Quick Answer: The Greatest Show Objective Rewards at a Glance
The Greatest Show is a nine-challenge Summer Stars objective campaign live in EA FC 26 until 24 July 2026. Complete all challenges to earn a free 95 OVR Summer Stars Mikel Oyarzabal, approximately 75 FUTTIES Tokens, 1,000 Season XP, a stack of untradeable packs (including 83+ and 85+ Rare Gold Players Packs), PlayStyles+ rewards across four separate challenges, and two bonus untradeable player items — Charles De Ketelaere and Roberto Lopes. Every reward is untradeable. Challenges can be completed in any Ultimate Team game mode, and you need only one cheap player from each required nationality in your starting 11.
Summer Stars has landed, and it brought its biggest Objective campaign of the season with it. The Greatest Show runs from 17 July to 24 July 2026 — just one week — and the headline reward is a 95-rated Summer Stars Mikel Oyarzabal you can unlock entirely for free by playing. As EA Sports put it in the official Pitch Notes: "Complete Summer Stars: The Greatest Show, a new themed Objective inspired by the tournament's standout nations. Keep clean sheets, score headers, find the net from range, and more to earn a Summer Stars Player Item and Festival of Football Tokens."
This guide covers every challenge, the cheapest way to complete each one, and exactly how to stack multiple objectives in the same match to finish the whole thing in the fewest games possible.
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What Is The Greatest Show Objective in EA FC 26?
The Greatest Show is a Summer Stars-themed campaign Objective — part of the Season 9 FUTTIES Festival of Football's grand finale promo. It consists of nine individual challenges, each linked to a different nation that starred at the 2026 FIFA World Cup (hosted across North America). Complete all nine and you earn the campaign's top prize: Mikel Oyarzabal's Summer Stars Player Item.
Oyarzabal was one of Spain's key performers as La Roja marched to the 2026 World Cup Final (confirmed per soccergaming.com, 18 July 2026). His Summer Stars card — confirmed in the in-game Objectives Hub — is rated 95 OVR, carries 5-star skill moves, a 4-star weak foot, and four PlayStyles+, making this a genuinely useful addition to endgame squads, not just a trophy collect.
"Summer Stars celebrates the players who defined the summer's tournament, from consistent performers to magic match-winners." — EA Sports FC 26 Pitch Notes, 17 July 2026
What Are All 9 Greatest Show Challenges?
Here is the complete challenge list with their per-challenge rewards, sourced from the in-game Objectives Hub (verified 17–18 July 2026):
| # | Challenge | Nation Requirement | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Play 10 matches in any Ultimate Team Game Mode | None | 10× 83+ Rare Gold Players Pack + 200 Season XP |
| 2 | Win 5 matches | Min. 1 Belgium player in starting 11 | 5× 85+ Rare Gold Players Pack + Charles De Ketelaere + 150 Season XP |
| 3 | Keep 5 Clean Sheets | Min. 1 Cabo Verde player in starting 11 | Roberto Lopes + Far Reach+ & 1v1 Close Down+ PlayStyles |
| 4 | Assist 6 goals using Through Ball passes | Min. 1 Spain player in starting 11 | Incisive Pass+ & Tiki Taka+ PlayStyles + 150 Season XP |
| 5 | Score 4 Header goals | Min. 1 England player in starting 11 | Precision Header+ & Enforcer+ PlayStyles |
| 6 | Assist 5 goals using Crosses | Min. 1 Morocco player in starting 11 | 3× 86+ Rare Gold Players Pack |
| 7 | Score 5 Low Driven Shot goals | Min. 1 Norway player in starting 11 | Low Driven Shot+ & Gamechanger+ PlayStyles |
| 8 | Score 5 Finesse goals | Min. 1 Argentina player in starting 11 | 10 FUTTIES Tokens |
| 9 | Score 5 goals from outside the box | Min. 1 France player in starting 11 | 15 FUTTIES Tokens |
Campaign completion bonus: Summer Stars Mikel Oyarzabal (95 OVR) + 50 FUTTIES Tokens + 500 Season XP
How Do You Complete Each Challenge Fast?
Challenge 1 — Play 10 Matches (Any Mode)
This is your freebie. Play Squad Battles on Amateur difficulty — the wins are guaranteed and each match takes around 6–8 minutes on accelerated settings. You'll passively clear this while grinding the nation-specific challenges.
Tip: Squad Battles counts for every other challenge on this list. Set your default go-to mode for all nine challenges and knock them out simultaneously.
Challenge 2 — Win 5 Matches with a Belgium Player
Belgium had a strong World Cup group stage, and they have deep representation in FUT. You need just one Belgium-nation card in your starting 11 — the player's club league doesn't matter.
