Greats of the Game is the legends-focused promo running inside EA Sports FC 26 Ultimate Team during the Festival of Football season. It celebrates standout names from the history of international football, headlined by two brand-new Icons, Mario Kempes and Rivellino. The campaign slots directly after Path to Glory and brings a fresh wave of special Icon and Hero items into packs.
Quick answer: Greats of the Game goes live on Friday, June 19, 2026 at 5pm UTC (6pm BST / 1pm ET), replacing Path to Glory, and runs until Friday, June 26 at the same time.
Release time: Friday, June 19, 2026 — 5pm UTC (6pm BST / 1pm ET)
Greats of the Game release date and time
The promo follows EA’s usual Friday launch schedule. It begins as Path to Glory leaves packs, so the swap happens at a single global time across every platform.
| Detail | Time |
|---|---|
| Start | Friday, June 19, 2026 — 18:00 (6pm) UK time |
| End | Friday, June 26, 2026 — 18:00 (6pm) UK time |
| UTC | 5pm |
| US East | 1pm ET |
| US Central | 12pm CT |
| US Pacific | 10am PT |
| Central Europe | 7pm CEST |
The base versions of the two new Icons, Mario Kempes and Rivellino, debut as Greats of the Game items on June 19. Their standard base cards then enter the regular pack pool on June 26.
Greats of the Game players (Icons and Heroes)
The lineup is built entirely from Icons and Heroes. Most names arrive as special Icon versions, while a smaller group appears as Heroes. Mario Kempes and Rivellino are the two new additions to the Icon roster.
| Player | Card type |
|---|---|
| Mario Kempes | Icon (new) |
| Rivellino | Icon (new) |
| John Barnes | Icon |
| Roberto Carlos | Icon |
| Giorgio Chiellini | Icon |
| Didier Drogba | Icon |
| Davor Šuker | Icon |
| Patrick Vieira | Icon |
| Gabriel Batistuta | Icon |
| David Beckham | Icon |
| Carles Puyol | Icon |
| Iker Casillas | Icon |
| Bobby Charlton | Icon |
| Alessandro Del Piero | Icon |
| Miroslav Klose | Icon |
| Ronald Koeman | Icon |
| Toni Kroos | Icon |
| Philipp Lahm | Icon |
| Lothar Matthäus | Icon |
| Lilian Thuram | Icon |
| Xavi | Icon |
| Zico | Icon |
| Gareth Bale | Icon |
| Franz Beckenbauer | Icon |
| Cafu | Icon |
| Ronaldinho | Icon |
| Andrés Iniesta | Icon |
| Oliver Kahn | Icon |
| Paolo Maldini | Icon |
| Johan Cruyff | Icon |
| Thierry Henry | Icon |
| Ferenc Puskás | Icon |
| Ronaldo | Icon |
| Zinedine Zidane | Icon |
| Bixente Lizarazu | Hero |
| Al Jaber | Hero |
| Wesley Sneijder | Hero |
| Diego Forlán | Hero |
| Vincent Kompany | Hero |
| Hidetoshi Nakata | Hero |
| Rudi Völler | Hero |
Note: Exact overall ratings and PlayStyles for each item are confirmed when the promo goes live. The roster above reflects the expected names ahead of launch, with the two new Icons confirmed by EA.
Token Store rewards
A set of 96-rated items sits in the Festival of Football Token Store and can be earned by spending Tokens collected through gameplay rather than store packs.
| Position | Player | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| CDM | Emmanuel Petit | 96 |
| CM | Andrea Pirlo | 96 |
| LW | Rivaldo | 96 |
| ST | Michael Owen | 96 |
How to get Greats of the Game cards
The pack-based items can drop from any pack that contains player cards, including free packs. Packs holding more player cards give you better odds of pulling one.
- Packs from the store, opened with Coins or FC Points.
- Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) released during the event.
- Objectives tied to the Festival of Football.
- The Token Store, using Festival of Football Tokens earned through play.
How to confirm the promo is live
You will know Greats of the Game has started when the Path to Glory items leave the pack pool and the new Icon and Hero cards appear in their place. The in-game store and Event Hub refresh at the same moment the countdown reaches zero on June 19.
If you are chasing Mario Kempes or Rivellino specifically, remember the special Greats of the Game versions land on June 19, while their base Icon cards only enter standard packs on June 26. Both windows close out the legends portion of the Festival of Football before the next campaign begins.
