Pro Clubs is the mode where you and your friends each play as one footballer in the same team. We’ve played it every year since FIFA 14, and FC 27 is the easiest year yet to get started, but also the most confusing, because Clubs is no longer a menu option. This guide covers how it works, how to get in, and what to do in your first week.
What is Pro Clubs and how does it work?
Pro Clubs is EA’s co-op football mode. Instead of controlling the whole team, each human controls one player and stays in that position for the whole match. EA’s description is “play as one player and win as a team”.
How it works in FC 27:
- Your Pro is a custom player. You pick an archetype (a player type such as Finisher, Magician or Boss), then spend Attribute Points as the archetype levels up.
- Your club is a team of real people. Up to 11 humans can play in one match. Any empty position, including goalkeeper, is played by the AI.
- Leagues are the main competition. Wins and draws earn points, clubs get promoted and demoted between divisions, and the season ends in Playoffs with bigger rewards.
- Everything earns AXP (Archetype XP), so your Pro gets better whether you play 11v11 or a three-minute 2v2.
If you’ve only played Ultimate Team, the big difference is that you never switch players. You have to be in the right place yourself, which is why positioning matters more than skill moves.
How to get to Clubs in FC 27
Clubs is now part of The Grounds, a shared hub world for up to 100 players.
- Start FC 27. On first launch you play a short warm-up as Kylian Mbappé, then meet Alex Hunter in The Grounds. Later you can go to The Grounds straight from the main menu.
- Pick a position and an archetype when the game asks. You can change both any time, so don’t worry about it yet.
- Finish the tutorial. Alex Hunter sends you to Mbappé for a 2v2. When it ends, you’re free.
- Go to the Clubhouse. It’s on the Terrace, the central area where you spawn, and has a house icon on the map.
- Meet Paulo Dybala there. He’s the Clubs Mentor, and meeting him gives you access to Clubs.
Our guide to The Grounds explains the districts, Mentors and Kickabouts in more depth.
Create your Pro: archetype, position and height
FC 27 is very forgiving here. All 13 archetypes are unlocked from the start, and changing your attributes or resetting a build costs nothing. You can also lower single attributes and move the points elsewhere. You can’t pick “wrong” on day one, but a sensible start saves you AXP:
- Choose the position you’ll actually play in your club. If your club needs a centre-back, a striker build is wasted.
- Pick an archetype that fits that position. Our best archetypes guide ranks them, and /archetypes/ has a page for each one. Not sure between two? Use the archetype comparison.
- Height and weight matter. Each archetype has its own height and weight range, and your body changes stats like Acceleration and Strength, plus your AcceleRATE type. Read best height and weight for Pro Clubs and test your numbers in the AcceleRATE calculator.
- Plan the build before you spend. Our build planner shows the points you need for each Specialization, and every archetype has a full guide, for example the best Magician build or the best Boss build.
One more FC 27 bonus: Masteries. Reaching level 10 with an archetype gives +1 to two attributes on every archetype you use, so time spent on a second position isn’t wasted.
Create or join a club
You manage your club from the My Club tab in the menu (Options on PlayStation, Menu on Xbox) or at the Clubhouse. From there you can:
- Create a club. Choose a name and a short abbreviation for the scoreboard, and set it to public (anyone can join) or private (invite only). Need a name? Try our funny club names.
- Join a club by searching for it, or accept an invite from a friend.
- Invite players and manage members once you’re in.
You also need a name for yourself, and our player name ideas are the most-read page on this site for a reason.
How to invite friends to Pro Clubs
Inviting works through EA Connect, FC 27’s social menu, on every platform:
- Open EA Connect and use the Player search tab to find your friend by EA ID or platform username.
- Go to the Party tab and invite them. Party voice and text chat also run through EA Connect.
- Invite them to your club from My Club.
- Meet at the Clubhouse and go in together. On the map, blue dots are clubmates and pink dots are your party.
Two things trip up new players. First, crossplay must be on for both of you if you’re on different platforms. It’s on by default, and declining the cross-play prompt when joining a Clubs lobby can leave you on an endless loading screen. Second, entering the Clubhouse, Drop-In or Rush takes you out of your Grounds world, and afterwards you may land in a different one, so re-invite each other. More detail in our crossplay guide.
