TLDR: Two Showdown SBCs are live right now, each tied to the 2026 World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina. Grimaldo (Spain, 93 LM) and Otamendi (Argentina, 93 CB) each cost just two squads of 11 Rare Gold players — roughly 14,000–14,500 coins apiece. The SBCs expire when the Final ends. Whichever nation wins tonight, that player's card upgrades to at least 94 OVR (with a potential Role++ upgrade based on FC 26 Showdown precedent). At ~14k coins each, doing both is one of the best-value SBCs in all of EA Sports FC 26.
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What Are the Festival of Football Final Showdown SBCs?
EA has released two time-limited Festival of Football Final Showdown SBCs to celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina. Each SBC rewards a special Showdown Player Item of one of the two finalists:
- SBC #1 → Grimaldo — 93-rated LM, Spain
- SBC #2 → Otamendi — 93-rated CB, Argentina
These are event-exclusive cards tied to the Summer Stars promo, which went live on July 17, 2026. As EA stated in the official Summer Stars Pitch Notes: "Mark the tournament finale by adding new Player Items to your Club through five Summer Stars SBCs, two Greats of the Game SBCs, a final-focused Showdown SBC, and more." The in-game SBC hub labels these as the Festival of Football Final Showdown SBCs — one for each finalist nation.
Both SBCs expire when the World Cup Final concludes — completing them today is the only window.
How the Showdown Upgrade Mechanic Works
Showdown cards have a built-in risk/reward mechanic that sets them apart in FUT:
- After the real-world match result is confirmed, the player from the winning nation receives at minimum a +1 OVR upgrade — and based on FC 26 Showdown precedents, often a Role++ upgrade as well
- The loser keeps their base Showdown rating with no additional boost
For these two SBCs specifically:
| Player | Nation | Pos | Base Rating | If Team Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alejandro Grimaldo | Spain | LM | 93 | 94 OVR (+ potential Role++) |
| Nicolás Otamendi | Argentina | CB | 93 | 94 OVR (+ potential Role++) |
Based on the Showdown upgrade precedent established earlier in EA Sports FC 26 — including the Uruguay vs Spain Showdown during Greats of the Game week — the winning team's player receives at minimum a +1 OVR upgrade, with prior FC 26 Showdown cards also including a Role++ upgrade. Either way, a 94-rated LM or CB is exceptional end-of-season value, and either card costs just ~14,000 coins to acquire via SBC.
Cheapest Grimaldo Showdown SBC Solution (Spain)
Grimaldo's SBC has 2 challenges, both with identical requirements:
Challenge 1 — Rare Gold Challenge
Requirements:
- Exactly 11 players: Rare
- Exactly Gold players
Cheapest approach: Fill your squad with 11 common Rare Gold players from the Transfer Market. Bronze or Silver cards do not qualify. Cards rated 75–82 (low-demand Rare Gold) are typically the cheapest available — you need no chemistry, no nation/league/club links, and no minimum rating beyond "Gold Rare."
Reward: 2x Rare Gold Players Pack (untradeable)
Challenge 2 — Rare Gold Challenge
Requirements:
- Identical to Challenge 1 (11 Rare Gold players)
Reward: 2x Rare Gold Players Pack (untradeable)
Total Grimaldo SBC Cost
At market prices on July 19, 2026, 22 Rare Gold players (11 per challenge) cost approximately 14,000–14,500 FUT coins in total. The four untradeable packs you earn back from completing both challenges contain cards that can be recycled into future SBCs as fodder — partially offsetting the cost.
Bottom line: Grimaldo's 93-rated Showdown card costs around 14,000 coins. If Spain wins the World Cup Final, that card upgrades to at least 94 OVR for free.
