Every unexpected event that can happen in EA FC 26 Career Mode

Jack Stewart, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 27/08/2025

Career Mode in the upcoming EA FC 26 looks like the most dynamic iteration of the mode yet.

EA Sports has listened to fan feedback and added more variety so that every Career Mode save feels unique and exciting.

There’s the addition of a live manager market, which could be a disastrous feature for EA FC 26 Career Mode if not done well.

And there is now the new feature of unexpected events that will randomly give Career Mode managers tricky challenges to contend with.

Thanks to Career Mode Tracker, we now know about every possible unexpected event you can encounter on EA FC 26.

 

 

 

 

 

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Retirements

• Abrupt Retirement
• Young Abrupt Retirement

In EA FC 26, Career Mode managers will have to be aware that players can now retire before the age of 30.

The Abrupt Retirement event will see an experienced player forced to end their career prematurely due to a devastating injury.

And even more heartbreaking will be the young version, which will see a young and promising player injured and forced into retirement without meeting their full potential.

You can no longer safely coast off the talent of that one wonderkid you unearthed from the youth academy.

Player Absences

• Player Availability (Absences)
• Indefinite Absence
• Leave of Absence/Urgent Family Leave

EA FC 26 Career Mode managers could face spells of varying lengths in which one of their star players isn’t available.

Player Availability events will see a player away for a short or medium-length spell for various reasons, such as personal leave or vacations.

An Indefinite Absence is much more worrying though, as a player will go away without giving a time window for when they’ll return.

Players may also ask for a break due to family reasons, like Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister did recently for the birth of his child.

EA FC 26 managers will decide whether to grant family leave or not, with either decision having an effect on morale.

Bank and Budget Problems

• Bank Dilemma
• Budget Malfunction

A budget malfunction could see your transfer funds suddenly take a significant cut.

Or even worse, a bank dilemma could leave you unable to make transfers or delay the payment of wages.

Board Power Plays

• Board Overruling
• Chairman Interference

EA FC 26 could also see you have to deal with ridiculous requests from your chosen football club’s owners.

It’s possible that the board will overrule you on a transfer by blocking a sale or forcing you to transfer a player you want to keep.

The frequency that this happens will be affected by your current job-safety/approval rating with the owners.

Additionally, the owners may force you to change your formation or line-up, especially to showcase a player they want to sell.

Contracts

• Contract Showdown
• Pay or Sell

Contract negotiations will work differently in EA FC 26, with players deciding when they’re open to renewal talks.

With this, players can demand an immediate contract renewal with repercussions if this request is denied.

Or a player can even threaten to walk and demand a transfer if their contract isn’t quickly renewed.

Confidence and Mentality

• Loss of Confidence
• Overwhelmed Player

Like in real life, a player’s morale can take a nosedive if they have a tough debut or a bad dip in form as they struggle with confidence.

Similarly, players may become overwhelmed handling the pressure of elite football and need extra man-management to help them return to their peak form.

Matchday Disruptions

• Dodgy Food
• Hotel Mayhem
• Travel Slip-Up

Multiple mishaps can suddenly have you panicking before a matchday.

A travel slip-up or noise outside players’ hotels caused by opposing fans can leave your squad fatigued going into a match.

Additionally, your squad can be hit with food poisoning, which will randomly make some of your players unavailable.

Media and Leaks

• Tactical Breach
• Wages Leaked
• Exit Interview

 

 

 

 

 

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A tactical breach will see your tactics publicised and your opponents make a late stylistic adjustment to make the match harder for you.

Wages can also leak, which will cause unrest and frustration amongst the squad. That will need to be addressed.

And a player can give an interview criticising the club and you as manager, leaving you to repair the club’s reputation and relationship with the fans.

Fans and Community

• Fans to the Rescue
• Hometown Boost

Bringing more connection to Career Mode, local fans can step up and help your Career Mode save.

During difficult periods, fans may rally together to increase season ticket sales and improve the team’s morale.

And local businesses, inspired by results, can hold community events to help give a boost to your transfer budget.

Financial Boosts

• Money Injection
• Sponsor Surge
• Financial Returns
• New Ownership

Unsurprisingly, there can be events that give you big financial boosts that’ll have your club as sudden favourites on the best sports betting sites.

A money injection event will see owners give you a transfer budget boost to reward success.

Similarly, a new sponsor can join the club mid-season and help increase your funds.

And as a reward for strong finances at the club, any profit from sales in a transfer window may fully be added into your transfer budget.

Of course, your club can also be taken over by new rich owners, who will unlock significant budget increases but tougher expectations as a result.

Health and Illness

• Outbreak

An illness can spread through your squad, starting with one player and potentially affecting more so that you’re forced to rotate your team.

International Duty

• International Injury Crisis
• International Team Injuries

Players leaving for international duty in EA FC 26 will be just as risky as it is in real life.

A key player can return injured from international duty, or multiple of your players can pick up knocks all at once during an international break.

Homesick player

A classic scenario returns as a new signing can feel homesick, needing extra care for their mood or a return to a club in their home country.

Training

• Training Injury Clash

Intense training sessions can lead to two players colliding and injuring each other.

Documentary Coverage

• Inside Access
• Under The Spotlight

Wrexham-style documentaries are coming to EA FC 26 Career Mode.

Allowing an inside access documentary to be filmed with lead to increased exposure and revenue, but also extra pressure on your players.

This can also happen when you decide to manage a national team, seeing pressure build while an entire country watches on.

Transfer Market Rules

• Carefree Improvements
• Use It or Lose It
• Sell to Buy
• Spending Push

Carefree improvements will see your owners allow any unused transfer budget to roll over to the next season.

Or the reverse can happen, you can be told to spend all of your budget as none of it will carry over to the next season.

The Spending Push event will see that your owners even demand that you use all of your remaining budget.

Meanwhile, the Sell to Buy event will see you given no transfer budget. You’ll have to sell players before buying anyone.

Job Security

• Results Ultimatum
• Last Chance

Some events will see your job as a manager in EA FC 26 put on the line.

Owners may demand certain results from you in order for you to keep your job.

Whereas a Last Chance call will demand you start winning immediately, otherwise you’ll be sacked.

Jack Stewart, Senior Editor

In my seven years of esports writing, I've introuduced esports coverage to newspapers, interviewed some of the biggest names in the industry, and driven viewers mad with the puns in my YouTube scripts. I'm most proud of the latter.

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