Whether you’re just starting out on your FC 26 Ultimate Team journey, coming back after a break or looking to try something new without draining your entire transfer budget, there are loads of great, cheap players who you can pick up for next to nothing but still make a big impact on your team.
While we’ve set a rough maximum budget of about 10K coins per player, most of these cheap players can be snapped up for close to discard price, which is around 700 coins for Rare Golds.
These players are cheap for a variety of reasons. Either they’re lesser-known stars in real life, meaning most people have just literally never heard of them. Or they’re fading forces who’re past their best, but have collected a host of overpowered PlayStyles across their career which gives them some special sauce in-game. Mainly though, these cheap beasts aren’t very expensive because they’re tougher than average to link for full chemistry.
That could be because they’re from an uncommon nation, weaker league or sometimes both. However, we’ve tried to only include players who there’s an obvious (and equally overpowered) partner for, so you can mix in a pre-order icon or a couple of easy-to-obtain promo items and be on your way to full chem in no time!
If you’re in need of a fresh set-up to get the best out of these players, make sure to check out our list of tactics codes for the best formations in FC 26.
FC 26 Best Cheap Players for Ultimate Team
FC 26 Best Cheap Defenders
When there are so many attacking players who’re incredible athletes, the best cheap defenders need to be able to keep up with them, without sacrificing technical defending ability.
Luckily there are quite a few great options in FC26.
| Name | Team | Price | Key Attributes | Links With |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moise Bombito | Nice | ~850 | 93 Pace, 81 Strength, 6ft 3” | Alphonso Davies, Ashley Lawrence, Ligue 1 |
| Vivian | Bilbao | ~1500 | 81 Sprint Speed, 84 Defending, 84 Reactions | Spanish, La Liga |
| Ibanez | Al Ahli | ~4000 | 87 Pace, 83 Defending, 85 Physical | Inigo Martinez, CR7, Kante, Theo Hernandez, Moussa Diaby, Cancelo |
| Inigo Martinez | Al Nassr | ~4000 | 85 Defending, 80 Physical, Ball-Playing Defender++ | Ibanez, CR7, Kante, Theo Hernandez, Moussa Diaby, Cancelo |
| Maxence Lacroix | Crystal Palace | ~3000 | 88 Pace, 80 Defending, 82 Physical, Lengthy | French, Premier League |
| Murillo | Forest | ~2000 | 80 Pace, 83 Defending, 83 Physical, Left-footed | Brazilian, Premier League |
| Ronald Araujo | Barcelona | ~2500 | 80 Pace, 81 Defending, 83 Physical, Anticipate PlayStyle | La Liga, Barcelona Women, Lucas Torreira, Darwin Nunez |
| Emmanuel Agbadou | Wolves | ~750 | 89 Sprint Speed, 90 Strength, Bruiser PlayStyle | Premier League, Rosemonde Kouassi |
| Piero Hincapie | Arsenal | ~6000 | 84 Pace, 84 Defending, Slide Tackle+, Left-footed | Premier League, Willian Pacho, Moises Caicedo |
| Jeremiah St. Juste | Sporting | ~650 | 92 Pace, Quick Step Playstyle | Dutch, Alexander Bah, Ousmane Diomande |
FC 26 Best Cheap Full-backs
In the current meta of FC 26, full-backs need to be either fast or rock solid to either keep up with or bully nippy forwards.
Many classic choices are a lot cheaper this year, but others can link to other overpowered players nicely, such as Ola Aina and Victor Osimhen, or Antonee Robinson and the wealth of incredible female players in the NWSL.
