The festive season in EA Sports FC 26 Ultimate Team is about to get a whole lot brighter! The much-anticipated Winter Wildcards promo is back, transforming your favorite footballers into supercharged, festive-themed superstars. If you’re looking to add some sparkle and serious firepower to your squad, this is the event you’ve been waiting for.
What Are Winter Wildcards Cards?
Think of Winter Wildcards as EA’s holiday gift to your Ultimate Team. EA Sports selects a group of players and grants them special cards with significant boosts to their ratings, pace, and other key attributes. For the duration of the promo, these special versions replace the players' regular cards in packs, meaning every time you pack one of these chosen stars, you’ll get their juiced-up Wildcard version. Naturally, with these substantial upgrades, their market value is expected to skyrocket.
You can build your dream winter squad by finding these cards in Packs, completing in-game Objectives, solving Squad Building Challenges (SBCs), or by snapping up deals on the Transfer Market.
FC 26 Winter Wildcards Release Date Details
Mark your calendars! The festivities run on a precise schedule, with different teams dropping throughout the holiday period.
- Promo Start: Friday, 19th December 2025, 18:00 (UTC)
- Promo End: Friday, 2nd January 2026, 18:00 (UTC)
Here’s the team release breakdown:
- Best of Winter Re-Release: Dec 18 - Jan 2 (A chance to grab past winter favorites!)
- Team 1: Dec 19 - Dec 26
- Team 2: Dec 24 - Jan 2
- Team 3: Dec 26 - Jan 2
Winter Wildcards Team 1 Players
Here are the confirmed Team 1 Winter Wildcards players and their upgraded overall ratings:
- Bastoni – CB – 90
- Theo Hernández – LB – 88
- Matthijs de Ligt – CB – 87
- Philogene – LM – 86
- Christopher Nkunku – CAM – 87
- Bukayo Saka – RW – 90
- Lucas Chevalier – GK – 86
- Lionel Messi – ST – 91
- Pierre Lees-Melou – CDM – 86
- Kelly – RM – 89
- Godts – LW – 84
- Benjamin Henrichs – RB – 86
- Nicolas Pépé – RM – 85
- Gavi – CM – 88
- Danny Welbeck – ST – 85
- João Palhinha – CB – 85
This squad combines elite meta players with versatile position changes, making Team 1 especially valuable.
How to Get the FREE Winter Wildcards Home Kit
Ahead of the main promo, EA has dropped a festive-themed Winter Wildcards Home Kit. This isn't just cosmetic—it’s your ticket to earning bonus Season Progress (SP).
How to Get the Kit:
The kit is available in the Item Store (under Season 3 Stadium Items). You can purchase it individually for 25,000 EA FC 26 Coins or 250 FC Points, or as part of a Winter Wildcards Bundle for 140,000 FIFA 26 Coins or 1,400 FC Points.
Winter Wildcards Objectives Requirements
Equip the Winter Wildcards Home Kit and complete the following challenges:
- Play 3 Matches
Play 3 matches in any Ultimate Team game mode
Reward: 150 SP
- Score 3 Goals
Score 3 goals in any Ultimate Team game mode
Reward: 150 SP
- Win 3 Matches
Win 3 matches in any Ultimate Team game mode
Reward: 150 SP
- Group Reward: Winter Sweaters
These objectives are a fast and efficient way to progress through Season 3 rewards.
- Important note: Access to the Transfer Market on the Web and Companion Apps may be subject to standard EA account requirements.
Final Thoughts
The FC 26 Winter Wildcards promo delivers top-tier content for Ultimate Team players, combining powerful player upgrades, festive objectives, and market-shaking special cards. Whether you’re grinding Division Rivals, competing in Champions Weekend League, or investing in the transfer market, Winter Wildcards offers something for everyone.
