FC 26 Best Formations for Every Playstyle

EA’s prime sports title FC 26 is about to be released later this month, on the 26th of September, to be exact, which means that even when there is almost a quarter left in the year to complete, EA is pushing the next year’s title, which, of course, nearly all of us are going to buy since they are doing some changes which are going to make the game a lot more enjoyable for us.  Whether there’s this new evolution system or new and more realistic graphics, or whether the new physics in the game makes it feel a lot more realistic. 

In the meantime, Immortalboost is here to help you with FC 25 Boost so you can stay ahead and enjoy every moment of the game.

There are definitely some changes that make the game worth it. At least in my opinion. Since the game is about to get released within a week. We should talk about the best formations in it. So whenever it gets released, you would have an upper hand with the information I’m about to share because we all know that a good formation is the backbone of your gameplay, and you shouldn’t take this lightly.

So, in this blog I am going to share 5 of the best formations, each with its pros and cons, so you would know exactly what you’re getting yourself into with each formation. 

What formation to use?

While this is a highly subjective question because everybody plays differently, some players like to be in control of the ball of time, while others want to be defensive and guard their side of the ground, and play strategically. Some players want to play aggressively and get as much play as possible, while others play slowly and take advantage of the clock. So here are the top 5 formations, each with its plus point. So pick the one that aligns with your playstyle the most and stick with it. 

• 4-3-2-1: This one is the oldest yet a potent formation in the game. This formation is still relevant because it has both attack and defense. So it can be effective for both aggressive and defensive players.

• 4-4-2: This one is a classic, consistent, and strong formation. It allows a balanced structure between attacking with two strikers ahead, while also having decent defense. It is also one of the most used formations in the FC 25.

• 4-2-3-1: This one is emerging as one of the best formations to use currently in the game due to its having a backline that remains accurate and accessible, as well as having a great attack.
• 5-3-2: This is the first formation on this list and currently for the entire game, which mostly revolves around defense, but you could make it work for attack as well, not as good as other formations, but still, it can be done. 

• 4-1-2-1-2 (2): The last one on the list is also called the diamond formation, which is a highly aggressive formation. It relies on coordinated runs from the forward midfielder, which can create scoring opportunities.

A little thing to keep in mind is that every formation in the game has its weaknesses, and no matter what you think you’ll do to overcome them. They are going to be there for sure because if a formation is too powerful or broken, it would make the game lose its fun. So every formation has its counter, but the ones I have provided can give you pretty decent results if you already know what you’re doing. So let’s go through each formation and talk about it specifically.

Formations and its custom tactics:

4-2-3-1:

Tactics:

• Tactical Preset: Custom
• Formation: 4-2-3-1 Wide 
• Build-Up Style: Balanced
• Defensive Approach: Balanced
• Line Height: 50
• Defensive Depth: Around 70, but also depends on your opponent’s playstyle.

Player Roles:

• GK: Sweeper Keeper/Balanced
• CB: Defender/Defend 
• CB: Defender/Defend 
• LB: Fullback/Defend 
• RB: Fullback/Defend
• CDM: Box Crasher/Balanced
• CDM: Deep Lying Playmaker/Build-Up 
• CAM: Playmaker/Balanced
• LM: Inside Forward/Balanced
• RM: Inside Forward/Balanced 
• ST: Advanced Forward/Attack

The 4-2-3-1 formation is one of the most consistent result-providing formations in the game, and it has been that way for a very long time. The reason behind its consistency is that it gives the players defensive stability, while it is also adaptable enough for you to attack the opponents thoroughly. So if you’re someone who is passionate about the game or if you want consistency in your gameplay and not a weekend gamer, then this formation is the one for you because it can consistently provide you with results.

But for this formation to work, you need a little patience because even if you lose possession of the ball, your two Center Defensive Midfielders will provide you with the cushion for it. Whale your Center attacking Midfielders will still be there for attack. So whatever you do, be a little more patient and do not panic, strike the ball.  However, the con of the formation is that it can feel slow or changeless if you overcommit yourself in the centre of the field, which can be exploited easily. 

4-4-2:

Custom tactics:

• Custom Formation: 4-2-2 (Flat) 
• Build-Up Style: Counter Defensive 
• Approach: Balanced 
• Line Height: 50
• Width: 45
• Depth: 40–45

Player roles:

• GK: Goalkeeper/Defend
• CB: Defender/Defend
• CB: Defender/Defend 
• LB: Fullback/Defend
• RB: Fullback/Defend 
• CM: Deep Lying Playmaker/Build-Up
• CM: Playmaker/Attack
• LM: Inside Forward/Balanced
• RM: Winger/Balanced
• ST: False 9/Build-Up ST: Advanced Forward/Attack

Moving on to the classic formation, which has no CDMs. This formation is flat with centre midfielders, which are meant to be aggressive for this formation to work, and using the Centre midfielders for a playmaker or a box-to-box will might be risky, but can be rewarding.  But if you’re a beginner or someone who is not very well versed with the game, this formation can also backfire because it is really aggressive, and since you don’t have the individual skill to back it up yet. It will cause more harm than good, but if you’re someone who can hold their own, then yes, the 4-4-2 is a high-risk, high-reward formation.  The tactical setup is heavily reliant on the front two, which means that you have to get the striker combination right; otherwise, as I said before, it can backfire quickly. 