| Name | Team | Position | Price | Key Attributes | Links With |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferland Mendy | Real Madrid | LB | ~6000 | 85 Pace, 84 Physical | French, La Liga, Real Madrid Women |
| Alexander Bah | Benfica | RB | ~650 | 90 Pace, 81 Physical, Anticipate, Bruiser and Relentless PlayStyles | Pernille Harder, Sofie Svava, Jeremiah St. Juste, Ousmane Diomande |
| Fridolina Rolfo | Manchester United Women | LB | ~1500 | All face stats over 80, Lengthy | Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres, Ella Toone, Manchester United Men |
| Balde | Barcelona | LB | ~7000 | 91 Pace, Anticipate PlayStyle | Spanish, La Liga, Barcelona Women |
| Ola Aina | Forest | RB | ~800 | 88 Pace, Quick Step PlayStyle, Lengthy | Premier League, Victor Osimhen |
| Matheus Nunes | Man City | RB | ~700 | 91 Sprint Speed | Premier League, Portugal |
| Alphonso Davies | Bayern | LB | ~2500 | 94 Pace, Attacking Wingback++ | Bundesliga, Moise Bombito, Ashley Lawrence |
| Antonee Robinson | Fulham | LB | ~900 | 88 Pace, 90 Stamina | Premier League, Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson, Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, Christian Pulisic |
| Selma Bacha | Lyon Women | LB | ~10K | 88 Pace, 91 Stamina, Whipped Pass+, Anticipate PlayStyles | French, Kadidiatou Diani, Marie Katoto, Melchie Dumornay, Tabitha Chawinga |
| Jayden Oosterwolde | Fenerbahce | LB | ~650 | 88 Pace, 80 Physical, Anticipate PlayStyle, 6ft 4” | Dutch, Victor Osimhen, Ederson, Baris Yilmaz |
FC 26 Best Cheap Midfielders
In FC 26 you need almost the opposite skillsets at either end of the pitch. CDMs are at their best when they’re tall, quick and powerful, while CAMs are incredibly good this year when they’re small and able to turn on a dime.
However, with that said, Ngolo Kante is still amazing as a smaller CDM (as are Grace Geyoro and Crystal Dunn) and Paul Pogba has some special sauce as a tall CAM thanks to L2 Shielding, even though he doesn’t have Enforcer.
| Name | Team | Position | Price | Key Attributes | Links With |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Felix Nmecha | Dortmund | CDM, CM | ~1000 | 82 Pace, 81 Dribbling, 80 Defending, 86 Physical, Bruiser PlayStyle | German, Bundesliga |
| Eduardo Camavinga | Real Madrid | CM, CDM | ~5500 | 80 Pace, 81 Passing, 84 Dribbling, 80 Physical, Bruiser PlayStyle | French, La Liga |
| Aurelien Tchouameni | Real Madrid | CDM, CM | ~2000 | 81 Defending, 82 Physical, Anticipate, Bruiser and Relentless PlayStyles | French, La Liga |
| Nicolo Barrela | Lombardia FC (Inter) | CM | ~10K | 80 Pace, 84 Passing, 86 Dribbling, 81 Defending, Relentless+ | Italian, Serie A |
| Paul Pogba | Monaco | CM, CDM, CAM | ~1500 | 84 Short Pass, 87 Dribbling stat, 88 Strength, 5-star Skills | French, Ligue 1 |
| Sandro Tonali | Newcastle | CDM, CM | ~7500 | 79 Pace, 82 Passing, 80 Dribbling, 81 Defending, 83 Physical | Italian, Premier League |
| Ngolo Kante | Al Ittihad | CDM, CM | ~4000 | 77 Pace, 80 Dribbling, 85 Defending, Intercept+ | French, Ibanez, CR7, Theo Hernandez, Moussa Diaby, Cancelo |
