In modern football, height often feels like an advantage — towering defenders dominate the air, and tall strikers bully their way through the box.
This article takes a closer look at 10 of the shortest players in EA FC 26 who are making a massive impact across Career Mode saves. From legends like Lionel Messi still weaving magic in MLS, to young talents like Endrick and Harvey Elliott breaking through with explosive flair, these players use technical brilliance and intelligence to outshine taller opponents.
Whether it’s Pedri orchestrating Barcelona’s midfield, N’Golo Kanté tirelessly sweeping up play, or Phil Foden dazzling defenders with sharp dribbles, these stars prove that football isn’t about inches, it’s more about impact. Here’s a compiled list of the shortest game-changers in FC 26 Career Mode, and why they deserve a place in your squad. But before that, do you want to build your dream career mode Team faster? Buy FIFA 26 coins today and unlock elite players before your rivals even load in.
| Shortest Players in FC 26 | Club | Position | Height cm/ft | Overall Rating |
| Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF | RW/ST | 169cm / 5’7 | 86 |
| Rodrigo De Paul | Inter Miami CF | CM/RW | 169cm / 5’7 | 84 |
| Phil Foden | Manchester City | CAM/RW | 171cm / 5’7 | 85 |
| N’Golo Kanté | Al-Ittihad Club | CDM/CM | 168cm / 5’6 | 85 |
| Xherdan Shaqiri | Chicago Fire FC | CAM/RW | 169cm / 5’7 | 78 |
| Riqui Puig | LA Galaxy | CM/CAM | 169cm / 5’7 | 80 |
| Endrick | Real Madrid | ST | 173cm / 5’8 | 77 |
| Pedri | FC Barcelona | CM | 174cm / 5’9 | 89 |
| Harvey Elliott | Aston Villa | RW/CAM | 175cm / 5’9 | 78 |
| Francisco Román Alarcón Suárez | Real Betis | CAM | 176cm / 5’9 | 84 |
10. Francisco Román Alarcón Suárez (Isco) 🎩
Isco might not be the tallest or quickest player in FC 26 but his creativity and composure whenever he is with the ball makes him unmatched. His potential and skill set remains excellent for any career mode manager who values possession football. His shooting power isn’t perfect enough but his precision and finesse finishing punishes the defenders in most cases.
Isco’s passing technique is world class; he’s a player who delivers excellent through passes and driven passes that can break through most defensive lines effortlessly. What makes Isco reliable on the pitch is how calm he remains in troubled situations, how balanced and deceptively strong on the ball. Isco is a good option to have in your team. Don’t just watch greatness, buy EA FC 26 players today and build your own unstoppable squad from the transfer market.
9. Harvey Elliott ⚡
Harvey Elliott is one of England’s youngest players and a prime long-term investment in career mode. His pace and agility make him dangerous in one-on-one scenarios and perfect for wide roles. His shooting power adds a new dimension to his gameplay giving him confidence in front of goal. His passing and creativity help link midfield and attack excellently well, creating space and making attacking runs.
Elliott’s balance and endurance already makes him reliable and effective in getting past most defenders. Including Elliot on your team’s lineup will be a long term investment worth your time and effort
8. Pedri 🧠
Pedri reflects pure footballing intelligence in FC 26. He’s one of the smoothest and skillful midfielders to have in a team. Pedri falls short in his pace, but his acceleration and sharp turn helps him create space easily. His passing is excellent, every touch and pass made by him feels purposeful to the team.
His shooting continues to improve gradually, especially his finesse shots shooting from the edge of the box. Physically, he’s a light player but well balanced, rarely loses control under pressure. Pedri is an excellent creative midfielder you should reconsider on your team’s lineup.
7. Endrick 🚀
Endrick is one of the youngest players on the list. At just 17 years old, his potential skyrocketed into the mid-80s, making him a must sign wonderkid. His pace is excellent, when combined with quick acceleration, Endrick becomes lethal on the counter. His key feature is his shooting power, which makes him capable of shooting from inside or outside the box with possibly chances of scoring a superb goal.
His passing is decent enough for a quality striker but can still be improved with more training. In physical strength he’s strong, balance, and explosiveness let him outrun defenders older and taller than him.
