EA FC 26 is great when everything works as expected, but highly frustrating when it doesn’t. Kickoff goals have always been one of the longest-running frustrations in EA’s football franchise, and the problem hasn’t gotten any better in FC 26. Thankfully, EA itself has recently acknowledged the situation on X and is promising to fix the issue for good with an update in October.
A Problem Of The Past?
Kickoff goals seem to always occur when you’re at your most vulnerable. You’ve just put in the work to break down your opponent’s defense and score, only for them to be handed a golden opportunity right after kickoff. I’m used to getting ducked on with kickoff goals in Rocket League, but I don’t expect the same treatment in a game that’s supposed to be the “gold standard” of football simulation.
It’s much more frustrating because the game’s defensive AI tends to leave massive gaps, allowing opposing players to press and sprint straight through or pull off a quick skill move. Under the above X post, one fan shared the sentiment that kickoff goals seem to have the same expected goal rates as penalties. These sorts of goals are much rarer in real football, as teams are directed to stay compact, close down passing lanes, and avoid overcommitting. Something you don’t see much in FC 26 at kickoff.
Come October, this might be a problem of the past. EA hasn’t gone into detail on what “defensive positioning improvements” will look like, but we can assume that the AI defenders will be more alert and compact immediately after a kickoff. If it actually works, it might put an end to some of the cheap goals you keep conceding all the time. We’ll have to wait for the update to see what changes they make and how big a realistic impact it has on gameplay.