| Rose Lavelle | NY Gotham | CM, CAM | ~10K | 85 Pace, 81 Shooting, 84 Passing, 87 Dribbling, Pinged Pass+, Box-to-Box++, Classic 10++ | Sophia Wilson, Debinha, Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman, Temwa Chawinga, Barbra Banda, Delphine Cascarino, Pulisic, Antonee Robinson |
| Grace Geyoro | London City Lionesses | CM, CDM, CAM | ~7500 | 89 Pace, 82 Passing, 83 Dribbling, 82 Defending, 80 Physical, Relentless+, Playmaker++ | French, Mariona, Guro Reiten, Lauren Hemp, Leah Williamson, Chloe Kelly, Lauren James, Katie McCabe |
| Crystal Dunn | PSG Women | CM, CAM | ~1000 | 85 Pace, 80 Passing, 82 Dribbling, 80 Strength, Quick Step, Rapid and Relentless PlayStyles | Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson, Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, Christian Pulisic, PSG Men, Kadidiatou Diani, Marie Katoto, Melchie Dumornay, Tabitha Chawinga |
| Giada Greggi | Roma Women | CM, CDM | ~1500 | 84 Pace, 85 Dribbling, Anticipate PlayStyle | Italian, Paulo Dybala |
| Svenja Huth | Wolfsburg Women | CM, CAM | ~4000 | 82 Pace, 84 Passing, 86 Dribbling, Anticipate, Quick Step and Relentless PlayStyles, Box-to-Box++ | German, Lea Schuller, Pernille Harder, Lena Oberdorf, Georgia Stanway, Klara Buhl, Mohamed Amoura |
| Denise O’Sullivan | North Carolina Courage | CDM, CM | ~750 | 82 Pace, 81 Short Pass, 84 Stand Tackle, Anticipate and Intercept PlayStyle | Katie McCabe, Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson, Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman |
| Konrad Laimer | Bayern | CDM, CM | ~750 | 82 Pace, 81 Defending, Bruiser and Relentless PlayStyle | Bundesliga, Lea Schuller, Pernille Harder, Klara Buhl |
| Emre Can | Dortmund | CDM | ~750 | 85 Sprint Speed, 82 Defending, 84 Physical, Bruiser+ | Germany, Bundesliga |
| Ella Toone | Manchester United Women | CAM | ~4000 | Trickster+, 5 Star Skills, 92 Dribbling stat, Playmaker++ | English, Fridolina Rolfo, Manchester United Men |
| Ruben Loftus-Cheek | Milano FC (AC Milan) | CM, CDM, CAM | ~800 | 81 Pace, 84 Short Pass, 80 Dribbling, 80 Physical, Lengthy | English, Serie A |
| Paulo Dybala | Roma | CAM | ~7500 | 80 Pace, 85 Shooting, 84 Passing, 87 Dribbling, Gamechanger+, Shadow Striker++ | Argentina, Serie A, Giada Greggi |
| Georgia Stanway | Bayern | CDM | ~4000 | 80 Pace, 90 Short Pass, 86 Dribbling, Pinged Pass+ | English, Lea Schuller, Klara Buhl, Pernille Harder |
| Denis Zakaria | Monaco | CDM | ~750 | 86 Sprint Speed, 80 Defending, 85 Physical, Lengthy, Anticipate PlayStyle | Ligue 1, Paul Pogba, Yann Sommer, Gregor Kobel, Geraldine Reuteler |
| Khephren Thuram | Juventus | CM, CDM | ~850 | 80 Sprint Speed, 80 Dribbling, 81 Defending, 81 Physical, Lengthy | French, Serie A |
| Yui Hasegawa | Man City Women | CDM, CM, CAM | ~4000 | 85 Passing, 86 Dribbling, 81 Defending, Intercept+, Deep-Lying Playmaker++ | Japanese, Man City Men, |
FC 26 Best Cheap Wingers
Pace might not be the silver bullet it once was in FC 26, but that just means it’s easier than ever to get elite speed in your team on a budget.
You may have noticed that I’ve recommended an unknown up-and-comer called Lionel Messi. A pretty obvious pick yes, but I still find it surprising that he’s so cheap now. Link him with Son Heung Min and Rodrigo De Paul and you’re laughing.
