Quick Answer
EA FC 26 Summer Stars launched on July 17, 2026 at 6 PM BST (10 AM PT / 1 PM ET) and runs until July 24. It is the final Festival of Football promo before FUTTIES, celebrating top performers from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. EA has confirmed Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, and Lionel Messi are receiving cards, with community leaks pointing to 10+ additional elite players. SBCs, Objectives, and a World Cup Final Showdown SBC are expected throughout the week. You have exactly 7 days to get Summer Stars cards — plan your coin budget now.
Summer Stars is live in EA FC 26 — and it's the last major promo you'll see before FUTTIES kicks off on July 24.
The Festival of Football has been running for five weeks, cycling through Glory Hunters, Phenoms, and more. Summer Stars is its finale: a single-team event celebrating the standout performers from this summer's 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. With Spain set to face Argentina in the World Cup Final this Sunday, the timing is peak football fever, and EA has loaded this final promo week accordingly.
Unlike most Festival of Football promos that released content over multiple weeks and team drops, Summer Stars runs for exactly 7 days with one squad. There is no Team 2. If you want any of these cards, July 24 is your hard deadline.
This guide covers every confirmed and leaked player, what SBCs and Objectives are dropping this week, how FUTTIES Tokens factor in, and the most efficient way to approach the promo without wrecking your FUTTIES budget in the process.
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When Does EA FC 26 Summer Stars Start and End?
Summer Stars launched at the following times on Friday, July 17, 2026:
| Region | Start Time |
|---|---|
| BST (UK) | 6:00 PM |
| ET (US East) | 1:00 PM |
| PT (US West) | 10:00 AM |
| CET (Central Europe) | 7:00 PM |
| AEST (Australia) | 3:00 AM Sat, July 18 |
The promo replaces FUT Phenoms in the pack pool and ends on Friday, July 24, 2026 at the same time — when FUTTIES is expected to take over as EA FC 26's final endgame event.
Who Are the EA FC 26 Summer Stars Players?
Confirmed by EA Sports
EA officially confirmed four players via the FUT loading screen tease ahead of launch. These are guaranteed in packs starting today:
| Player | Club | Nation | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid | England | CAM |
| Erling Haaland | Manchester City | Norway | ST |
| Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid | France | ST |
| Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | Argentina | CAM |
Leaked by Community Sources (Not EA-Confirmed)
Well-regarded FUT leakers Fut Sheriff and ASYFutTrader revealed additional player predictions ahead of launch on X. These names are not officially confirmed by EA, but both sources correctly called all four confirmed cards before the announcement. Per RealSport101's coverage (July 16, 2026), Summer Stars is a single-squad event, meaning the leaked list below represents the bulk of the full promo roster:
| Player | Club | Nation | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ousmane Dembélé | PSG | France | ST/LW |
| Vinícius Júnior | Real Madrid | Brazil | LW |
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | Egypt | RW |
| Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | England | ST |
| Aymeric Laporte | Al-Nassr | Spain | CB |
| Pau Cubarsí | Barcelona | Spain | CB |
| Ismael Saibari | PSV | Morocco | CM |
| Luis Díaz | Liverpool | Colombia | LW |
| Lisandro Martínez | Manchester United | Argentina | CB |
| Vozinha | Braga | Cape Verde | GK |
Overall ratings for these players are community-estimated at 96–98 OVR, but no official card ratings have been confirmed by EA as of publication. Check EA's official FUT page at ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc or fut.gg for official card reveals.
What Content Is in EA FC 26 Summer Stars?
Summer Stars Pack Cards
All Summer Stars items enter the pack pool from 6 PM BST on July 17 and exit on July 24. After that, they can only be bought from other players on the FUT transfer market. Opening standard and premium packs gives you a chance at any card in the current pool — Summer Stars items will be mixed in.
SBCs (Squad Building Challenges)
Summer Stars will include themed SBCs throughout the week. Based on the Festival of Football pattern, expect:
- Player SBCs: 2–4 Summer Stars cards not in packs, obtainable only via SBC fodder
- Showdown SBC: Likely dropping Sunday or Monday around the World Cup Final (Spain vs Argentina). Past Showdown SBCs reward the winning team's player with an additional OVR upgrade after the final result
- Upgrade SBCs: Potentially themed upgrade packs or squad upgrade challenges
SBC costs will vary by player rating. Premium 98 OVR cards via SBC have historically run 200,000–400,000 coins; 96-97 OVR options typically land in the 80,000–180,000 range. No costs are official yet.
