The biggest promotion in the EA FC 26 calendar is finally upon us. Team of the Year (TOTY) is the endgame; the moment EA Sports assembles a dream squad of the world’s best eleven players, boosting their stats to god-tier levels.

With a stunning new card design featuring a deep blue and gold crystalline aesthetic, the hype is real. Whether you are looking to vote for your favorites or grind heavily to pack a blue card, here is everything you need to know.

📅 Key Dates & Schedule

Leakers on Twitter have leaked the dates when TOTY kicks off. Mark these dates in your calendar. The promo rollout is staggered, starting with voting and culminating in the full team release.

  • TOTY Voting Opens: Wednesday, January 7th
  • Official Team Reveal: Thursday, January 15th
  • TOTY Promo Starts (Attackers in Packs): Friday, January 16th

Note: Historically, EA releases the squad in waves (Attackers first, then Midfielders, then Defenders), with the full XI available in packs a few days later.

Guide: Claim your secret free FC 26 Icon pack today
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Guide: Claim your secret free FC 26 Icon pack today

🗳️ The Nominees

While the final XI is decided by votes, we have a strong idea of who will make the shortlist based on performances over the last 12 months.

Men’s TOTY Predictions

  • Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, David Raya, Thibaut Courtois, Wojciech Szczęsny, Alisson Becker.
  • Defenders: William Saliba, Virgil van Dijk, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho.
  • Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Vitinha, Pedri, João Neves, Moisés Caicedo.
  • Attackers: Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Ousmane Dembélé.

Women’s TOTY Predictions

  • Goalkeepers: Christiane Endler, Ann-Katrin Berger, Chiamake Nnadozie, Ellie Roebuck, Hannah Hampton.
  • Defenders: Mapi León, Irene Paredes, Sakina Karchaoui, Lucy Bronze.
  • Midfielders: Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmatí, Caroline Graham Hansen, Alessia Russo, Patri Guijarro.
  • Attackers: Sam Kerr, Kadidiatou Diani, Ewa Pajor, Marie Katoto, Guro Reiten.

💎 Project TOTY: The Ultimate Grinding Guide

Packing a Team of the Year item is notoriously difficult. To give yourself the best chance, you need volume. We have compiled the ultimate “Project TOTY” strategy to help you save hundreds of packs before January 16th.

1. The “25k Rule” (What to Save vs. Open)

You don’t need to save everything. To keep your club healthy and able to complete daily SBCs, follow this rule:

  • Save: Any pack valued at 25,000 coins or higher (e.g., 82×10, 83×10, Rare Players Pack, Jumbo Rare Gold Players).
  • Open: Any pack valued under 25k (e.g., 75+ Player Packs, 77×3, Electrum Players). Use the fodder from these to fuel your upgrades.

2. The Daily Menu Grind

This is the engine of your pack save. Perform this routine every time you log in:

  1. Daily Upgrades: Complete the Daily Bronze, Daily Silver, and Daily Common Gold upgrades. This cycle turns 1 Bronze and 1 Silver into 55 Gold Players every single day for free.
  2. Winter Wildcards Crafting Upgrade: Dump your “Off-League” Common Golds (leagues other than PL, La Liga, BuLi, Serie A, Ligue 1) here. This rewards you with 78×3 packs and objective milestones (like 85×5 packs).

3. The “Unlimited” League SBC Loop

The Premium Mixed Leagues Upgrade is currently the best way to generate tradeable packs and high-rated fodder.

  • How it works: Use your Main League players (Prem, La Liga, etc.) to complete the squads.
  • The Cost: If your club is stocked from the Daily Upgrades, you can complete the loop for roughly 4,000 – 10,000 coins.
  • The Reward: You get a Jumbo Gold Pack (Tradeable) and a Prime Electrum (Tradeable). Selling the contents (consumables, chem styles, players) often covers the cost of the SBC, leaving you with the group reward packs (45k Pack, etc.) effectively for free.

4. Objective & Tournament Packs

Do not neglect the “Live Events” tab. These require gameplay but offer the highest value packs.

  • The Gold Cup: Winning the tournament and completing match objectives offers massive rewards like 84×5, 85×2, and 86×3 packs.
  • The Gauntlet: Upcoming events like the Gauntlet are expected to reward 85×4 packs.
  • Squad Battles/Champs: Even if you aren’t a pro, 10-11 wins in Champs provides huge packs (85×7, 83×10) that are vital for the hoard.

5. Tracking Your Progress

It is highly recommended to track your saved packs to stay motivated. Many in the community use spreadsheets (like the popular JoshXL template) to calculate the total coin value of their saved packs.

  • Note: Take estimated “Pack Values” with a grain of salt. A 100k pack (Jumbo Rare Gold) isn’t “worth” 100k in the current market, but it’s a good metric to track your volume.

⚠️ Important Tip: Do NOT save Player Picks. You cannot open other packs while you have unassigned items. Open your picks immediately and use the duplicates in the grind.