The ePremier League 2025/26 Group Stage for EA SPORTS FC 26 runs from 28 February to 1 March 2026, bringing all 20 Premier League clubs into a 1v1, team-based showdown that decides seeding for the live Knockout Finals later in March. Wolves are in the spotlight this weekend thanks to a new partnership with Luna Esports, with Diogo “Diogo” Mendes and Gonçalo “RastaArtur” Pinto representing the club on EA SPORTS FC 26.
| Stage | Dates (2025/26) | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Online qualifiers | November–December 2025 | Open tournaments where UK players earn leaderboard points to reach Club Playoffs. |
| Club Playoffs | January 2026 | Each club chooses its two EA SPORTS FC 26 representatives. |
| Group Stage | 28 Feb – 1 Mar 2026 | 20 clubs in 4 groups; group winners to quarterfinals, others to Playoffs Round 1. |
| Live Finals | 28–29 March 2026 | Knockout bracket, champion crowned, prizing and FC Pro slots decided. |
The Group Stage is an online phase split into four groups of five clubs, where every club’s two players battle for ranking, a share of a £100,000 prize pool, and paths into the 2026 FC Pro World Championship and eChampions League. You can watch the action live on the EA SPORTS FC Twitch channel and the Premier League YouTube channel across the group-stage weekend.
How the ePremier League 2026 Group Stage works
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20 Premier League clubs, each with two EA SPORTS FC 26 players, are split into four groups of five.
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Clubs face each other in a 1v1 team-based format, with each club’s top-ranked player facing their opponent’s top-ranked player.
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Group winners advance straight to the quarterfinals of the Finals; the remaining clubs move into Playoffs Round 1, where they fight for a place in the final bracket.
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Results from every group match impact seeding for the Knockout Stage and ultimately who reaches the live Finals on 28–29 March 2026.
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The overall event offers £100,000 in prizing plus qualification spots for the 2026 FC Pro World Championship and the eChampions League.
When is the ePremier League 2026 Group Stage?
The ePremier League 2025/26 Group Stage runs from Saturday 28 February to Sunday 1 March 2026. This weekend sits between January’s Club Playoffs and the live Finals scheduled for 28–29 March 2026.
Club Playoffs, held in January 2026, decided which players would represent each of the 20 Premier League clubs at this stage. From here, the Group Stage results will decide who gets the easier side of the bracket and who has to grind through early knockout rounds at the Finals.
How the 2026 Group Stage format works
The structure is designed so that every single match matters, even before the Finals weekend.
Group and match format
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20 clubs are split into four groups of five.
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Every club fields two players on EA SPORTS FC 26.
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Matches use a 1v1 team-based format, where each club’s highest-ranked FC Pro player faces the highest-ranked player from the opposing club, and the second player faces their counterpart.
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Group winners go directly to the quarterfinals.
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All remaining clubs are seeded into Playoffs Round 1, based on their group performance.
This structure keeps every fixture meaningful: even if you lose a series, game scores and individual results can still influence seeding and your path at the Finals.
Prize pool and progression
The 2025/26 ePremier League season carries a total prize pool of £100,000, plus qualification spots for the FC Pro World Championship and the eChampions League.
Wolves and Luna Esports: why this Group Stage matters
Wolves Esports have teamed up with Luna Esports for the 2025/26 ePremier League season, making their Group Stage campaign one of the main storylines this weekend. Luna Esports is the Portuguese organisation founded by Diogo Jota in 2020, originally named Diogo Jota Esports before rebranding to Luna Esports in 2023.
Who is representing Wolves?
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Diogo “Diogo” Mendes
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Gonçalo “RastaArtur” Pinto
Both are Luna Esports players and have spoken about how much it means to represent Wolves in this competition.
Mendes returns to the ePremier League after two seasons away, stressing that the level of competition keeps rising and that he is focused on coming back at his best. RastaArtur, making his ePremier League debut, highlighted his motivation in reuniting with Mendes and the emotional connection to Wolves’ Portuguese identity and Diogo Jota’s legacy.
From a viewer’s perspective, Wolves’ Group Stage games are a key test of how quickly this lineup can click under pressure and whether the Luna partnership can deliver an immediate deep run.
Where to watch the ePremier League 2026 Group Stage
You can follow the entire Group Stage live across official channels:
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Premier League digital platforms and select global broadcast partners for key matches and highlights.
The official @EASPORTSFC and Premier League social accounts also push live match reminders, results, and highlight clips throughout the weekend, which is helpful if you want to keep up without watching every series.
Is the ePremier League Group Stage worth watching?
If you care about EA SPORTS FC esports, Premier League clubs, or just want to see high-level 1v1 play, the Group Stage is one of the best weekends to tune in.
You get:
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Club identity: Every series has the flavour of the real-world Premier League rivalry behind it.
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High stakes early: Group results directly change seeding and future matchups, so players can’t afford “warm-up” games.
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Storylines like Wolves and Luna Esports, newly promoted clubs entering ePremier League for the first time, and returning veterans against hungry newcomers.
From a player’s point of view, watching the Group Stage is a great way to see how pros approach meta tactics, squad building, and in-game management under tournament pressure. One practical example: you’ll often see pros hold substitutions and tactical changes until a very specific in-game minute, saving stamina and fresh legs for extra time in two-legged ties.
