Best Road to Glory Teams in EA Sports FC 26 Career Mode

In Career Mode for EA Sports FC 26 and previous installments of the FIFA/FC franchise, players love Road to Glory playthroughs, where they take a team from one of the lower leagues, with few resources, and help them rise through the divisions, possibly to the top.

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By Chris Jecks

The best teams for Road to Glory Career Modes in FC 26 have a compelling reason for why they should be given the chance to climb to the top or why they would be a good club to play hundreds of matches with. For example, they may have just been promoted to a league featured in FC 26, making their first appearance in the franchise. Alternatively, the club may have fallen on hard times due to oppressive owners. Having nice kits and possibly a real stadium can also help make these teams more attractive to manage.

Cardiff City

They've Fallen To League One Below Other Welsh Teams, But Have Their Own Stadium

League: League One (English 3rd Tier)
Rating: 3 Stars
Budget: $6.84M

Real stadiums have been made for many Championship sides in recent years, and inevitably, a few of these clubs, such as Cardiff City, have fallen to League One. This means that players can start a Manager Career Mode in the third tier of English football, and still have a stadium to bask in as the leagues are climbed.

With the surge of fellow Welsh club, Wrexham, taking their spot in the Championship alongside Swansea, Cardiff also have a point to prove and should be looking for an instant bounce back as representatives of the capital city. Seeing as teams often rebuild when dropping to League One owing to new financial constraints, players could focus on fostering young Welsh talent. Seeing as they used to play in the Prem not too long ago, Cardiff could also be considered a sleeping giant for Career Mode.

FC Andorra

Take These Representatives Of The Microstate To The Spanish Top Flight

League: LaLiga 2 (Spanish 2nd Tier)
Rating: 2 Stars
Budget: $1.74M

FC Andorra are back in LaLiga 2 for their third season overall after winning in the playoffs last season. While there are other teams worthy of a Road to Glory Career Mode in FC 26, few can claim to represent a microstate such as Andorra. On the way to a first appearance in the top tier of Spanish football and trying to compete with giants, players could also try to promote Andorran youth players and revitalize the country's international hopes.

The club is also owned by legendary Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, so ties with the champions could result in loans to help achieve promotion. FC Andorra also has two lovely kits, both of which pay homage to the nation's tricolors.

Falkirk FC

After Back-To-Back Promotions, Falkirk Return To The Scottish Premiership

League: Scottish Premiership (Scottish 1st Tier)
Rating: 1 Star
Budget: $1.42M

Falkirk FC have enjoyed one previous spell of six seasons in the Scottish Premiership, ending with their relegation in 2010. Since then, they have been in the 2nd and 3rd tiers, but recently earned back-to-back promotions, which in Scotland means finishing 1st.

Now back in the Scottish Premiership, players can build on two years of huge success and try to compete with the nation's biggest clubs. While there are no more promotions to achieve or relegation to worry about in FC 26, battling Celtic for the title is a huge challenge, especially as a 1-star team, and there's always European football at stake. Furthermore, with the new Manager Market in FC 26, players could see the Scottish league as a proving ground before moving to other leagues.

SC Telstar

First Return To The Eredivisie Since The 70s

League: Eredivisie (Dutch 1st Tier)
Rating: 1.5 Stars
Budget: $4.17M

SC Telstar haven't been in the top Dutch league since the late 70s when a 25-year-old Louis van Gaal represented them in midfield, and have since spent 47 years exiled to the 2nd tier. This also means the club has never been in any FIFA/FC game...until now. Despite finishing 7th, SC Telstar won the 24/25 playoffs and secured an overdue promotion to the Eredivisie.

Facing off against Dutch giants, such as Ajax and PSV, players can now take control of Telstar in Career Mode and, at first, aim for stability in the league. An eventual finish above 6th would represent a new high for the humble club, which finished there in 1974. As Dutch sides often produce some of the world's best youngsters, this could also be something to focus on.

Grimsby Town

Build Upon Or Recreate Their Cup Triumphs On The Road To Glory

League: League Two (English 4th Tier)
Rating: 1 Star
Budget: $1.53M

League Two representatives, Grimsby Town, famously took down Manchester United at the start of the 2025/26 season in the EFL Cup. They have since advanced to a further round, taking down Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday. This makes them a great team for Career Mode in FC 26, with players either building off of these successes with a Live Start Point or by recreating these moments, while also surging up the table.

The fourth tier of English football is always a great league for Road to Glory playthroughs, as no other nation has as many divisions in the game, with three promotions required to reach the Premier League. Thus, while any of the 24 teams are solid options, the Mariners have a certain cult appeal about them, especially this year, and players could try to take down other giants with last-minute low-driven shots.

CA San Martin

Try Out The Official Argentinian League Format With A Newly Promoted Side

League: (Argentinian 1st Tier)
Rating: 2 Stars
Budget: $3.50M

The Argentine league has a new format consisting of two groups of 15 teams and playoffs, and this is all fully represented in FC 26. While any of these teams would be fun to play as, one of the two newly promoted sides, CA San Martin would be the best for a Road to Glory.

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San Martin haven't played top-flight football since 2019, and their highest finish was 7th in the 2015/16 season. Players can aim to stay up and be competitive in their first season while developing players and perhaps a strong youth academy, full of pace. They can then look to reach the playoffs in the following season.

Sheffield Wednesday F.C.

Save A Club On The Brink Of Disaster & Navigate Multiple Transfer Embargoes

League: Championship (English 2nd Tier)
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Budget: $3.31M

While many Road to Glory teams usually start right at the bottom, Sheffield Wednesday are instead in the Championship, but in dire circumstances. The Owls have a slew of transfer embargoes in place due to financial troubles, meaning they have not been able to make transfers, resulting in them having to field many youth players.

As such, they have an average squad age of 21, with transfer embargoes and point deductions being a new feature of FC 26's Career Mode, players will face an uphill, but rewarding battle. Surviving relegation would be an impressive achievement, and perhaps after a couple of seasons, players might be able to restore stability, and Sheffield Wednesday would be able to look up again. With everything going on, they are certainly one of the best for a story-driven Career Mode.

Researching a club's history before starting a Career Mode can help with roleplaying and add further weight to decisions or successes.

Other Road To Glory Teams In FC 26

1.FC Shweinfurt: Newly promoted to 3. Liga after two decades in the 4th and 5th tiers.
AFC Wimbledon: A fan-owned club with a cracking history and two amazing kits.
Barnet: Just promoted to League Two.
Boulogne: Haven't been in Ligue 2 for 13 years and won back-to-back promotions.
Burton Albion: One of the nicest home kits in the lower leagues.
Calcio Padova: Promoted to Serie B after years in the 3rd tier and even a season in the 4th.
Ceuta FC: Were recently in Spain's 4th tier.
Cultural Leonesa: Spent most of the past 20 years in Spain's 3rd tier.
Exeter City: A fan-owned club in League One.
FC Alverca: Back in Portugal's top league after years in the 2nd and 3rd tiers.
Le Mans FC: Just promoted to Ligue 2 and spent some years in the 4th and 5th tiers.
Oldham Athletic: Just promoted to League Two and a former Premier League team.
Rotherham United: 100-year anniversary with a golden badge to celebrate.
Salford City: Still have not been promoted from League Two despite having high-profile ex-United owners.
TSV Havelse: Promoted to 3. Liga and have spent most of the last 20 years in the 4th and 5th tiers.
Wrexham: Continue their historic climb, this time tackling the Championship.