Cheapest Otamendi Showdown SBC Solution (Argentina)
Otamendi's SBC has the exact same structure as Grimaldo's:
Challenge 1 — Rare Gold Challenge
Requirements:
- Exactly 11 players: Rare
- Exactly Gold players
Reward: 2x Rare Gold Players Pack (untradeable)
Challenge 2 — Rare Gold Challenge
Requirements:
- Identical to Challenge 1
Reward: 2x Rare Gold Players Pack (untradeable)
Total Otamendi SBC Cost
Approximately 14,000–14,500 FUT coins — the same as Grimaldo's, since requirements are identical.
If Argentina wins tonight, Otamendi upgrades to at least 94 CB OVR. At 14k coins, that's a hard deal to beat.
Should You Do Grimaldo, Otamendi, or Both?
Here's the honest breakdown:
| Option | Cost | Risk | Upside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grimaldo only (Spain wins) | ~14,000 coins | 50/50 | 94 OVR LM + Role++ |
| Otamendi only (Argentina wins) | ~14,000 coins | 50/50 | 94 OVR CB + Role++ |
| Both (guaranteed upgrade on one) | ~28,000–29,000 coins | Zero | One 94 OVR + Role++, one base 93 |
| Neither | 0 | None | Miss the window entirely |
The case for doing both: At ~28k coins for two 93-rated promo cards — one of which is guaranteed to upgrade to 94 OVR + Role++ — this is standout value versus any other SBC in the current Summer Stars rotation. You guarantee the upgrade without predicting the Final result. Compare this to the Michael Olise Summer Stars SBC (10 challenges) or the Enzo Fernández SBC (5 challenges) — both require significantly more fodder and FUT coins for players in a similar OVR range.
The case for picking one: If you have strong conviction on the winner and want to maximize your coin value per card acquired, single-card play saves ~14k coins and still lands you a potential 94-rated player. Spain entered the Final as slight favourites after beating France in the semi-final on July 14, but Argentina — who eliminated England on July 15 — have been equally clinical throughout the tournament.
Recommendation: If you have 28,000–30,000 coins sitting in your club, do both. The combined cost is low enough that landing even a base 93-rated LM or CB at that price is worth it — and you're guaranteed the Role++ upgrade on at least one card. This is one of the cheapest guaranteed 93/94-rated promo acquisitions in Season 9 of EA Sports FC 26.
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Why Are Grimaldo and Otamendi Worth Having in FUT?
At 93 OVR, both Showdown cards are top-tier for late Season 9 — a period where the average squad rating has crept into the 92–94 OVR range and fodder from earlier promos is recycled into FUTTIES Best of Batch SBCs (expected ~July 24, 2026).
Grimaldo (93 LM, Spain) has been a consistent FUT meta pick across multiple special versions throughout EA Sports FC 26, thanks to his pace, dribbling, and 4-star skill moves — attributes the meta consistently rewards at left midfield. At LM in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, he provides the wide attacking threat that most midfield-heavy formations rely on. A 93-rated Showdown version at ~14,000 coins keeps him accessible through the final weeks before FC 27.
Otamendi (93 CB, Argentina) brings one of the defensive archetypes the FUT meta favours: a high-rated, physically dominant CB with strong defensive PlayStyles. Argentina's road to the World Cup Final included shutting out England in the semis — Otamendi's role in that performance is precisely what made him a Showdown candidate. In FUT terms, a 93–94 CB fills the defensive anchor slot in budget-to-mid-tier end-of-season squads, which is where most active players sit in late July.
Neither card is a mandatory buy at full promo pricing — but at 14k coins via the SBC route, both represent exceptional FUT value regardless of the upgrade outcome. The base 93-rated version of either player would cost significantly more on the Transfer Market in any promo SBC context.
