FC 27 Future Stars Academy Evolution: Requirements, Upgrades and Which Young Player to Pick
FC 27 Future Stars Academy Evolution: requirements, level-by-level upgrades, cost and which young player to pick for each path.
Correct as of 12 Oct 2026, 09:30 BST (Europe/London)
A how-to for Future Stars Academy I, the first of four Academy Evolutions in FC 27: who can go in, what each level gives, which Level 5 path to take and how to choose your player. For the promo itself, see the Future Stars Team 1 hub. For how the real Future Stars cards upgrade, see Future Stars upgrades explained. The full eligible-player list is on the FUTWIZ Future Stars Academy I page; we don't print prices here.
Quick answer: build your own Future Star for free
What is the FC 27 Future Stars Academy, who can I use, and which path should I pick?
The Future Stars Academy is back. EA says you pick an eligible ST or CAM born on or after 9 October 2003, enrol them, and take them through four Academy Evolutions to create your own Future Star. Academy I is the first step. It's free, it has five levels with one match each, and the card comes out at up to 81 OVR. At Level 5 you choose one path: pace, shooting or dribbling.
| Detail | What we know | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | FUTWIZ |
| Position | ST or CAM | EA, FUTWIZ |
| Born | On or after 9 October 2003 | EA |
| Max Overall | 80 | FUTWIZ |
| Max Pace | 86 | FUTWIZ |
| Max PlayStyles | 7 | FUTWIZ |
| Matches | 1 per level, 5 in total (Level 5 needs a win) | FUTWIZ |
| End result | Up to 81 OVR, plus a pace, shooting or dribbling path | FUTWIZ |
| Time left (12 Oct) | About 2 weeks to start it, about 3 weeks before it expires | FUTWIZ hub timers |
Community reporting puts the end at around Monday 26 October, which lines up with FUTWIZ's start-by timer rather than its expiry. Evos have two clocks (one to start, one to finish), so check both on the tile. [CONFIRM IN GAME: exact start-by and expiry times on the Academy I tile.]
Who can go in
The requirements
FUTWIZ lists five requirements for Future Stars Academy I:
- Overall: 80 or lower
- Pace: 86 or lower
- Born: on or after 9 October 2003 (EA's wording)
- PlayStyles: 7 or fewer
- Position: CAM or ST
The date of birth is the one that rules most cards out. It's not shown on the card face, so look the player up on FUTWIZ Players or use the Academy I eligible list, which already filters for it.
Main position or alternate?
A lot of the cards on FUTWIZ's eligible list are wide players or central midfielders with CAM or ST as an alternate position. If you want to use one of those, make sure the game offers it on the Evolution screen before you plan around it. [CONFIRM IN GAME: whether a card with CAM or ST as an alternate position (not its main position) can enter.]
What your player becomes
Levels 1 to 4: the all-round build
Each of the first four levels asks you to play 1 match with the Evo player in your active squad, in Squad Battles on Semi-Pro or above, or in Rush, Rivals, Champions or Live Events. FUTWIZ's upgrade table, with the cap for each in brackets:
| Level | Upgrades (cap) |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Overall +34 (81), Finishing +20 (79), Vision +30 (82), Long Passing +35 (76), Reactions +25 (80), Heading Accuracy +20 (73) |
| Level 2 | Acceleration +20 (81), Shot Power +20 (80), Crossing +35 (76), Curve +35 (76), Ball Control +20 (80), Stamina +25 (82) |
| Level 3 | Sprint Speed +20 (81), Long Shots +20 (77), Free Kick Accuracy +30 (72), Agility +20 (80), Dribbling +20 (80), Strength +15 (73) |
| Level 4 | Positioning +25 (80), Volleys +20 (75), Short Passing +35 (82), Balance +25 (77), Composure +20 (78) |
The whole Overall upgrade lands at Level 1, so your card hits its 81 OVR cap after one match. Levels 2 to 4 fill in the attributes.
