EA FC 26 TOTY Warmup Guide: Best Rewards, Icon Swaps & Custom TOTY Cards

• EA FC 26 TOTY Warmup Overview
• Icon Swaps in January: Free R9 & Other Icons
• TOTY Evolution: Build Your Own Central Midfield Star
• Key Player SBCs: Olise, Marcelo, Smith & Beckenbauer
• Packs, Daily Login Rewards & Smart SBC Fodder Use
• Upgrades, New Cup Objectives & Playstyles
• Hero Upgrades & Shop Packs
• Women’s & Men’s TOTY: What to Expect
• How ItemD2R Helps With Coins, Prices & TOTY Grinding
• Final TOTY Prep Checklist & Advice

EA FC 26 TOTY Warmup Overview

The Team of the Year (TOTY) warmup in EA FC 26 has kicked off, and the hype is huge with the full men’s TOTY expected in just a few days. This early phase is already packed with Icon Swaps leaks, free packs, Evolutions and powerful SBCs, so every decision you make now will affect how strong your club looks when TOTY hits.

On paper, this might be one of the best reward periods ever in EA FC 26. We are looking at a potential free R9 via Swaps, a build-your-own-TOTY-style Evolution for central midfielders, and high-value packs like 83x5, 84x10 and more. At the same time, there’s a real risk of burning all your fodder and coins too early if you don’t plan ahead.

In this guide you’ll find a structured breakdown of:

• How the January Icon Swaps should work and whether going for R9 is realistic
• How to prepare for the Honourable Mention TOTY Evolution for ZDM/CM/CAM
• Which SBCs are worth your fodder (Olise, Marcelo, Smith, Beckenbauer)
• How to use warmup packs and daily logins without ruining your TOTY plans
• What to expect from women’s and men’s TOTY squads and leaked players
• How to position your coins and transfer budget for maximum value

Icon Swaps in January: Free R9 & Other Icons

One of the most exciting parts of this warmup cycle is the return of Icon Swaps, which are expected to start on 29 January. Based on current information, we’re looking at roughly 20–25 tokens available through objectives, SBCs and possibly even the store.

Leaked Icon Swaps Rewards

The leaked pool of Icon Swaps rewards is extremely strong and includes:

• R9 (Ronaldo Nazário) – reportedly a special version, not just his base card
• Eric Cantona
• Rio Ferdinand
• Gianluigi Buffon
• Gianluca Zambrotta
• Xabi Alonso

For many players who have never touched an R9 card in Ultimate Team, this might be the first realistic chance to earn him through gameplay rather than relying on insane pack luck.

Strategy: How Many Tokens to Aim For?

Token requirements for top-tier icons are usually tough. You should assume that:

• The R9 option will cost a high number of tokens and demand a serious time commitment.
• Some tokens might be locked behind difficult objectives or store-related content.
• You will need to manage both your time and your coins if some tokens are linked to store packs or SBC requirements.

One important piece of advice: the creator whose insight we’re summarizing specifically recommends not buying FC Points for this. Instead, if you want to secure a strong squad for TOTY and grind out the Swaps, use coins smartly and take advantage of untradeable rewards.

TOTY Evolution: Build Your Own Central Midfield Star

EA is also preparing a special Honourable Mention TOTY Evolution that will let you create your own TOTY-style midfielder. The early info suggests:

• The Evolution is limited to central roles: CDM/CM/CAM (ZDM/ZM/ZOM).
• You start with a modest card and upgrade it over several segments, similar to last year’s systems.
• When completed, you’ll have a card that plays like a club legend TOTY-lite version.

We don’t yet have exact requirements, but it’s very likely this Evolution won’t be cheap in terms of club resources and time.

Choosing the Right Player for Evolution

To get the most out of this Evolution:

• Think about long-term club legends from your favourite club or nation.
• Pick a midfielder with a good body type and useful work rates rather than just overall rating.
• Make sure the base card fits the expected rating cap so you don’t waste potential upgrades.

The creator strongly recommends preparing in advance: if you already know a card you want to evolve, buy it and store it in your club now in case prices rise when the Evolution goes live.

Warmup Evolution With 87 Rating Cap

Alongside the TOTY Evolution, there’s also a "warmup" Evolution that:

• Is repeatable twice.
• Boosts stats across all positions.
• Has a rating cap of 87, making it best for cards that are close to that rating but not already elite.

This is not ideal for your strongest cards but can turn an underused favourite into a very playable option while you wait for the main TOTY Evolutions.

Key Player SBCs: Olise, Marcelo, Smith & Beckenbauer

The warmup content comes with several important player SBCs that you should evaluate carefully before committing fodder.

