The World Cup is finally here again in FC 26, and that means one thing for Ultimate Team fans: content chaos, nostalgia overload, and endless squad-building challenges. In today’s challenge, we step away from the usual meta-driven squads and instead dive into something far more fun, FC 26 Coins, and football-nerdy.

We’re building Draft teams using only World Cup winners.

Not nominees. Not finalists. Not “almost made it” legends. Only players who have actually lifted the trophy.

It sounds simple on paper—but once you start drafting, you quickly realise just how difficult it is to build a full XI with strict historical constraints. Some positions are stacked with legends, while others feel almost empty depending on the era you pull from. Add in women’s World Cup winners, icons, and mixed generations, and suddenly you’ve got one of the most chaotic but entertaining FC 26 Draft challenges imaginable.

The Concept: World Cup Winners Only Draft

This challenge revolves around FC 26 Draft mode, where you’re given randomized player selections and must build the best possible squad.

But there’s a twist:

Every player you pick must have won a FIFA World Cup (men’s or women’s, depending on the rules set during the draft).

That immediately changes everything.

Instead of chasing chemistry, pace, or meta stats, you’re suddenly relying on:

Historical knowledge

Football trivia awareness

Quick decision-making

And sometimes… pure guesswork

It becomes less about “best possible squad” and more about ball knowledge verification.

Early Draft Struggles: Goalkeepers and Guesswork

As with most Draft runs, the hardest position to start with is goalkeeper.

Even elite FC 26 keepers don’t automatically qualify unless they’ve actually won a World Cup. That immediately rules out many modern fan favorites and forces players to dig into past squads.

Names like Emiliano Martínez get considered, but even then, you’re constantly double-checking squad history. France’s 2018 squad also becomes a major reference point, but memory alone isn’t enough—you need accuracy.

It quickly becomes clear that goalkeepers are one of the hardest roles to fill in this challenge, especially when restricting yourself to winners only.

The First Breakthrough: Finding Real World Cup Winners

The draft finally starts to open up once defenders and midfielders come into play.

One of the first confirmed hits is Nicolás Otamendi, who won the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina. That instantly gives the squad credibility and sets the tone for what’s possible.

From there, things escalate quickly with iconic inclusions like:

Spanish and French legends from historic squads

Iconic midfield winners

And surprise discoveries buried in older generations of football

Midfield especially becomes a goldmine. Players like Cesc Fàbregas appear as confirmed World Cup winners from Spain’s golden era, giving structure to the team and unlocking chemistry across multiple picks.

But the real chaos begins when icon cards enter the mix.

Icons, Legends, and Forgotten World Cup Heroes

Once icons start appearing, the draft turns into a football history exam.

Names like Patrick Vieira immediately strengthen the squad. His 1998 World Cup win with France makes him one of the most reliable midfield picks in the entire challenge pool.

Then comes one of the biggest moments of the draft:

The appearance of Diego Maradona.

Even in FC 26 Draft context, Maradona completely transforms the squad. Not only is he one of the most iconic World Cup winners in history, but his presence also pushes the team from “scrappy experiment” to “legitimate all-time XI conversation.”

From here, the draft begins stacking legendary winners:

Brazil’s golden generation defenders

France’s 1998 and 2018 squads

Argentina’s modern champions

And scattered women’s World Cup winners adding depth

The squad stops being random and starts feeling like a chaotic but legitimate all-time compilation team.

Women’s World Cup Adds a New Layer

One of the most interesting twists in this challenge is the inclusion of women’s World Cup winners.

Once that rule is allowed, the player pool expands significantly, adding modern stars who might otherwise be overlooked in traditional FC Draft logic.

This introduces new dynamics:

Younger players suddenly become relevant

National teams gain additional depth

And squad building becomes more unpredictable

It also reinforces the idea that World Cup success spans across eras and competitions, not just the men’s tournament.

Chemistry Chaos: Great Players, Awkward Teams

Even though the squad is filled with legends, one major issue remains: chemistry and structure.

Because players come from different:

Countries

Eras

Tactical systems

And even gendered competitions

…the team often looks completely unbalanced.

You might have:

A 1998 French midfielder next to a 2022 Argentine defender

A 2006 Spain legend beside a modern FC 26 card

And random icons filling gaps with no connection at all

It creates a squad that is historically elite but tactically chaotic.

Still, that’s part of the charm.

The Final Count: How Many World Cup Winners?

Across multiple Draft attempts, the results vary wildly:

First Draft: around 10 World Cup winners

Second Draft: drops to 8

Final Draft: finishes at around 7

Despite fluctuations, the outcome is consistent in one way:

It is absolutely possible to build a strong FC 26 Draft using only World Cup winners—but it requires deep knowledge of football history and a bit of luck from the Draft generator.

What This Challenge Proves About FC 26 Draft Mode

This experiment highlights why Draft remains one of the most entertaining modes in FC 26:

1. It rewards football knowledge over meta-chasing

You can’t rely on pace or broken mechanics—you need history.

2. It creates unexpected squad combinations

Legends from different eras collide in ways Ultimate Team normally never allows.

3. It brings nostalgia into gameplay

Seeing World Cup icons and forgotten winners instantly triggers football memories.

4. It stays unpredictable every run

Even with the same rules, every Draft feels completely different.

Final Thoughts

The World Cup winner-only Draft challenge in FC 26 is more than just a gimmick—it’s a celebration of football history wrapped inside Ultimate Team randomness, buy FC 26 Coins.

One moment you’re struggling to find a goalkeeper, and the next you’re linking Otamendi, Vieira, and Maradona in the same squad. It makes no tactical sense, but it feels incredible.

And that’s the beauty of it.

FC 26 Draft mode, when combined with football history constraints, becomes less about winning matches and more about testing knowledge, memory, and creativity.

With the World Cup kicking off, this is the perfect time to revisit challenges like this—and see just how deep your football knowledge really goes.

Because in the end, building the best team in FC 26 isn’t always about stats…

Sometimes it’s about remembering who actually lifted the trophy.