If you’re diving into Madden 26’s Ultimate Team mode for the first time, one thing becomes clear fast—Coins are everything. Whether you’re trying to build a competitive lineup, complete sets, or work the auction house, coins drive your progress. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to spend a dime of real money to farm coins efficiently. As someone who has spent hours figuring out how to grind coins in Madden over the years, I’ve put together this practical beginner’s guide to help you get started on the right foot.
1. Complete Solo Challenges Daily
Solo Challenges are hands-down the most beginner-friendly way to earn coins in Madden 26. These offline missions range from full-length games to bite-sized moments like “score a touchdown in 2 plays” or “prevent a field goal.” Most of them are very manageable even with a low overall team.
What makes Solo Challenges great is their guaranteed payout—you’ll often earn coins directly, plus card packs or individual player items that can be sold or used in sets. New players should prioritize challenges marked as “limited-time” or “milestone rewards,” as they tend to offer the best value. Some challenges may take 5–10 minutes each but reward you with over 1,000 coins, which adds up fast.
A smart strategy is to log in daily and knock out at least 2–3 challenges. Over the course of a week, these can easily earn you tens of thousands of coins and a few tradable players. Always check the requirements and rewards before starting—you might unlock a bonus by completing a full sequence.
2. Grind Through Field Passes
Field Passes are Madden 26’s seasonal reward system and are key to long-term coin farming. Think of them as Madden’s version of a battle pass: by completing daily, weekly, and program-specific objectives, you level up and unlock rewards such as coins, packs, XP boosts, and exclusive players.
For new players, this is one of the most efficient ways to passively earn coins while simply playing the game. Even if you’re doing simple things like completing solo challenges, playing H2H games, or making sets, you’re likely completing Field Pass objectives without realizing it.
To maximize your Field Pass progress:
- Focus on daily objectives first—they’re easy and refresh every 24 hours.
- Stack your progress with other tasks. For example, a Field Pass might reward you for getting 10 rushing touchdowns while you’re doing a challenge that requires scoring with a specific player.
- Always claim your rewards! The system doesn’t always notify you automatically.
By mid-season, active players can earn hundreds of thousands of coins just through consistent Field Pass grinding.
3. Learn to Flip in the Auction House
The Auction House in Madden 26 can feel intimidating at first, but it’s one of the best tools for making coins without playing a single down of football. “Flipping” means buying low and selling high—just like reselling in real life.
For beginners, the best way to start is by focusing on low-tier cards (like 70–80 OVR golds) and keeping an eye on their prices. Use the “Browse” and “Compare Price” functions to see what cards are selling for. Often, you’ll find listings that are underpriced—especially those with a short time left or posted in a rush. Buy them, repost at market rate, and collect the profit.
A good tip is to look for cards used in popular sets (like Team Builders or exchange sets). These tend to hold higher value because players are always crafting them. You can also look for specific filter combinations—such as Team + Position + Overall—to find “sniping” windows where underpriced cards often appear.
Don’t expect to get rich overnight, but even flipping a few cards per day can earn you 5,000–20,000 coins. Once you build your coin stack, you can scale up and flip elite players or limited-time cards for bigger profits.
4. Don’t Quick Sell Everything—Check Prices First
When you’re grinding Madden 26 and earning packs or rewards, it’s tempting to quicksell cards you don’t immediately need. After all, quickselling is instant and requires no effort. But here’s a crucial tip: some of the most valuable cards for coin farming aren’t obvious at first glance.
Certain gold or low-elite players—especially those that belong to popular teams or specific positions—are in high demand for set-building. These cards often sell for 2–5x their quicksell value on the auction house. For example, a 76 OVR cornerback from a fan-favorite team like the Cowboys might go for 5,000+ coins because he’s needed for a set, even though he quicksells for far less.
Always do a quick auction house check before quickselling any card:
- Filter by the exact name and sort by “Buy Now” to find the real market price.
