FIFA 23: Best 4

Jul 09, 2023

The 4-1-4-1 formation promotes a strong possession game in FIFA 23.

FIFA 23 features an almost endless list of formations, which can suit all kinds of play styles. The 4-1-4-1 is perfect for dominating games in FUT.

The 4-1-4-1 is a formation that is often forgotten about across the FUT community. After all, there is a huge list of tactical styles in Ultimate Team, and meta formations such as 4-4-2 are most commonly used.

However, the formation is somewhat of a hidden gem in FIFA 23. It provides a compact midfield area, which benefits a quick passing style in the build-up stage. Out of possession, it sets the team up perfectly to win the ball back efficiently.

Custom tactics are hugely significant in FUT. Applying a tactic that suits the current meta of the game is crucial to long-term success in the game mode. FUT Champions is so competitive that the finest of margins can make all the difference. Tweaking your tactics could help you improve your ranking in the weekend league.

Customising your tactical approach can also provide a huge advantage in Ultimate FUT Draft. While you are given a limited amount of formation options, you can always apply a strong set of tactics to complement your team's shape on the pitch.

Also, bear in mind that these custom tactics can also be utilised in offline game modes such as Career Mode. If FUT isn't your thing, then you can use our 4-1-4-1 tactics to help your virtual career become a success.

Our 4-1-4-1 tactics could provide the foundations for all types of success across FIFA 23's game modes. Here we will break the setup down, from overall team setup to instructions and player roles.

Read more: FIFA 23: Best 4-4-2 Tactics

The first step to building this FIFA 23 tactic is determining the team's style both on and off the ball. This can be achieved by tweaking the custom tactics.

Firstly, we have opted for a balanced defensive style. This means that our team will maintain their natural shape when defending. This means that all the defensive areas will be accounted for.

For the defensive width, we opted for 35 for this 4-1-4-1 tactic. This means that the team will be narrowly positioned when defending, this will make it difficult for the opposition to break down the defensive unit.

The depth is set at 65, we want to keep most of the play as far away from our goal as possible. This also means that we can create deadly attacks almost immediately after winning possession.

For the offensive setup of the team, we selected a balanced style of build-up. When the team has possession in the middle of the pitch, they will maintain their formation and avoid making extravagant movements off the ball.

The form of chance creation we opted for was a possession. This means that players will most of the time drop deep to support the man in possession. This is in contrast to players primarily looking to make direct runs behind the defence.

The attacking width is set at 45, we want the team to spread the play slightly in possession, but maintain a relatively narrow shape. We want our players to always be in proximity to each other during the offensive build-up.

Players in the box are set at four for this tactic. The striker and wide midfielders will be joined by an offensive central midfielder in the penalty area.

The set-piece setup for this tactic is not vital to any potential success. We decided on two players in the box for these situations, but feel free to tweak this to your own preference.

Read more: FIFA 23: Best 4-1-2-1-2 Tactics

The individual player instructions are also crucial to this tactic. Firstly, the goalkeeper and central defenders can be left on the default instructions.

The fullbacks are told to stay back while attacking and overlap. They will remain in the deep areas primarily, but provide width when needed.

The central defensive midfielder is told to stay back while attacking and cover centre. One of the central midfielders is given identical instructions so that they can create a double pivot alongside the CDM.

The other central midfielder will perform an offensive-based role. They are given the instructions to get into the box for cross and get forward. Their late attacking runs will be difficult for your opponent to keep track of.

The wide midfielders are solely told to get in behind. They will operate as out-and-out playmakers that drift all over the attacking third. They will make runs in behind whenever they are not the ball carrier.

The striker in this tactic is awarded the role to get in behind, as well as stay central. They will provide a constant threat through the middle.

The 4-1-4-1 is one of the leading FIFA 23 formations for those wishing to deploy a scintillating possession style in Ultimate Team. Why not try out our tactics, to see if you can find success without using FUT's most popular tactical systems this year?

Chris Magee is a writer for GiveMeSport covering FIFA/EA Sports FC.In 2022, he graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with a Sports Journalism degree.Chris has written for established sites such as Sports Illustrated and the Liverpool ECHO.He is a keen gamer, with a strong passion for games such as FIFA and Football Manager.In his spare time, he will likely be following Liverpool, or watching NBA.