After all, many soccer fans are likely to follow FC 24 Coins rather than EA Sports. So, to maintain its massive fan base and ensure that more people pick up its game, EA Sports needs to make its next soccer game a unique experience. Adding in unique Career Mode playthroughs like this would be a perfect opportunity, as many fans will likely pick up the game for the sole reason of reliving and reforging some of the greatest soccer players' careers.
Barcelona isn‘t quite the side it used to be with 2021/2022‘s roster of players paling in comparison to the legendary figures that dominated club football in the late 2000s and early 2022s. Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Villa, Sanchez, and Pedro have all long since departed, leaving the Catalan giants facing one of the greatest rebuilding tasks in modern history.
That said, manager Xavi‘s side has made some solid signings as recruitment continues at a relentless pace, even if some question how the club actually plans to pay for half these big names considering the debts it currently faces. Nevertheless, FIFA managers need not worry about such concerns, leaving them free to enjoy one of the best squads in the game to play around with.
Ratings shown are taken from the latest FC 24 update but do not take into account recent transfers or market activity.
The 4-3-3 holding formation plays to Barça‘s current strengths, namely pace and fast transitional play. The side‘s front three of Memphis Depay, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Ousmane Dembele are easily one of the paciest attacking outfits in the entire game, meaning that there‘s an absolute necessity to exploit width and space as soon as the chance presents itself.
The 4-3-3 Attack formation is also a viable option, but Holding makes far more sense as it allows de Jong and Pedri to play as classic CMs while Busquets nails down his preferred CDM role.
For managers looking to switch things up a bit, there‘s absolutely nothing wrong with falling back on the hardly FIFA perennial of the 4-2-3-1. this time placing Memphis as the CAM alongside Ferran Torres at LW and Ousmane Dembele once again out wide on the right and Aubameyang up top, leaving de Jong and Busquets as the two holding midfielders.
For both formations, more experimental managers might consider putting de Jong at CB alongside Pique and allowing Pedri to come into the midfield, resulting in a net numerical gain of +1 (87+82 instead of 87+81) and allowing players to accommodate the young starlet of Barça‘s team. Be warned that de Jong‘s strength, jumping, and aggression are far behind Araujo‘s, so the decision shouldn‘t be made lightly.
The goalkeeper isn‘t a particularly tricky position to make a selection for and it requires little discussion. German international ter Stegen is easily one of the finest shot-stoppers in world football, and his inclusion is an unquestionable must. Brazilian Neto is a very decent backup thanks to his solid 81 rating but ter Stegen‘s mammoth overall total of 88 makes him one of the game‘s premier players. A nailed-on starter.
Still one of the world‘s best left-backs, Jordi Alba has been a stalwart at Barcelona for a solid decade. His rating of 84 isn‘t the highest peak the Spaniard has achieved in his illustrious buy EAFC 24 Coins career, but there‘s little competition coming close to deposing him. Alba remains an immensely well-rounded full-back, and although none of his stats are truly remarkable, very few of them are especially poor either. Alba‘s 61 strength can lead him to be bullied by larger wingers, but there‘s little else the little Spaniard can‘t do. His inclusion is inarguably essential.