- If the lowest listings are significantly higher than the quicksell value, list it instead.
- Even strategy items, coaches, and stadiums can sell well depending on promos or theme teams.
Over time, these little decisions can make a huge impact on your coin balance.
5. Play Head-to-Head Seasons and Squads
Once your team is moderately built (even a solid 78–80 OVR squad), it’s worth stepping into Head-to-Head Seasons or Squads. These competitive modes reward coins based on performance—you earn coins whether you win or lose, and bonuses are awarded for making the playoffs or winning the Super Bowl.
What makes these modes valuable for farming is that the rewards scale with your performance. Even a few wins in a season can net thousands of coins. Add in extra rewards like trophy packs, midfield packs, and touchdown packs, and your earnings can multiply.
If you’re not ready for solo competition, try Squads, where you team up with others and share the field. Communication and chemistry go a long way, and you can earn rewards without having to carry the full load yourself.
Pro Tip: Play during Double XP or Coin Boost events when available. They often appear around promo launches or weekend events.
6. Take Advantage of Limited-Time Events
Madden 26 is packed with limited-time events—especially around real-world NFL milestones, holidays, and special promotions. These events usually introduce new challenges, sets, and objectives that offer fast and high-yield coin opportunities.
Here’s why they matter for farming:
- They often have short Solo Challenges with quick, easy wins.
- Some event items or players spike in auction house value due to demand for set completion.
- Daily login rewards or special missions tied to the event can bring in coins just for participating.
For example, during a Thanksgiving or Super Bowl promo, challenges might only take a few minutes but reward 2,000–5,000 coins and tradable packs. If you’re quick to jump on these events, you can make huge profits before the rest of the player base catches on and prices stabilize.
Stay connected with the Madden community on Reddit or Twitter to know exactly when events drop. Timing is everything.
7. Join the Madden Community for Market Tips
The Madden community is one of your most powerful resources for farming coins—especially if you’re not yet familiar with the game’s economy. Veteran players often share:
- Sniping filters
- Best cards to flip
- Set profit margins
- Upcoming price drops based on promo leaks
Communities like r/MaddenUltimateTeam on Reddit, Discord servers, and trusted YouTube creators provide daily market insights. Following the right sources can save you hours of testing and let you act early on profitable trends.
Being part of the community also helps you avoid coin-wasting mistakes. For example, some packs might look tempting but have awful ROI. Community consensus usually forms quickly, and staying informed means you’ll know what’s worth doing—and what to avoid.
Avoiding Common Mistakes When Farming Madden 26 Coins
Even with the right strategies, it’s easy to lose coins—or miss out on potential profit—due to avoidable mistakes. As a beginner, staying mindful of these common pitfalls can save you both time and frustration:
1. Quickselling Too Quickly
As mentioned earlier, not checking the auction house value before quickselling is one of the most frequent mistakes. Even silver and gold cards can be valuable for sets, and their prices can spike overnight due to demand.
2. Overspending on Packs
Packs might be fun to open, but most offer poor coin returns unless you’re buying them with rewards or training points. Avoid using your hard-earned coins on store packs, especially as a beginner. Use them to build your team or invest in the auction house instead.
3. Ignoring Objectives and Field Passes
Many new players skip over daily and seasonal objectives, missing out on free coins and packs. Make it a habit to check your active objectives every time you log in. They’re one of the best long-term coin sources.
4. Not Timing the Market
Buying cards during peak hours or when a promo drops can lead to overpaying. Similarly, selling right after a big pack release can undercut your profits. Learn to buy low, sell high—typically late at night or early in the week is better for buying, while weekends are often better for selling.
5. Trying to Rush Progress
It’s tempting to shortcut your way to a God Squad, but rushing usually leads to waste. Stick to your grind, use what the game gives you, and reinvest your coins smartly. Building steadily gives you more flexibility and less risk of market crashes or burnout.
