All Unexpected Events & Decision Points explained
EA FC 26 Career Mode now adds a layer of unpredictability with Unexpected Events and Decision Points, making your managerial journey more immersive and challenging. These features create moments where your choices and adaptability truly shape your club’s story.
What Are Unexpected Events?
Unexpected Events are dynamic, narrative-driven scenarios that occur during your Career Mode experience. They simulate the unpredictability of real-world football, where things rarely go exactly as planned.
These events appear at different times, halting the game’s simulation to put you directly into the moment. Each scenario is framed with unique imagery and narrative, demanding that you respond thoughtfully. While they never interrupt live matches, post-match sequences, or press conferences, they can significantly impact both short-term results and long-term club development.
Examples of Unexpected Events include:
- Sudden player injuries after international duty
- Surprise transfer offers
- Emerging media rumors
- Owner or board interventions
The goal is to challenge your decision-making, requiring you to adjust strategies and make choices that influence your club’s season and your managerial reputation.
All Types of Unexpected Events Explained
Unexpected Events fall into three broad categories:
1. Player-Related Events
These affect your squad and weekly team management. For example:
- A key striker might get injured during international duty, forcing you to reshuffle your lineup
- A player could express dissatisfaction or homesickness, impacting morale and selection decisions
- A player’s career could end suddenly with a sudden retirement
2. Club and Board Events
These are higher-level scenarios that can impact long-term club direction:
- Sudden cash injections or budget changes
- Owner or board interference in transfer decisions
- Club infrastructure updates or administrative surprises
3. Fans and Media Events
These events test your ability to manage external pressures:
- Fan reactions to results, ticket sales, or controversial decisions
- Media rumors affecting player confidence or public perception
- Unexpected logistical issues, like travel or accommodation problems before a match
Impact on Gameplay:
Unexpected Events ensure no two Career Mode seasons play out the same way. They force you to remain flexible, adapt strategies, and consider the ripple effects of your choices. Frequency and impact can be adjusted in settings, allowing you to tailor the challenge to your preference.
All Unexpected Events
The following are the Unexpected Events we’ve found so far during our playtime:
- Injuries
- Player absences through personal leave
- Family leave for players
- Sudden retirement
- Banking malfunction (reduced funds)
- Money problems which lead to delayed wages
- New ownership
- Board and chairman arguments
- Player contract demands
- Travel delays
- Dodgy food and illness in the camp
- Fireworks outside the team hotel
- Team sheet leaks
- Player comments in interviews
- Player wage leaks
- Raising funds through documentary production
- Transfer embargo
- Manager role under threat due to poor results
Note: We’re continuing to update this list
What Are Decision Points?
Decision Points are scenarios where you have direct narrative control. Unlike Unexpected Events, which focus on how you respond to unpredictable circumstances, Decision Points present a clear problem that requires a decisive resolution.
These moments define who you are as a manager, as your choices carry both immediate and long-term consequences.
Examples of Decision Points include:
- Choosing whether to support a homesick player, which may boost morale but reduce authority
- Handling disputes with board members or key players, where short-term solutions may conflict with long-term club vision
- Responding to media crises or fan protests, where your approach affects reputation and fan engagement
Key Features of Decision Points:
- Your choices matter and shape your managerial identity
- They require evaluating both short-term gains and long-term consequences
- Decision Points appear across all levels of club management, from tactical decisions to boardroom dilemmas
By integrating Unexpected Events and Decision Points, EA FC 26 Career Mode adds depth and realism to the managerial experience. Success depends not only on tactical knowledge and player management but also on your ability to think on your feet, respond strategically, and make choices that define your career.