Match types: League, Playoffs, Tournaments, Drop-In and Rush
| Mode | Where | Who you play with | What it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club modes | |||
| League | Clubhouse | Your club (AI fills gaps) | Points for wins and draws, promotion and demotion |
| Playoffs | Clubhouse | Your club | End-of-season matches with bigger rewards |
| Club Tournaments | Clubhouse | Your club | 11v11 live events with House Rules like Long Range or Survival |
| Solo or party modes | |||
| 11v11 Drop-In | Parkside stadium | Matchmade strangers | 11v11 without a club |
| Stadium Rush | Zeiza stadium | Matchmade | Ranked Rush and Rush Tournaments |
| Small-sided and Kickabouts | All over The Grounds | Players in your world | Quick 1v1–3v3 games and party games for AXP |
League and Playoffs are the heart of the mode. See Clubs Leagues and Playoffs explained for how seasons work and what EA has (and hasn’t) said about FC 27 Playoff dates. 11v11 Drop-In is the best way to learn your position if your club can’t get enough people online, but you depend on strangers.
Some Clubs matches support Hot Join: if someone disconnects, they (or another player) can drop back into the free spot while the match is in progress. Spots are first come, first served.
How long is a Pro Clubs game?
It depends on the mode:
- Small-sided matches (1v1, 2v2, 3v3, in-world Rush): 3 minutes.
- Kickabouts: a few minutes, usually several 1-minute rounds or one 3-minute game.
- 11v11 League, Playoff and Drop-In matches: a full match with two halves. EA doesn’t state the half length for FC 27 Clubs in any of its guides, so we won’t give you a number we can’t back up. Budget extra time for the lobby, and for walking back to the Clubhouse afterwards.
Leaving a League match early hurts your club, because the AI takes your spot. If you drop out by accident, try to rejoin quickly. A known bug can rewind the match timer after a rejoin, which EA is investigating.
How to change position or archetype in Clubs
Position: in the Clubs lobby, pick a free spot in the starting XI. To move, select a different spot before the match starts. Your club decides who plays where, and your tactics tell the AI what to do in the positions nobody picks. You can plan both on our tactics board.
Archetype: for League matches, you have to go back to the bench first, then open Player Management → Archetypes, make your changes and return to the lobby. In Rush and Drop-In lobbies use the Archetypes tab. You can also edit builds from the in-world menu or the Clubhouse.
In 11v11 Drop-In you set a preferred position, but EA has confirmed it isn’t always applied right now. A fix is in testing. Want to control every AI player instead of one? That’s the ANY position, explained in how to control all players.
Can you be in more than one club?
Yes: you can be in up to three clubs in FC 27, the same as FC 26 (we checked in game on 8 October 2026). Go to My Club → Other → Switch Club: the club limit is shown in the top-right corner. In FC 26 Playoffs rewards went only to the club you marked as your favourite; EA hasn’t said whether that changed, so set your main club as favourite to be safe.
FC 27 also adds Club Objectives, and some of them count what clubmates do separately (EA’s example is winning 50 1v1 matches between you). Even your solo 1v1s can help your club.
My Club menu: where everything is
Most club admin happens in My Club (open it from the Clubhouse, the pause menu or the map). These are the paths we checked in game in October 2026:
| What you want to do | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Switch club / see your club limit (3) | My Club → Other → Switch Club |
| Let other clubs challenge you to friendlies | My Club → Other → Settings → Available for Friendlies |
| Message a clubmate | My Club → Other → Squad → select the player → Player Action → Quick Message |
| Add a clubmate as a friend | My Club → Other → Squad → select the player → Player Action → View Player |
| Change formation, Build-Up Style or Defensive Approach | My Club → Tactics → Enter Tactics → Edit Tactic (or before kick-off from the Play screen) |
| Change AI player roles and focus | My Club → Tactics → Edit Tactic → Player Roles |
| Import a tactic from a code | My Club → Tactics → Enter Tactics → Manage Tactics → Import, then enter the code |
| Rename an AI teammate | My Club → Customize → AI Player → select the player → Info |
| Change an AI teammate’s face, gear or animations | My Club → Customize → AI Player → select the player → Head, Gear or Animation |
| Buy Amps and consumables | Club Store (top menu) → Amps or Consumables |
Club match types in the Play settings are League Match, Club Friendly and Practice Match, and you earn Coins by playing matches. Got a tactic code from a friend or from our Tactics Board? Import it as above; if the game says the code is invalid, check every character, because the codes mix letters, numbers and symbols.