Level 5: pick one path
Level 5 is a Pathway, so you choose one of three options, and you need to win 1 match rather than just play it (FUTWIZ):
- Option 1, pace: Acceleration +12 (84), Sprint Speed +12 (84), Positioning +10 (83), Finishing +10 (82), Agility +10 (82), Weak Foot +2 (up to 4★).
- Option 2, shooting: Finishing +12 (86), Shot Power +12 (87), Long Shots +10 (83), Volleys +10 (84), Composure +10 (83), Weak Foot +2 (up to 4★).
- Option 3, dribbling: Agility +12 (87), Balance +10 (84), Ball Control +12 (87), Dribbling +12 (87), Composure +10 (84), Skill Moves +2 (up to 4★).
What's capped
- Overall stops at 81. An 80-rated card gains only 1; a much lower card gains far more.
- Every attribute upgrade is "up to" the number shown and stops at its cap. A card that's already above a cap gains nothing there, and a very low stat may not reach the cap at all.
- Weak foot and skill moves stop at 4★. A card that already has 4★ gets nothing from that part of the path.
Pace, shooting or dribbling? How to choose
Pick pace (Option 1) if…
Your player is a runner in behind or plays ST in a front two. The Acceleration and Sprint Speed caps rise from 81 to 84, and Positioning and Finishing go up as well. It also adds weak foot, which helps a one-footed finisher.
Pick shooting (Option 2) if…
You want a pure goalscorer or a CAM who shoots from distance. This path has the highest finishing and shot power caps (86 and 87) and also adds weak foot.
Pick dribbling (Option 3) if…
Your player is a CAM who carries the ball or a striker who drops in to link play. It has the highest Agility, Ball Control and Dribbling caps (87), and it's the only path that adds skill moves, so it suits a card stuck on 2★ or 3★.
How Pathways work
EA's FUT Deep Dive says Pathways give Evolutions branching upgrade choices. Preview all three options on the Evolution screen before you commit, because you only get one. We cover how Pathways work in the Intro Evolutions guide.
How to pick your Academy player
What to look for
This is the start of a four-Evo journey, so the player matters more than usual. We don't rank cards with prices or meta scores. Here's a simple way to pick:
- A player you'll keep. Your Academy player is meant to go through Academy II, III and IV as well. Pick someone who fits your club, league or nation chemistry for the long run, not just this week.
- ST or CAM, and where you'll play them. A striker suits the pace or shooting path; a CAM suits shooting or dribbling. Decide before Level 5.
- Weak foot and skill moves. The path you choose adds one or the other, up to 4★. A card that already has 4★ weak foot gains more from the dribbling path, and a 4★ skiller gains more from pace or shooting.
- Existing PlayStyles. You need 7 or fewer to get in. Check which PlayStyles the card already has on FUTWIZ Players.
- Pace headroom. The entry cap is 86, but the Evo only takes Acceleration and Sprint Speed to 81 (84 on the pace path). A card that's already very quick gains little there, so a mid-pace card gets more out of the upgrades.
- Higher base stats. Every upgrade stops at its cap, so a card that starts with decent attributes ends closer to the caps across the board than a very low-rated one.
Example eligible players (FUTWIZ, 12 October)
These players were on FUTWIZ's Academy I eligible list on 12 October, with CAM or ST as their main position:
| Player | Position | OVR | PAC | SHO | PAS | DRI | Skill Moves | Weak foot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Khannouss | CAM | 78 | 81 | 66 | 76 | 83 | 4★ | 3★ |
| Gruda | CAM | 77 | 83 | 72 | 74 | 82 | 4★ | 3★ |
| Rodrigo Mora | CAM | 77 | 76 | 66 | 75 | 80 | 4★ | 4★ |
| Calba | ST | 77 | 78 | 77 | 71 | 80 | 3★ | 3★ |
| Melgard | ST | 77 | 83 | 76 | 71 | 79 | 3★ | 4★ |
| Luna | CAM | 75 | 86 | 73 | 73 | 74 | 3★ | 3★ |
| Paez | CAM | 74 | 79 | 69 | 71 | 78 | 5★ | 3★ |
They're examples, not a ranking. Rodrigo Mora already has 4★ weak foot and 4★ skill moves, so the weak foot and skill move parts of the paths add nothing for him. Paez is already a 5★ skiller. Use the eligible list's league and nation filters to find a player who fits your own squad, and check prices on FUTWIZ Players.
