7 BEST FIFA 23 Team Formations

FIFA 23 is out, and the football fanatics are already grinding out their teams in the game. In order to win games in FIFA, a player has to do numerous things to overcome their opponents. Having a high-rated team won’t be enough for you to be dominant. There’s a much-needed blend of tactics and players which will allow you to become better in the game. Hence, today we will cover the FIFA 23 Best Team Formations in our guide.

As you all know, formations remain the same throughout each FIFA game. There hasn’t been any change when it comes to team positioning in FIFA 23. Hence, returning FIFA players will be well accustomed to these formations. 

However, new FIFA players would find it hard to get a grip on the formations in the game. In simple words, formation is how you position your players on the pitch. Formations are usually described by using digits, which describe how many players occupy a specified area on the pitch.

How To Change Team Formation In FIFA 23?

As we mentioned earlier, having the best players won’t be enough for you to win games. Especially in Ultimate Team, because as you get promoted through the divisions, you will face tougher opponents online. It will be hard to win matches in Career Mode too, but since it’s offline, players have the option to tone down the difficulty.

We won’t recommend you to bring down the difficulty. Instead, it is better if you try to strategize your plays and use a solid formation that suits your playstyle. Each player plays differently, and depending on what players you have, some formations may not work as well. So during the early days, try testing out some of the most common formations to find out what suits you best.

Changing formation in FIFA 23 isn’t that hard. However, the process varies from mode to mode. We will teach you how to pick formations in FUT and Career Mode in this section.

Read: FIFA 23 Best Right Backs 

Once you start up FIFA 23, choose the Ultimate Team mode. After the game loads up the FUT menu, you won’t see a Squad option on the choices available on the screen. FIFA recently changed its Ultimate Team menu. Hence, some of the returning players who have been out of touch with FIFA might get confused. However, accessing the squad is simpler than ever before. You only need to flick your Left Analog downwards, and the squad menu will open up.

After getting to the Squad screen, press the L2/LT button on your controller to access ‘Squad Actions‘. From here, choose the first option that reads ‘Formations‘. The game will then present you with All FIFA 23 Formations, and you can simply pick the one you want.

As for the Career Mode, all you need to do is get to the game mode screen. Once you reach the ‘Central Tab‘, press R1/RB to switch the tab to the one that reads ‘Squad‘. In this section, the first option will be ‘Team Management‘ simply choose that, and you will now reach the squad selection screen.

All you need to do now is press R1/RB yet again to reach the ‘Formations‘ sub-tab. From here on, you can choose the formation that fits your squad best!

Now that you know how to access the Formations menu in FIFA 23, we can move on and list down the best team positions you can choose from for your squad.

Best Formations In FIFA 23

When it comes to FIFA, just like real football, there are some popular formations that usually work well with all the teams. However, as every player has a different squad, sometimes these common formations don’t go well. In these cases, it becomes essential to change the formation in order to get the best out of your team.

Check Out: FIFA 23 Best Controller Settings 

Players may find it hard to score in games, despite having a good team and a decent grip on the mechanics. In situations like these, you can try switching up your formation, and you will instantly notice an increase in the chance creation among your players.

Before we get into the juicy stuff, you must know How To Read Formations. They are pretty simple to read. However, they may seem like some random numbers to someone new to FIFA games. The leftmost digit in the sequence of numbers represents the number of defenders in a team. The number at its right represents midfielders, and the third number represents the forwards. 

You may find more than three digits in a formation sequence. That usually means that the team has a split inside a specific position in its formation. So, for example, 4-3-2-1 would mean that the team is playing 4 Defenders, 3 Midfielders, 2 Advanced Midfielders, and 1 Attacker. 

You may have noticed that adding up these numbers gives you a total of 10, and this is because the Goalkeeper is not mentioned in formations.

With that out of the way, let’s dissect some of the Best Formations for your team in FIFA 23.

4-3-3 (Attack)

In football, 4-3-3 is one of the most popular formations used by a lot of attacking teams across the world. FIFA 23 has a few variations of the 4-3-3 formation. However, in our opinion, the best one is the Attack variant, as it allows the player to play quick passes high up the field. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of the formation; you will play with 4 Defenders, 3 Midfielders, with two of them playing a bit higher up the field, and finally, 3 forwards, which consist of two wingers and a striker.

As you can tell by the breakdown, the 4-3-3 formation has a moderate balance across the field. You will have ample players in each section, making it easier for your team to pressure the opponents. Having two Central Attacking Mids supporting your striker will make plays simpler for you.