Cheap Belgium options: Kevin De Bruyne's base gold card, Axel Witsel, Leandro Trossard, or any low-rated Belgian bronze. At the end of Season 9 most gold Belgium cards cost minimal coins — pick whoever you can park on the bench of your starting 11. Note: Charles De Ketelaere is the reward for this challenge, so once you've earned him, you can immediately use him for future Belgium-eligible objectives.
Fastest method: Squad Battles on Amateur, or Division Rivals if you're confident in your squad. Five wins is easily done in a single evening session.
Challenge 3 — Keep 5 Clean Sheets with a Cabo Verde Player
This is the trickiest nationality requirement on the list. Cabo Verde doesn't have the same gold-card depth as the bigger nations, but there are a handful of options.
Cabo Verde options: Roberto Lopes is actually the reward for this challenge — so you'll need someone else first. Look for the cheapest Cabo Verde-nationality card on the Transfer Market — bronze and silver cards are almost always priced in the lowest tier. Cabo Verde goalkeeper cards can work well here as a bonus clean sheet contributor.
Fastest method: Squad Battles on Amateur. Set your defensive line high to congest and dominate. Five clean sheets against Amateur AI should take around 6–8 matches (you won't get them all, so budget a few extra games). Alternatively, Kick-Off modes (like Penalty Shootout) are not Ultimate Team game modes — stick to Squad Battles to be safe.
Challenge 4 — Assist 6 Goals via Through Balls with a Spain Player
Spain has massive FUT representation: Pedri, Morata, Laporte, Asensio, Canales, and many more gold cards at minimal cost. Pick a central midfielder or playmaker Spain card (Pedri's base gold works well) and focus on splitting defenses with low-driven through balls — hold LT/L2 then press the through-ball button to thread behind the backline.
Fastest tip: Run a formation with two forwards and play on a lower difficulty to guarantee the AI gaps open for through-ball assists. Six assists is easily done across 6–7 matches if you stay disciplined.
Challenge 5 — Score 4 Header Goals with an England Player
England were one of the World Cup's more prolific attacking sides before their semi-final exit to Argentina (per The Mirror, 16 July 2026), and FUT is packed with England options: Jude Bellingham's base gold, Declan Rice, Phil Foden, Harry Maguire for aerial dominance, or any English gold striker.
For headers: use crosses from wide areas and position a tall striker centrally. Squad Battles on Amateur lets you control the tempo and guarantee open crossing lanes. Four headed goals is achievable in 2–3 dedicated matches if you commit to crossing.
Challenge 6 — Assist 5 Goals via Crosses with a Morocco Player
Morocco had one of the World Cup's best defensive records and a dynamic wide play style, fitting the cross-assist challenge perfectly. Top Morocco options include Achraf Hakimi's gold, Sofyan Amrabat, or any Moroccan league card on the cheap.
Play your Morocco card in a wide position (RB, LB, or winger) and send balls into the box for headed or near-post finishes. Five cross assists takes roughly 4–6 matches on average.
Challenge 7 — Score 5 Low Driven Shots with a Norway Player
Erling Haaland's Summer Stars card is the headline Norway item this promo — but for this challenge you only need any Norway-nationality player in your starting 11. Sörloth's gold, Ødegaard's base gold, or any bronze Norwegian card qualifies.
Low Driven Shots are performed with LT/L2 + R1/RB + shoot (or equivalent on your controller). They're most effective inside the box at sharp angles. Five goals takes a couple of comfortable Squad Battles matches on Amateur.
Challenge 8 — Score 5 Finesse Goals with an Argentina Player
Argentina are in the World Cup Final (per FIFA/The Mirror, July 2026), so their FUT catalog is enormous: Messi's base gold, Lautaro Martínez, Rodrigo De Paul, Alejandro Garnacho, Nicolás Tagliafico — take your pick.
Finesse shots are R1/RB + shoot and work best from outside the right boot angle (if right-footed) on cuts inside. Five finesse goals on Amateur difficulty is about 2–3 matches.
Challenge 9 — Score 5 Goals from Outside the Box with a France Player
France need just one player in your starting 11: Kylian Mbappé's base gold, Aurelien Tchouaméni, Ousmane Dembélé's gold, or any French card available cheaply.
Outside-the-box goals are the hardest to force — the AI tends to block shooting lanes. On Amateur difficulty, though, the goalkeepers make far more mistakes on long shots. Play a CDM or CM with a France card and shoot on sight from 25–30 yards. Five goals takes 4–6 matches.
