Aerial Fortress might sound new, but it’s a PlayStyle you’ll need to learn about quickly and add to your squad to win in EA Sports FC 26. A solid defence practically requires defenders who can dominate in the air to fend off those pesky Precision Headers, which can quickly become part of the winning strategy.
Conceding an unexpected goal to a corner or a cross into the box can completely ruin your momentum and leave you scrambling for a comeback. Thankfully, the Aerial Fortress playstyle in EA Sports FC 26 is equally strong, giving you a powerful defence that can withstand aerial threats.
Here, you’ll find all of the best Aerial Fortress+ players in EA Sports FC 26, along with the best regular Aerial Fortress players.
What does Aerial Fortress do in FC 26?
The Aerial Fortress PlayStyle turns defensive players into specialists at winning aerial contests. With this PlayStyle, defenders will jump higher and be more likely to dominate during aerial battles, meaning you’ll beat attackers more often while the ball is in the air.
Getting a player with Aerial Fortress+ is rare, but it’ll take you to even greater heights. These players can leap higher than most other players in the game and are nearly unbeatable when contesting the ball in the air, meaning you’ll be as safe as possible from even the strongest of headers.
It’s important to note that Aerial Fortress is purely a defensive PlayStyle but one which can appear on players in every outfield position. For example, a striker with Aerial Fortress will gain an advantage when jumping to defend a corner.
Those familiar with EA Sports FC 25 might assume it is the same as the old Aerial playstyle, but this has been removed in FC 26. Aerial Fortress is the more focused replacement, helping you to outdo your opponent solely when defending. Aerial has been split into two new PlayStyles: the offensive Precision Header and defensive Aerial Fortress.
Top FC 26 Aerial Fortress Players
| Name: | Team: | Position: | Overall: | Aerial Fortress+? |
| Antonio Rüdiger | Real Madrid | CB | 86 | Aerial Fortress+ |
| Gabriela Garcia | Atletico de Madrid Women | CDM | 82 | Aerial Fortress+ |
| Tomáš Chorý | Slavia Praha | ST | 75 | Aerial Fortress+ |
| Frantzdy Pierrot | AEK Athens | ST | 72 | Aerial Fortress+ |
| Rodri | Manchester City | CDM | 90 | Aerial Fortress |
| Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool | CB | 90 | Aerial Fortress |
| Alessia Russo | Arsenal Women | ST | 89 | Aerial Fortress |
| Patri Guijarro | Barcelona Women | CDM | 89 | Aerial Fortress |
| Federico Valverde | Real Madrid | CM | 89 | Aerial Fortress |
| Marie Katoto | Lyon Women | ST | 88 | Aerial Fortress |
| Irene Paredes | Barcelona Women | CB | 88 | Aerial Fortress |
| Lindsey Heaps | Lyon Women | CAM | 87 | Aerial Fortress |
| Declan Rice | Arsenal | CDM | 87 | Aerial Fortress |
| Marquinhos | PSG | CB | 87 | Aerial Fortress |
| Jules Koundé | Barcelona | RB | 87 | Aerial Fortress |
| Jonathan Tah | Bayern Munich | CB | 87 | Aerial Fortress |
| Millie Bright | Chelsea Women | CB | 87 | Aerial Fortress |
| Imbrahima Konaté | Liverpool | CB | 86 | Aerial Fortress |
| Scott McTominay | SSC Napoli | CM | 85 | Aerial Fortress |
| Kim Little | Arsenal Women | CDM | 85 | Aerial Fortress |
| João Neves | PSG | CM | 85 | Aerial Fortress |
| Trinity Rodman | Washington Spirit | RM | 85 | Aerial Fortress |
| Marcus Thuram | Lombardia FC (Inter) | ST | 85 | Aerial Fortress |
| Alexandra Popp | VfL Wolfsburg Women | ST | 85 | Aerial Fortress |
| Laura Freigang | Frankfurt Women | CAM | 85 | Aerial Fortress |
If you’re planning to make the move into Career Mode, check out the best FC 26 Wonderkids to keep your team competitive well into the future.
Or if you need to further bolster your defense, take a look at our FC 26 Tactics Codes for the best formations.