Starting a new club in FC 26 Ultimate Team can feel hectic, but a calm first hour sets you up for weeks. This guide walks you through the smartest early moves, from league starter packs and chemistry basics to objectives, SBCs, and coin habits that actually pay. Follow the steps, stack small wins, and your squad will grow fast without wasting points or coins.
1. Choose the Right Starter Pack
This year you pick a league, not a nation. That switch matters. The best early paths are Premier League with Barclays WSL or La Liga with Liga F. Both pools are deep, full of easy links, and give you more upgrade options on the market. You will find French, Spanish, and English links without hunting. That keeps chemistry simple while your club is tiny. Want a head start on building your first squad? Check out the best option for safe, fast, and affordable FC 26 coins — perfect for giving your starter team an early boost.
2. Complete Early Objectives
Open the Objectives tab before you jump into matches. Knock out the quick tasks first. Add a manager. Change formation once. Swap a few players around. These micro goals unlock coins, chemistry styles, and beginner packs in minutes. After that, head to the Foundations section and clear the “Intro to SBCs.” Use bronze and silver cards you will never play. Those challenges unlock more SBCs and drip feed you tradeable items.
3. Learn How Chemistry Works
Aim for 33 out of 33 chemistry as soon as you can. Single league squads get there fast. Same nation links help a lot. A manager from the same league or nationality gives an extra nudge. Full chemistry makes your team feel sharper. Shots pop. Tackles land. If a card looks good but breaks links, save it for a second squad later. Early chemistry beats early star power.
4. Spend Your FC Points Smartly
Pre-ordered the Autumn Edition and have 6,000 FC Points across three months. Put them into the Season Pass, not packs. The pass keeps handing out packs, coins, and players for months. It is boring advice. It is also the highest value move you can make with those points.
5. Finish the Foundation SBCs
Keep recycling low rated bronzes and silvers through the Foundation SBC chain. You will pull packs, learn requirements, and build club depth. The point is not to hit a jackpot. The point is to stock your club so you can solve later SBCs without buying half the squad from the market.
6. Open Welcome Back Packs
If you played last year, you should see Welcome Back Packs. Open them and immediately upgrade weak spots in your eleven. Store duplicates for SBCs. Even one pacey winger or a steady goalkeeper changes early matches.
7. Play Squad Battles First
Before Rivals, warm up in Squad Battles. You get coins every match and weekly rewards based on points. Try to play the full set of 18 games in week one. Pick a difficulty you can beat by three or four goals. Big wins give bigger points. Use this mode to learn your custom tactics, button timing, and finishing angles without the chaos of online pressure.
8. Use the Evolutions Feature
Evolution is free power if you pick the right card. Start with the introductory Evo and choose a striker who needs pace and shooting. Complete the tasks while you grind Squad Battles. An upgraded striker flips close games in your favor. Keep an eye on future free Evos and keep one or two club players parked for them.
9. Target High Value Objectives
Not all Objectives are equal. Prioritize Milestones that hand out 25k and 50k packs for hitting totals of goals or assists. If you can, hop into a friendly with a mate and trade goals to finish those faster. It does not count as a loss and it clears some big objectives in an evening.
10. Learn Basic Trading Early
Check prices before you list anything. Early markets move a lot. A boring right back might be in a popular SBC solution and sell for three times what you expect. Start the Bronze Pack Method as a habit. Open a bronze pack. List players and anything with demand. Quick sell the leftovers. It is slow profit, not gambling, and it adds up while you play other modes.
11. Prepare for Ultimate Gauntlet
The new Ultimate Gauntlet requires three unique squads for three rounds. Players used in one round are locked out of the next. Depth wins. Keep duplicate golds. Keep useful silvers. Avoid mindless quick selling. When Gauntlet asks for a quirky lineup, you will already have it.
12. Grind the Season Pass
Season Points come from Objectives and regular play. The Season Pass returns packs, coins, and occasional players like Ousmane Dembélé or Connor Coady. Clear the daily and weekly lists, then chip away at Milestones. The pass is a slow conveyor belt of value. Stay on it.
13. Move Into Division Rivals
Once you can beat Legendary AI and you know your plan, hop into Division Rivals. You climb by winning, then collect weekly rewards every Thursday. Even average weeks return tradeable packs and coins. If you tilt, stop. Protect your record, return later, and let Squad Battles handle your objective grinding while you cool off.
14. Try FUT Champions When Ready
Reach Division 6 to unlock FUT Champions. The mode is sweaty, no question, but the rewards can lift your club in a weekend. Set a realistic goal. Nine to eleven wins is already a big upgrade pipeline. Save your best chem styles for these matches. Small boosts decide close games.
15. Use Chemistry Styles and PlayStyles
Apply the right Chemistry Style to every starter. Hunters for strikers who need pace and shooting. Shadows for center backs and full backs. Engines for technical mids who need balance and dribbling. Then check PlayStyles. A card with Finesse Shot or Technical Plus can outperform a higher rated card without them. Treat PlayStyles as tiebreakers when choosing between two options.
16. Do Moments and Draft
Short on time. Load Moments. Quick challenges, quick stars, and a 50k pack at 60 stars. It is perfect for lunch breaks. Feeling sharp. Enter Draft. Teams are stronger this year and the rewards are better. A second round exit often pays back most of the entry cost. A win can bankroll your next transfer.
17. Sell Unused Items
Clear your club clutter. Kits, badges, tifos, balls. Some are randomly expensive. List anything with a page of bids. Quick sell the rest. Those little coin bursts fund chemistry styles and position changes without touching your savings.
Final Verdict
Success in FC 26 Ultimate Team comes from steady habits, not luck. Track your daily resets, use the Season Pass for consistent value, and make the Bronze Pack Method part of your routine. Always preview your packs, keep unneeded cards for SBCs, and sell duplicates wisely. Stick to a spending plan for chem styles and avoid wasting early coins. Play Squad Battles to warm up, save your FC Points for long-term rewards, and don’t stress over early losses in Rivals.