If you're in the process of building a dynasty in EA Sports FC 26, you will need to invest in young talent – GOAL has you covered.
If you're kicking off a new save in EA Sports FC 26 Career Mode, you simply need to have an eye on the future and that means signing the best young players available. Whether you are a major club looking to secure the talent of the next Lionel Messi or a smaller team looking to make a profit by serving as a stepping-stone, buying high-potential young players is a key aspect of the game.
Here, GOAL brings you the best young players to sign in every position – from strikers and midfielders to defenders and goalkeepers – to help you get off to a flying start in Career Mode.
KEY:
Essential FC 26 reading
- Guide to EA Sports FC 26 web app & companion app
- The best 50 men's players in EA Sports FC 26
- The best 26 women's players in EA Sports FC 26
- EA Sports FC 26 soundtrack: Full list of songs & artists
- Every team & competition in EA Sports FC 26
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Best young strikers & forwards in EA Sports FC 26: Wonderkid CFs & STs
| Player |
Club |
Age |
POS |
CR |
PR |
| Endrick |
Real Madrid |
19 |
ST |
77 |
91 |
| Francesco Camarda |
Lecce |
17 |
ST |
65 |
87 |
| Mathys Tel |
Tottenham |
20 |
ST |
77 |
86 |
| Eli Junior Kroupi |
Bournemouth |
19 |
ST |
74 |
85 |
| Conrad Harder |
RB Leipzig |
20 |
ST |
74 |
85 |
| Charalampos Kostoulas |
Brighton |
18 |
ST |
72 |
85 |
| Chido Obi |
Man Utd |
17 |
ST |
65 |
84 |
| Christian Kofane |
Bayer Leverkusen |
19 |
ST |
68 |
84 |
| Marc Guiu |
Chelsea |
19 |
ST |
71 |
84 |
| Francesco Pio Esposito |
Lombardia |
20 |
ST |
72 |
84 |
| Jeronimo Domina |
Union Santa Fe |
19 |
ST |
70 |
84 |
| Nelson Weiper |
Mainz |
20 |
ST |
70 |
84 |
| Santiago Castro |
Bologna |
20 |
ST |
76 |
84 |
| Kaye Furo |
Club Brugge |
18 |
ST |
63 |
83 |
| Kaua Elias |
Shakhtar Donetsk |
19 |
ST |
71 |
83 |
Real Madrid's Brazilian striker Endrick remains the best young striker in EA Sports FC 26, having also been deemed the forward with the most potential in FC 25. His rating at the beginning of the game is 77, but he has an exceptionally high ceiling of 91 – a rating which, if reached, would place him at a similar stature to players such as Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.
AC Milan youngster Francesco Camarda, who is on loan at Lecce in the game, follows Endrick in the potential stakes, with a possible rating of 87, putting him slightly ahead of Tottenham's Mathys Tel, whose potential is 86. Manchester United fans will be excited to see how Chido Obi develops, with the teen boasting a potential rating of 84 in the game.
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Best young midfielders in EA Sports FC 26: Wonderkid CAMs, RWs, LWs, CMs & CDMs
| Player |
Club |
Age |
POS |
CR |
PR |
| Lamine Yamal |
Barcelona |
18 |
RM |
89 |
95 |
| Desire Doue |
PSG |
20 |
RW |
85 |
91 |
| Joao Neves |
PSG |
20 |
CM |
85 |
90 |
| Estevao |
Chelsea |
18 |
RM |
78 |
89 |
| Jorthy Mokio |
Ajax |
17 |
CDM |
70 |
89 |
| Kenan Yildiz |
Juventus |
20 |
CAM |
79 |
89 |
| Arda Guler |
Real Madrid |
20 |
RM |
81 |
89 |
| Rodrigo Mora |
Porto |
18 |
CAM |
76 |
89 |
| Rio Ngumoha |
Liverpool |
17 |
LM |
68 |
88 |
| Franco Mastantuono |
Real Madrid |
18 |
CAM |
77 |
88 |
| Geovany Quenda |
Sporting |
18 |
RM |
76 |
88 |
| Antonio Nusa |
RB Leipzig |
20 |
LM |
76 |
88 |
| Pablo Garcia |
Real Betis |
19 |
RM |
68 |
87 |
| Assane Diao Diaoune |
Como |
20 |
LM |
76 |
87 |
| Lucas Bergvall |
Tottenham |
19 |
CM |
77 |
87 |
| Ethan Nwaneri |
Arsenal |
18 |
RW |
76 |
87 |
| Warren Zaire-Emery |
PSG |
19 |
CM |
80 |
87 |
| Arthur Vermeeren |
Marseille |
20 |
CM |
77 |
87 |
| Julien Duranville |
Borussia Dortmund |
19 |
RM |
72 |
87 |
| Kees Smit |
AZ |
19 |
CAM |
72 |
87 |
| Lennart Karl |
Bayern Munich |
17 |
CAM |
63 |
86 |
| Ayyoub Bouaddi |
LOSC Lille |
17 |
CM |
75 |
86 |
| Konstantinos Karetsas |
Genk |
17 |
CAM |
70 |
86 |
| Maher Carizzo |
Velez |
19 |
RM |
72 |
86 |
| Joao Costa |
Al Ettifaq |
20 |
RM |
71 |
86 |
It will come as little surprise to learn that Lamine Yamal is the best young midfielder in EA Sports FC 26 and, given that he is just 18, he will likely be so for the next few years. The Barcelona wonderkid is already one of the best players in the game and boasts a potential rating of 95, which means he is capable of emulating talents such as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Paris Saint-Germain duo Desire Doue and Joao Neves follow Yamal, with potential ratings of 91 and 90 respectively, while the likes of Chelsea's Estevao (PR: 89) and Ajax defensive midfielder Jorthy Mokio (PR: 89) will be sought-after talents, especially if you are in control of a bigger club. Liverpool's exciting winger Rio Ngumoha leads an array of 17-year-old talents in our list, with the Anfield sensation possessing a potential rating of 88.
