Mario Kempes to feature in FC26 World Cup update as EA Sports readies June rollout | OneFootball

Mario Kempes will feature in FC26's forthcoming World Cup update, due four June, as EA Sports readies one of its most ambitious updates to Ultimate Team.

According to Superdeporte, the update will bring the Brazil national team back under official licence, with Neymar Jr fronting promotion. Leaks also point to a special Pelé item and new World Cup-linked Icons, including Rivellino and Mario Alberto Kempes, with some saying they could land on 19 June, and Kempes is viewed as almost certain by the community.

For Valencia supporters, Kempes' inclusion would be a landmark. It allows a pairing with Pablo Aimar, added as a club hero in November, a duo long wanted in Ultimate Team. Many fans feel Kempes and Aimar, more than Kluivert or Morientes, best embody the club’s identity.

Kempes, known as 'El Matador', joined Valencia in 1976 and became one of Europe’s most dominant forwards. He won the Pichichi in 1976-77 and 1977-78, struck both goals in the 1979 Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid, then helped secure the 1980 Cup Winners' Cup and European Super Cup. Across eight seasons he scored 149 goals in 246 official matches.

EA Sports' World Cup event promises daily content, token festivals and special cards, aiming to reignite the summer player base. The Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 campaigns showed how tournament years can revitalise the community, and the company appears keen to repeat that effect with rewards and new historical items.

Source: Superdeporte