Even if not the most glamorous, no players in EA FC 26 have the power to define the outcome of a match like the goalkeepers, especially considering the army of Finesse and Low Driven Shot+ forwards most have at their disposal.
But contrary to what you might think, you do not need to fork over a million coins to get a true number 1, even if the best of the best will still demand it. Don’t believe me? Here are the best goalkeepers in FC 26 Ultimate Team, ranked.
Table of contents
5. Icon Swaps Gianluigi Buffon (92 OVR)
- Price: 5x Icon Swaps Tokens
- Face Stats: 95 DIV, 87 HAN, 80 KIC, 94 REF, 70 SPD, and 90 POS
- PlayStyles: Far Reach+, Long Ball Pass, Far Throw, Cross Calimer, and Deflector
To the delight of all who might not be able to get R9 or don’t want to test their luck with Icon Swaps packs, the new 92-rated Buffon has, in his high stats, height, and Far Reach+, more than enough to excel.
Unfortunately, though, that does not mean he is perfect, as FC 26‘s overdependence on PlayStyles makes his lack of Footwork impossible to mitigate, which causes Buffon to be inexplicably lackluster when faced with low-driven shots. Not having Rush Out also causes him to, even while having high SPD/Acceleration for the position, be a poor choice for the Sweeper Keeper role.
4. Team Of The Year Christiane Endler (94 OVR)
- Price: 230K+
- Face Stats: 94 DIV, 90 HAN, 91 KIC, 95 REF, 70 SPD, and 95 POS
- PlayStyles: Rush Out+, Long Ball+, Footwork+, Pinged Pass, Far Throw, Cross Claimer, Far Reach, and Deflector
Often disregarded, TOTY Christiane Endler’s phenomenal selection of PlayStyles, non-intrusive animations, and high stats make her the perfect goalkeeper on paper. But wait, why is the card in fourth place then? The answer is simple: her height and thin build make her feel minuscule when compared to our other picks and cause her to struggle against the current Finesse Shot/Skill Moves meta.
3. Winter Wildcards Red Thibaut Courtois (90 OVR)
- Price: SBC-exclusive
- Face Stats: 87 DIV, 90 HAN, 78 KIC, 91 REF, 81 SPD, and 89 POS
- PlayStyles: Cross Claimer+, Far Throw, Footwork, Rush Out, Far Reach, and Deflector
The first unmissable SBC in EA FC 26, Winter Wildcards Red Thibaut Courtois pairs all GK PlayStyles with an enviable 6’7 build. The latter and his 99 Acceleration/91 Reflexes then help him make up for his questionable PS+ choice and allow the Real Madrid number 1 to replay his phenomenal save against Brazil in the 2018 World Cup in pretty much every match. Oh, the nightmares.
2. Team Of The Year Icon Lev Yashin (93 OVR)
- Price: 690K+
- Face Stats: 94 DIV, 90 HAN, 82 KIC, 95 REF, 74 SPD, and 94 POS
- PlayStyles: Cross Claimer+, Footwork+, Long Ball, Far Throw, Rush Out, Far Reach, and Deflector
Featuring + versions of the two best GK PlayStyles in FC 26 (Far Reach+ and Footwork+), as well as the guaranteed chemistry that comes with the Icon tag, TOTY Yashin is the complete goalkeeper, capable of excelling in multiple roles. His only downsides lie in his height and price, which might cause many to prefer Courtois if given the choice.
1. Team Of The Year Gianluigi Donnarumma (95 OVR)
- Price: 1M+
- Face Stats: 95 DIV, 90 HAN, 80 KIC, 95 REF, 70 SPD, and 93 POS
- PlayStyles: Far Reach+, Footwork+, Far Throw+, Pinged Pass, Long Ball Pass, Cross Claimer, Rush Out, and Deflector
To the surprise of no one, Team Of The Year Donnarumma is head and shoulders the best GK in EA FC 26. After all, even if we ignore his height (6’5) and 90+ POS, 95 REF, and 95 DIV, he follows in Yashin’s footsteps by having the best PlayStyles+ for the position in his arsenal. Truly, I can’t see this card being detroned until the release of TOTS.
But What About Under 15K Goalkeepers? Are Any Of Them Worth It?
If you are working on a tight budget and need a few extra GKs for Gauntlet, a few non-evolved Gold Rare keepers in FC 26 can still put up a fight if faced with less experienced players or non-meta cards, with Gold Rare Alisson, Courtois, and Donnarumma all being sure to deliver. Even if opinions on him are divided, Knockout Royalty Emiliano Martínez can also be acquired for under 12K at the time of writing and has, on paper, a kit capable of rivaling our top five.
Now that you know who the best GKs are in FC 26, and if you are like me and have yet to lose hope, don’t forget to also take a look at How Can EA Fix PlayStyles In EA FC 27. For those searching for something new, on the other hand, checking out our Ultimate eFootball 2026 F2P Guide won’t hurt.
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