Can You Stack Multiple Challenges in the Same Match?
Yes — and this is the key to finishing The Greatest Show fast. Each challenge tracks independently, so a match where you have Belgium and Spain players in your squad simultaneously progresses both the Belgium-wins and Spain-through-ball challenges at once.
Here's an efficient stacking order:
Stage 1 (Matches 1–5): Play with Belgium + Spain + England + Morocco players all in your starting 11. In each match: attempt through-balls (Spain), headers (England), crosses (Morocco), and just win (Belgium). You progress four challenges simultaneously.
Stage 2 (Matches 6–10): Switch to Norway + Argentina + France lineup. Target low-driven shots (Norway), finesse goals (Argentina), outside-the-box goals (France). One lineup, three challenge tracks.
Stage 3 (Clean Sheets with Cabo Verde): Dedicate a short Squad Battles run specifically to keeping clean sheets with your Cabo Verde card in the 11. You need 5 clean sheets, which is a different style of play — lower defensive line, patient holding.
Play 10 matches (Challenge 1) progresses across all stages automatically.
Realistically, most players can complete all nine challenges in 12–16 Squad Battles sessions on Amateur, especially if stacking the nations strategically.
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Is 95 OVR Summer Stars Oyarzabal Worth Building For?
The short answer is yes — a 95 OVR card with 5-star skill moves and 4-star weak foot is genuinely elite at this stage of the game cycle, and it's completely free. Oyarzabal is listed as a striker/forward, making him a direct upgrade path for anyone who hasn't invested heavily in a top-tier ST during the promo market.
His PlayStyles+ mean he performs skills in the meta way the AI favors, and his overall OVR hits the threshold for high-chemistry SBCs. For endgame squads heading into the FUTTIES Best of Batch events (expected around 24 July 2026), he slots in cleanly.
Even if you have a better ST already, the free SBC fodder alone — 10× 83+ packs, 5× 85+ packs, 3× 86+ packs — plus the ~75 FUTTIES Tokens toward the Token Store makes The Greatest Show one of the best free content drops of Season 9.
How Many FUTTIES Tokens Does The Greatest Show Give?
In total, completing all nine challenges of The Greatest Show awards approximately 75 FUTTIES Tokens:
- 50 Tokens from the campaign completion bonus
- 10 Tokens from Challenge 8 (Argentina Finesse Goals)
- 15 Tokens from Challenge 9 (France Outside-the-Box Goals)
At Season 9's current Token Store pricing — most Player Items cost under 1,000 Tokens (EA's stated design goal per the Season 9 Pitch Notes: "most weekly Packs, Evo Consumables, and Player Items now cost less than the max Tokens a player can earn that week") — 75 Tokens is a solid contribution toward a weekly Token Store pickup, stacked on top of your Rivals and Squad Battles Token earnings.
How to Get Coins for Cheap Nationality Players
You need just one card per nationality in your starting 11, and most of these are gold base cards available for under 1,000–2,000 coins at this point in the cycle. The one with tighter supply is Cabo Verde — check the Transfer Market for any Cabo Verdean nationality card filtered by nationality.
If your coin balance is stretched after months of SBCs and Evos, here are ways to replenish quickly in the last week of the season:
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FAQ
When does The Greatest Show objective expire? The Greatest Show is part of the Summer Stars promo, which runs until Friday, 24 July 2026 when the next wave of content arrives. Make sure you complete all nine challenges before that cutover at 6pm BST / 10am PT.
Do challenges count in Rush or Squad Battles? Yes — the objectives state "any Ultimate Team Game Mode," which includes Division Rivals, Squad Battles, Rush (5v5), and FUT Champions/Challengers. Squad Battles on Amateur is the fastest route because you control the pace and face easier goalkeepers.
Can I use any player from the required nation or does it need to be a promo card? You only need one player from the specified nationality in your starting 11 — the card type, rating, or promo doesn't matter. A bronze or silver card from the Transfer Market qualifies.
Does scoring a header also count toward the "Play 10 matches" challenge? Yes. Challenge 1 tracks matches played, not match outcomes. Any match you complete in any UT mode adds to the count simultaneously with all nation-specific progress.
Are the Oyarzabal and other player rewards tradeable? No — all rewards from The Greatest Show are untradeable, including Oyarzabal, Charles De Ketelaere, Roberto Lopes, and all packs. The FUTTIES Tokens can only be spent in the Token Store.
What happens if I miss the deadline? Once Summer Stars ends on 24 July, The Greatest Show objectives are removed from the hub and any incomplete challenges become unavailable. The rewards are event-exclusive and will not return.
