finland - 83 rated

Luis Díaz And Karim Benzema Unfortunately Omitted

Does this list meet your expectations? Frankly, we were expecting a stronger lineup this week, especially with goal-scoring machines like Luis Díaz and Karim Benzema having such outstanding performances last week.

Luis Díaz, playing for Bayern Munich, has undoubtedly been a very successful signing for the team, and Colombian player's performances have continued to be impressive. In a recent match, Díaz helped Bayern Munich secure a 3-1 victory at home, contributing a goal and an assist that were key to the win. Díaz has already been named to Team of the Week twice this season, not to mention his recent performances are enough to earn him a special card, making him a strong contender before the final list was announced.

Karim Benzema scored a hat-trick and three goals in the cup match quarter-final, helping Al-Ittihad to a 4-1 victory. Such a performance usually earns him a special player card.

Unfortunately, neither of these players was selected, but that's okay; their future performances will probably bring them back to the Team of the Week list.

Highlights

Besides, the rest of TOTW 12 lineup was as expected, especially Phil Foden from Manchester City and defender Malick Thiaw from Newcastle Utd. They were in excellent form and scored repeatedly last week!

Among them, the most noteworthy player is Micky van de Ven, who displayed exceptional defensive abilities in the match against Newcastle United. Some reports even claim his performance is the best among all defenders in Europe's top five leagues this season. His outstanding individual performance perfectly matches EA FC's typical standards for selecting TOTW players.

Which Special Cards Are Worth Investing In?

So, for FIFA 26 TOTW 12 squad, which players are worth investing in? Before making a selection, in addition to considering the player's overall rating and various statistics, you also need to pay attention to market demand and supply. Because player card prices often fluctuate because of these factors, you need to focus on cards with appreciation potential to determine whether their prices will rise or whether it's a good time to sell them to earn FC 26 coins.

Wladimiro Falcone

First of all, Wladimiro Falcone's special card is definitely worth investing in EA FC 26 because he possesses excellent footwork, reaction saves, ball control, and positioning abilities, making him an ideal choice for any team. In team-building challenges requiring high reaction speed and specific attributes, player demand for Falcone will inevitably surge. 

Furthermore, Falcone's versatility across multiple positions and situations makes him a valuable asset to any team, ensuring a worthwhile investment.

Mohammed Salisu

Another noteworthy special card is Mohammed Salisu. He possesses excellent defensive attributes, particularly pace, physical attributes, and key defensive playstyles like Aerial Fortress and Stopper. His unique Long Throw+ ability is another major advantage in orchestrating attacks, making him ideal for various defensive formations.

His card is valuable for players whose teams have players with Salisu's specific attributes or from the same national team. Especially in Ultimate Team mode, if players have a high demand for his position, league, or nationality, this card has considerable potential resale value later in the game.

In conclusion, while Team of the Week 12 roster differs slightly from ideal scenarios, it does offer some valuable special cards. So, recruit the right players for your team; this is your best chance to improve your team's strength recently!

EA FC 26 is widely regarded by players as the most community-driven virtual football game ever, featuring comprehensive innovations in dribbling, shooting control, AI positioning, and goalkeeper reactions.

It also introduces a prototype system inspired by legendary players, aiming to provide players with the most realistic and controllable virtual football experience.

Building on this foundation, FC 26 Pro Open, a key element of the esports gaming ecosystem, has officially kicked off. This worldwide esports competition will unite top players from various regions to battle it out on a virtual pitch through online qualifiers, followed by an offline final. Participants will compete for rewards and a chance to qualify for higher-tier FC 26 Pro tournaments.

Overview

FIFA 26 Pro Open is a multi-tiered, cross-regional global tournament system primarily aimed at a broad player base, serving as a crucial stepping stone for ordinary players to reach the top of FUT 26 esports pyramid.

The entire competition typically lasts several months. Players first participate in the online FC 26 Open Global Qualifier in their respective regions. The 24 finalists then qualify for FC 26 Pro Open, competing against top players from around the world for ultimate glory.

