The Team of the Year (TOTY) content keeps rolling in EA FC 26, and the latest addition to the Squad Building Challenge (SBC) menu is Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhães. The Brazilian center-back has received a boosted 90-rated TOTY Honorable Mentions card, celebrating his dominant performances over the last year.
However, with a price tag hovering around 350,000 coins, the community is split. Is this a must-complete defender for your backline, or is EA asking too much for a card that lacks key meta PlayStyles? We tested him in the highest divisions to find out.
A Physical Monster: The “Bruiser” Factor
The first thing you notice when using Gabriel is his physical presence. Standing at 6’3″ with a left-footed profile, he offers that desirable balance for building out from the back on the left side. But his standout feature is undoubtedly the 
Bruiser+ PlayStyle.
In FC 26, manual defending mechanics have shifted, and having that aggressive edge is vital. Gabriel excels here. The Bruiser+ allows him to make crunching challenges and muscle attackers off the ball with ease. If you rely on the “advanced defending” mechanics – using the X/A button to shoulder barge – Gabriel feels incredibly responsive.
Unlike other defenders who might feel passive, Gabriel’s aggression means he actively pushes toward the ball carrier. This prevents the frustration often felt with cards like Ledley King, who can sometimes fail to engage in those 50/50 duels. If you like to defend manually and step up to meet attackers, Gabriel’s body type and aggression are a perfect match.
What’s Missing? The PlayStyle Debate
While his physical stats are elite, the card does have glaring omissions that justify the community’s hesitation. The most notable absence is the Block PlayStyle. In a game engine where auto-blocks can be the difference between a win and a loss, missing this trait is significant.
Furthermore, for a center-back to be considered truly “end-game” or top-tier meta at this stage, the 
Intercept+ PlayStyle is almost non-negotiable. Through balls are incredibly effective this year, and while Gabriel has the base Intercept PlayStyle, he doesn’t cut out passing lanes with the same magnetic consistency as a Virgil van Dijk or an Evolution Micky van de Ven.
That said, he is not a liability. His positioning is generally excellent, and his “Lengthy” acclaim helps him recover on the sprint. He will still make blocks and interceptions, but he won’t get those “bail-out” animations that the absolute best cards in the game provide.
Value for Money
This is where the SBC becomes difficult to recommend for everyone. At roughly 350k, Gabriel is expensive. When you compare him to recent Evolution options – where you can build a card with Intercept+, 
Block+, and Bruiser+ for a fraction of the cost – Gabriel feels slightly behind the power curve in terms of “feature completeness.”
If you compare this SBC to the recent Sophia Wilson card, the difference in value is stark. Wilson felt like a steal for her price, offering elite performance that justified every coin. Gabriel, on the other hand, feels like you are paying a “Premier League tax” and a “TOTY tax.”
Verdict: Should You Complete Him?
Gabriel Magalhães is a very solid defender. He is not “garbage” by any means. If you are an Arsenal fan or need a Brazilian Premier League link to round off your team, he will do a fantastic job. His manual tackling is satisfying, and he won’t let you down physically.
However, if you are purely chasing the meta and counting your coins, there are smarter ways to spend your fodder. Without Intercept+ or Block, he falls just short of the elite tier.
FUTFC Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
A dominant physical defender with great manual tackling, let down only by a high price tag and missing meta PlayStyles.
