Best Football games to play during World Cup 2026

With the 2026 World Cup now underway and fans glued to every match, many are looking for ways to bring that tournament energy home between games.

From leading your preferred national team to greatness to having fun with your friends virtually, the following football video games should definitely be played during this season dominated by the World Cup.

EA Sports FC 26

EA Sports FC 26 continues to reign supreme as the best simulation of football, and what makes it even better is its perfect timing just before the upcoming World Cup of 2026. This game was updated for free and includes an extra feature of allowing the gamer to participate in the 48-nation World Cup.

Since EA Sports is well known for having nearly all real-life teams licensed in the game, you can have all the football stars on your side in single-player gameplay.

Rematch

Rematch goes a completely different way by allowing players to take control of an individual player in high-speed games against other players through online 5v5 battles. This game is all about coordination because a lack thereof would lead to a penalty, whereas a well-coordinated team would create amazing combinations of passes, tacking, and goals.

Those who miss the tactical perfection of the best teams in the World Cup games might want to give Rematch a chance for something simple but enjoyable.

eFootball

This game has switched completely into a live service format, which means there is no mode featuring national teams anymore. In other words, this game does not represent a good opportunity for those who wish to recreate their own World Cup experience yet still offers great gameplay along with such licensed characters as Messi, Modric, and Pedri.

UFL

UFL pitches itself as a free-to-play alternative to Ultimate Team-type formats, with periodic content updates adding new cards and tweaking the experience. The game has a list of licensed legends on its roster, such as Cafu and Roberto Carlos.

Nevertheless, UFL's game mechanics feel rather immature next to other titles such as EA Sports FC 26 or eFootball, which have been developed for many years already.

Goals

Goals is another football video game available for Android, and it was introduced only a few days prior to the beginning of the 2026 World Cup. The game takes a rather arcade-like approach to the sport, with a roster of randomly generated characters unlocked and upgraded in packs.

The game is not expected to recreate a full-fledged World Cup story, yet its pick-up-and-play nature makes it a good way to satisfy your football cravings when there's no real-life match going on.

Football Manager

Those that view the FIFA World Cup from a more tactical standpoint will find a very different experience waiting in Football Manager.

While the game doesn’t allow players to control those on the field, it puts the fan into the dugout, where they must control every aspect of the club or international side. This is one of the best simulations of football, perfect for the player who has ever questioned their manager’s tactics in-game.