Road to the Final FC 26 ultimate guide: Release date, full player list and best ways to get cards
With Champions League and Europa League quarter-finals about to kick off, EA Sports FC 26 is launching Road to the Final (RTTF). In a sense, players will see dynamic card games themed around Europe's biggest club competitions.
You've probably already been whetted by the trailers. RTTF officially launches on Friday, March 27, 2026, at 6 PM GMT / 10 AM PT. Stay tuned!
This guide will take you through everything you need to know about this Friday's RTTF.
Introduction
Before the event launches, the knockout stages of four UEFA competitions are already underway. Therefore, the new RTTF has certainly surprised everyone. Although it was later than expected, it did not affect the subsequent development of RTTF.
This RTTF event integrates four major leagues: Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League, and Women's Champions League, covering parts of the knockout stages, quarter-finals, and finals.
As before, the developers have set up a selection of players who will receive enhanced special cards, and these players will be participating in UECL, UEL, UECL, or UWCL. Card upgrades will be synchronized with the participating teams' advancement progress.
Because the event started a little late, the player showcase is limited to one week, which is something you need to be aware of in advance. The showcase phase is part of the overall RTTF, and the main upgrade phase will coincide with the progress of the four UEFA competitions.
The specific end dates for the four UEFA competitions are as follows:
- UEL: May 20, 2026
- UEL: May 23, 2026
- UEL: May 27, 2026
- UCL: May 30, 2026
Related Players
Regarding the total number and roster of players in RTTF, it's currently impossible to determine precisely, as the competition schedule changes significantly each year. According to reliable sources, more than 40 players have been identified, so it's reasonable to speculate that there will be around 50 cards.
After a short announcement period, and with a brief respite, the next promotional campaign is already on the agenda. Therefore, the cards in this RTTF will eventually be presented to you in the form of a super-large team, allowing you to grasp most of the player information immediately. Completing Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) and objective missions in the game will also reward you with some players.
To further enhance your plans, FC 26 RTTF Team 1 will be held on March 27, 2026 (7:00 PM CEST). Successfully completing SBCs and daily missions to obtain player cards will take place from March 27 to April 2, 2026.
Narrowing your roster of ordinary players to four UEFA competitions will alleviate your decision-making difficulties. Undoubtedly, the developers have absolute freedom and decision-making power regarding player card acquisition.
In most cases, players with high popularity and high strength among the player community are more likely to be selected, and we look forward to them achieving remarkable results in subsequent matches. Furthermore, to ensure a diverse selection of players, the game aims to include as many different clubs as possible.
Normally, only one player is available per club. However, for popular clubs, this restriction may be relaxed, allowing two to three players to be included in RTTF. Will your favorite player get an RTTF card this time?
Acquisition Methods
Having introduced the player cards, your enthusiasm and desire to acquire them should be at its peak. As mentioned above, this time it was launched as a large team, and most of the player cards were also fully revealed at this time, so card packs are your main source of RTTF player cards.
Yes, last year's main sources of RTTF player cards were limited to season rewards and SBCs. This year is different. However, it's not entirely the same; some cards can still be obtained through SBCs and daily tasks.
Besides following the game's progression and acquiring cards step by step, there's a third way to obtain cards, which can greatly reduce your disappointment and frustration from not being able to get your desired player cards: going to Transfer Market. All the cards in your packs are tradable, and having a large number of FC 26 coins will greatly accelerate your game progress.
This year's RTTF pack rules are the same as in previous years. During RTTF, all basic cards in all packs, regardless of how you obtained them, will be replaced with RTTF cards, ensuring they are based on the corresponding player cards.
You've already figured out the secret: by collecting as many card packs as possible containing players, your chances of obtaining event cards will steadily and significantly increase. The probabilistic nature of events also tells you that the appearance of RTTF cards is not inevitable. Be prepared to deal with it. Be prepared!
After reading this guide, the passion ignited by the four UEFA competitions will continue to spread to FC 26, so dive into FC 26 Road to the Final and show your skills!
