Buying and selling players is key to building a strong Ultimate Team side in EA Sports FC 26, but if you’re trying to get ahead, you might find yourself locked out from the system. Here’s how to unlock the transfer market in EA FC 26.
How to unlock EA FC 26 transfer market
We all know that the best time for Ultimate Team fans is the beginning of the new season. There’s no better feeling than packing big players at the start of a new cycle and capitalising on those gains through the transfer market.
However, if you’re new to the game, switched platforms, or your account is considered to be in bad standing, you’re going to need to complete the following objective groups found under the Foundations tab:
New Beginnings
- Complete the Passes and Shots Moment
- Play three Squad Battles
- Play Squad Battles Featured Squad
- Complete Football 101 within Foundation Moments (seven moments)
- Score 5 Goals
Venturing Out
- Play three Rush matches
- Complete the Intro to Rewards EVOs (found under Rewards once you have played three Rush matches)
- Score 10 goals in any Ultimate Team game mode
- Play five matches in any Ultimate Team game mode
Diving In
- Play five Ultimate Team Rush matches
- Play five Squad Battles matches on minimum Semi-Pro difficulty
- Play five Rivals matches
- Play 15 matches in any Ultimate Team game mode
On Your Way
- Play 10 matches in any Ultimate Team game mode
- Complete five Rush bonuses
- Assist 25 times in any Ultimate Team game mode
- Complete any two SBC groups
While completing these four objectives will give you rewards along the way, they will take you a considerable amount of time. Gaining access to the transfer market is crucial to your success in Ultimate Team, so start early, get New Beginnings ticked off, and then tackle the general objectives as you play normally.
It is important to note, though, that you won’t get full access to the transfer market right away on completion. While you’ll be able to list players, you won’t be able to search for specific players or bid on anyone until a certain time period has passed.
PC players will need to wait up to 48 hours, while console players will need to wait up to 24 hours.
Why is the FC 26 transfer market locked?
In order to protect the FUT economy from the volatile effects of coin selling and botting, EA limits transfer market access for new accounts. This also ensures that new players are introduced to the basic mechanics of the game via Moments and Milestones, further equipping them for competitive matches later down the line.
The market on the web or companion app can remain locked too until you’ve registered enough hours in the game. EA says an account in good standing can take two active days (three games per day) and will normally earn access. However, if there are multiple accounts created on one device, it’ll usually take you four days to gain access.
