The Journey of Nations: Europe objective is officially live in EA Sports FC 26 giving players a clear path to unlocking a 97-rated Maradona card for their Ultimate Team. To secure this item, you need to complete four distinct phases of objectives. While you could tackle these one by one, you can save significant time by building specific squads to knock out multiple requirements simultaneously.
Phase 1: The Foundation (Six Games)
For this phase, you must use the 4-2-3-1 formation. You can complete these matches in Live Events, Rivals, or Champions. Your squad needs:
- Six Spanish players
- Three English players
- Two French or German players
Tasks to complete: Win all six matches, score a finesse shot from outside the box in three wins, score a volley with a German player, score a penalty with a French player, hit the woodwork once, and record one backheel assist (German/French) plus five assists with English/Spanish players.
Phase 2: The Mid-Game Grind (Eight Games)
This phase can be completed in any mode, including Friendlies. Your squad needs to feature four Portuguese, two Dutch, three Norwegian, and two Belgian players, along with at least one player with 88 Shooting and one with 88 Dribbling.
Strategic tips: After scoring two long-range goals with Portuguese players, swap them for Dutch players. Once you hit four goals in one match with your Norwegian striker, replace them with a Belgian player. Once you secure three wins with six Dutch players, you can rotate in your remaining Belgian and Norwegian cards to finish the squad requirements.
Phase 3: The European Set (Six Games)
This phase is also accessible in any game mode. Your starting 11 must include:
- Two players from Bosnia/Czechia
- One striker from Switzerland
- One player from Croatia
- One player from Austria
- One player from Scotland
- One player from Turkey
- One striker from Sweden
Tasks to complete: Focus on through ball assists with Austrian and Bosnian/Czechia players across three games. You will also need to score four goals with a Croatian player, three with a Swedish striker, three chip shots with a Turkish player, two goals with a Swiss striker, a finesse shot with a Czechia player, and a long-range goal with a Scottish player. Don't forget to grab three clean sheets and three midfielder assists.
Phase 4: The Final Stretch
The final phase is the most straightforward. Using a squad with six English players, win six games in Live Events to conclude the objective set. Once all four phases are finished, the 97-rated Maradona item will be added to your Ultimate Team collection.