Pre-Competition Stage

Last Chance Qualifier

First, FC 26 held a massive Last Chance Qualifier. This Qualifier had 256 participants, but only 4 could advance, providing a final chance for those who hadn't qualified through other means.

FC Pro Open Global Qualifier

Following Last Chance Qualifier, FIFA 26 held FC Pro Open Global Qualifier at DreamHack Atlanta from November 1st to 2nd, bringing together top players from around the world.

A total of 64 players competed for a spot in FC Pro Open main event. This was the first major stage of FC Pro season, and all players hoped to earn a place in the main event through this Qualifier.

Player Composition

FC Pro Open Global Qualifier will consist of multiple participants. In addition to the four players who qualified from Last Chance Qualifier, there are 12 players who earned direct entry based on their outstanding performance in last season's FC Pro events.

In addition, the remaining 48 players are from Regional Qualifiers, who qualified through their outstanding performances in FC Pro Open Ladder.

Schedule

FC Pro Open Global Qualifier tournament is divided into two stages:

• 1. Swiss Stage: Held on November 1st, the top 32 players advance.
• 2. Knockout Stage: A double-elimination tournament, the 32 players from the previous stage are divided into four groups of eight. The competition is held on November 2nd, with the top four from each group advancing to FC Pro Open.

After the competition, the 16 players who advanced, along with the 8 players who had already qualified, entered FC Pro Open player pool.

FC Pro Open Schedule

Group Stage

The first stage is Group Stage, which will begin on November 24, 2025 and continue until January 20, 2026. The 24 players who qualified from the above list will participate, divided into 4 groups of 6, using a Double Round Robin format. The group assignments are as follows:

Group A:

• Veijrgang
• LJR Peixoto
• Tekkz
• Lukas_Official11
• Tuga810
• Yaskow

Group B:

• ManuBachoore
• Obrun
• Emre Yilmaz
• Darkley11
• Umut
• Caccia

Group C:

• nicolas99fc
• Brice
• Danipitbull
• Stingray
• Alihanlion
• Anasbadr

Group D:

• GuiBarros
• Levi de Weerd
• GugaFerraz
• Paulo Neto
• Nassada
• HHezers

The top team in each group will advance directly to the top eight and qualify for FC Pro World Championship. The second and third place teams in each group will enter the open finals. The fourth place team in each group will be invited to participate in FC Pro 27 Open Global Qualifier. The fifth and sixth place teams in each group will be eliminated.

Playoffs

The second and third place finishers from each Group Stage will compete in an open final on January 26, 2026, to vie for the final few spots in FC Pro World Championship.

Other Event

In addition to the main tournaments mentioned above, FUT 26 also offers another exciting competition for players – FC 26 Pro Open Cups.

According to official announcements, this season will include three main FC 26 Pro Open Cups.

Here is the known timeline for key matches this season:

• November Cup Matches: November 15-16, 2025
• December Cup Matches: December 20-21, 2025
• January Cup Matches: January 31-February 1, 2026

Each tournament lasts for two consecutive days. The first day of competition usually follows Swiss format, with all players competing in the same rounds. Players who accumulate three losses are eliminated. Players who successfully complete the first day of competition advance to the second day of competition until a champion is determined.

In conclusion, FC 26 Pro Open is shaping a more inclusive and competitive global esports football stage. From the enthusiastic participation of new regions to the steady development of traditionally strong regions, the esports football ecosystem is becoming increasingly sophisticated.

As the tournament advances, we will see more fresh faces emerge on the global esports scene. Players from various cultural backgrounds are coming together to shape a new era in virtual football, delivering an exciting competitive spectacle for fans around the world.

If you've ever witnessed the goalkeeper's comical moments when receiving the ball in EA FC 26, or seen the wingers sprinting back to defend during a counter-attack, you've probably found those moments incredibly frustrating. 

However, in FUT 26's Patch 1.2.0 update, these issues have been significantly improved, resulting in a smoother and more natural gameplay experience.

This update comprehensively optimizes several core elements of the game, including the attacking system, defensive AI, and various game modes. According to the official patch notes, this update aims to further enhance game balance and realism, addressing a series of issues reported by players since release.

