EA FC 26: Best Fodder Cards to Use in SBCs

With SBCs running rampant in EA FC 26, fodder cards have become a rare commodity. Often regarded as lesser-value cards, there’s still a way to get some value out of them. Right now, there are a variety of different Squad Building Challenges in the game, each having different requirements. Today, we’ll explain the best way to retain valuable fodder cards and how to optimize your SBCs.

What Are Fodder Cards & Why Are They Useful?

Messi performs a free kick in EA FC 26. — Image by Operation Sports

Fodder cards are basically cards that you don’t use in your starting 11 plus substitutes. They will often remain in your inventory indefinitely, unless you remove them. Fortunately, EA FC 26 has Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) which utilize these cards. To complete SBCs, you must trade in 11 cards that meet a certain requirement in return for a higher-value card.

Since you need any 11 cards, and the conditions are usually pretty lax, you can use extra copies or niche cards you aren’t using for your SBCs. This will keep your starting 11 intact as well as help complete the SBC. A notable example is the Base Hero Upgrade SBC, where players were required to assemble a team with an overall rating of 86. Since the cards you trade in for the SBC are removed from your inventory, fodder cards really help out here.

What Makes A Good Fodder Card?

Now, any card can technically be a fodder card. But some of them are economically better than others. Here are the top tips to find good fodder cards in EA FC 26:

Cheapest cards in the 84-86 category. These are usually very useful for most SBCs and can save you a lot of currency when received for the right price.
Untradable cards. Untradable cards that you aren’t actively using are basically worthless. Use these cards in SBCs to eliminate them and receive something valuable in return.
Cards from popular leagues/nationalities. Some SBCs require specific stats to complete. The Base Hero Challenge requires a full team of 86 OVR players. That doesn’t mean all players need an 86 OVR; rather, the overall team OVR should be 86 or higher.
Cards for the coming SBC needs. If you know a card will be required for a future SBC, it could save you a lot of stress and money. You won’t need to buy more at peak prices, bringing me to our next option.
Buy early. The closer you are to an SBC dropping, the higher in price those respective cards get. To avoid this sharp price increase, buy before the SBC officially drops.

EA FC 26: Best Fodder Cards To Use In SBCs

Now that we’ve explained what fodder cards are, and what makes a good fodder card, here are some of the best fodder cards you can use in various SBCs.