When starting a Career Mode save in EA FC 26, choosing your team is one of the toughest— and most important—decisions you’ll make.
Do you take charge of an already established giant with financial muscle and mould them into unstoppable world-beaters stacked with the game’s best players? Or do you roll up your sleeves with a smaller club and grind your way to glory on a shoestring budget?
Whichever path you prefer, we’ve put together 15 exciting teams to kick off your Career Mode journey—whether you’re chasing instant silverware or dreaming of a long-term rebuild.
Big Clubs with Big Budgets
1. Manchester United (Premier League)
Initial Budget: £152.15 million
Manchester United, both in real life and in EA FC 26 Career Mode, are very much a club in disrepair.
The squad is a patchwork of makeshift wingers, a misshapen defence, limited depth, and under-utilised talent—meaning you’ll need a full-scale rebuild to restore the Red Devils to their former glory.
The good news? You’ll have plenty of money to make it happen.
2. Juventus (Serie A)
Initial Budget: £107.92 million
A bit like United—but to a lesser extent—Juventus are a shadow of their former selves, making them a rewarding challenge in EA FC 26 Career Mode.
As with the Red Devils, there’s also a big budget to work with. The catch? The Old Lady have already splashed out heavily in the 2025 summer market, bringing in a host of attacking stars including Loïs Openda, Jonathan David, Edon Zhegrova, and Francisco Conceição.
Throw in Dusan Vlahović and Kenan Yildiz – one of the game’s brightest young superstars – and you’ve suddenly got an overstacked front line to manage. Balancing that firepower while strengthening other areas of the pitch will be the key to restoring Juve’s glory.
3. Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)
Initial Budget: £109.25 million
There’s not much to dislike about taking charge of Tottenham Hotspur in EA FC 26 Career Mode.
One of the most exciting young squads in the Premier League? Check. Talents like Xavi Simons, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, and Mohammed Kudus? Check. Established stars such as Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski to build around? Check.
A fancy new stadium? Check. A massive budget to work with? Also check.
The real challenge for Spurs? Finding that top-class centre-forward to finally fill the void left by Harry Kane and push them over the line to the summit of English football.
4. Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1)
Initial Budget: £199.83 million
Perfect if you’re new to Career Mode—or if you just fancy an easy ride steamrolling nearly every competition—Paris Saint-Germain are probably the strongest side in the world right now.
With a glittering array of attacking talent including Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, and 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, goals won’t be a problem.
There’s not much rebuilding to do here, though you might want to dip into that mammoth budget for a new centre back once Marquinhos eventually hangs up his boots. Other than that? Sit back, enjoy the ride, and collect the silverware.
5. RB Leipzig (Bundesliga)
Initial Budget: £68.41 million
The departures of Benjamin Šeško, Xavi Simons, and Loïs Openda have left RB Leipzig facing a major rebuild—making them one of the most exciting Career Mode projects in EA FC 26.
You’ll have a healthy budget to work with, alongside a crop of talented youngsters like Antonio Nusa, Johan Bakayoko, and Maarten Vandevoordt. The challenge? Adding the right balance of experience to turn all that potential into a title-winning squad capable of finally knocking Bayern Munich off their perch.
Mid-Table Clubs Looking to Make the Leap
6. Everton (Premier League)
Initial Budget: £34.68 million
Everton start EA FC 26 Career Mode with a surprisingly solid foundation.
The squad already boasts a reliable defensive spine in James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Jordan Pickford, while smart summer additions like Thierno Barry up front and Jack Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Tyler Dibling in attacking midfield give the Toffees a real spark going forward.
To take Everton from mid-table respectability to genuine contenders, though, you’ll need to add some bite in midfield, upgrade both full back positions, and strengthen squad depth—all while working with a tiny budget.
7. Valencia (LaLiga)
Initial Budget: £32.9 million
Taking charge of Valencia—a fallen powerhouse of Spanish football—is a real challenge in EA FC 26 Career Mode.
There are some bright sparks, with youngsters like Diego López and Javi Guerra offering promise, and seasoned figures such as club captain José Gayà and Arnaut Danjuma adding experience. Beyond that, though, the squad is stacked with mid-tier players who’ll need either careful development or replacing if you want to bring silverware back to the Mestalla.
