Martin Zubimendi Cornerstones SBC: Player Cost, Solutions, and More - FC 26

With the full release of EA SPORTS FC™ 26, the Ultimate Team (FUT) mode welcomes its first major campaign – the Cornerstones promo. This campaign aims to honor players who form the core foundation of their teams, whether they are trusted leaders, impactful long-term signings, or young talents stepping up to central roles. Kicking off this promo as one of the first Squad Building Challenges is a special Flashback SBC for Arsenal's Spanish defensive midfielder, Martin Zubimendi. This card celebrates his excellent start at the club, where he has quickly become a key part of the Gunners' midfield.

These Cornerstones cards come with permanent stat upgrades and an enhanced +2 Club Chemistry. This makes them particularly valuable for building your squad early in the game's cycle, allowing them to act as a core pillar for your Ultimate Team. Today LDShop will provide a complete breakdown of this Zubimendi SBC card's details, how to complete it, its in-game performance, and a final assessment of its value.

Player Card and Stats Analysis

➤Key Attributes

This Zubimendi card is an 86-rated Defensive Midfielder (CDM).

➤Technical Traits and PlayStyles

Skill Moves & Weak Foot: He has 3-star Skill Moves and a 4-star Weak Foot, which gives him some room for error and flexibility when passing or getting out of tight spots in midfield.

PlayStyles: This card comes with four PlayStyles:

• ·Intercept: Enhances his ability to read the game and cut passing lanes.
• ·Aerial Fortress (Aerial Forays): Improves his advantage in aerial duels.
• ·Inventive: Helps him play more penetrating through passes.
• ·Low Driven Pass: Makes his ground passes faster and more accurate.

It's important to note that this card does not have a PlayStyle+. This reflects EA's strategy in FC26 to slow down the power curve growth, aiming to keep base gold cards useful for a longer period.

 

SBC Requirements and Cost Analysis

➤Task List

To unlock this Zubimendi Cornerstones card, you need to complete 5 separate squad challenges:

• ·Spain
  • Min. 1 Player from Spain
  • Min. Squad Rating: 83
  • Reward: Small Electrum Players Pack
• ·Premier League
  • Min. 1 Player from Premier League
  • Min. Squad Rating: 84
  • Reward: Gold Pack
• ·84-Rated Squad
  • Min. Squad Rating: 84
  • Reward: Gold Pack
• ·85-Rated Squad
  • Min. Squad Rating: 85
  • Reward: Premium Gold Pack
• ·86-Rated Squad
  • Min. Squad Rating: 86
  • Reward: Mixed Players Pack

➤Cost Estimate

The estimated cost to complete this SBC varies slightly between sources, ranging from approximately 87,250 to 118,200 coins. This price is considered relatively high for this early stage of the game. This SBC is available for 7 days, and players need to complete it before the time runs out.

 

Recommended Squad Solutions

Here are some of the most cost-effective squad builds for your reference. It is highly recommended to check your club inventory first and use any unused players you already have to lower the cost.

➤Spain

• Minimum 1 player from Spain
• Minimum Team Rating 83

➤Premier League

• Minimum 1 player from the Premier League
• Minimum Team Rating 84

➤84-Rated Squad

➤85-Rated Squad

➤86-Rated Squad

Note: use the highest-rated, cheapest players available.

 

 

In-Game Performance and Chemistry Style Recommendations

➤Strengths and Weaknesses Analysis

Based on in-game testing, this Zubimendi card shows clear characteristics:

• ·Strengths:
  • Excellent in Defense: With 86 Defending and the Intercept PlayStyle, he is very reliable at winning the ball and breaking up opponent's attacks in midfield.
  • Stable Passing: His 83 Passing allows him to perform well as a deep-lying playmaker, successfully distributing the ball and starting attacks.
  • Strong Stamina: He has enough stamina to last through the entire match's defensive and offensive duties.
• ·Weaknesses:
  • Average Dribbling Feel: While his ball control is okay, his overall dribbling doesn't feel very smooth. It's best not to overdo it with the ball at his feet when under pressure.
  • Lacks Top Speed: A Pace of 75 means he isn't a CDM known for covering a huge area or having great recovery speed.
  • Weak Shooting: This fits his role as a defensive midfielder; long shots and finishing are not his strong points.

➤Chemistry Style Choice

Chemistry Styles can significantly make up for a player's weaknesses or enhance their strengths. For Zubimendi, there are two main recommendations:

• Engine: This is a highly recommended choice. The Engine Chemistry Style boosts his Acceleration, Agility, Balance, and Dribbling. Feedback from gameplay shows that this helps him shed his clunkiness, making him feel more responsive and smoother when receiving the ball and turning, greatly improving his feel on the ball.
• Shadow: If you value maximizing his defensive presence and want to make up for his lack of speed, the Shadow style boosts both his Pace and Defending attributes, turning him into a more pure defensive shield.

 

Value Summary and Final Recommendation

This Zubimendi Cornerstones SBC is a card with distinct characteristics. He is very suitable for players who need a pure defensive midfielder and are good at organizing attacks with accurate short passes and distribution. Especially for Arsenal fans or those building a La Liga/Spain squad, his +2 Club Chemistry bonus is very practical in the early game.

However, considering its high cost of around 100,000 coins and the requirement for 85 and 86-rated squads in the very first week of the game's release, its value is a topic of debate.

• ·Worth Completing If: Your club has a good stock of high-rated unused players (fodder), and you urgently need a defensive midfielder with playmaking ability to complete your squad. Completing him will provide a good experience.
• ·Not Worth Completing If: Completing this SBC would use up almost all of your coin and player resources. It might be better to be cautious. Some in the community suggest you can find players with similar functions on the transfer market for a much lower price (like Thiago). Furthermore, waiting to see the potentially better-value Flashback Leon Goretzka SBC, which is rumored to be coming soon, might be a smarter strategy.

The Zubimendi Cornerstones SBC is a good card, but might be an overpriced option. Unless you have a special preference for him (as a fan, or for squad chemistry needs), it is recommended to carefully weigh your club's resources and long-term plans before investing.

Hope this detailed breakdown helps you make the best decision for yourself :)