Other intriguing talents within that 17-year-old cohort, include Bayern Munich youth Lennart Karl (PRL 86), Lille central midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi (PR: 86) and Genk's Greek CAM Konstantinos Karetsas (PR: 86).
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Best young defenders in EA Sports FC 26: Wonderkid CBs, LBs & RBs
| Player |
Club |
Age |
POS |
CR |
PR |
| Dean Huijsen |
Real Madrid |
20 |
CB |
82 |
89 |
| Jorrel Hato |
Chelsea |
19 |
LB |
78 |
89 |
| Pau Cubarsi |
Barcelona |
18 |
CB |
82 |
88 |
| Givairo Read |
Feyenoord |
19 |
RB |
75 |
88 |
| Finn Jeltsch |
Stuttgart |
19 |
CB |
72 |
87 |
| Myles Lewis-Skelly |
Arsenal |
18 |
LB |
78 |
87 |
| Luka Vuskovic |
Hamburg |
18 |
CB |
72 |
87 |
| El Chadaille Bitshiabu |
RB Leipzig |
20 |
CB |
75 |
87 |
| Pietro Comuzzo |
Fiorentina |
20 |
CB |
74 |
86 |
| Leny Yoro |
Man Utd |
19 |
CB |
78 |
86 |
| Joaquin Seys |
Club Brugge |
20 |
RB |
73 |
86 |
| Joane Gadou |
RB Salzburg |
18 |
CB |
66 |
85 |
| Yarek |
PSV |
20 |
CB |
73 |
85 |
| Pau Navarro |
Villarreal |
20 |
CB |
70 |
85 |
| Jan-Carlo Simic |
Al-Ittihad |
20 |
CB |
70 |
85 |
| Diego Leon |
Man Utd |
18 |
LB |
64 |
85 |
| Martim Fernandes |
Porto |
19 |
RB |
75 |
85 |
| Josh Acheampong |
Chelsea |
19 |
RB |
70 |
85 |
| Tobias Palacio |
Argentinos Juniors |
18 |
CB |
69 |
85 |
| Ayden Heaven |
Man Utd |
18 |
CB |
69 |
84 |
The two best young centre-backs in EA Sports FC 26 both play for Spain, but on either side of the Clásico divide. Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen (PR: 89) and Barcelona's Pau Cubarsi (PR: 88), look set to form the defensive foundation for La Roja for years to come. German youth Finn Jeltsch and Croatian centre-half Jusko Vuskovic aren't far behind, with each boasting a potential rating of 87.
Chelsea's Jorrel Hato is the best young left-back in the game, while the best young right-back is Givairo Read, who plays for Feyenoord. Manchester United should be well set for the future, with Leny Yoro, Diego Leon and Ayden Heaven all among the brightest young defensive talents in the game.
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Best young goalkeepers in EA Sports FC 25: Wonderkid GKs
| Player |
Club |
Age |
POS |
CR |
PR |
| Guillaume Restes |
Toulouse |
20 |
GK |
78 |
86 |
| Matthieu Epolo |
Standard Liege |
20 |
GK |
73 |
85 |
| Dennis Seimen |
Paderborn |
19 |
GK |
66 |
84 |
| Mike Penders |
Strasbourg |
20 |
GK |
73 |
84 |
| Lucca Brughmans |
Genk |
17 |
GK |
59 |
82 |
| Tiago Pereira Cardoso |
Borussia Monchengladbach |
19 |
GK |
67 |
82 |
| Robin Risser |
Lens |
20 |
GK |
72 |
82 |
| Ewen Jaouen |
Reims |
19 |
GK |
68 |
82 |
| Mathys Niflore |
Dunkerque |
18 |
GK |
63 |
81 |
| Joeri Heerkens |
Ajax |
19 |
GK |
64 |
80 |
While he is getting to the older end of the wonderkid grouping, Guillaume Restes continues to be the best young goalkeeper in the game. However, the Toulouse shot-stoppers's potential has dropped from 88 to 86 in EA Sports FC 26. Matthieu Epolo has a similar ceiling (PR: 85), while German goalkeeper Dennis Seimen is still among the best young net-minders around.
France appears to be a fertile ground for goalkeeper talent, with the likes of Robin Risser, Ewen Jaouen and Mathys Niflore all plying their trade in the country.