It was all kicking off when this TGC social duo went from best pals to 90-minute enemies at the Theatre of Dreams. No, not Old Trafford… The Koelnmesse for Gamescom away! Manchester United took on Chelsea in a bottom of the barrel clash with blog post bragging rights on the line as we went hands-on with EA Sports FC 26.

Jack

Let me start by saying that neither of us are seasoned pros in the EA FC department. “Back in my day it was called FIFA!” Etc. But after a fairly embarrassing opening five minutes, I began to get a foothold in the match. The beautiful game has indeed changed over the years, giving way to more creativity, flair and tactical formations that are way above my station! But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t thoroughly enjoy this kick-about on German turf.

 
Matt’s Manchester United were saved their blushes due to a truly phenomenal display from André Onana, which was ironically perhaps the least realistic part of the demo. In the 47th minute, a rush of blood to the head of Moisés Caicedo (Me) meant a rash challenge gave Bruno Fernandes a free kick within range… What followed I believe was a technical glitch, with Matt pinging it over the wall and into the top corner. An absolute peach. I’m sure that’ll get patched!
 
The second half saw my continued domination of United finally bearing fruit, with Cold Cole Palmer scoring a little bit of a sweaty goal. But hey, they all count!
 
Barring some frustration with the changing of players which I’ll put down to my sheer lack of EA FC game time (It’s FIFA, mate!), I can honestly say that 2026 is the most tempted I’ve been to secure a season ticket in years!
 
The result? A hard fought 1-1 draw where Onana’s “Man of the Match” display felt like 3 points went Matt’s way!

Pre-order EA Sports FC 26 with an EXTRA £10 REWARDS, right here at The Game Collection!

Matt

It's impossible to tell if all of the gameplay promises that EA have been making this year have come to fruition after a short demo on the packed floor of Gamescom, but we thought we'd give it a go anyway.

I don't think it's particularly controversial to say that FC 25's reception was mixed: EA's own marketing plan for this year's game basically admits as much. So it's encouraging that FC 26 seemingly plays demonstrably better even after a just couple of matches with the new title.

25's ball seemed to ricochet and bounce straight into the path of your opponents, but the ball seemed a little less erratic here, tackles less wayward (except for a very cynical Sunday League clattering from yours truly), player control a little stickier, and goalkeepers (even Onana) less likely to resemble real-life Onana thanks to improved positioning and decision-making. 

On the ball, dribbling was tight and sharp, with players around making more arcing runs with swift turns of pace, my Bruno Fernandes able to pick out an explosive Matheus Cunha loitering on the shoulder of the last defender. A returning double-tap to execute a low, driven shot meant I didn't balloon the ball over the bar, although it didn't exactly trouble the keeper either. That said, the double-tap means you can now combine the low, driven shots with finesse and/or power shots, which in more capable hands than mine could prove deadly.

Generally, player movement and positioning seemed much improved, with more options when passing and more intelligent movement to find space in attack. There was also a real sense of physicality, with size mismatches proving decisive. You can really bully smaller players with larger ones, but equally, wrong-footing the latter with deft passing or movement can really open up the game.

All in all, from what little we played, I'd say there are plenty of reasons to be cautiously optimistic and for myself personally, for the first time in several years, I'm going to be looking to pick up a FIFA/FC game on day one!