EA SPORTS FC 26 to showcase flagship women’s competitions
Electronic Arts (EA) has extended its partnership with UEFA to ensure the Women’s Champions League and UEFA Women’s EURO remain part of its flagship football gaming franchise.
The multi-year global licensing agreement, announced on September 18, will see both competitions appear in EA SPORTS FC 26, set for release later this month. The title will feature more than 20,000 athletes across 750 clubs and national teams, with 120 stadiums and 35 leagues.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA’s executive director of marketing, said the deal builds on record fan engagement from the 2025 Women’s EURO and the latest Women’s Champions League season.
“Continuing our collaboration with EA is an exciting opportunity to keep driving the growth of women’s football,” he explained. “We look forward to fans and gamers alike continuing to experience the thrill of these two flagship UEFA women’s competitions in one of the world’s most popular video games.”
The announcement reinforces UEFA’s push to expand visibility for women’s football through digital channels. EA first introduced the Women’s Champions League to its franchise in 2022, marking an early step in broadening women’s representation within the virtual football landscape.
James Taylor, Director of Football Partnerships at EA SPORTS, added: “We’re proud to continue our partnership with UEFA and to showcase the UEFA Women’s Champions League in FC 26. The UEFA Women’s Champions League is the pinnacle of women’s club football, and bringing it to life in-game reflects our commitment to celebrating and elevating the women’s game for fans everywhere.”
It’s in the game
With growing investment in women’s football and major competitions drawing record audiences, the extension underlines how gaming platforms are becoming an increasingly important commercial and cultural space for rights holders.
The men’s game offers a useful parallel. EA’s integration of the UEFA Champions League since 2018 has reinforced the competition’s global profile, with young fans often experiencing the drama of Europe’s top club competition virtually before following it in real life.
According to a recent Gaming & The Future of Sports Fandom report, around 70% of children aged 8-12 say sports video games have increased their support for specific teams, illustrating how games can act as a gateway to fandom among younger audiences.
Commercially, video game licensing has become a material rights category. The Premier League’s latest agreement with EA SPORTS, valued at over £30m annually, ties in-game rights with sponsorship of awards such as Player of the Month. Juventus even struck an exclusive deal with Konami’s eFootball in 2019, underscoring how virtual rights have standalone value beyond broadcast and stadium assets.
