7 incredible players who we can’t believe won’t feature on EA FC 26

The latest iteration of the EA FC franchise is almost upon us and as Father Time ticks on, some of the most legendary players from the game’s history will no longer be playable.

With EA not having the right to every league on the planet or some players just opting to retire, it means a number of famous faces will no longer be part of the game having been stalwarts for decades.

Here’s our look at the seven players who have been lost to the annals of EA FC history.

Neymar

Aside from Messi and Ronaldo, Neymar is probably the most famous footballer of the 21st century and that is true even more so from a gaming perspective.

His mix of five-star skills, shooting and pace made him the perfect pick for every top team which makes it feel all the more strange that he won’t be in this year’s game as EA do not have the right to the Brazilian league.

It will bring to an end a run that has seen him in the game since FIFA 10 and the highest rating he ever achieved for a base card was 92.

Ivan Rakitic

Neymar’s former Barcelona team-mate Rakitic is another one we are saying goodbye to this year.

Having left Barca in 2020, he returned to Sevilla where he stayed for four years, winning the 2023 Europa League.

After that, he headed off for half a season in Riyadh with Al-Shabab but quickly returned to Europe to Hajduk Split in his home country of Croatia.

He retired in the summer meaning he is out of the game with his final card being 80-rated.

Dries Mertens

Mertens’ rapid pace made him a favourite amongst FIFA players and during the Belgian ‘Golden Generation’, he was often a cheap alternative for those of us who couldn’t afford Eden Hazard.

He reached as high as 87 in FIFA 18 when he swapped to being a CF and he left Napoli ahead of FIFA 23 to join Galatasaray.

Three years in Turkey preceded him hanging up his boots this summer.

Roberto Firmino

After eight years at Anfield, Firmino headed to the Middle East to join Al-Ahli but this summer he moved across the border and into Qatar.

The Brazilian forward joined Al Sadd but Qatar is not in Ultimate Team meaning there will be no Firmino card this year.

It will not be too big a loss for players for while he was crucial to Jurgen Klopp’s system, EA never found a way to replicate that in the game.

James Rodriguez

After a three-year stint out of Ultimate Team, in which he played for Al-Rayyan, Olympiacos and Sao Paulo, Rodriguez was back on EA FC 25.

The Rayo Vallecano attacking midfielder was given a special card with five-star skills, five-star weak foot, and each of his pace, dribbling, passing and shooting stats were over 85.

But his move to Mexican side Leon means Rodriguez’s return was not a long one, and he’ll not be available this year.

Aaron Ramsey

Ramsey has had 41 different Ultimate Team cards over the span of his career, and at the peak of his powers, he was a very useful player, with most of his stats across the board in and around the 70s.

After leaving Arsenal in 2019 following an 11-year association with the club, Ramsey has always moved to sides which keep him in the game: Juventus, Rangers, Nice and Cardiff.

But a move to UNAM Pumas in Mexico means the Welshman won’t grace the Ultimate Team pitch this season.

Mats Hummels

Hummels has been good for a special card in essentially every iteration of the game since he first appeared in FIFA 10. TOTW, TOTS, TOTY, flashback, FUT birthday and SBC cards among them.

But EA FC 25 saw the final iteration of any Hummels card, as the German defender hung up his boots in the summer.

READ NEXT: The 35 male players with a higher EA FC 26 rating than Lionel Messi

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the world’s most valuable footballer by their age?