How to Complete the SBCs Fast: Step-by-Step
- Open FUT → go to the SBC hub → search "Festival of Football Final Showdown"
- You'll see two separate SBCs — one for each finalist
- For each SBC, Challenge 1: go to the Transfer Market, filter by Rare + Gold + lowest BIN price; buy 11 cards
- Place all 11 in the squad slot and submit
- Challenge 2: repeat (another 11 Rare Gold players)
- Collect your 2x Rare Gold Players Pack reward from each challenge
- Repeat steps 3–6 for the second SBC
Tip: If you have untraded or duplicate Rare Gold players in your club already — from pack openings, previous SBC pack rewards, or unsold Transfer Market cards — use those first. You need no links, no chemistry, no minimum OVR, just Rare + Gold.
Tip: The four untradeable packs (per SBC) contain Rare Gold players that can feed future SBCs — recycle them into the next time-limited challenge rather than quick-selling. They are ideal fuel for any SBC fodder requirements in upcoming FUTTIES Best of Batch SBCs.
Are the Showdown Pack Rewards Worth Anything?
Each challenge rewards you with 2x Rare Gold Players Packs (untradeable). At two challenges per SBC, you get 4 packs per SBC, 8 packs total if you complete both.
These packs are untradeable, so you can't sell the contents — but you can:
- Use them as SBC fodder for future SBCs in the Summer Stars rotation or the upcoming FUTTIES Best of Batch SBCs (expected ~July 24, 2026)
- Feed any Rare Gold–required challenge — the cards from these packs qualify for any SBC requiring Rare Gold players
At the current stage of the EA Sports FC 26 cycle (end of Season 9, final week before FUTTIES launches), fodder from these packs has genuine use as SBC fuel over the next 5 days.
Where to Get Coins Fast for These SBCs
The two Showdown SBCs are intentionally designed to be cheap — EA uses low-cost Rare Gold requirements so that most active FUT players can complete them without grinding. But if your coin balance is running low heading into the end-of-season window, a few options:
- Sell unused duplicate players from your club to the Transfer Market — any promo card you're not using can fund both SBCs several times over
- Quick-sell older untradeable Rare Gold players (under 75 OVR; the discard value still adds up)
- Bronze Pack Method — buying Premium Bronze Packs (750 coins) and selling the contents for ~1,500–2,000 coins profit per pack is the safest, no-ban-risk coin grinder; fully covered in our Bronze Pack Method guide
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FAQs
What is a Showdown SBC in EA FC 26? A Showdown SBC rewards a special-edition player card tied to a real-world match between two nations or clubs. The player from the winning side receives at minimum a +1 OVR upgrade — and based on FC 26's established Showdown upgrade precedents, often also a Role++ upgrade — once the real-world result is confirmed. The losing player's card keeps its base Showdown rating.
How long does the Festival of Football Final Showdown SBC last? Both the Grimaldo and Otamendi Showdown SBCs expire when the 2026 World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina concludes — approximately July 19–20, 2026. Once expired, they cannot be completed.
What are the SBC requirements for both Showdown SBCs? Each SBC has 2 challenges. Both challenges require a squad of exactly 11 Rare Gold players. There are no minimum ratings, chemistry requirements, or nation/league restrictions — just Rare + Gold.
How much do the Grimaldo and Otamendi Showdown SBCs cost? At market prices on July 19, 2026, each SBC costs approximately 14,000–14,500 FUT coins (22 Rare Gold players total across both challenges). Prices may vary depending on Transfer Market supply.
Is it worth doing both Showdown SBCs? At roughly 28,000–29,000 coins for both, doing both guarantees you one 94 OVR + Role++ player (whichever nation wins the Final) and one base 93-rated card. Given that comparable 93–94 OVR promo players typically cost far more in the transfer market or through multi-challenge SBCs, completing both is considered excellent value at end-of-season pricing.
Do the pack rewards from Showdown SBCs help offset the cost? Each SBC rewards 4x Rare Gold Players Packs (untradeable) across 2 challenges. While you can't sell the pack contents, they serve as SBC fodder for upcoming FUTTIES Best of Batch SBCs and any other Rare Gold–requiring challenge in Summer Stars. They partially offset the coin cost in practical terms.
