FIFA 23 FUT: How to Set Up the 4-2-4 Attacking Tactic

In FIFA 23, defense-and-attack is always seen as smarter to handle in a coordinated, balanced way, but sometimes not overthinking the back line and pushing hard up front for goals can actually work out better. The early goals you find can let you put the match away early, then settle back into a balanced approach for the rest of the game and still get good results. With that in mind, we'll show you how to set up the 4-2-4 attacking tactic, and build the player and team instructions that keep the back line from getting too exposed once you go on the attack.

How Should You Set Up the FIFA 23 Ultimate Team 4-2-4 Tactic?

If you're going to play FUT 23 with the 4-2-4 tactic, the first thing to keep in mind is not to press too hard and to stick with a balanced approach! Just because the tactic is 4-2-4 doesn't mean everything needs to be set up around attacking. Since we'll already have a lot of players forward, we need to set our team instructions a bit more conservatively.

4-2-4 Team Instructions

As I mentioned above, we're keeping the team balanced. At least, that's how we start the match.

For the defensive instructions, we keep our width at 45 — a bit narrow — and our depth at 60. The reason for 45 is that the team can already defend comfortably on the wings, so there's no need to stretch the width any further. Since we only have 2 players in midfield, it's worth keeping the defensive line pushed up, which is why we go with 60.

On the attacking side, we should set our build-up play to balanced or long ball. Again, we don't open the width up too much, since we already have plenty of wide players, so around 42 is ideal. Since there are plenty of attackers up top, long ball can work about as well as balanced — the choice is yours. Direct passing when creating chances has practically become one of FIFA 23 Ultimate Team's signature moves. Until a new update lowers its effectiveness, try setting the chance creation instruction to direct passing in most of the tactics you play.

4-2-4 Player Instructions

• Centre-backs, Left-back, Right-back: None of your backs or defenders join the attack — they play with the stay back while attacking instruction. You can leave the rest of their instructions balanced.
• CMs: Have both hold position centrally. Give one CM more of a box-to-box role (generally with balanced instructions), and give the other more defensive instructions (stay back while attacking)!
• LW-RW: We play our wingers as fully defensive. Give both the help defend instruction, and tell them to stay in the box when the middle opens up. It might sound odd, but since these players already play very close to the byline, telling them to fall back on defense won't actually drop them that deep, and they'll still be key parts of the attack.
• STs: Give both strikers the stay central and stay forward instructions. Try using one striker as a pure poacher and the other for more creative work. For the pure poacher, we give the get in behind instruction and focus purely on scoring goals, so play that striker with high pace and high finishing! For the other striker, again with the stay forward instruction, keep his other instructions balanced so he's not just scoring goals but doing other work too.

What Team Instructions Should I Use When I Fall Behind With the FIFA FUT 23 4-2-4 Tactic?

If we're behind and chasing a goal, we switch the team to press mode, open the width up a bit more, and push the defensive line well forward. On the attacking side, as I mentioned above, we switch to long ball and try to find quick goals through direct passes. In situations like this, it's worth taking your player instructions out of the defensive category and setting them to balanced or attacking.

What's the Benefit of an Attacking Tactic in FUT 23?

In FIFA Ultimate Team 23, attacking and finding a quick goal is worth it because it can rattle your opponent and throw them off their game. The biggest mistake attacking players make is panicking and getting complacent right after they score. In those moments, they struggle to play the ball out of the back, leading to sloppy giveaways and careless attacks. FIFA never forgives moments like that and immediately hands the momentum to your opponent. If you feel like you're under pressure, treat the match as if it's still level and keep playing that way. Your opponent is already chasing a goal and pushing forward. A calm pass or two can easily spring you into open space and set up good attacking chances.