How to Play

Each round rolls a random country and era. You'll see a squad of legends from that combination and must pick exactly one to place into a matching position slot on your pitch. After 11 rounds you'll have a complete starting XI with no bench and no swaps, just the choices you made.

You're building a 4-3-3 / 4-1-2-3 formation with 11 fixed slots: GK · LB CB CB RB · CDM CM CAM · LW ST RW. Each player has a primary position and potentially one or more secondary positions shown on their card. A player can only fill a slot that matches one of their positions, so plan ahead to avoid ending up with a striker when you need a goalkeeper.

Every player card shows six EA FC stats: PAC (Pace) · SHO (Shooting) · PAS (Passing) · DRI (Dribbling) · DEF (Defending) · PHY (Physicality), plus an overall rating in the top-right corner. Stat weights vary by position: a CDM's DEF matters more than their SHO, so pick the right player for the right role to maximise your team's power.

You have 1 country swap and 1 era swap per draft. A country swap keeps the same era but gives you a different nation to pick from. An era swap keeps the same country but shifts the decade. Swaps do not carry over: use them when a draw gives you no viable player for the open slot, not just because you want someone better.

Once your XI is locked in, the game simulates a full 8-match tournament run: 3 group-stage games, then the Round of 32, Round of 16, Quarter-final, Semi-final, and the Final. Each successive match is harder as opponents get progressively stronger. Your team score is calculated from position-weighted stats across defensive, midfield, and attacking zones.

Your grade reflects how far your team went. S is the Perfect Run — 8-0, no losses. A+ is World Champions with a penalty win somewhere. A is Finalists. B is Semi-finalists. C is Quarter-finalists. D is the Round of 16. F is an early group-stage exit. Only a perfect draft earns the Perfect Run and every choice matters.