Not only that, you can use the midfield trio to move the ball up the field and then stretch the play by passing the ball wide to the wingers. Who can then either try cutting inside the box or cross the ball to the striker. While using the 4-3-3 formation in FIFA 23, you can also include your fullbacks in the attack. They will frequently make runs behind your wingers whenever your team is attacking.

It’s best to go for this formation if you have pacey wingers and technical midfielders in your team. Also, it is a bonus if you have a striker that is good on the ball too.

4-1-2-1-2

Moving on, 4-1-2-1-2 is another reoccurring formation in Football games. It is also known as the Diamond formation because the midfield positioning forms a diamond shape on paper. FIFA 23 has two variations of it; the first one keeps midfielders wide, while the second variation has the midfielders packed close together in the middle of the pitch. 

In our opinion, both forms are quite decent; however, if you have fast wide players with high stamina, then you should go for the first variation of the 4-1-2-1-2 formation in FIFA 23. In the team positioning, there are 4 Defenders, 1 Central Defensive midfielder, 2 Central Midfielders (or LM and RM), 1 Attacking Midfielder, and 2 Strikers.

The best thing about the 4-1-2-1-2 formation is that you have particularly all major positions included in your lineup. Of course, you won’t get to use wingers, but you can try instilling them in the LM or RM role especially if they have good passing skills in FIFA 23. It’ll be much easier for you to pack the middle of the park and retain possession quickly. 

However, lack of width is a downside with the 4-1-2-1-2 formation in FIFA 23. If your opponent is playing with wide players, then you might find it a bit difficult to defend. 

Nonetheless, if you like having a closely packed group of players up top then it is a perfect fit for you. With the two strikers and a CAM, you can easily chain some quick one-touch passes to get behind the defensive line and score a goal.

4-2-3-1

First introduced back in the 1990s, the 4-2-3-1 formation is now a popular choice among many football clubs. You can also utilize the formation in FIFA 23, especially if you like having a strong back line in your plays. FIFA 23 provides two variations of this formation. The first one has the CAMs close by to the central attacking region of the field. The second variation has the CAMs spread out wide, to fulfill the role of wingers.

Here is a quick summary of how the formation is set up in FIFA 23. Your team will have 4 Defenders, 2 Central Defensive Midfielders, 1 Central Midfielder, 2 Attacking Midfielder, and a Lone Striker.

Even though it looks quite similar to the 4-1-2-1-2 formation but it has a better defensive hold. This is because of the 2 CDMs you will have in your team. They will both strengthen the back line when needed, making it harder for the opposition to break through. 

If your team has strong CDMs, then the 4-2-3-1 is a viable option to go for in FIFA 23. As for the attack, you will have 1 CM and 2 CAMs. If you choose the variation in which the CAMs are spread wide then make sure that they are pacey and good at crossing the ball. 

On top of that, since you only have one striker and no wingers, it is important to have midfielders that are good at shooting the ball. Because you can’t only rely on your striker to score goals. The 4-2-3-1 formation works best if you have a world-class midfield at your disposal.

3-5-2

Another very widely used formation in FIFA games. The 3-5-2 formation provides ample options for attacking on the pitch. It has no other variations in the game unlike some of the earlier ones we saw. Apart from that, you need to have good fullbacks to utilize the 3-5-2 formation in FIFA 23 fully. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of the 3-5-2 formation; your team will consist of 3 Centre Backs, 5 Midfielders (which also includes the Wingbacks), and 2 Strikers up top.

So far we only saw formations with 4 at the back. Hence, you might be wondering how the 3-5-2 arrangement actually functions. Well, it’s quite simple, the middle of the park and the top region will remain the same, however, the only change will come at the flanks. In the 3-5-2 formation in FIFA 23, you will only have a single player on the sides to support the width of the squad.

You can use versatile players like Ivan Perisic, Joao Cancelo, Trent Alexander Arnold, and many more for the wingback position. Since the wingback will be tasked to provide width along the whole length of the field they must have a high stamina attribute in FIFA 23. They will support the attack and then track back when the team is defending.

The central mids and the striker function exactly as they did in some of the previous formations. To fully master the 3-5-2 formation, we advise you to get a technical CAM. Other than that, having 2 CDMs will give support to your back line of three.

So all of these different approaches to the formations make 3-5-2 one of the best in FIFA 23.

