EA FC 26 Team of the Year (TOTY): Dates, Voting, Packs, Market Tips and How to Prepare

1. What is TOTY in EA FC 26?

Team of the Year is a yearly Ultimate Team promo that celebrates the best real world footballers from the previous calendar year. EA releases massively upgraded special cards, which usually become some of the strongest items you can use in your club for months.

In modern EA FC cycles, TOTY typically includes:

• Men’s TOTY and Women’s TOTY squads
• A staggered release where positions enter packs in waves
• A 12th player (often called 12th Man and 12th Woman) added after the main squad
• TOTY Icons and other special drops (varies by year)
• Upgrade SBCs and repeatable content to keep you grinding

Why is TOTY so important?

• Cards are endgame level. Even months later, TOTY items still compete with the best.
• Pack openings peak. Many players save packs for weeks waiting for TOTY.
• The market becomes chaotic. Prices swing hard, especially around full team release and lightning rounds.
• It is the biggest “power jump” of the year. If your goal is elite competitive squads, TOTY is a huge moment.

Related reading: If TOTY hype is pushing you toward coins, read our brutally honest pillar guide first: Buying FC Coins Safely (Brutally Honest 2025 Guide).

2. When does TOTY start in EA FC 26?

As of the last update on this page, EA has not always confirmed TOTY dates far in advance. Historically, TOTY lands in mid January, and it follows a similar structure each year: voting in early January, then the first wave of TOTY cards on a Friday, then staggered position drops, then full team in packs.

For example, in FC 25 the official promo release date was Friday, January 17, with voting beginning in early January. In FC 24, EA publicly confirmed a position based release where attackers dropped first, then midfielders, then defenders and goalkeepers.

Our practical expectation for EA FC 26 TOTY

Based on publicly available schedule tracking and the way EA has run TOTY in recent years, many reliable community trackers expect TOTY to begin around mid January 2026, with attackers first and the full team later.

Expected TOTY timeline (simple version)

• Early January: TOTY voting window
• Mid January (Friday): TOTY begins and the first wave of cards enters packs
• Week 1: Staggered positional drops
• Week 2: Full team window, plus 12th Man and Honourable Mentions

Expected TOTY timeline (detailed, for planners)

If you are the kind of player who wants your coins, fodder, and pack timing nailed down, here is a planning table you can follow. Again: this is a planning model, not an official EA calendar.

3. TOTY voting: how it works and how to vote

TOTY is usually driven by a shortlist of nominees and a public vote. EA typically publishes an official voting hub on the EA SPORTS FC website where you build your XI in a set formation and submit your vote.

How TOTY selection typically works

• EA publishes a nominee list (often 100+ players across positions).
• The community votes for their preferred XI.
• The final team is shaped by fan voting and EA’s selection process (exact details can vary year to year).

How to vote (simple steps)

1. Watch for EA’s official TOTY announcement and voting link.
2. Open the official TOTY voting page.
3. Select your men’s and women’s XI.
4. Submit your vote.
5. Wait for EA to reveal the winners and begin releasing cards into packs.

4. TOTY pack schedule: when cards go into packs

This is the part most players care about because it controls everything: pack opening timing, market supply, and the best moment to buy TOTY players.

TOTY cards typically do not all enter packs at once. Instead, EA usually staggers them by position:

• Attackers first
• Midfielders next
• Defenders and goalkeeper later
• Full squad window after the staggered drops

When should you open saved packs?

If your goal is “maximum chance to pack any TOTY card,” the best time is usually when the full TOTY squad is in packs, not the first attacker only window.

If you are saving packs, a practical approach is:

• Save your best packs for the full squad window.
• Use small packs early only if you need fodder for SBCs.
• Do not burn your entire club on upgrade SBCs before the best window unless you have a plan.

5. What content to expect during TOTY

TOTY is usually not just “cards in packs.” It is a full event with daily content designed to keep you engaged.

Common TOTY content categories

• TOTY cards in packs (staggered by positions)
• TOTY Honourable Mentions (strong cards that did not make the main XI)
• 12th Man and 12th Woman (extra additions)
• Upgrade SBCs (repeatable grinds like 81+, 83+ style upgrades)
• High end SBCs (Icons, Heroes, player SBCs, crafting chains)
• Objectives (packs, picks, fodder, XP)
• Lightning rounds (store pack waves that spike supply and often crash prices)

Free content to watch for: Classic XI Heroes and TOTY upgrades

EA FC 26 has also had events tied to TOTY timing, like Classic XI Heroes being linked to an upgrade at the start of TOTY. If EA runs similar “log in by X date” offers, it is worth claiming them even if you are not grinding daily.

6. What TOTY does to the market (and why people call it a crash)

TOTY is where the entire Ultimate Team economy goes wild. Here is what usually happens, in human terms.