Olise SBC (Bayern Link)

A highly anticipated Olise SBC has been confirmed, strongly linked with Bayern fans and the new partnership. The card art seen so far is not final, but if you run a Bundesliga or Bayern-heavy squad, this SBC could be a key piece.

Because big SBCs are coming for TOTY, the creator is already saving fodder and recommends you only complete Olise if:

• He fits directly into your main team, and
• You’re not sacrificing high-value fodder that you would rather use on TOTY SBCs.

Marcelo & Smith SBCs

Two more SBCs worth noting:

• Marcelo SBC – Iconic for Real Madrid and Brazil-themed squads. Expect strong dribbling and flair, likely great fun but not necessarily meta for everyone.
• Smith (women’s TOTY performer) – The card reportedly feels excellent in-game, especially in the context of women’s TOTY squads.

Again, the key is fodder prioritization. Don’t chase every fun SBC if it means missing out on a high-end TOTY upgrade later.

Beckenbauer SBC: Worth It or Not?

The Franz Beckenbauer SBC is one of the most interesting value propositions right now:

• Current cost is around 1.1 million coins.
• This is significantly cheaper than his historic market value in previous years.
• He comes with multiple strong PlayStyles and has been reported to perform excellently both as a CB and CDM.

If you’re a big Beckenbauer fan or a Bayern/ Germany collector, he’s absolutely a long-term club project. However, the safest approach is:

• Wait until more TOTY SBCs are revealed.
• Use TOTY crafting to feed his SBC over time with duplicate untradeable high-rated cards.

Packs, Daily Login Rewards & Smart SBC Fodder Use

The warmup promotion is filled with tempting packs, but opening them at the wrong time—or overpaying with fodder—can ruin your TOTY plans.

Daily TOTY Login Rewards

Make sure you complete the daily TOTY login objectives. Over several days they pay out:

• Multiple high-value packs
• Upgrade packs
• Additional small bonuses tied to PlayStyles and SBC fodder

These rewards are essentially free, so they’re the first thing you should secure each day before you consider more expensive SBC grinds.

83x5 Pack SBC (3x Repeatable)

One of the standout SBCs during the warmup grants an 83x5 pack, repeatable three times. Requirements:

• 84-rated squad
• 1 Inform

Advice from the creator:

• Do all three 83x5 packs—they are excellent value for TOTY prep.
• Try to open some of them when attackers are in packs (for example, on Friday when only the TOTY attackers are in packs).
• Use these packs as a way to restock fodder and maybe hit a TOTY or special card.

How to Get Informs Efficiently

Instead of buying Informs at inflated prices on the market, the creator suggests using an Inform upgrade SBC if available. This way you:

• Save coins by relying on your club’s gold fodder
• Generate Informs you can feed into high-value SBCs such as 83x5 or future TOTY packs

When you get Player Picks, open them immediately to secure more Informs and mid-rated fodder to recycle into upgrade SBCs.

Which Packs to Deprioritize

Not every pack is equally valuable. For example, some 3x85+ packs require a lot of cards to complete and don’t provide a big enough upgrade over other options. The recommendation is to:

• Prioritize 83x5, 84x10 and high-volume packs that give more cards and more chances at TOTY.
• Only do resource-heavy packs when you have surplus fodder after key SBCs and Evolutions.

Additionally, daily Bronze, Silver and Gold upgrades are worth doing casually as they slowly convert your low-end club stock into usable SBC fodder over TOTY.

Upgrades, New Cup Objectives & Playstyles

The warmup event also includes a new unlimited-play Cup and a series of objectives tied to PlayStyles and packs.

New Cup: Unlimited Games, High-End Rewards

The new Cup mode is fairly straightforward:

• No special rules—you can just play as much as you want.
• Rewards include a PlayStyle item (capped at 7 PlayStyles on a player) and an 84x10 pack as the final main reward.
• You have only about two days to complete all games and objectives.

The 84x10 is an excellent TOTY prep pack, so try not to leave this Cup grind for the last minute.

Login PlayStyles: Intercept, Goalkeeper & Passing

Over the next days, you’ll also receive various login PlayStyle items, including:

• Intercept (defensive PlayStyle)
• "Fingerspitzen" (a goalkeeper PlayStyle)
• Through Pass and Deadly Pass style upgrades toward the end

The only real downside is that players are currently capped at 7 PlayStyles. The creator hopes that TOTY might increase this cap to 8, which would make these login PlayStyles even more valuable.

Hero Upgrades & Shop Packs

On top of Icons and TOTY cards, EA is also focusing on Heroes during the warmup period.

