Best EA Sports FC 26 Dead Ball players
The Dead Ball PlayStyle helps you dominate in an area of EA Sports FC 26 that’s difficult to master: set pieces. Corners and free kicks are often where tight games are decided, and one mistake or poor delivery can not just throw away a golden opportunity but leave you exposed as your opponent streams forward on the counter attack.
If you struggle to sink shots from a free kick, or find it hard to pick players out from a corner, then you’ll want to get the best Dead Ball players in FC 26 on your squad.
A well-struck free kick or a perfect corner could offer the winning goal, and Dead Ball players give you the confidence to make the most of those situations. With their extra accuracy, curve, and precision, they turn dead-ball situations into some of the most dangerous chances you’ll get in a match.
Here, you’ll find the best Dead Ball players in EA Sports FC 26, including the best Dead Ball+ players and regular Dead Ball players.
What does Dead Ball do in FC 26?
The Dead Ball PlayStyle improves your player’s ability to score from set pieces, increasing the speed, curve, and accuracy of corners and free kicks. It also offers an extended trajectory preview, so the line showing where the ball will go is even more accurate. This should give you more confidence before you commit to taking a shot at goal as well as giving you a better indication of where your cross is headed.
A Dead Ball+ player is even more of a threat, with the best speed and precision for any set-piece taker. With these players in your squad your attackers will be able to easily put the ball exactly where it needs to be, including top bins from just outside the box, but it can also prove especially useful when you’re trying to pick out your most dangerous aerial players and set up for the perfect Precision Header.
Unfortunately, none of the best free-kick takers in FC 26 are particularly meta players (outside of the Icons Kelly Smith, David Beckham and, of course, Roberto Carlos), so this will be one to look out for in promos as the game’s lifecycle progresses.
How to score free kicks in FC 26
Scoring free kicks depends on the distance from the goal and the angle from which you’re taking it, but here are some tips that you can use:
- When taking a free kick, you’ll want to use around 2-3 bars of power. This means you should hold the shoot button until your power metre is just over half full.
- This might sound silly, but you will also want to make sure that the end of the trajectory line is pointing towards the goal. If you can curve it around the defenders’ wall then you should, but otherwise point the line just over the top of the defenders’ heads. This should send it sailing over the wall, but out of the keeper’s grasp and into the goal.
- Remember that players with the Dead Ball playstyle get a longer trajectory line, making it easier to determine whether you’re lining up your free kick correctly to score. But also remember to account for curve. If you line the ball straight at a corner of the goal it will usually go wide because of ballspin.
Top FC 26 Dead Ball Players
| Name: | Team: | Position: | Overall: | Dead Ball+? |
| Parejo | Villarreal CF | CM | 82 | Dead Ball+ |
| Vincenzo Grifo | SC Freiburg | LM | 80 | Dead Ball+ |
| James Ward-Prowse | West Ham Utd | CM | 77 | Dead Ball+ |
| Mapi León | Barcelona Women | CB | 89 | Dead Ball |
| Guro Reiten | Chelsea Women | LM | 88 | Dead Ball |
| Chloe Kelly | Arsenal Women | RM | 87 | Dead Ball |
| Lindsey Heaps | Lyon Women | CAM | 87 | Dead Ball |
| Kevin De Bruyne | SSC Napoli | CM | 87 | Dead Ball |
| Declan Rice | Arsenal | CDM | 87 | Dead Ball |
| Bruno Fernandes | Manchester Utd | CAM | 87 | Dead Ball |
| Alexis Mac Allister | Liverpool | CM | 87 | Dead Ball |
| Claudia Pina | Barcelona Women | LW | 86 | Dead Ball |
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | Real Madrid | RB | 86 | Dead Ball |
| Paulo Dybala | AS Roma | CAM | 86 | Dead Ball |
| Klara Bühl | Bayern Munich Women | LM | 86 | Dead Ball |
| Hakan Çalhanoğlu | Lombardia FC (Inter) | CDM | 86 | Dead Ball |
| Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF | RW | 86 | Dead Ball |
| Selma Bacha | Lyon Women | LB | 85 | Dead Ball |
| Federico Dimarco | Lombardia FC (Inter) | LB | 85 | Dead Ball |
| Svenja Huth | VfL Wolfsburg Women | CM | 85 | Dead Ball |
| Marta | Orlando Pride | CAM | 85 | Dead Ball |
| Rodrygo | Real Madrid | RW | 85 | Dead Ball |
| Theo Hernández | Al Hilal | LB | 84 | Dead Ball |
| Sergej Milinković-Savić | Al Hilal | CM | 84 | Dead Ball |
| Grimaldo | Leverkusen | LM | 84 | Dead Ball |
If you are interested in trying Career Mode, make sure to check out our list of the best EA Sports FC 26 Wonderkids.
If you’re still struggling on the pitch, these FC 26 Tactics Codes for the best formations are sure to help.


