The Randal Kolo Muani vs Gabriel Martinelli Showdown SBC has arrived in FC 26 Ultimate Team just in time for a heated North London derby. Two special cards, one representing Tottenham (Kolo Muani) and the other Arsenal (Martinelli), are available via Squad Building Challenges – and the winner of the real-life fixture will receive powerful in-game upgrades.
Both SBCs are fairly priced compared to many other early-game promos, but you still need to complete several squads with decent ratings and a few Team of the Week (TOTW) players. In this guide, you’ll find a complete breakdown of every requirement and multiple example solutions you can copy or adapt to your own club, along with tips to keep costs under control.
We’ll also look at which card might fit your team better, how Showdown upgrades work, and how to manage your club’s economy. If you’re short on coins and don’t want to grind endlessly, you can also consider trusted third-party markets for ea fc 26 coins to speed up your progress responsibly.
If you’re new to Showdown content in FC 26, here’s a quick overview of how these cards function and why the Kolo Muani vs Martinelli SBC is so popular.
Showdown items are special player cards linked to a specific real-world match. In this case, it’s the North London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. You can complete one or both SBCs to earn unique versions of Randal Kolo Muani and Gabriel Martinelli.
Once the match is played:
That means you’re not only choosing a card based on stats and links, but also trying to predict which side will perform better in real life. As the original source mentions, Arsenal often enter this matchup as favorites, which naturally makes Martinelli an attractive option on paper.
Both Kolo Muani and Martinelli offer strong chemistry options and play in top-tier leagues:
Regardless of who wins, both cards are very usable in early- to mid-game squads, and an upgrade can make them competitive for an even longer period.
Kolo Muani’s Showdown SBC is split into several separate squads. You must complete all of them to unlock the player. Here’s a breakdown of every segment and what you need.
This first squad focuses on representing his club’s rival in the derby. It’s a relatively low barrier but still needs some rating.
Use any affordable Spurs player you own or buy a cheap 81–83 rated option from the transfer market and surround them with untradeable 83s from your club.
This segment introduces a TOTW requirement but keeps the rating modest.
This is a great place to use a low-rated untradeable TOTW card that doesn’t fit your team. Pair it with several 83s and a couple of 82s to reach the rating.
Here you’re asked to highlight Kolo Muani’s nationality.
A single French card is enough to meet the nationality requirement. The rest of the team can be any league as long as the overall rating hits 84. Use your untradeables first to save coins.
This squad combines league chemistry with another TOTW demand.
Make sure your TOTW item isn’t too low-rated, or you’ll need several higher-rated golds to compensate. Using an 84+ TOTW makes hitting the overall rating easier.
The final section is straightforward but more expensive in terms of fodder.
There are no league or chemistry restrictions here, so this is your chance to throw in any high-rated untradeables you’ve been saving from packs and objectives.
Martinelli’s Showdown SBC structure mirrors Kolo Muani’s, but with Arsenal and Brazil as the key identity points.
The opening segment focuses on his club.
Any cheap Arsenal gold (usually 80–82 rated) can be used; then you fill up the rest with your 83-rated fodder.
As with Kolo Muani, you’ll need a Team of the Week card here.
Try to use a TOTW item you’re not planning to play with. TOTW cards around 82–83 overall are usually the best value for this requirement.
This squad showcases Martinelli’s Brazilian nationality.
There are plenty of cheap Brazilian golds in the game, so this requirement is easy to meet. The bigger challenge is finding enough 84-rated fodder without overspending.
Just like Kolo Muani’s Premier League segment, this squad combines league and TOTW conditions.
Again, an 84-rated TOTW card plus a mix of 83s and 84s usually does the job efficiently.
The last part is identical to Kolo Muani’s final requirement.
Use your high-rated untradeable cards from Division Rivals, Champs, or seasonal rewards to reduce the actual coin cost of this squad.
Below are example squads inspired by the original source’s recommendations. Player prices change constantly, so always compare on the transfer market before submitting. You don’t need these exact players – they serve as templates showing the kind of ratings you should aim for.
