EA Sports FC 26 is officially here, with early access beginning Friday, Sept. 19, for Ultimate Edition owners. As always, the start of a new Ultimate Team cycle has players theorizing about starter squads, chemistry styles, and how PlayStyles will impact each position.

For some, building an affordable squad is the priority. For those players who invested FC 26 Coins in microtransactions, they hope to build the strongest possible team from the beginning. That doesn't always mean the most playable or meta squad—it's about squeezing in the highest rated players in every position while maintaining chemistry.

Here's a look at the highest rated all-gold squad you can create at the launch of FC 26 Ultimate Team, without using Icons. Fair warning: pulling this team together on day one will be extremely difficult.

The Highest Rated EA Sports FC 26 Team at Launch (All Gold Cards)

· Formation: 3-1-4-2

· Total Chemistry: 29/33

Starting XI

· GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma – Manchester City – 89

· CB: Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool – 90

· CB: Mapi León – Barcelona – 89

· CB: Irene Paredes – Barcelona – 88

· LM: Kylian Mbappé – Real Madrid – 91

· CM: Aitana Bonmatí – Barcelona – 91

· CDM: Rodri – Manchester City – 91

· CM: Alexia Putellas – Barcelona – 91

· RM: Mohamed Salah – Liverpool – 91

· ST: Erling Haaland – Manchester City – 90

· ST: Ousmane Dembélé – Paris Saint-Germain – 90

Key Notes and Variations

· Goalkeeper options: Donnarumma gets the nod at 89 overall, but both Alisson (Liverpool) and Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) also share the same rating.

· Three at the back: While most players avoid a 3-center-back system in early squads, it's the only way to fit in Van Dijk, León, and Paredes without losing chemistry.

· Wing-backs left out: Top-rated full-backs like Achraf Hakimi (89) and Sakina Karchaoui (87) miss out when the goal is maximizing overall rating.

· Chemistry trade-offs: Playing someone out of position could push the rating higher, but the chemistry loss makes it less practical.

This setup pushes the squad rating to 90 overall without including a bench.

The Icon and TOTW Factor

Of course, this is just the baseline with gold cards. Adding Icons into the mix will immediately raise the ceiling—but packing or affording them at launch will be nearly impossible. Likewise, Team of the Week 1 could shake things up immediately, introducing boosted cards that surpass gold versions and change how squads look in the first weekend league.

Final Thoughts

Until the FC 26 web app officially launches, this is the best projection of the highest-rated all-gold squad possible at release. It's not necessarily the most competitive squad in gameplay terms, but it represents the ultimate flex for players looking to show off top-rated cards in every slot.

As the weeks unfold, expect TOTW upgrades, promos, and Icons to completely reshape what the “best” team looks like. But for launch day? This 3-1-4-2 squad is as strong as it gets.