Offensive System Adjustments

This update makes several adjustments to the offensive system, aiming to improve the game's realism and balance. The accuracy of volleys after a chip shot has been reduced, encouraging players to make more informed choices during attacks.

Additionally, AI teammates' attacking positioning awareness has been enhanced, and forwards' runs into the penalty area have increased. This adjustment means players will have more passing options and attacking routes during counter-attacks.

In addition, the development team has fixed issues including forwards no longer actively participating in counter-attacks after passing the ball, and wingers excessively dropping back instead of making runs into open spaces during attacks.

Furthermore, through optimizations to the passing and aiming systems, ground through balls and crosses now more accurately follow player aim inputs.

Defensive Mechanics Optimization

Defense is a key focus of this update. The developers have fine-tuned the defensive AI, reducing the intensity of AI defenders marking attacking players at the edge of the penalty area.

Additionally, the man-marking logic in short corner defense has been improved, and players will find that AI teammates position themselves more effectively when defending set pieces.

In earlier updates, FIFA 26 began strengthening manual defense, improving the speed and reaction time of player-controlled players' sprints and marking. In this Patch 1.2.0, the passing mechanics have been adjusted to better reflect player aim.

Goalkeeper Intelligence Improvement

Goalkeeper performance has always been a focus for players. This update addresses the decision-making issues of goalkeepers in specific scenarios. FUT 26 improves the goalkeeper's logic for deciding when to dive for a save, fixing a situation where goalkeepers sometimes punch the ball instead of safely catching a cross.

The developers have also adjusted the goalkeeper's positioning when attempting to block a first-touch long-range shot, reducing instances of excessive leaning to one side leading to an open goal. In Be A Goalkeeper mode, remapping controls no longer affects default input, although the developers note that visual display issues still exist in the relevant interface.

FUT Mode Evolution

Ultimate Team mode has also received a new feature, offering a smoother gameplay experience. Players can now view available evolution options for selected player items.

By selecting from the player item's Actions menu, players can view a filtered evolution menu displaying eligible players for specific evolutions. The visuals and user interface of the objectives and evolution screens have also been cleaned up.

This feature allows players to navigate Ultimate Team more smoothly, making it easier to earn FC 26 coins.

Clubs And Career Mode Optimizations

Clubs has also received an update, several stability fixes, and menu optimizations. The game has fixed an issue where players occasionally experienced a connection loss error message when matchmaking, resulting in a smoother online gaming experience.

In addition, players can now customize the number of indicators displayed on the screen and benefit from smarter AI players in penalty shootouts.

Career Mode has also received some minor but important improvements. When viewing injury details in Team Management, the duration and severity are now displayed, providing a clearer understanding of player health.

Furthermore, the ability to save default jerseys has been added, and the contract management logic has been adjusted to prevent premature contract renewals or transfer requests.

Additionally, the issue of transfer offers from players who actively request transfers sometimes not interacting properly, such as being unable to accept or reject them, has been resolved.

Visual Experience Upgrades

Beyond gameplay, FC 26 has optimized many presentation elements, from new 2D avatars and jerseys to better camera angles. These improvements will enhance player immersion in Career Mode and Ultimate Team.

PC players receive exclusive optimizations, fixing an issue where settings sometimes wouldn't save after changing resolution in full-screen mode. The game also resolves various issues that could cause instability, such as crashes and stuttering.

Other Fixes

In addition to core gameplay adjustments, patch 1.2.0 also fixes numerous issues affecting the gaming experience:

• The issue of malfunctioning player indicators has been resolved, and the accuracy of player input switching has been improved.
• The referee's logic for penalizing back contact has been updated and adjusted, and an issue where players might make unnecessary sliding tackles when requesting a shot has been resolved.
• The issue where called-to-teammate players would become unresponsive when the player calls for a short pass during set-piece attacks has also been fixed.

With the release of Patch 1.2.0, EA FC 26's smoother animations, improved player logic, and fewer visual glitches combine to create a more fluid gameplay experience.

Players will experience significant changes in offensive organization, defensive setup, and goalkeeper performance. These continuous updates demonstrate the development team's emphasis on community feedback and their commitment to creating a balanced and realistic football simulation game.

