The Youth Academy system in EA Sports FC 26 has the potential to FC 26 Coins be one of the most rewarding aspects of Career Mode—if it’s done right. With the Football Manager franchise taking a break, there’s no better time for EA Sports to invest in long-term player development as a central gameplay mechanic.

A reimagined Youth Academy, complete with detailed scouting, evolving potential, and dynamic player growth, would not only attract FM veterans but also add real heart to the management journey. It’s time to build the future—one wonderkid at a time.

Tactical Evolution and Formations: How FC 26 Can Finally Compete with Football Manager

With Football Manager 25 no longer on the calendar, EA Sports FC 26 has a rare window of opportunity to step up as the premier football management simulation. One of the areas where Football Manager has always had a massive edge is tactical depth. While FC 25 made some strides, it still lacks the nuance, fluidity, and customization needed to appeal to true tacticians.

If EA Sports wants Career Mode to be more than just a casual experience, FC 26 needs a complete overhaul of its tactics and formations system. This is the core of any management sim. The ability to create, test, and evolve tactics based on player strengths and matchups would add an entirely new dimension to gameplay.

Tactical Instructions Must Go Beyond the Basics

In its current form, FC 25 gives users preset tactical systems like "Possession," "Counter Attack," or "Fast Build-Up." These templates are fine for casual players but far too limiting for anyone seeking depth. FM players are used to tailoring every movement on the pitch—from the tempo of passing to the shape of defensive lines.

In FC 26, tactical instructions should become modular and layered. For instance:

    Break down possession phases: build-up (deep or wide), middle third (structured or creative), final third (overlaps, overloads, or isolation).

    Introduce conditional tactics: switch to a high press after conceding or drop deep with a lead after 70 minutes.

    Add customizable pressing triggers, like targeting a weak fullback or pressing only in specific zones.

These options would give Career Mode managers far more control and elevate tactical planning from a shallow pre-match routine into EA FC 26 Coins a central gameplay system.