Latest news with #Jamal Musiala
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bellingham and Musiala: EA Sports FC26 cover stars revealed for 2025/26 season
Two of football's brightest young stars, Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala, have been announced as the cover stars of EA Sports plays for Real Madrid and Jamal stars for Bayern Munich, but the pair were once team mates. They both played together for England's youth teams and even shared a room on away who spent most of his childhood in England, eventually decided to play for the German national team, which is the country of his birth. Now, the friends are back side by side - this time on the Standard Edition cover of the new game. Cover stars will miss the start of the season It's the second time Bellingham has featured on the cover of the FC games - formerly known as the Fifa video game about his appearance on this year's cover, Bellingham said: "It's really nice to share this moment with Jamal, as a reflection of how far we've come. I remember our times rooming together in the England youth team, we'd play the game all the time."Musiala said he couldn't wait to tell his little brother: "When I found out I'd be on the cover of FC, it was such a crazy feeling. I thought, how could I tell my little brother? He's a big fan of the game, so this will be a nice surprise for him." The two star players are just 22-years-old and already making a huge impact on world football, but both are currently injured and will miss the start of the new season. Musiala broke his leg in the Club World Cup playing for Bayern Munich, while Bellingham has had surgery on a shoulder problem. FC26: New features, player ratings and soundtrack EA Sports says that FC26 will have improved gameplay, new leagues, features and icons compared to last season's game. The standard version of the game comes out on 26 September 2025 and more details on player cards, stats and the games's soundtrack will be revealed as we get closer to for those that want the Ultimate Edition, you'll spot another familiar face, football legend and in-game icon, Zlatan Ibrahimović.What do you think of the new cover stars? Who would you have picked? Let us know in the comments...
The Independent
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
EA Sports FC 26 is available to pre-order now, here's everything you need to know
EA has finally lifted the lid on EA Sports FC 26, and it could be the most realistic game in the franchise's history. FC 26 introduces more intelligent goalkeeping, improved dribbling mechanics, a new Archetypes system for more distinctive player roles and a revamped Career Mode designed around real-world challenges. Jude Bellingham returns as one of the game's cover stars, this time alongside Bayern Munich 's Jamal Musiala, while Swedish icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic fronts the Ultimate Edition, making his first return to the franchise since Fifa 23, recreating a famous photo of his younger self in a bedroom covered with Ronaldo posters. FC 26 launches on 26 September, with early access beginning 19 September for anyone who pre-orders the Ultimate Edition. Here's everything you need to know about FC 26, from the new gameplay mechanics to where you can pre-order the Ultimate Edition and Standard Editions of the game. 'EA Sports FC 26': What's new? FC 26 is expected to be EA's most community-driven release yet, with many of the new features shaped by player feedback. The developer says it has focused on improving how the game plays, rather than introducing a standout new game mode or feature, with updates across movement, control and Career Mode. According to EA, the way players move has been adjusted, with changes to dribbling and run curves designed to give gamers tighter control. Goalkeeper positioning has also been overhauled using reinforcement learning, which EA says will lead to more realistic behaviour in one-on-one situations and better reaction times overall. New 'close-body volumetric animations' have also been added to improve player interactions, particularly in shielding and tight spaces. EA is also introducing two new gameplay presets: Competitive Gameplay is designed for use in Ultimate Team and Clubs, while Authentic Gameplay will offer a more realistic experience in Career Mode. Career Mode will gain a new Manager Live hub, which will feature a set of rotating, real-world-inspired challenges that will change throughout the season. EA says it will sit alongside existing Career options, and is designed to add more variety and replayability. A new Archetype system is also being added to Career and Clubs, letting gamers develop specific roles by upgrading attributes and unlocking targeted perks. For Ultimate Team gamers, EA will be adding new seasonal Live Events and tournament modes. The structure of Rivals and Champs will be changing too, with EA saying the aim is to create more varied ways to compete and progress. Where to pre-order 'EA Sports FC 26' 'EA Sports FC 26', Ultimate Edition The Ultimate Edition of EA Sports FC 26 is for anyone serious about Ultimate Team. As well as the