EA FC 26 seems to have recently entered a crazy mode of releasing new content, with an update every one or two days. Players in the community say that every time they pick up the controller, they feel that the game content is changing, which forces them to adjust the in-game settings again and again in order to be able to score goals or control players more accurately.

With the release of patch v1.1.0 and several recent hotfixes, the passing experience in FUT 26 has seen the biggest improvements of all updates, with features like running Pass and Go and triggering Tiki Taka Playstyle being much better than before. However, in a close football match, it’s not just about player ratings and excellent playing style, but also about the speed of maneuvering players.

To maximize the performance of Tiki Taka Playstyle and other standout players, you, as the player in control, need to have a very short response time to accurately control the ball in your team and create scoring opportunities to increase win rate in Champions and Division Rivals. All you need to do is activate a special option.

Key Settings

First, open Settings menu in EA Sports FC 26 and navigate to Game Settings. Scroll down slightly until you find Pass Receiver Lock option. This feature determines when the game locks onto your chosen pass target, affecting how responsive your passing feels during gameplay.

There are three available settings: ANIMATION START, POWER UP, and LATE. Among them, Animation Start is generally considered the best option, as it allows for quicker reaction times and smoother ball distribution. Choosing this setting can help you improve your overall passing accuracy and gain an advantage in fast-paced matches.

Operating Mechanism

Next, we will discuss the specific operating mechanism of this setting and its impact. When you pass the ball in FUT 26, your current ball handler will perform a shot due to Animation Start setting. At the moment of the shot, the arrow of the player you are controlling will move to the head of the player the system has selected next to handle the ball.

Normally, the system will select the player closest to the ball, which means some players with strong attributes but low passing and dribbling ratings will be chosen. At this point, you might think of using the corresponding joystick and buttons on the controller to select another player, but this time is very short, and the ball may be intercepted and fall into the hands of the opposing player while you hesitate.

Furthermore, you can’t predict the ball’s trajectory, which means the system’s selected player is constantly changing. However, after setting Animation Start, you have a few extra milliseconds to decide what to do next, whether to continue advancing or shoot directly, depending on your playstyle.

Don’t underestimate those few milliseconds. In FIFA 26, those few milliseconds are crucial because you’ll be facing elite players, or players like you fighting for the championship rewards for first place. Therefore, the extra thinking time and super-fast response speed provided by Animation Start are a fantastic way to secure victory and earn more FC 26 coins.

Available Strategies After Patch 1.1.0

In the previously released patch 1.1.0, the developers drastically weakened R1 dribbling mechanism, which drew considerable complaints from players. However, the changes to Animation Start settings in this patch are the focus of this guide:

• Improved instances of Animation Start Pass Receiver Lock Setting not functioning as intended.

With this improvement, Animation Start option is better than ever before because the biggest bug has been eliminated: it wouldn’t work. However, it’s worth noting that this option cannot completely eliminate sluggishness and button delay; it can only reduce their negative impact and make it easier for your players to trigger Tiki Taka Playstyle.

What happens if you combine this key setting with R1Dribbling, which has debuffed? As EZG.com noticed from a clever player comment, this combination works better than expected. While it won’t magically restore R1 Dribbling’s old power, it still offers a smart way to keep your movements fluid and unpredictable - perfect for players who like to out-think, not just outrun, their opponents.

Under the influence of Animation Start, the time available to select and control a player is increased, giving your player extra time to prepare for their next move after receiving the ball. At this point, you can perform a quick left/right turn, currently the only available function for R1 dribbling, allowing you to easily break through defenders, completely tear apart the opponent’s defense, and then score a beautiful goal.

In this situation, even if there’s a delay in your controller button response, you can reduce that delay and save time by selecting players in advance, making it much easier to decide your next move. In this latest installment of the series, time is everything; both the pace of the game and the patch update schedule have become incredibly fast.

These are the specific steps Animation Start takes in FIFA 26 to reduce your player’s speed during the game, along with some currently available strategies. Hopefully, this option will effectively increase your scoring opportunities and goal tally, and help you earn more rewards. Enjoy the game!