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All FC 26 90+ Summer Tournament Historical Nations Upgrade SBC rewards
EA Sports has launched the 90+ Summer Tournament Historical Nations Upgrade Squad Building Challenge (SBC) in EA FC 26, a challenge that guarantees players a Hero or Icon card in Ultimate Team. The SBC is notable because EA has strengthened the rewards compared with earlier versions, restricting the reward pool to only cards rated 90 or above, which raises the value of what players can obtain in exchange for their resources.
The SBC includes Heroes and Icons released before 17 April, but only 90+ rated cards from nations that qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are eligible. The reward pool spans numerous card types, including Champion Icons, Thunderstruck, Time Warp, Winter Wildcards, TOTY Icons, FUT Birthday, Trophy Titans and Knockout Royalty variants, featuring names such as Maradona (96), Zidane, Ronaldinho, Pelé, Henry and Alex Morgan. Because outcomes are randomised, the article frames the completion as a gamble, urging players to weigh the possible rewards before committing their squad-building assets.
In short
- FC 26's 90+ Historical Nations SBC guarantees a Hero or Icon.
- Only 90+ cards from World Cup 2026 nations are included.
- Rewards are random, so completing it is a gamble.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
EA has meaningfully upgraded the rewards by restricting the pool to 90+ rated cards only, providing genuine value to players willing to participate. The inclusion of elite cards like Maradona, Zidane and Ronaldinho means the potential returns justify the resource investment, particularly compared with earlier versions of this challenge. Players can make an informed choice about participation, and EA's responsiveness to community feedback on rewards demonstrates fair engagement with its player base.
The case against
Randomised rewards remain fundamentally exploitative regardless of upgrades, relying on uncertainty and psychological incentives rather than transparent value exchange. Players must commit significant resources for potentially disappointing outcomes, and the randomisation creates artificial scarcity and FOMO that particularly disadvantages those with limited budgets. The improved pool does not address the core issue: that EA profits from gambling mechanics rather than providing straightforward value.
Explained simply
EA FC 26 is a football video game. Players can participate in Ultimate Team, a mode where you collect and use cards representing footballers to build squads.
Squad Building Challenges, or SBCs, are tasks within the game where you build a squad of player cards meeting certain requirements in exchange for rewards. Each challenge typically specifies conditions such as requiring players from particular nations or leagues.
This particular challenge offers special rare cards representing famous footballers, limited to players from nations competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Because players receive a random card from the reward pool when completing the challenge, the specific outcome is uncertain.