6. Riqui Puig 🎨
Puig is a rare midfielder whose agility and technical support make up for his size and height. In FC 26 Career Mode, Puig has growth potential into the mid-80s if trained consistently. His pace is quick enough for transitioning, but his main strength is ball control, he dribbles with precision and composure.
His passing vision is amazing and perfectly timed, capable of delivering remarkable passes that can bypass any defensive line. However, he lacks shooting power but if combined with his dribbling and pace, Puig can be that offensive center midfielder every team should reconsider. For most managers who prefer possession football, he’s the right option that keeps the attacking spirit flowing smoothly
5. Xherdan Shaqiri 💪
Shaqiri might be short but he plays like a powerhouse in FC 26 Career Mode. His shooting power remains one of his big attributes on the pitch. He’s capable of shooting from long range that few goalkeepers can’t stop. His pace has reduced over the years but his acceleration still makes him dangerous to his opponents.
Shaqiri’s passing vision and set piece delivery are his major features in FC 26, he’s capable of producing creative through-balls to break past most defensive lines. Physically, Shaqiri is built like a pillar, difficult to knock off the ball with an unmatched stamina.
4. N’Golo Kanté 🦁
Kanté remains a legend among other famous players both in the real world and virtually. However his potential no longer increases rapidly due to his age, His gameplay remains incomparable. His pace and acceleration allows him to close down most attackers and change the game tempo.
Kanté’s passing techniques are effective, especially his short passes, quick releases and smart interceptions. Shooting isn’t his key strength but when he shoots, it’s precise and purposeful. Kanté’s physicality is good enough, although his height falls amongst the shortest players, but he is a powerhouse strong in duels, and quick to recover possession. In career mode, he’s the perfect destroyer who makes every team gameplay look easy
3. Phil Foden 🎯
Phil Foden is a modern lethal playmaker in career mode. His potential pushes him into 80+ rating, making him a future superstar needed in every team. His pace and agility make him almost unstoppable in tight spaces, while his shooting power especially his low-driven and finesse shots which are clinical.
On the other hand, his passing technique is pretty smooth enough to slip balls between defenders or switch play with ease. What’s more impressive in his physicality is his balance and composure which let him ride past challenges and stay on the ball. In FC 26 Career Mode, Foden is an energized playmaker you need to keep the team’s winning chances high and a valuable player to add up.
2. Rodrigo De Paul 🔥
De Paul is a high energy midfielder who combines creativity and aggression to any team. In FC 26 Career Mode, his potential remains unmatched and his pace isn’t blistering enough, but his first touch and quick movement make him excellent at transitioning from defense to attack.
His passing is where he truly thrives, with his ability to deliver pinpoint diagonals or threaded through-balls that leads to goal scoring chances, his shooting power are impressive enough to strike from outside the box. Physically, De Paul plays bigger than his size: with high stamina, great balance and consistent pressing make him feel like an effective midfielder who never quits.
1. Lionel Messi ⚡
Lionel Messi at this stage of his career remains a magician in EA FC 26 Career Mode. His potential may no longer be as effective as back then in his prime, but his dominance and game IQ still make him one of the best creative playmakers and finishers in the game. Messi’s pace has been shortened, yet his acceleration and agility covers for it, He’s able to glide past defenders with ease. His shooting power and accuracy remains top notch, while his finesse shots, low-driven shots and free kicks feels effortless.
When it comes to passing techniques, he’s still unmatched; every through ball feels like a threat to most defenders and goalkeeper. Physically, Messi is built to endure heavy tackles and stay balanced under pressure. Messi is a player capable of changing any career mode match with a single moment of brilliance
Final Thoughts 💭
In EA FC 26 Career Mode, the shortest players continue to challenge the stereotype that football success depends on height or strength. To see how size flips the story, explore our Top 10 Tallest Players in FC 26 Career Mode and discover the giants shaping the other side of the pitch. This list showcases athletes who turn their compact builds into assets, gliding through defenders, dictating tempo, and striking with precision. From Lionel Messi’s timeless magic to Pedri’s creative control and Endrick’s explosive potential, each player proves that intelligence and technical mastery can outshine physical dominance.
Career Mode rewards players who value chemistry, vision, and balance — and these ten names embody exactly that. If you’re building a dream squad or nurturing future stars, these players are proof that in football, greatness isn’t measured in centimeters — it’s defined by performance, skill, and impact.
