EA Lost FIFA, So It Built Its Own World Cup Anyway

By Lionel Gen Bernard Allkeyshop Gaming News
27 May 2026 no comments

EA Sports FC 26 launches its 48-team World’s Game update on May 28, with the tournament kicking off June 4 without the FIFA name.

IGN revealed The World’s Game update for EA Sports FC 26 on 27 May 2026. The update is due on May 28, while its 48-team international tournament starts June 4, giving EA a World Cup-style football moment without the FIFA name.

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Steam reviews verified 27 May 2026: 30.9K positive, 35.4K negative, Mixed.

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Released

Sep 25, 2025

Developer

EA Canada, EA Romania

Publisher

Electronic Arts

Available on

PC · Switch 2 · PS5 · Xbox Series

Tags

SimulationSports

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The hook is not just another sports-game update. EA Sports no longer sells the series under the FIFA label, yet FC 26 is adding a 48-team international tournament mode right as the real-world football calendar heats up. That makes the update feel like a branding answer as much as a gameplay drop.

For PC players, the buyer question is just as obvious. Steam still lists EA Sports FC 26 at €69.99, while the EA Sports FC 26 price page currently shows CD-key and Steam Account routes far below that. The cheapest route is not automatically the cleanest, but the gap is too big to ignore.

The World’s Game Is EA’s World Cup Without the FIFA Name

According to IGN, The World’s Game update adds a 48-team international tournament mode starting June 4, plus 53 fully licensed and playable national teams. EA does not need to call it the FIFA World Cup for players to understand the pitch: pick a country, chase the trophy, and live inside the football event everyone is already watching.

That is the smart part of the move. EA Sports FC 26 cannot lean on the old FIFA branding anymore, so it has to make the mode feel big through teams, stadiums and timing. The update’s new venues, including Gillette Stadium and BMO Field, are there to sell that tournament atmosphere without pretending this is the official FIFA-licensed product.

EA Lost the Name, Not the Football Calendar

The split from FIFA created a branding problem that EA has been trying to turn into a strength. FC 26 is still the same giant annual football platform, but moments like this matter because they prove whether EA can own global football attention without the most famous four letters in the sport.

The World’s Game update is a clean test. If players treat it like the tournament mode of the season, EA wins the cultural moment without the official name. If they do not, then the missing licence becomes visible again every time a player asks why the biggest football event of the year feels almost, but not quite, official.

Steam Is Still Full Price, But the PC Market Is Not

Steam lists EA Sports FC 26 at €69.99, while current AKS checks show CD-key offers around €24.27 and Steam Account offers around €8.97. That is the kind of gap that changes the question from “should I try the update?” to “which version should I actually buy?”

The honest answer depends on ownership. A CD-key is the cleaner route if you want the game tied to your own account, even if it costs more than the lowest Account offer. Steam Account listings can be much cheaper, but they come with trade-offs that readers should understand before chasing the lowest number. Our Steam Account explainer covers that difference.

Should You Jump Back Into FC 26 for The World’s Game?

If you already own FC 26, The World’s Game is a strong reason to reinstall before the tournament buzz peaks, even if Steam sentiment remains mixed. The update is built for casual returners: national teams, a simple international fantasy and a reason to play outside the usual club grind.

If you do not own it yet, do not treat Steam as the only entry point. Check the live EA Sports FC 26 comparison, weigh CD-key ownership against Account pricing, and avoid paying full Steam price just because EA timed the update perfectly.

Lionel Gen Bernard

Competitive gaming veteran and Infographics Creator at AllKeyShop, Lionel 'Gen' Bernard made his name in the early days of esports as a professional Unreal Tournament player, competing at the highest level when competitive FPS was still in its infancy. Founder of AllKeyShop, he now brings his competitive DNA to data-driven visual storytelling, producing original infographics and editorial content. His work maps the global gaming landscape through the lens of someone who's lived it from both sides: the arena and the industry.