Hero Packs & Compensation

Players who didn’t receive a Hero in a specific previous context are expected to obtain a Hero Pack in the store as a kind of catch-up. In addition, there should be:

• Further Hero upgrade SBCs for different positions (midfielders, attackers, etc.).
• Additional opportunities to use Informs and 83–84 rated cards throughout the week.

This is why it’s crucial to keep a decent stock of 83 and 84 fodder rather than submitting everything into one SBC on day one.

Shop Packs: 85x86+ & 15x85+

Leaked or early shop content includes big stacked packs such as:

• 85x86+ pack
• 15x85+ pack

There’s a chance that some of these packs will be tied into Icon Swaps, allowing you to choose between a huge fodder pack or a top icon. If you’re a menu grinder, those packs can be game-changing for SBC progress, but always weigh them against icons like R9 or Ferdinand.

Women’s & Men’s TOTY: What to Expect

The warmup period is closely linked with both the women’s TOTY and the upcoming men’s TOTY, which drives pack value and squad planning.

Women’s TOTY Squad & 12th Player

The women’s TOTY lineup is already mostly known, with special attention on the three attacking players arriving in packs on Friday. The goalkeeper Endler is jokingly mentioned as "not counting" towards TOTY pack hype by the creator, but the rest of the squad is considered very strong.

For the 12th player, some leading candidates are:

• Diani
• Hansen – many expect her to win
• Guijarro

Regardless of who wins, the 12th player will be an elite card and a big pull from packs.

Early Men’s TOTY Leaks

On the men’s side, several players are heavily linked with TOTY spots, including:

• Declan Rice
• Virgil van Dijk
• William Saliba (with some debate if he truly deserves it)

The creator also mentions hopes for Raphinha as an additional card, while acknowledging that for Bayern fans, a Harry Kane TOTY would be the dream. Whichever way the final XI falls, you should plan your packs around the positions you care about most (for example, saving some packs for defenders vs. attackers depending on your squad’s needs).

How ItemD2R Helps With Coins, Prices & TOTY Grinding

During TOTY, club economy management is just as important as your gameplay. SBCs, Evolutions, Icon Swaps and upgrade packs all demand a steady stream of coins and fodder. This is where external tools and services can make your life easier.

ItemD2R.com is a long-standing gaming service platform that focuses on safe, efficient in-game trading and resources for titles like EA FC 26. If you are trying to keep up with TOTY content but your coin balance never matches your ambitions, you can monitor the current fc coins price and decide when it makes sense to invest in your club.

For players who prefer to focus on menu grinding and gameplay rather than trading the market 24/7, being able to sell fc26 coins or buy coins at the right moment can help stabilize your budget. Instead of panic-selling your best cards or sacrificing high-rated players into bad-value SBCs, you can:

• Use coins to cover key SBC requirements, like Informs or high-rated golds, when prices are favourable.
• Bridge gaps in your squad quickly when TOTY attackers or defenders enter packs.
• Maintain a buffer so you can complete long-term projects like Beckenbauer or major Icon Swaps options like R9.

By keeping an eye on the fc coins price, you avoid overpaying during hype spikes and can time your purchases or sales around big promotions. That way, you don’t have to rely solely on weekend league rewards or low-odds packs to stay competitive. Just remember to treat any external coin strategy as a complement to good in-game decisions: smart SBC choices, effective trading where possible, and focused grinding on objectives that give the best return for your time.

Final TOTY Prep Checklist & Advice

To wrap things up, here’s a concise checklist to keep you on track during the EA FC 26 TOTY warmup phase:

• Save key fodder – Don’t dump all your high-rated cards into early SBCs before TOTY SBCs are revealed.
• Target the best value packs – Prioritize 83x5 (x3), 84x10 and high-volume packs. Be picky with 3x85+ or overpriced options.
• Use upgrade SBCs daily – Turn Bronze/Silver/Gold into useful fodder and Informs.
• Prepare a midfielder for the Honourable Mention TOTY Evolution (CDM/CM/CAM) that fits your main squad.
• Grind the new Cup in time to secure the 84x10 and PlayStyle rewards.
• Plan Icon Swaps early – Decide if you want R9 or other icons and how many tokens you can realistically get.
• Time your pack openings – Open some packs when TOTY attackers, then later defenders/midfielders, are in packs depending on your needs.
• Consider Beckenbauer as a long-term project you craft gradually over TOTY rather than day one.
• Watch your coin flow – Track market trends, and if needed, use platforms like ItemD2R to stabilize your budget.

If you follow these steps and stay disciplined with your fodder and coins, you’ll be in a great position when the full TOTY squads drop. May your warmup packs be stacked, your Evolutions pay off, and your club finally see that dream TOTY or special R9 in EA FC 26.