EA Sports FC 26 is now live, and the addition of two preset modes, Competitive Mode and Authentic Mode, enhances the player experience. Improvements to Ultimate Team and Club modes are attracting many players.
In these modes, if your team wants to win more games, focusing solely on offense and neglecting defense is not a wise choice, as good defense is also a crucial component.
However, effectively improving defensive skills is not a simple task. Therefore, IGGM.com has provided five recommended methods to help your team win games more smoothly. Incidentally, these strategies are for controllers. Of course, we will continue to release strategies for keyboard and mouse in the future.
Method 1: Focus On Defense
In FUT 26, if you want to win a competitive match, the first thing you need to do before the game is to set up Intelligent Player Switching. Right Stick Switching plays a crucial role in high-level competition. Let’s explain how to use it below.
First, point Right Stick toward the player you want to field, gently flick Y-stick, and set its Sensitivity to 4. This will help with defensive formation and defensive organization.
Second, you can tap L1 button to select your desired player. Midfielders or CDMs should be placed in defensive positions; they will play a crucial role.
When your team is retreating and defending, defenders will stay on a fixed defensive line. If they attempt to tackle the opposing team’s buildup, this will leave gaps in the defensive line, allowing the opponent to easily score.
Therefore, when your team is retreating, midfielders, or CDMs are needed to support the defensive line. This isn’t about defending, but about ensuring your team’s defensive line remains intact and preventing the opponent from easily building up an attack.
After winning a Competitive Challenge, midfielders or CDMs will earn additional FUT 26 Coins or Player Points Missions for their outstanding performance, helping them further improve their abilities.
Method 2: Tactical Strategy
In competitive matches, to improve your team’s defensive capabilities, besides setting Intelligent Player Switching, you’ll also need to use Second Man Press.
Second Man Press means that when you press R1 button once, you activate a nearby AI teammate, who will then put pressure on the opposing team’s passer. In a 1v1 situation with an attacker, activating a nearby AI teammate can create a double-team, helping to regain possession.
If your team’s defenders aren’t strong during a corner kick, you can double-click R1 button to activate Partial Team Press.
You’ll see a blue triangle appear above the player’s head, and they’ll then run towards the player who passed the ball to the opposing team and mark them. This is very useful for corner kicks or when adjusting position on the wing.
Method 3: Player Selection
In FIFA 26, improving your team’s defensive capabilities also requires L1 switching. When you press L1 button, the game automatically selects the player closest to the ball, typically indicated by a transparent arrow appearing above their head. When an opponent touches the ball, you can quickly intercept and defend them.
If the player automatically selected after pressing L1 button doesn’t suit your needs, you can use Right Stick to switch to your preferred player.
You can also buy the cheapest FC 26 Coins at IGGM.com to invest in all your team’s players, helping them improve quickly and eliminating the hassle of selecting the right players one by one.
When controlling a center back and retreating, keep a close eye on the player in the penalty area. Use full-backs for secondary pressure, ensuring they target the marked penalty area to avoid missing any defensive openings.
Method 4: Player Actions
The defensive methods discussed above primarily rely on button presses or strategic tactics. Now, let’s explore seven player actions that can help improve your team’s defensive capabilities.
We mentioned that CDM players can switch to holding defenders. This ensures they have immediate support from midfielders when facing a goal, eliminating the need to immediately jump into defensive position when facing a gap.
In FIFA 26, Circle Header is more powerful than before. First, set your clearance to directional. When defending a header, press Circle to aim the ball towards a teammate for a precise pass.
Circle Header is particularly useful when your team is in a defensive gap. When a player approaches the ball, whether it’s for a corner kick or a free kick, it can block a pass or a goal-scoring threat and clear the ball.
Goalkeeper movement is controlled by pressing Right Stick, also known as R3. This moves the goalkeeper in the desired direction, allowing them to find the ideal position. If facing a shot, hold down the Y button to have the goalkeeper rush out to block the ball.
However, not every goalkeeper’s save is entirely effective. To further enhance your goalkeeper’s abilities, spend FUT 26 coins to increase their stats and help your team better prevent every goal-scoring threat.
Standing tackles simply require waiting for the right moment to tackle, or standing in front of the opponent’s shot to block it. This is particularly suited for center back players. Standing tackles don’t require any button presses and are primarily based on AI animations.
Ride is another defensive tactical strategy. If you’re currently playing in a defensive position, simply stand in front of a teammate and hold down L2 button. This will activate that teammate and allow them to tackle together. This tactical tackle is certainly effective, but it may cost your team a penalty kick.
However, in the later stages of a match, players can be more courageous and hold down L2 button while rushing towards the player with the ball, trying to win possession.
When vying for possession, you can simultaneously hold down L2 and R2 buttons to accelerate, striving to maintain a consistent rhythm with the opponent’s attack. This allows you to defend.
Interception is another defensive skill. Players do not need to touch any buttons. The AI player will actively stretch out his foot to block the oncoming pass.
The side tackle is a last-ditch effort to prevent a sure goal. When facing an opponent’s shot, hold down X button to block the ball with your shoulder. Or in a dangerous moment when the opponent is about to score, quickly slide in front of the goal to block it.
In addition, when facing an opponent’s shot at a tight angle, sliding in front of the goal not only blocks the shot but also eliminates the chance of it rebounding.
These are all effective defensive moves for players when their team is facing offensive danger.
Method 5: Tactical Fouls
Next, let’s talk about a lesser-known but truly effective defensive tactic: Tactical Fouls. First, set up Professional Fouls in the settings, then use a yellow card to prevent a goal. A yellow card requires you to be neither the last player in the defensive position nor the last man in the box, as this will result in a yellow card and a dismissal.
This tactic is useful in the second half of a game when your team is ahead. It can disrupt the opponent’s rhythm in a tense match, making it easier to win. Winning matches also earns you FIFA 26 Coins, which can be used to upgrade your team or participate in tournaments and other events.
A reminder: Tactical Fouls are not recommended and may result in a warning. They are only recommended in special circumstances, so please use them with caution.
The above methods are IGGM.com FC 26 guide to improving your team’s defensive capabilities in various FIFA 26 game modes. We hope you enjoy playing.