As the countdown to the 2026 summer football festival accelerates, EA has announced the full national team lineup for EA FC 26’s unofficial World Cup mode, set to kick off on 4th June. The headliner is The World’s Game, a sprawling 48-team tournament built around 53 featured countries. With 41 of those nations preparing to compete in the real World Cup this summer, the update lands as both a warm-up act and a long-term playground for football fans eager to rewrite international storylines.

What The World’s Game brings to EA FC 26

EA is positioning this as one of the biggest seasonal updates of the year, and for good reason. Rather than simply adding a handful of international kits, the mode introduces several layers of content.

• 🏆 A 48-team tournament format called The World’s Game

• 🌍 53 featured national teams in total

• 📅 A dedicated events hub for the mode

• 🎉 A Festival of Football-themed campaign

• ⚽ Additional rewards, objectives and player items

The structure gives players a clear progression path from the group stage through to a national triumph. But it also raises a natural question: can a virtual World Cup run fill the gap when a favourite nation stumbles in real life? For many players, the answer will likely be yes.

Which nations are included?

EA has confirmed that of the 53 countries available, 41 are competing in this summer’s real World Cup. That leaves a healthy batch of additional nations that can be taken to glory in the virtual tournament, even if they will not lift the real trophy in 2026.

The full selection spans six confederations and includes traditional heavyweights, rising tournament sides and some long-standing fan favourites.

UEFA (27 teams): Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkiye, Ukraine and Wales.

CONMEBOL (6 teams): Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay.

CONCACAF (5 teams): Canada, Haiti, Mexico, Panama and United States.

AFC (6 teams): Australia, Indonesia, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan.

CAF (8 teams): Cabo Verde, Congo DR, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.

OFC (1 team): New Zealand.

That spread is significant. It means players can experiment with a variety of tactical identities, from South American flair and European structure to the fast-improving sides from Africa, Asia and North America. Could a nation overlooked in pre-tournament predictions become the most-used team in the mode? That is part of the fun.

Kick Off and Ultimate Team also get major refreshes

The new World Game mode is not the only place where the international theme appears. Other nations will remain playable in the separate Kick Off mode, giving players even more freedom outside the main tournament structure. EA has also added new international tournament objectives, which should give Kick Off matches a stronger sense of purpose beyond casual one-off games.

Ultimate Team is receiving a substantial update to match the celebration. The changes include new Evolutions options, Festival of Football Tokens, a dedicated Event Hub, weekly Festival of Football themed campaigns, fresh Player Items and various gameplay adjustments. That mix is designed to keep Ultimate Team squads evolving throughout the summer rather than going stale once the real tournament begins.

Timing is everything

Launching on 4th June gives EA FC 26 an early start ahead of the real 2026 World Cup. The timing means players can sharpen their international instincts, test different formations and settle on a favourite nation before the actual football drama takes over headlines around the world.

It also offers a welcome escape route. When a national team suffers a painful elimination in the real tournament, players can immediately bring that same side to glory in The World’s Game. Maybe that softens the disappointment a little. At the very least, it gives supporters something productive to do after the final whistle blows on their country’s real-world campaign.

All in all, this is a timely and content-rich update built around the beautiful game’s most exciting season. Whether the aim is tactical experimentation, Ultimate Team progression or simply rewriting international history, EA FC 26 is giving players plenty of reasons to keep playing deep into the summer.