| Name | Team | Position | Price | Key Attributes | Links With |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jean-Matteo Bahoya | Frankfurt | LM | ~450 | 97 Sprint Speed (tied fastest in-game) | French, Bundesliga, Laura Freigang, Geraldine Reuteler, Nicole Anyomi |
| Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | RW, RM | ~10K | It’s Messi, Tiki Taka+ | Argentina, Rodrigo De Paul, Heung Min Son, Sam Surridge Foundations, Paulo Dybala |
| Rayan Cherki | Man City | RW, RM | ~850 | Trickster+, 5-star Skills, Low Driven Shot PlayStyle | French, Premier League |
| Moussa Diaby | Al Ittihad | RM, RW | ~1500 | 95 Pace, Quick Step+ | Ibanez, CR7, Theo Hernandez, Ngolo Kante, Cancelo |
| Estevao | Chelsea | RM, RW | ~900 | 90 Pace, 82 Dribbling, Quick Step and Finesse Shot PlayStyles | Brazilian, Premier League, Chelsea Women |
| Baris Yilmaz | Galatasary | LW, LM, RM | ~850 | 93 Pace, 90 Strength, 93 Stamina, Quick Step, Rapid, Low Driven Shot, Relentless, Enforcer and Bruiser PlayStyles | Hakan Calhanoglu, Ferdi Kadioglu, Victor Osimhen, Ederson, Davinson Sanchez, Leroy Sane, Talisca |
| Temwa Chawinga | KC Current | LW, LM, RM | ~7500 | 91 Pace, 82 Shooting, 83 Dribbling, 83 Physical, Lengthy, Low Driven Shot PlayStyle | Tabitha Chawinga, Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson, Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, Denise O’Sullivan |
| Tabitha Chawinga | Lyon Women | LW, LM | ~4500 | 94 Pace, 82 Shooting, 85 Dribbling, 81 Physical, Low Driven Shot PlayStyle | Temwa Chawinga, Kadidiatou Diani, Marie Katoto, Melchie Dumornay |
| Inaki Williams | Bilbao | RM, RW | ~1000 | 94 Pace, 81 Shooting, 80 Dribbling, 84 Physical | Kudus, La Liga |
| Cody Gakpo | Liverpool | LM, LW | ~1500 | 83 Pace, 82 Shooting, 80 Passing, 83 Dribbling, Inside Forward+ | Dutch, Premier League |
| Karim Adeyemi | Dortmund | RM, RW, LW | ~4000 | 96 Pace, 82 Dribbling, Quick Step+, Inside Forward+ | German, Bundesliga |
| Rosemonde Kouassi | Washington Spirit | LM, RM, LW | ~700 | 94 Pace, 80 Finishing, 80 Dribbling, Quick Step+ | Emmanuel Agbadou, Temwa Chawinga, Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson, Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, Denise O’Sullivan |
| Delphine Cascarino | San Diego Wave | RM, RW | ~4000 | 93 Pace, 88 Dribbling, Wide Playmaker++ | French, Temwa Chawinga, Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson, Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, Denise O’Sullivan, Rosemonde Kouassi |
| Lauren Hemp | Man City Women | LW, LM | ~10K | 91 Pace, 84 Passing, 87 Dribbling, Rapid+, Inside Forward++ | English, WSL, Man City Men |
| Linda Caicedo | Real Madrid Women | LW, LM | ~4000 | 91 Pace, 87 Dribbling, Technical+, Inside Forward++ | Luis Diaz, Mayra Ramirez, Davinson Sanchez, Barcelona Women, Real Madrid Men |
| Luis Diaz | Bayern | LM, LW | ~4500 | 88 Pace, 81 Shooting, 87 Dribbling, Low Driven Shot, Inside Forward++ | Linda Caicedo, Mayra Ramirez, Davinson Sanchez, Bundesliga, Lea Schuller, Klara Buhl, Pernille Harder |
| Geyse | NY Gotham | RM, RW | ~700 | 91 Pace, 85 Dribbling, 87 Physical, Winger++ | Brazilian, Temwa Chawinga, Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson, Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, Denise O’Sullivan, Rosemonde Kouassi |
| Trinity Rodman | Washington Spirit | RM, RW | ~7000 | 91 Pace, 81 Shooting, 83 Dribbling, 82 Physical, Quick Step+, Winger++ | Temwa Chawinga, Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson, Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, Denise O’Sullivan, Rosemonde Kouassi, Antonee Robinson, Christian Pulisic |
| Lauren James | Chelsea Women | RM, RW | ~5000 | 89 Pace, 81 Shooting, 87 Dribbling, 82 Physical, Rapid+, Low Driven Shot PlayStyle | English, WSL, Chelsea Men |
FC 26 Best Cheap Strikers
There are loads of really nice and reliable strikers who you can pick up for very cheap this year. The community is slowly waking up to how overpowered female players are in attack in FC 26, but it goes much further than just Claudia Pina.
