FIFA 20 best teams to play with, from Manchester City to Real Madrid

FIFA 20 Volta Football — (Image credit: EA)

The FIFA 20 best teams list is essential reading for anyone wanting to take a break from Ultimate Team. Whether playing an exhibition FIFA 20 match with mates or leaping into a career mode, you need to know your Spurs from your St Etienne – which is where the list below comes into play. Using the default rosters (so note that, for instance, Christian Eriksen is still at Tottenham), we've ranked the 10 best sides in the game to form your FIFA 20 best teams guide.

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Barcelona: 259

Attack: 89
Midfield: 85
Defence: 85

Even with the team increasingly reliant on Lionel Messi in real life, Barcelona are still top dogs on FIFA 20. The 89-rated attack is the best by far in the game, consisting of Messi (94), Griezmann (89) and Suarez (89) all present in its all-conquering trademark 4-3-3 formation.

The previous black mark against the Barca squad, its lack of depth, has even been addressed. The likes of Ousmane Dembele and Samuel Umtiti only make the bench. In terms of tactics, lower the Width slightly from the default to truly recreate some tiki-taka magic.

Real Madrid: 258

Attack: 85
Midfield: 87
Defence: 86

Los Blancos may be struggling at the start of the La Liga season, yet Barcelona’s El Clasico rivals are breathing down their necks – in terms of FIFA ratings, at least. It’s easy to see why. The joint-best midfield in the game is also the most well-balanced three in terms of what they can do. Casemiro is even better than last year, and his 90 Strength and 89 Aggression attributes make him the perfect foil for Luka Modric and Toni Kroos to dominate the middle of the park.

If you want to slightly improve the side, tweak the default 4-3-3 False 9 formation to the Holding variety. Bale is an upgrade over Vinicius Jr. on the right wing thanks to being far better technically. The Brazilian is only superior in three out of 29 categories: Dribbling, and, uhh, Goalkeeper Positioning and Reflexes. Not sure that’ll come in too handy…

Manchester City: 256

Attack: 86
Midfield: 87
Defence: 83

Fans of the Premier League will know all about Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking Manchester City side. That dominance is reflected in-game this year, too. Only three players in the starting XI come in at under 85-rated and, in what is swiftly becoming a trend with the best FIFA 20 teams, the 4-3-3 formation is the perfect set-up to get most out of the squad. Especially with rapid wingers Mahrez and Sane lurking in reserve.

Piemonte Calcio (Juventus): 254

Attack: 87
Midfield: 83
Defence: 84

PES may have nabbed the Juventus license, though there’s no nerf incoming for the amusingly-named Piemonte Calcio (take a look at our dedicated FIFA 20 Piemonte Calcio article that explains why)! Naff badge notwithstanding, of course. Boasting the second-best rated attack in the game (led by the legendary Ronaldo), and an immovable defence with only De Sciglio letting the side down with a 79 rating, the joint-fourth best FIFA 20 team shouldn’t be seen as a soft touch.

Piemonte – still getting used to that, sorry – also have some real talent lurking further down the menus. Don’t be scared to swap out some of the set starters: Higuain, Buffon, Cuadrado, Khedira, Matudi, Danilo, De Ligt, Ramsey, and Costa could all help turn the tide in myriad different ways. How’s that for depth?

Bayern: 254

Attack: 85
Midfield: 85
Defence: 84

Arguably the biggest surprise on this top 10 list is Bayern’s (relative) high spot. In a year where they were nearly edged to the title by perennial rivals Borussia Dortmund, as well as Arjen Robben and Franck Riberty leaving the Bavarian club, Bayern remain capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone.

That’s thanks, in large part, to the goalscoring knack of Robert Lewandowski (89). Get the most out of him by playing a 4-2-2-2. A strike partnership with Muller, flanked by Coutinho and Gnabry in wide attacking midfield positions, ensures you’ve always got plenty of movement in behind – a must in FIFA 20 with the AI’s increased intelligence in making forward runs.

Liverpool: 253

Attack: 86
Midfield: 83
Defence: 84

A shade below Premier League rivals City thanks to a midfield consisting of Henderson, Wijnaldum, and Fabinho, Liverpool are still a team to be feared this year. Salah has finally hit the 90 Overall mark – let him run riot by setting Support Runs to ‘Get in Behind’ – and Mane on the other flank is one of the quickest elite wingers in the game. Sprinkle in Firmino in the False 9 role and you’re onto a winner.

Improve the side by replacing Henderson with Keita – the latter’s all-action dribbling will be a better fit for this year’s meta, focusing on those who can carry the ball with purpose.

PSG: 253

Attack: 87
Midfield: 84
Defence: 82

As you can tell by the lop-sided ratings, PSG have only one thing in mind: attack. As such, it’s difficult to squeeze in all the attacking talent, so a tweak in formation is required from the default one given to you by EA.

Despite being 86-rated, it’s worth benching Angel di Maria and, instead, playing a 4-3-3 with Neymar on the left, Mbappe on the right, and Cavani as the target man in the middle. In midfield, you’ve got bountiful options: Verratti is a must, and you can experiment with the likes of Herrera, Gueye, Sarabia, Draxler, and Paredes to see what suits your style best.

Tottenham Hotspur: 251

Attack: 86
Midfield: 83
Defence: 82

Jose Mourinho’s men have shaken off the bottlers tag and can now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the game’s elite. This is the first time they’ve ever made it into the overall top 10.

As tempting as it is to rely on youth, Poch-style, swap Walker-Peters out for the far more gifted (in-game, anyway) Serge Aurier and Winks out for Sissoko. It’s also worth changing the team’s Offensive Style in Tactics to ‘Fast Build Up.’ Spurs' default roster is blessed with technically gifted attack-minded players – Eriksen, Son, and Ali can all play it about at will. Then there’s Harry Kane – the best out-and-out striker in the game at 89 Overall. Spursy? Not any more.

Borussia Dortmund: 248

Attack: 82
Midfield: 83
Defence: 83

As the numbers suggest, Dortmund are one of the most well-rounded of the five-star clubs in FIFA 20. Among the stars are Marco Reus (88) – who can play CAM/LM/ST – and English sensation Jadon Sancho. Similarly, Hazard (Thorgan, brother of Eden) is an 82-rated RM, adept on either wing and even as a forward. His four-star weak foot and skill moves makes him a useful utility option. Mats Hummels (87), meanwhile, is a fearsome as the Yellow Wall that congregate at home matches in the stands behind him.

Before you begin a game, a small tweak is required. 4-3-3 Attack is a better formation than the default 4-2-3-1 Wide, just because the talismanic Sancho has a Low Defensive Work Rate. Unleash him as a proper winger instead of the halfway house of a wide midfielder who will inevitably let you down in the defensive third.

Atletico Madrid: 246

Attack: 82
Midfield: 83
Defence: 81

Should Atletico’s Defence rating be a little higher? Probably. After all, Diego Simeone’s men have kept over 220 clean sheets since his arrival in 2011. Still, there’s lots to like about the ‘weakest’ five-star squad in the game. ‘Keeper Jan Oblak is a brick wall – and the best goalkeeper in the game, while wonderkid Joao Felix is a joy to control, his five-star skill moves sure to break a few ankles (and controllers) whether you play him as a striker in the default 4-4-2 system, or slightly further back.