Each new Final Staff cycle in EA Sports activities FC 26 comes with pleasure, frustration, and limitless debates about which playing cards are definitely worth the value. A few of these costly stars carry out nice, but should not significantly better than cheaper playing cards with comparable stats. It’s a standard lure that catches even skilled managers.
Huge names like Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, and Vini Jr. convey pleasure due to their real-life success. Their playing cards look highly effective at first look, with excessive scores throughout the board. Nevertheless, value doesn’t at all times equal efficiency, and constructing a robust squad doesn’t at all times imply spending each coin on headline gamers. Typically it’s about figuring out which playing cards provide actual worth and in addition which of them are inflated by hype.
Jude Bellingham
Cheaper Various: Cole Palmer And/Or Jamal Musiala
- Value: 120,000 – 137,000
Jude Bellingham’s card looks like a dream midfielder. EA provides him 90 general due to his energy, ending, and composure. He wins tackles, carries the ball confidently, and finishes like an attacking midfielder.
Many gamers contemplate him the perfect all-around midfielder in Final Staff, and his in-game presence definitely helps that concept. Nevertheless, the issue isn’t efficiency; it’s the related value. When in comparison with some underrated players who carry out virtually as nicely for much much less, that value begins to look extra like a luxurious than a necessity.
Florian Wirtz
Cheaper Various: Bruno Fernandes
- Value: 260,000 – 294,000
Florian Wirtz’s inventory in FC 26 displays his real-life breakout with Bayer Leverkusen. He’s usually considered as a top-tier central attacking midfielder for customers who need each scoring and creativity. Nevertheless, his price ticket will be steep, particularly early on, and that’s the place expectations start to conflict with actuality.
Wirtz shines when given house, however he will be inconsistent in high-pressure conditions. His energy is proscribed, which makes him simpler to dispossess towards aggressive defenses. His tempo is respectable however not elite, and his ending doesn’t at all times match his ranking when underneath tight marking. Bruno Fernandes, in the meantime, affords very comparable attributes at a a lot cheaper price. His general ranking of 88 retains him aggressive, and his lengthy pictures, passing vary, and positioning make him one of the environment friendly attacking midfielders for his value.
Federico Valverde
Cheaper Various: Vitinha
- Value: 375,000 – 400,000
Federico Valverde’s card in EA Sports activities FC 26 appears to be like like the proper all-round midfielder. He’s a dependable, quick, and strong player. His 89 general ranking displays precisely that: a participant who runs the complete pitch, tackles with energy, and nonetheless has the tempo to burst ahead on the assault. On paper, Valverde has the whole lot: 85+ tempo, excessive stamina, and sharp lengthy pictures.
His versatility makes him helpful in each CM and CDM roles, particularly for gamers preferring a balanced midfield that may defend and assault with equal energy. Valverde’s price ticket is round 375,000 and 400,000 cash, which is essentially as a result of his repute. Nevertheless, Vitinha, for instance, affords almost the identical on-field effectiveness. His passing and ball management are smoother, and his positioning feels extra pure on possession-based groups. The one trade-off is barely much less uncooked tempo, however contemplating gamers are getting him for someplace between 67,500 and 74,500, it’s not a nasty deal.
Nicolò Barella
Cheaper Various: Martin Ødegaard
EA charges Nicolò Barella 87 general, and it’s simple to see why: excessive work charges, quick movement, and aggressive tackles. His card suits fashionable midfield play completely. Barella strikes nicely between bins, intercepts passes, and hyperlinks play cleanly. He’s a kind of playing cards that at all times appears to be concerned, regardless of the place the ball is. Nevertheless, his Final Staff value makes him much less interesting when contemplating what he truly brings.
Barella’s card value sits beneath 60,000 cash. That’s not outrageous, however when in comparison with midfielders who present comparable outcomes for much much less value, the distinction feels pointless. Barella’s defensive numbers and stamina are good, however not miles higher than gamers who value 1 / 4 of his value. Martin Ødegaard is the clearest instance. Whereas Barella performs as a runner and destroyer, Ødegaard works as a technical playmaker, and that’s usually extra useful in-game. His passing, dribbling, and ball management are all higher, and his finesse shot trait makes him harmful from distance. Ødegaard prices round 11,000 cash, which makes him nice for inventive groups that depend on fast passing and good link-ups.
Viktor Gyökeres
Cheaper Various: Hugo Ekitiké
- Value: 119,000 – 140,000
Viktor Gyökeres’ rise by way of Sporting CP and his goal-scoring kind earned him a robust Final Staff card in FC 26. Together with his mixture of tempo, energy, and ending, he’s a conventional striker constructed to bully defenders. Gyökeres excels at working in behind and ending from shut vary, however his lack of elite dribbling and agility limits him in tight matches.
Hugo Ekitiké, in distinction, gives an analogous model for a fraction of the fee. His tempo, positioning, and ending stats mirror a lot of what makes Gyökeres efficient, but his card stays neglected due to his decrease ranking. Ekitiké strikes extra fluidly, with smoother dribbling animations and quicker reactions close to the objective. For gamers who depend on counterattacks or fast combos, he suits naturally right into a system that emphasizes pace and timing.
Vini Jr.
Cheaper Various: Raphinha
- Value: 830,000 – 923,000
Vini Jr. stays one of many flashiest and most recognizable gamers in Final Staff, and his 90 general ranking ensures consideration. Nevertheless, many gamers discover that regardless of his unbelievable pace, his ending can really feel unpredictable, and his lack of physicality permits defenders to muscle him off the ball. He’s electrical when the whole lot clicks, however the efficiency hole between him and cheaper wingers isn’t at all times as vast as the worth suggests.
Raphinha stands out as an excellent various. His 85–86 general card affords excessive tempo, sturdy agility, and wonderful shot energy. Whereas he lacks Vini Jr.’s aptitude, he compensates with a extra direct and environment friendly playstyle. His crosses and energy pictures are extra reliable, and his barely higher energy helps him keep on his ft in duels.

- Launched
-
September 26, 2025
- ESRB
-
E For Everybody
- Engine
-
Frostbite