The NSWL is packed with meta-ready talent, as are the Liga F and women’s Bundesliga.
| Name | Team | Price | Key Attributes | Links With |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emanuel Emegha | Strasbourg | ~650 | 95 Sprint Speed, 82 Strength, Low Driven Shot PlayStyle | French, Ligue 1 |
| Federico Chiesa | Liverpool | ~1000 | 87 Pace, 80 Shooting, 83 Dribbling, Finesse Shot, Rapid and Quick Step PlayStyles | Italian, Premier League |
| Ayoze Perez | Villarreal | ~1000 | 86 Pace, 83 Shooting, 80 Passing, 83 Dribbling, Low Driven Shot PlayStyle | Spain, La Liga |
| Ferran Torres | Barcelona | ~750 | 83 Pace, 81 Shooting, 83 Dribbling, Finesse Shot PlayStyle | Spain, La Liga, Barcelona Women |
| Barbra Banda | Orlando Pride | ~4000 | 92 Pace, 82 Shooting, 93 Strength, Low Driven Shot, Rapid and Quick Step PlayStyles | Racheal Kundanani, Temwa Chawinga, Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson, Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, Denise O’Sullivan |
| Racheal Kundanani | Bay FC | ~800 | 91 Pace, 80 Shooting, 84 Dribbling, 88 Physical | Barbra Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson, Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, Denise O’Sullivan |
| Omar Marmoush | Man City | ~3500 | 89 Pace, 85 Shooting, 86 Dribbling, Finesse Shot PlayStyle | Premier League, Man City Women |
| Lois Openda | Juventus | ~5000 | 95 Pace, 81 Shooting, 81 Dribbling, 80 Physical, Low Driven Shot, Rapid, Quick Step PlayStyles | Belgian, Serie A |
| Mayra Ramirez | Chelsea Women | ~850 | 90 Pace, 84 Shooting, 86 Dribbling, 87 Physical, Finesse Shot and Bruiser PlayStyles | Linda Caicedo, Luis Diaz, Davinson Sanchez, WSL, Chelsea Men |
| Mohamed Amoura | Wolfsburg | ~1500 | 90 Pace, 81 Shooting, 86 Dribbling, Quick Step and Rapid PlayStyles | Bundesliga, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Svenja Huth |
| Mallory Swanson | Chicago Red Stars | ~10K | 88 Pace, 82 Shooting, 81 Passing, 85 Dribbling, False 9++ | Barbra Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Sophia Wilson, Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, Antonee Robinson, Christian Pulisic |
| Amaiur Sarriegi | Atletico Madrid Women | ~8000 | 88 Pace, 84 Dribbling, 81 Physical, Low Driven Shot PlayStyle | Spanish, Liga F, Atletico Madrid Men |
| Lea Schuller | Bayern Women | ~7500 | 87 Pace, 83 Shooting, 82 Dribbling, Low Driven Shot PlayStyle, Advanced Forward++ | German, Bayern Women, Bayern Men, Svenja Huth, Laura Freigang, Geraldine Reuteler |
| Pernille Harder | Bayern Women | ~7500 | 81 Pace, 80 Shooting, 80 Passing, 88 Dribbling, 81 Strength, Technical+, False 9++ | Bayern Women, Bayern Men, Svenja Huth, Laura Freigang, Geraldine Reuteler |
| Ewa Pajor | Barcelona Women | ~15K | 87 Pace, 88 Shooting, 88 Dribbling, Finesse Shot+, Advanced Forward++ | Barcelona Women, Linda Caicedo, Amaiur Sarriegi |
| Nikita Paris | London City Lionesses | ~750 | 90 Pace, 82 Shooting, 83 Dribbling | English, WSL, Grace Geyoro |
| Nicole Anyomi | Frankfurt Women | ~750 | 90 Pace, 84 Dribbling, 83 Physical | German, Bayern Women, Svenja Huth, Geraldine Reuteler, Jean-Matteo Bahoya |
| Geraldine Reuteler | Frankfurt Women | ~1500 | 90 Pace, 82 Shooting, 81 Passing, 85 Dribbling, Finesse Shot PlayStyle | Bayern Women, Svenja Huth, Nicole Anyomi, Jean-Matteo Bahoya, Denis Zakaria, Yann Sommer, Gregor Kobel |
To make a splash in Career Mode, check out our list of FC 26’s Best Wonderkids. Or for more position specific picks, here are the best strikers to sign in FC 26.