What comes after Academy I
Academy II and beyond
EA says there are four Academy Evolutions in total. FUTWIZ already lists Future Stars Academy II among the active Evolutions: it needs an 81-rated card that has completed the previous Academy Evo, starts with Overall +1 (82) and a big Vision upgrade, and its description talks about growing your player into "a playmaker, a physical powerhouse or a well-rounded all-rounder". Check the FUTWIZ Evolutions page for the full list. [CONFIRM IN GAME: Academy II is open in game and requires Academy I to be completed.]
EA hasn't said when Academy III and IV arrive. [CONFIRM: release timing for Academy III and IV.]
Once your player reaches Academy III, our Academy III guide covers its three paths and which one to pick.
Locks, SBCs and the Academy objective
While your player is in an Evolution, EA Help says you can't use it in SBCs, so don't enrol a card you might need for a Future Stars SBC. Community reporting also mentions a Future Stars Academy objective that rewards playing with your Academy player. Check the Objectives menu in-game. [CONFIRM IN GAME: Future Stars Academy objective tasks and rewards.]
Why EA is pushing it
EA says Rio Ngumoha's FC 26 Academy item was one of the most popular, with over 312,000 Evolutions. He headlines Future Stars Team 1 in FC 27, and you can see the full squad in our Team 1 hub.
FAQ
Is the Future Stars Academy free?
Yes. FUTWIZ lists both Academy I and Academy II as Free.
How many matches does Academy I take?
Five: one per level. Levels 1 to 4 need you to play a match, and Level 5 needs a win, with the Evo player in your active squad (FUTWIZ).
Who can go into the Future Stars Academy?
An ST or CAM born on or after 9 October 2003 (EA), rated 80 or lower, with Pace of 86 or lower and no more than 7 PlayStyles (FUTWIZ).
What OVR does the Academy I player end on?
81. The Overall upgrade is +34 with a cap of 81, and it all comes at Level 1 (FUTWIZ).
Which Level 5 path is best?
None is best for every card. Pace suits a runner in behind, shooting suits a pure finisher, and dribbling suits a ball-carrying CAM and is the only path that adds skill moves.
When does Academy I end?
On 12 October FUTWIZ showed about two weeks to start it and about three weeks before it expires. Community reporting points to around Monday 26 October. Check the Evolution tile for the exact times.
How many Academy Evolutions are there?
Four, according to EA. Academy II is already listed on FUTWIZ.
Related guides
- Future Stars Team 1 hub
- Future Stars upgrades explained
- Batigol Precision Evolution · Nine Duty Evolution
- Intro Evolutions guide
- FUTWIZ: Evolutions · Future Stars Academy I · Players
Sources
- EA: Football Ultimate Team 27 - Future Stars (9 Oct 2026): Academy eligibility, four Academy Evolutions, FC 26 Ngumoha figures
- FUTWIZ: Evolutions and Future Stars Academy I (checked 12 Oct 2026, 09:15 BST): requirements, every level's upgrades, timers, Academy II card
- EA: FUT Deep Dive Pitch Notes: Pathways
- EA Help: How EA SPORTS FC Ultimate Team Evolutions work: timers and SBCs
The end date and the Academy objective come from community reporting, so check the Evolution tile and the Objectives menu. We haven't included prices or meta rankings.