A sample 83-rated squad with one Spurs player might look like this:
Any similar mix of 82–84 rated players with at least one Tottenham card will reach an 83 team rating. Always prioritise untradeables to minimise your spend.
For the TOTW squad, you can structure your team like this:
Swap in any 82–84 golds you already own, as long as the overall stays at 83. The TOTW can be any league or nation.
Here’s a simple 84-rated squad model with one French player:
Only one player needs to be French. If you have a higher-rated French card, you can swap some 84s for cheaper 82–83 options.
This squad must feature both a Premier League and a TOTW player. A sample lineup could be:
The Premier League and TOTW requirements can be fulfilled by the same player if you own a Premier League TOTW card at 84 or higher.
An 85-rated squad template may look like this:
Any similar combination of two or three 86s plus a handful of 84–85s can comfortably reach the 85 rating threshold.
Martinelli’s SBC uses almost identical fodder levels, which means you can often reuse the same structure of players, just swapping in Arsenal or Brazilian cards where required.
Because the requirements match Kolo Muani’s Spurs segment (83 rating, 1 Arsenal player), you can mirror that squad, simply using any affordable Arsenal player in place of Kulusevski.
The Top Form segment is exactly the same as Kolo Muani’s, so you can copy the same style of squad:
Feel free to mix and match equivalent ratings from your own club; there is no specific league or nation requirement.
This 84-rated squad must include one Brazilian player. Here’s a sample:
You can replace Savinho with any cheap Brazilian card you own. The focus is on balancing enough 84s to hit the rating while keeping costs low.
Once again, this part is nearly the same as Kolo Muani’s Premier League segment:
Again, your Premier League and TOTW requirements can overlap if you have a suitable PL TOTW card.
The 85-rated squad for Martinelli can be built almost identically to Kolo Muani’s:
Swap players around based on whatever untradeable 84–86 cards you already own.
Both SBCs are tempting, but most players won’t want to sink fodder into both unless they have a very large club or extra coins. Here are some key factors to help you decide.
If you’re lacking a top-tier striker, Kolo Muani might fill a bigger gap. If you already have a good striker but need a dynamic left-wing option, Martinelli is the natural pick.
Showdown SBCs are closely tied to real-life performance. At the time this matchup was promoted, many fans and analysts considered Arsenal slight favorites over Spurs in head-to-head meetings. That doesn’t guarantee a win, but:
Checking recent form and injuries through reliable football sources like BBC Sport or ESPN FC can help you make a more informed prediction.
Ultimately, the best Showdown card is the one that fits your squad. Consider:
If you can afford it and both fit your club, completing both is never a bad idea, especially early in the cycle when strong attackers are scarce.
Even though these SBCs are fairly priced by promo standards, completing five squads for each player still costs a significant amount of fodder and coins. Smart budget management is crucial if you don’t want to drain your club at the start of FC 26.
Not everyone has the time to grind Rivals and Champs every week. If you want to speed up club building, some players turn to reputable external marketplaces for in-game currency. For example, ItemD2R focuses on secure, fast delivery of FC26 Coins to help players complete SBCs like Kolo Muani and Martinelli without waiting for weeks of pack luck.
Always remember:
When done carefully and responsibly, adding extra coins to your balance can be a convenient way to enjoy more of FC 26’s content, try fun squads, and complete premium SBCs while they’re still relevant to the meta.
To finish off, here are some practical tricks that can lower the overall cost of the Kolo Muani and Martinelli Showdown SBCs, and help you with future challenges as well.
Final thoughts: The FC 26 Kolo Muani vs Martinelli Showdown SBC is one of the more exciting early-game events, giving you a chance to secure a top attacker with potential for an even bigger upgrade. Carefully manage your fodder, monitor the market, and, if needed, use external support like extra coins from reputable services to complete these SBCs before they expire. Whether you pick Kolo Muani, Martinelli, or both, you’ll be adding high-impact cards to your Ultimate Team for the weeks and months ahead.