FC 26 Festival of Football: Full Promo Schedule, Path to Glory & What to Expect (June–July 2026)

The biggest FUT event of the year kicks off tomorrow — here's everything you need to know

EA's Festival of Football is the World Cup-themed summer mega-event for FC 26 Ultimate Team, and it starts June 5 at 6 PM BST. Six straight weeks of promos, live upgrade cards tied to real international performances, two brand-new ICONs, and 100+ freshly licensed national team players hitting packs. If you've been sitting on fodder waiting for something big, this is it.

The short version: don't do anything expensive today. Path to Glory drops tomorrow, prices will shift, and the content calendar is stacked enough that smart players hold their coins for at least the first 48 hours to see what the market does.

Full Festival of Football Promo Schedule

On top of these main promos, EA has confirmed that National Pride cards, Showdowns, and Star Performers will appear throughout the festival as recurring content — so expect weekly refreshes even between big promo drops.

Path to Glory: The Live Upgrade Mechanic Explained

Path to Glory is the headline promo and runs the full first two weeks. Cards are tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026 (USA / Canada / Mexico, kicking off June 11). The mechanic: if a player's national team keeps winning, their card gets upgraded mid-promo. A player whose country goes deep into the tournament could end up with a significantly boosted card by knockout stages.

What this means practically: don't panic-buy Path to Glory cards on day one. Wait 48–72 hours, see which nations are winning, then target the players whose upgrades look likely. Players from favourites like Brazil, France, Argentina, England, and Spain are safest bets for live upgrades — but they'll also be priced accordingly from the jump.

New ICONs: Mario Kempes & Rivellino

Two legendary footballers are being added to FC 26 as brand-new ICONs during the Greats of the Game promo (June 19). EA confirmed both Mario Kempes (Argentina, 1978 World Cup Golden Boot winner) and Rivellino (Brazil, World Cup legend) will debut with special Greats of the Game versions on June 19, with their Base versions landing in packs from June 26. If you're an ICON collector or run a themed squad, mark June 26 in your calendar — Base ICON prices typically drop significantly once packs open.

National Team Players: 100+ New Cards in Packs

One of the bigger structural changes: EA has licensed 100+ national teams at full licence depth for FC 26, and those players are now entering FUT packs. Expect a wave of previously unlicensed or differently-named players to appear in the card pool. This matters for SBC fodder — more players in packs means more supply, which should push mid-range fodder prices down slightly over the first week.

What to Do Right Now (Before June 5)

• Hold coins. Don't spend on anything that isn't essential today. The market will dip when Path to Glory goes live as players open packs and sell.
• Stack fodder but don't spend. If you've been grinding objectives, keep the untradeable fodder for upcoming SBCs. Don't panic-sell to inflate your coin balance.
• Check expiring content. Any SBC or objective expiring before June 5? Finish it today. National Pride SBC players (Cherki, Alexander-Arnold, Højlund) are reportedly coming via SBC — worth tracking once the content goes live.
• Watch the World Cup draw. Your Path to Glory investment decisions will depend heavily on which national teams end up in easier brackets. Tournament starts June 11.

Token Store & Recurring Content

EA is bringing a Token Store as part of the Festival campaign — earn tokens through gameplay, objectives, and SBC completions, then redeem them for specific promo players. It's a structured alternative to pack luck, and historically this kind of store is the best way to target specific cards without spending coins. Details on earning rates and available players will drop when the campaign goes live.

The Bottom Line

This is FC 26's biggest remaining content window. Six weeks, five promos, two new ICONs, live upgrades, a Token Store. If you've been half-playing since TOTS ended, this is the reason to come back. Path to Glory starts tomorrow at 6 PM BST — check back for the full Team 1 player list the moment it drops.