FIFA 23: Best Formations | Custom Tactics Guide

Your team formation in FIFA 23 can make or break how your team is structured. The formation can also radically change how each individual game is approached depending upon your playing style.

Ensuring you select the right kind of system is vital – particularly for the Ultimate Team competitive modes like FUT Champions.

We’ll go over a couple of different FIFA 23 formations in our Best Formations | Custom Tactics Guide in order to help newer players get a better understanding of how to set up their ideal formation to complement their playing style.

A Guide to the Best Formations and Custom Tactics in FIFA 23

Some things to keep in mind when selecting a formation:

• You’ll always want to opt for a solid balance of offensive/defensive, that can be effective against any sort of offensive maneuvers your opponents may come at you with.

• You never want to have to rely solely on counterattacks.

• Depending on whether you want to opt for more offensive or defensive, you can select Balanced Attack for your CDM or Stay Back While Attacking to ensure you have a solid defense system in place.

• Aim to give your CAM the ability to successfully create and receive passes.

• If possible, aim for a “Press After Possession Loss” Defensive Style.

In FIFA ‘22, 4-1-2-1-2 (Narrow) was considered to be among the most successfully utilized – and it is definitely still just as effective in FIFA ‘23.

This can help you fill out the midfield, while making it hard for your opponent to break through. 4-1-2-1-2 offers a ton of flexibility in terms of altering setups.

For this kind of set-up, you’ll want the following:

• Defensive Tactics – Balanced; Width 40-45, Depth 50.
• Offensive Tactics – Balanced; Forward Runs, Width 40, Players in Box 7 Bars, Corners + Free Kicks x2 Bars.
• Left-back & Right-back: play defensive and stay back while attacking.
• CDM: Help to cover center.
• CM: Crosses; get forward.
• CAM: Stay forward.
• ST: Stay forward.

Alternatively, another great formation with the aim of holding leads is 4-2-3-1 (Narrow). In this kind of formation, it is best to give your CAM “Free Roam” as a tactic, along with building up your play from the CDM when it comes to attacks. This means passing to the LM or RM to help your CAM receive more passes.

This kind of set-up would look more like:

• Defensive Style – Balanced; Width 55, Depth 50.
• Offensive Style – Balanced; Balanced Chance Creation, Width 55, Players in Box 5 Bars, Corners & Free Kicks x2 Bars.
• CAM: Free Roam, Normal Interceptions, Basic Defense Support, Balanced Crossing Runs.
• RB & LB: Stay Back While Attacking, Stick to Position, Mixed Attack, Normal Interceptions.
• CDM: Stay Back While Attacking, Balanced Defensive, Normal Interceptions.

This formation is also very straight-forward, and you only really see changes/adjustments with the RB/LB, CDM, and CAM.

How to Change Tactics in FIFA 23

If you’re curious as to how to actually change the pre-set or default tactics in FIFA 23, hit R1/RB or use your mouse to select “Club.”

Once in this menu option, select your Squad and then proceed to “Squad Actions.”

Scroll until you find “Custom Tactics,” and select this option.

From this sub-menu, you’ll then be able to customize the formations, tactics, and coordination of players.