6.1 The pre TOTY sell off

Before TOTY, players want coins. So they sell:

• Meta cards they fear will drop
• Promo cards they do not need
• Investments they want to cash out

This often causes a slow decline before TOTY even begins.

6.2 The TOTY pack supply shock

When TOTY hits, pack openings explode. More packs means:

• More supply of gold rares
• More fodder hitting the market
• More undercutting
• More volatility

6.3 The “full team in packs” moment

The full squad window is usually the biggest moment for:

• Pack openings
• Lightning rounds
• Market swings

6.4 Fodder can move in the opposite direction

Even while player prices fall, fodder can sometimes spike because TOTY SBCs often require high rated squads. It can be a weird market where:

• Meta players drop
• High rated fodder rises
• Special cards bounce up and down depending on SBC demand

Practical takeaway: TOTY is not just one crash. It is a sequence of waves.

7. How to prepare for TOTY: packs, fodder, coins and timing

If you want to enjoy TOTY instead of stressing, you need a plan. Here are the preparations that actually matter.

7.1 Decide your TOTY goal

Pick one primary goal, otherwise you will waste coins.

• Goal A: Pack a TOTY (high risk, high hype)
• Goal B: Buy a TOTY player you want (requires coins and timing)
• Goal C: Complete SBCs and upgrades (fodder management matters)
• Goal D: Improve your squad without TOTY (best value for many players)

7.2 Pack saving strategy

• Save high value packs for the full squad in packs window.
• Keep some low value packs for fodder if you are doing upgrades daily.
• Do not forget untradeable packs still matter for SBC fodder.

7.3 Fodder strategy

If TOTY SBCs look strong, fodder demand rises. A balanced approach is:

• Keep a base stack of 84 to 89 cards for upgrades and SBCs.
• Do not over invest too early unless you understand market cycles.
• Use upgrades to turn low value golds into higher rated fodder.

7.4 Coin strategy (the part most players skip)

If you want to buy players during TOTY, coins matter more than packs. A simple coin plan looks like this:

1. Liquidate non essential cards before the market becomes chaotic.
2. Set a budget for packs, SBCs, and buying players.
3. Keep a reserve so you can react to a market dip.
4. Buy with patience during heavy supply windows rather than day one hype.

8. Weekend League during TOTY: why rewards matter

During TOTY, rewards are more valuable than usual because even a standard pack can hit for huge value when top tier items are in packs, and fodder supply is in constant demand.

What to focus on during TOTY weekends

• Weekend League: still the biggest reward injection for competitive players.
• Rivals: consistent weekly packs and picks.
• Objectives: underrated for free packs and upgrade fodder.

9. Coins during TOTY: the honest truth + safer options

Let us be brutally honest: TOTY is the moment when many players look at a TOTY Mbappe level card and realise they will never afford it through casual play alone.

That is why TOTY is also the season of:

• coin sellers popping up everywhere
• random Discord DMs offering “cheap coins”
• fake middlemen
• account theft stories

9.1 If you want to stay inside EA’s rules

Your safest options are always:

• Play and grind rewards
• Trade legitimately on the market
• Use FC Points via official channels if you choose to spend

9.2 If you decide to buy coins anyway

We cannot pretend this is “allowed.” It is against EA rules. But if you are going to do it anyway, at minimum:

• Choose a seller with a long public reputation (not a random message)
• Understand transfer methods and why some are riskier than others
• Use a service that prioritises safety and natural market behaviour over crude coin dumps

Start here: Buying FC Coins Safely (Brutally Honest 2025 Guide)

Want the technical breakdown? How EA FC Coin Transfers Work (Comfort Trade vs. Player Auction vs. Snipe Method)

10. Avoiding scams during TOTY: trust signals that matter

TOTY is prime scam season because emotions are high and players want instant coins. The only smart approach is to demand real trust signals.

Trust signals you should look for

• Independent reviews: not screenshots, but a public profile on a platform like Trustpilot.
• Reachable support: real humans, not disappearing tickets.
• Clear processes: you know what happens, what you need to do, and what the risks are.
• Honesty about EA rules: any seller claiming “100% safe forever” is lying.

FutCoinSpot trust signals

• Trustpilot: Read our reviews here
• Discord support: https://discord.gg/Kvmu2sPSpd

Important honesty note: A strong track record is not a guarantee. EA can change detection and enforcement at any time. What trust signals do tell you is whether a site has delivered at scale without constant public complaints of bans or stolen accounts.

11. EA FC 26 TOTY FAQ

Final TOTY checklist (save this)

• Decide your goal: pack grind, SBC grind, or market buy.
• Save your best packs for the full squad in packs window.
• Keep coins liquid if you plan to buy players.
• Expect chaos: prices swing, do not panic.
• Use trusted services only, and remember EA rules still apply.

Still unsure? Read our pillar safety guide first: Buying FC Coins Safely (Brutally Honest 2025 Guide)