Since this formation has no CDMs, you can exploit this weakness by overloading the midfield by using the midfield heavy formations and outnumbering the Central midfielders.  

4-2-3-1:

Custom tactics

• Build-Up Style: Balanced
• Chance Creation: Balanced or Forward Runs
• Defensive Style: Balanced Width: 45-55
• Depth: 50-60

Player roles:

• GK: Normal GK
• CBs: Stay Back While Attacking 
• LB/RB: Stay Back While Attacking 
• CDM: Stay Back While Attacking + Cut Passing Lanes 
• CDM: Balanced 
• Wide CAMs (LM/RM): Come Inside 
• Central CAM: Free Roam 
• ST: Stay Central

This formation is considered one of the strongest and most balanced ones because it gives you a solid defense by having two CDMs, and it also has a perfect balance between both attack and defense because you have four attackers as well as 5 defenders, which makes this formation hard to break into. 

There are different attacking options with this formation; you could be creative with the CAMs. The wide CAMs can stretch the dense and could cut inside and provide you with the width to score. 

The formation is also really flexible, you can go wide with winger cutting back and the full backs overlapping, or you could go narrow by combining the CAMs Centrally, and if you don’t like or you can’t perform well with this formation, you could always change it to the 4-4-2 or the 4-1-2-1-2 without a lot of positions being changed. However, this formation is vulnerable on the wings, as well the striker can get isolated. So work with these two weaknesses if you wanna counter this formation. 

5-3-2:

Custom Tactics:

• Defensive style: Balanced
• Defensive Width: 40-25
• Defensive Depth: 50 
• Buildup Play: Balanced
• Chance Creation: Direct Passing
• Offensive Width: 45-50

Player Roles:

• GK: Default
• CB: Stay Back While Attacking
• CB: Stay Back While Attacking
• CB: Stay Back While Attacking
• LWB: Overlap
• RWB: Overlap
• CDM (Defensive): Cover Center
• CM: Balanced Attack
• CAM: Free Roam
• ST: Runner
• ST: stay central

The first formation on the list that has a focus on one aspect of the game rather than being in a boat of the two. The 5-3-2 formation is the one that is heavily focused on defense. So if you’re playing against some really aggressive and attacking opponents, this formation can save you a lot of headaches, but at the same time at the value it is the best defensive formation, which means that you will not have as many chances of scoring. 

Which means that if we wanna have a balanced formation, then we have to make some changes to the roles without changing the positions, so we can still get the benefits of being highly defensive, but at the same time be capable of scoring. So, as you could see above, I have made changes in the traditional roles so we can get the upper hand in both instances.

 For the weakness, as I have mentioned earlier, this formation lacks attack, which means you can pin down the wing-backs, and you can easily overwhelm them.

4-1-2-1-2:

Custom Tactics:

• Defensive Style: Balanced Width: 40–45 
• Depth: 50 
• Offensive Style: Possession 
• Offensive Width: 35–40

Player roles:

• GK: Sweeper Keeper (Support) 
• RB: Wing-Back (Support) 
• RCB: Central Defender (Defend) 

• LCB: Central Defender (Defend)
• LB: Wing-Back (Support) 
• DM: Defensive Midfielder (Defend) 
• RCM: Central Midfielder (Support) 
• LCM: Box-to-Box Midfielder (Support) 
• CAM: Advanced Playmaker (Attack) 
• ST: DeepLying Forward (Support)
• ST: Advanced Forward (Attack)

The last formation on the list is often called the narrow diamond,5, and the reason behind that is that the midfielders in this formation are positioned in a diamond shape, and they are as close to each other as possible without hurting the possession of the ball. That’s why this formation is also considered the most possession-heavy formation in the game. The formation plays on two things: first is quick passing, and second is overwhelming the opponents with four central midfielders, which allows us to dominate the ball. But this strength can also give us an exposure to a weakness because the lack of natural width in this formation leaves this formation vulnerable to wing play. 

Conclusion:

That’s the end of the formation I have given is one of the best ones you could use in the game. But at the end of the day, formations are only a part of the game, so if you want to get better at the game, then you would have to build up your skills as well. Only then can these formations do you any good. 

FaQ’s:

Why is 4-2-3-1 the best formation? 

It is a flexible formation that you could change at any point in the game. It provides defense stability as well as offensive power.

What is the best formation in EA FC 24 right now?

The 4-2-3-1 is considered one of the best formations in the game currently 

What is the most popular formation in EA FC?

Currently, 4-4-2 is one of the most used EA FC

What formation does Barcelona use?

4-3-3

Who is the strongest team in FC 25?

Real Madrid and Manchester City