Objectives
Free Summer Stars player items via Objectives are expected. Additional Objective groups may unlock throughout the week. Check the FUT Objectives menu daily — these typically run alongside SBC releases and expire at the end of the promo window.
Future World Tour — New Objective Group (Unlocks Today)
A new leg of the Future World Tour Objectives also activated alongside Summer Stars today. This gives you another free National Pride player item and additional FUTTIES Tokens for completing match-based in-game objectives. Per EA's official Season 9 blog, the Future World Tour runs five groups total across Season 9, and "a Completionist group will also reward FUTTIES ICON Frank Lampard for completing at least four of the five Future World Tour Objective groups."
FUTTIES Token Store Integration
The FUTTIES Token Store continues running independently throughout Summer Stars week. As confirmed in EA's official Season 9 blog, the store offers "Player Items, Packs, and Evo Consumables in exchange for Tokens earned in Rivals, Squad Battles, Rush, Squad Building Challenges, and more."
Key token facts for this week:
- Weekly cap: 1,000 FUTTIES Tokens — you cannot earn more than this from Rivals, Squad Battles, Rush, SBCs, and Objectives combined
- FUT Champions earns a SEPARATE pool: winning Weekend League games earns FUT Champions Tokens (100 per win in Season 9, flat rate) — these go into a different Champions Token Store and do NOT count toward the FUTTIES Token cap. Both pools run in parallel, so playing FUT Champions is always worthwhile
- Three Evolutions available in the FUTTIES Token Store each week in Season 9
- Token Store refreshes each Friday — meaning it resets again on July 24, the same day FUTTIES is expected to begin
Which Summer Stars Cards Should You Target?
With a tight 7-day window and a lot of coins potentially needed for FUTTIES, here is how to prioritize:
Worth Targeting (Best Value)
Vozinha (GK) — Goalkeepers with elite Summer Stars ratings are rare in any promo. If Vozinha's card is obtainable via SBC at a reasonable cost, it is one of the better endgame GK upgrades available this cycle. Cape Verde held eventual finalists Spain to their only goalless match of the entire tournament — an extraordinary World Cup story EA will want to honour with a strong card. Good PlayStyles+ on a GK card (Footwork, Far Reach) make the upgrade sticky beyond the promo window too.
Pau Cubarsí (CB) — Spain's breakthrough CB and a leaked 97 OVR. Spanish defenders are always useful for La Liga links, and Cubarsí's age-plus-quality story makes him one of the more distinctive Summer Stars picks. Spain's run to the World Cup Final was built on a strong defensive foundation that Cubarsí anchored, giving EA a strong basis for a generous rating. Worth considering if his SBC cost stays below 150,000 coins.
Ismael Saibari (CM) — Morocco's standout player of the tournament and one of the few central midfielder options in the leaked roster. CM is the most contested position in FUT squads, so a top-rated option with Dutch League links (PSV) — useful for Nations and Regions chemistry tricks — is always in demand at endgame. If Saibari comes via Objective, he costs nothing and is a no-brainer pickup.
Strong But Expensive
Bellingham, Haaland, Mbappé, Messi — EA's confirmed quartet. These will be the highest-rated cards in the promo and will command premium prices whether via packs, SBCs, or the transfer market. They are excellent cards, but unless they come via an accessible SBC, the cost-to-improvement ratio is often poor if you already have strong alternatives in those positions.
Lower Priority (Position Overlap)
Kane, Dembélé, Vinícius — All world-class players, but position overlap with existing meta cards means the upgrade is marginal for most squads unless you specifically need Premier League or Ligue 1 links.
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How Do You Get Summer Stars Cards?
Method 1: Open Packs
The most accessible route. You need EA FC 26 Coins or FC Points to open premium packs. Jumbo Premium Gold Packs and Electrum Players Packs tend to offer the best Summer Stars pull rates during active promos, though neither guarantees a specific card. If you are targeting one particular player, the math almost always favours buying them directly from the transfer market over chasing them through pack openings.