First-week checklist
- 01Day 1: finish the tutorial and meet Dybala. You can’t create or join a club until you’ve met him at the Clubhouse.
- 02Pick a position, then an archetype. Agree positions with your friends first, then choose an archetype that fits. Resets are free, so you’re not locked in.
- 03Plan your build. Map out your Attribute Points in the build planner before you spend them, and set your height for the AcceleRATE type you want.
- 04Create or join a club and invite friends. Use EA Connect, keep crossplay on, and meet at the Clubhouse.
- 05Set your camera. Pick a wide Clubs 11v11 camera before your first League match. Our camera guide has the settings.
- 06Play small-sided games while you wait. 3v3 and in-world Rush earn AXP and are the best way to scout new teammates.
- 07Do Mentor objectives. Alex Hunter, Mbappé, Chloe Kelly and Dybala hand out AXP and rewards for things you’ll do anyway.
- 08Level a second archetype to 10. Its Mastery gives +1 to two attributes on all your builds.
- 09Play League matches as a club. That’s where promotion, Playoffs and Club Objectives come from.
League matches also count toward your Club Objectives, which earn fans and rewards for the whole club. When you’re ready for more, our 25 Pro Clubs tips pick up where this checklist ends.
Problems connecting? Check our Pro Clubs server status page before changing any settings. And once you’ve settled in, the Pro Clubs meta shows what top clubs actually run.
FAQ
What is Pro Clubs in FC 27?
An online 11v11 mode where every human controls one custom player. Up to 11 friends can play together in one club, and the AI fills any empty positions. In FC 27 it’s called Clubs and lives inside The Grounds.
Can you play Pro Clubs alone?
Yes. 11v11 Drop-In matches you with strangers, and in a League match the AI plays every position no human takes. You can also level your Pro alone in small-sided games and Kickabouts.
Is Pro Clubs free in FC 27?
No. Clubs comes with the full game, but the free FC 27 Lite doesn’t include The Grounds, so it has no Clubs. You need the full PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC or Switch 2 version, plus your platform’s online subscription where your console requires one.
How do I invite friends to Clubs?
Add them in EA Connect by EA ID or platform username, invite them to your party, then invite them to your club and walk into the Clubhouse together. Keep crossplay on if you’re on different platforms.
Can I change my archetype after creating my Pro?
Yes, as often as you like. All archetypes are unlocked and changes are free. For League matches, go to the bench first, then Player Management → Archetypes.
Can PS5 and Xbox players be in the same club?
Yes. PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC have crossplay in Clubs. Switch 2 players can only play with other Switch 2 players.
Sources
Checked on 8 October 2026:
- EA SPORTS: How to Get Started in The Grounds and Clubs and Which FC 27 mode is right for you? (25 Sep 2026)
- EA SPORTS: The Grounds and Clubs Deep Dive (4 Aug 2026), Launch Update Pitch Notes (14 Sep 2026) and The Grounds Developer Launch Update (2 Oct 2026)
- EA SPORTS: FC 26 Clubs Deep Dive (multiple clubs in FC 26)
- EA Help: Archetypes, How to navigate The Grounds, Connection in The Grounds, Cross-play, FC 27 Lite and EA Connect
- EA SPORTS FC Tracker: match timer rewinds after rejoining and cross-play prompt loading
- Altchar: How to access and play Pro Clubs in FC 27 (25 Sep 2026) and Red Bull: How to play Pro Clubs in EA FC 27 (29 Sep 2026), for the My Club menu