game, you'll get up to 6,000 FC Points over two months, a Season 1 Premium Pass and an additional Player Evolution slot. If you pre-order the Ultimate Edition before 26 August 2025, you'll unlock a set of exclusive bonuses,. As well as seven days of early access starting 19 September, you'll also get an untradeable Icon Player Item in FC 26 that will later upgrade to a Champion Icon, and two rewards for FC 25 (a 93+ Icon Player Pick and an exclusive Evolution item that boosts any player's shooting to 99. You'll also get all the same Career Mode pre-order bonuses as the Standard Edition, including three Icon players for Manager Career, a five-star coach and youth scout, one Archetype unlock consumable, double XP for 10 matches and access to the new Manager Live Challenge content. PC EA Play: £89.99 Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch 'EA Sports FC 26', Standard Edition The Standard Edition of EA Sports FC 26 comes with the full base game and dual entitlement, meaning you can play it on both PS4 and PS5 (or Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S) with a single purchase. It includes access to all core modes, including Ultimate Team, Career Mode, Clubs and more, but you won't get any FUT Points or early access. If you pre-order the Standard Edition before 26 August 2025, you'll also receive a bundle of Career Mode bonuses, including three Icon players for Manager Career, a five-star coach and youth scout, one Archetype unlock consumable, double XP for 10 matches and access to the new Manager Live Challenge content. You'll also unlock two FUT rewards in FC 25 – a 93+ Icon Player Pick and a special Evolution item that boosts any player's shooting to 99. The extras are only available as pre-order bonuses and won't be included after launch. Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One PC Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Switch EA Sports FC 26' release date: When will the game come out? EA has confirmed that EA Sports FC 26 will be released worldwide on Friday 26 September 2025, sticking to its usual end-of-September launch window. As with previous years, anyone who pre-orders the Ultimate Edition will get seven days of early access, with the game unlocking on Friday 19 September 2025. EA Play members will also be able to access a 10-hour trial starting the same day. 'EA Sports FC 26' platforms EA has confirmed that FC 26 will launch on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, Amazon Luna, the Nintendo Switch and the newly released Nintendo Switch 2. Last year's game was the first to bring the full Frostbite engine to Switch, dropping the legacy edition format, and that parity looks set to continue. EA hasn't yet confirmed whether HyperMotion V will be supported on Switch 2, but the upgraded hardware should, in theory, be capable of handling it. Cross-play is also expected to return across current-gen consoles and PC, as it did in previous editions, although platform-specific details are still to be confirmed.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jude Bellingham revealed on EA Sports FC 26 cover alongside childhood friend - as he is named front and centre of popular franchise AGAIN
Jude Bellingham has been named as one of the two cover stars for EA Sports FC26. In a sign of the Real Madrid star's global celebrity, this is the second year running that he features front and centre of the franchise's promotional material. This year, however, he will share the limelight with one of his old pals from the England youth teams - Bayern Munich 's Jamal Musiala, who now plays for Germany. The new game will launch worldwide on September 26 with an overhauled gameplay experience, including a new dimension in manager career mode called Manager Live, refined gameplay fundamentals, and new live events and tournament modes for Ultimate Team. Bellingham, 22, said: 'It's really nice to share this moment with Jamal, as a reflection of how far we've come. I remember our times rooming together in the England Youth team, we'd play the game all the time. 'Where I'm from, everyone knows the game, everyone plays it and talks about it so much. I'm grateful to be given the opportunity to be on the cover again.' Musiala, also 22, added: 'When I found out I'd be on the cover of FC, it was such a crazy feeling. I thought, how could I tell my little brother? He's a big fan of the game, so this will be a nice surprise for him. 'It's something I always wanted growing up and it's such a big part of football culture. Who knows, maybe I can still beat Jude at FC!' Despite starring on the cover of EA Sports FC26, the duo will have a delayed start to the 2025-26 season. Bellingham is expected to miss the start of the campaign after a successful surgery on his shoulder. Spanish media reported that he could be out for between two and three months. Meanwhile, Musiala is set to be out for several months after breaking his leg and dislocating his ankle at the Club World Cup. The 22-year-old sustained the horrific injuries after he collided with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in Bayern's quarter-final defeat by PSG.