The key rule: the transfer market is almost always cheaper than pack odds for a specific target. Open packs for the excitement of the pull or to build trade profit (sell what you pack, buy your target), not to guarantee a specific Summer Stars card. You will save coins by being disciplined here.
Method 2: Complete SBCs
SBCs are the guaranteed path to specific Summer Stars cards. No RNG — pay the SBC cost in fodder, get the card. Monitor the SBC menu from 6 PM BST today and throughout the week for new additions.
Market timing tip: SBC fodder prices tend to rise 20–40% within the first 24 hours of a new promo as demand spikes. If you are building SBC fodder stacks now, you benefit from buying pre-launch. If you already have fodder in your club, you are positioned well.
Method 3: Transfer Market Purchases
After 24–48 hours, when initial pack openings saturate the market, Summer Stars card prices typically drop by 15–30%. If you are not in a rush to immediately use a card, waiting until Saturday or Sunday often saves a meaningful number of coins — especially on leaked but not officially confirmed cards that players sell off during the initial uncertainty.
How Does Summer Stars Fit Into FUTTIES Preparation?
Summer Stars ends exactly when FUTTIES begins (both July 24). This makes the next 7 days a balancing act:
| Goal | Action |
|---|---|
| Get a Summer Stars card | Budget 80,000–400,000 coins depending on the card |
| Prepare for FUTTIES | Hold back 300,000–600,000 coins for Best of Batch SBCs |
| Max FUTTIES Tokens | Play Rivals and Squad Battles daily (FUT Champions earns separate Champs Tokens) |
| Free player items | Complete the new Future World Tour Objective group today |
The golden rule: do not spend all your coins on Summer Stars. FUTTIES brings the highest-rated cards of the FC 26 cycle — 99 OVR Best of Batch re-releases of the season's top promos. Those SBCs will be expensive. If you burn everything on Summer Stars packs, you enter FUTTIES empty-handed.
A reasonable budget split: spend up to 30–40% of your available coins on Summer Stars (one priority SBC or selective pack openings), and protect the rest for FUTTIES.
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FAQ
What is EA FC 26 Summer Stars? Summer Stars is the final Festival of Football promo in EA Sports FC 26, live from July 17 to July 24, 2026. It celebrates the best performers from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, featuring a single squad of elite cards available in packs, SBCs, and Objectives for exactly one week before FUTTIES begins.
When does EA FC 26 Summer Stars end? Summer Stars ends on Friday, July 24, 2026 at 6 PM BST (10 AM PT / 1 PM ET). That is exactly 7 days after launch. After that deadline, cards leave the pack pool and can only be obtained on the transfer market from other players.
Who are the confirmed Summer Stars players in EA FC 26? EA officially confirmed four players via the FUT loading screen: Jude Bellingham (England), Erling Haaland (Norway), Kylian Mbappé (France), and Lionel Messi (Argentina). Community leaks point to approximately 10 additional players including Vinícius Júnior, Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, and Pau Cubarsí, but these have not been confirmed by EA.
Will there be Summer Stars SBCs in EA FC 26? Yes. Player SBCs are expected to drop alongside or shortly after the promo launch on July 17. A Showdown SBC tied to the Spain vs Argentina World Cup Final is also expected, likely releasing around July 20–21 ahead of or following the match.
How do I earn FUTTIES Tokens during Summer Stars? FUTTIES Tokens are earned via Rivals matches, Squad Battles, Rush, and SBCs — with a weekly cap of 1,000 Tokens and the FUTTIES Token Store resetting each Friday. Note: FUT Champions earns a separate pool of FUT Champions Tokens (100 per win in Season 9), which are spent in a different Champions Token Store. Three Evolutions are available in the FUTTIES Token Store each week in Season 9.
Is Summer Stars worth spending coins on before FUTTIES? It depends on your budget. Summer Stars has strong cards, but FUTTIES arrives immediately after with 99 OVR Best of Batch re-releases — typically the most powerful and most expensive cards of the entire cycle. If your coin stack is under 500,000, prioritize FUTTIES and only pick up Summer Stars items if a specific SBC offers exceptional value.