Smart use of the loan market and cashing in on mid-value players will be crucial to rebuilding this once-great club.
8. Fiorentina (Serie A)
Initial Budget: £31.09 million
With Fiorentina, there are two positions you won’t have to stress about—striker and goalkeeper, at least in the short term. Moise Kean offers pace, skill, and plenty of room to grow into a top-class forward, while in goal, David de Gea is one of Europe’s finest shot-stoppers.
The rest of the squad, however, has plenty of room for improvement.
The midfield engine room is a priority, with both an attacking and defensive midfielder essential signings. Young centre-back Pietro Comuzzo shows great promise, but he’ll need time to develop, so bringing in experienced defenders is also a must if you want Fiorentina to compete at the top.
9. Eintracht Frankfurt (Bundesliga)
Initial Budget: £38.01 million
Eintracht Frankfurt are already a solid side in EA FC 26, with a core of dependable players like Jonathan Burkardt, Hugo Larsson, and Arthur Theate to build around.
The rest of the squad is strong too, packed with promising youngsters with high ceilings, including Jean-Mattéo Bahoya, Can Uzun, and Nnamdi Collins.
To take them to the next level, however, Frankfurt will need a superstar or two—a true game-changer who can turn matches in an instant. An attacking midfielder who can feed the wingers, create chances, and chip in with goals would be the perfect addition.
10. Lyon (Ligue 1)
Initial Budget: £15.64 million
Lyon offers a thrilling challenge in EA FC 26 Career Mode: the chance to shock the world and restore the club to its former glory. Be warned—it will take huge work.
Malick Fofana is the brightest spark, with the potential to develop into one of the world’s finest wingers. Beyond him, the squad needs a near-total overhaul. On a tiny budget, you’ll likely want to rebuild from the back, especially in defence, and start fresh across the pitch.
For managers who crave a true test, few saves offer a more satisfying challenge.
Tight Budgets, Big Dreams, Real Challenges
11. Schalke 04 (Bundesliga 2)
Initial Budget: £5.12 million
Only one player in the entire Schalke 04 squad has the potential to grow beyond an 80 rating, with the rest plateauing in the mid-70s—or lower. That pretty much sums up the challenge you’re facing if you take charge of this fallen German giant.
With almost no budget and a board breathing down your neck to secure promotion from Bundesliga. 2, free agents are your best bet. Beyond that… good luck. You’re going to need it.
12. Deportivo La Coruna (LaLiga 2)
Initial Budget: £5.89 million
RC Deportivo, better known as Deportivo La Coruña, have all the firepower to earn promotion to La Liga.
With Yeremy Hernández, David Mella, and Mario Soriano, they boast an attack more than capable of dominating the second division—and even holding their own if they make it back to the top flight.
As is so often the case with smaller clubs, though, the defence lets them down—and in Deportivo’s case, it’s in desperate need of a rebuild. Ignore it, and all that attacking talent will go to waste.
13. Sunderland (Premier League)
Initial Budget: £35.52 million
Of the so-called smaller clubs on this list, Sunderland—freshly promoted to the Premier League—has it pretty sweet. They boast a decent budget, a handful of smart summer signings like Granit Xhaka and Brian Brobbey, and exciting young talents such as Chris Rigg.
That said, the Tyne-Wear side still need targeted investment in key areas—especially in central defence and out wide—if they want to progress from relegation battlers to mid-table regulars, and perhaps, one day, genuine title contenders.
14. AS Saint-Etienne (Ligue 2)
Initial Budget: £5.62 million
Take the reins at AS Saint-Étienne, and you’ve got a star in the making with striker Lucas Stassin—but beyond him, the squad leaves plenty of room for improvement. Zuriko Davitashvili and Djylian N’Guessan are the only other players capable of reaching an 80 rating.
In a fiercely competitive Ligue 2, you’ll need smart moves in the transfer market, clever squad building, and a bit of magic on the pitch to bring the club roaring back to the big time.
15. Sampdoria (Serie B)
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Best Teams to Start Career Mode With in EA FC 26.