4-4-2

Nothing can get more basic than the 4-4-2 formation in football. It is the most straightforward option to go for in FIFA 23, however, it’s surely not an exciting one. In FIFA 23 you will find two variations for the 4-4-2 formation. The first one uses 2 Central Midfielders, whereas, the second one utilizes 2 Central Defensive Midfielders.

For us, the first variation stands out more because it provides a better aggressive approach against the opposition. The second variation of 4-4-2 is somewhat timid and will make you seem like you’re parking the bus on the field. 

Anyways, here is a quick rundown of the 4-4-2 formation; you will play with 4 Defenders, 4 Midfielders, and 2 Forwards. Doesn’t get more simple than that right?

In the current era, teams like Atletico Madrid are well known for using the 4-4-2 approach. When it comes to FIFA 23, you need to have the right-minded players in your team to make the formation work in the game. At times your strikers may become isolated up top. It will be the job of your 2 CMs to add some spice to the attack and make the strikers participate in the play. 

The two midfielders will work as a great shield cover for the fullbacks. Apart from that, they will also make runs from the sides. If you have pacey wingers in your squad in FIFA 23, you can use them for LM or RM role in the 4-4-2 formation. It is also advisable that you have technical strikers who are capable of making plays on their own.

5-3-2

One of the most solid formations in FIFA 23, the 5-3-2 is perfect for players who like to defend and attack in an organized manner. So if you’re someone who likes to patiently build up plays, then continue reading about the 5-3-2 formation. The game doesn’t feature any variation of this formation. 

Before we get into the details of how you can make use of the 5-3-2 formation, here’s a quick coverage of its details. Your team will consist of 5 Defenders, 3 Midfielders, and 2 Strikers. The formation is quite similar to 4-3-3. Although here a player has been taken out of the attack and inserted into the defense. 

This simple change makes the whole formation more suitable for strategic-minded players. Whenever your team is under pressure your squad will form a back line of 5 players, which will then be supported by the midfielders. On the contrary, when you’re attacking, your fullbacks will transition into wingbacks and run up the field next to the LM and RM. 

Therefore, similar to the 3-5-2 formation, it is pretty crucial to have energetic wingbacks in your FIFA 23 squad when using the 5-3-2 setup. Apart from that, you can also use a CB as a transitional player on the pitch. He will be responsible to carry the ball forward and will be positioned slightly ahead of the other two CBs. We have also seen some players in FIFA use CDMs in the Centre Back position while utilizing the 5-3-2 formation.

Up front, you will have two strikers, it’s best if you instruct one of them to make runs behind the line. Whereas, instruct the second one to drop to the midfield. Having these commands set on your strikers will allow them to create plays on their own.

4-5-1

Last but not least, we have the 4-5-1 formations in FIFA 23 on our list. The 4-5-1 formation is great for players who either like to build plays slowly or retain possession. The game features two variations; in the first one, you will have 2 CAMs and one CM. While on the second variation, you will have 3 CAMs. The rest remains the same.

For us, the first variation stands out more since it gives additional options in the attack. Here is a quick look at the player division in the 4-5-1 formation; 4 Defenders, 5 Midfielders (1 CM, 2 CAMs, 1 RM, and 1 LM), and 1 Striker. 

If you decide to go for the first variation, then it is key that your sole CM is someone who can deal with pressure. They should be extremely cool and collected on the ball. You can use players like Casemiro, Kante, or Frenkie De Jong for the sole CM position.

Having two CAMs with the support of a right and the left midfielder will make loads of opportunities for you to score goals. Make sure that at least one of your CAM is a great long-range shooter. Apart from that, you can also instruct your striker to make runs behind the opposition’s defensive line. This will allow your midfielders to play through balls to him. 

If you focus on keeping possession, then the 4-5-1 formation is the best choice for you in FIFA 23. Having a packed midfield will make it extremely easy for you to keep the ball and create attacks. However, if your opponent has two CDMs in their team, then this formation could get nullified. 

Summary

With that said, we reached the end of our guide. Today we thoroughly covered some of the Best FIFA 23 Formations for you to choose from for your Ultimate Team or Career Mode club. Each player plays FIFA in their own style; hence, formations preference differs from person to person.

However, if you try out the Elite Formations we mentioned above, then we guarantee you that you will find the one that clicks for you in FIFA 23. In no time, you will be bagging goals and causing your opponents to rage quit against you in FUT. We hope you enjoyed reading through our guide. Be sure to stick around at eXputer to learn even more crucial tips about FIFA 23.

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