Even before the release of EA FC 26, many fans are wondering how strong the new player ratings will be. Insiders have now revealed the first overall ratings for 3 special icons.
What do ratings mean in EA FC 26? The ratings or overall ratings (GES) provide information about how strong a player is in their position. The rating is expressed on a scale from 1 to 99.
The rating for field players consists of 6 different stats:
- Speed (TEM)
- Shooting (SCH)
- Passing (PAS)
- Dribbling (DRI)
- Defense (DEF)
- Physical (PHY)
For goalkeepers, the stats are a little different:
- Diving (HEC)
- Ball Control (BSI)
- Goal Kick (ABS)
- Reflexes (REF)
- Speed (TMP)
- Positioning (POS)
In general, players with a high rating can also be played better on the field, as they can pass or shoot better, move or turn faster, and hold their own in duels more effectively.
Insiders reveal first ratings for new icons
What ratings are known? The well-known service site for Ultimate Team, Futbin, shared a screenshot from the PS Store on its own Instagram account. This shows 3 icons that are part of the pre-order bonuses for the Ultimate Edition in FC 26.
The image shows the following icons with ratings from left to right.
- Thierry Henry (91)
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic (92)
- Andrés Iniesta (92)
That Ibrahimovic would appear as a new icon in FC 26 was already known after the first cover revealed for FC 26. There was only speculation about Iniesta’s return to Ultimate Team. With his official rating, the Spaniard should now also be confirmed as the next new icon.
What kind of icons are these? The players are 3 of 15 icons that you can receive as a pre-order bonus of the Ultimate Edition at the launch of FC 26 for Ultimate Team. Throughout the season, you can further improve these icons through evolutions.
Whether the ratings refer to the overall rating of the icons at launch or if they already represent a preview of the icons after the respective evolution is still unknown. However, since Henry already has a base icon with a rating of 91 in EA FC, we currently assume that the ratings shown are the starting values.
Are more ratings known? Already on Monday evening (August 11, 2025), Toni Kroos was introduced as a new icon in FC 26. Kroos’ first rating shows an overall rating of 90.
He will also be part of the pre-order campaign for the Ultimate Edition, which means you could also get him at the start of Ultimate Team in FC 26.
Can ratings change? The ratings are dynamic depending on the mode you play in EA FC and are sometimes adjusted based on the real performances of professionals during the season. A connection to the internet is required for dynamic ratings:
- In kick-off mode, you can activate live form, which provides promising players with upgrades and underperforming players with downgrades for each new match day.
- In career mode and online seasons, you can download roster updates regularly, which consider and adjust the performance of professionals over a longer period.
- In Ultimate Team, ratings can change in two ways:
- Weekly events bring new special cards with adjusted ratings. Other promos bring dynamic cards that can improve over the course of the season.
- In the evolutions, you can actively improve the rating of players.
In the coming weeks, more ratings for icons, heroes, and players are expected to be announced. We will keep you updated on MeinMMO. While many players are eagerly awaiting new icons, heroes, or the new ratings, some stars will no longer be part of FC 26: 5 famous football stars from FC 25 who will not be in FC 26
