This Christmas tree formation in EA FC 25 is actually meta

You can bring a bit of festive cheer to your EA FC 25 Ultimate Team by running a Christmas tree formation, and the best part is — it’s actually a meta tactic.

With plenty of promos and special cards already behind us, and even more to come, most EA FC 25 players have pretty strong teams by now. So, the only way to gain a real upper hand in modes like Division Rivals and Champs is by running the best formations and tactics.

Now, with the Winter Wildcards event upon us and the holiday season in full swing, it’s the perfect time to break out the tried-and-tested Christmas formation.

The formation in question is 4-3-2-1, consisting of three central midfielders, two attacking midfielders, and a lone striker. In previous years, the same tactic featured three strikers in total but was tweaked after players found ways to abuse it, but it remains a powerful setup in EA FC 25.

EA SPORTS / Dexerto

While it looks a little odd on paper, the beauty of 4-3-2-1 is the versatility it offers. If you want to sit back and defend a lead, you can do that with a couple of changes to the Player Roles. On the other hand, if you need a goal, you can also go for the kitchen sink approach and throw everyone forward.

But for the most balanced setup, your picks for the CM and CAM positions are absolutely crucial. In terms of central midfielders, you need at least one that is well-suited as a traditional number 6 (CDM). By setting them to ‘Holding,’ you free up the other two to go forward without leaving yourself exposed.

Then, you want either the right or left center-mid to be an attacking Playmaker, to make up for the lack of a recognized number 10 position. This is arguably the most important player in the entire system, as it’ll be on them to pull the strings and create opportunities for the frontline.

Speaking of which, the profile of players is crucial in the two CAM positions too. These will essentially be acting as makeshift wingers and strikers all at once, so it’s important to choose someone good on the ball with plenty of pace to breeze past full-backs, but also great finishing.

In terms of the Player Roles, I recommend setting them to Shadow Strikers. This way, they focus all of their brainpower on attacking, making clever runs in behind the defense and darting into the box to get on the end of crosses.

Check out the image below full a full breakdown of how to set up the squad:

EA SPORTS / Dexerto

Once you’ve made the right signings and put it all together, the Christmas tree formation is one of the most balanced and effective systems that EA FC 25 has to offer. The solid three in midfield make it easy to break up play and stop counter-attacks, two CAMs provide width while still chipping in with goals of their own, and the lone striker has three creative players to provide them with chances.

But, more importantly, it’s the perfect way to spread a little bit of festive cheer around Ultimate Team while still inspiring a few rage quits.