This is how I became an EA FC 24 pro (thanks to esports academy Team Gullit)

EA FC 24, formerly known (and still known by many) as FIFA, is an easy game to learn, but an impossibly infuriating one to master. A game shouldn’t bring equal joy and pain in the way that FIFA does, yet I always run back to it. Not only will a total stranger ruin your day by beating you 8-2 in an online match, they’ll likely private message you after calling you a clown.

In that, I find myself in something of a pickle. I enjoy playing EA FC 24. I really enjoy it. Call it a form of gaming Stockholm Syndrome, but EA FC 24 has an almost mystical hold over me that I can’t understand. Like a bad ex, I return to it far too often, knowing that I’ll hurt me each time that happens. The downside to this, is that I am terrible at it. I linger in the lower leagues, toiling in the serotonin mines for the one thing I know can bring me happiness. A 4-3 away win against a random teenager on the internet.

But I’m a journalist, and I have connections. And if politicians can work in their own interest, why can’t I? With that dubious logic, I spent an hour with Renzo Oemrawsingh, a former pro and now coach at the pro EA FC esports team Team Gullit. Renzo turns EA FC 24 players into pros, taking their skills to the world stage.

Here, I speak to Renzo about how I can up my EA FC 24 game, the secrets that can send me up the ranks, and how you could potentially make it pro.

Wire up

One of the first tips I get from Renzo took me by surprise. He asks me is if I’m playing on a wired internet connection. I am not, thanks to my PS5 being in my attic and my router on the ground floor. But this simple tip can help change your game immediately.

A speedy internet connection helps with lag during online games, which allows for more seamless, reactive play. But without wired-in internet, it would be hard to master the timed finishing feature. The aim of timed finishing is to produce a more accurate shot. More precision, equals more goals. To do this, you’d take a shot, then press the shoot button again. The trick is pressing the second button as soon as the ball touches the player’s foot.

Work with your camera angles

The next piece of advise Renzo gives me is another straightforward one. Play with your camera angles. “The standard camera angle makes it harder to perform the input, which is necessary to probably make the right movement as you want in game,” explains Renzo.

Renzo suggests using the tele broadcast or co-op camera angle. This displays a wide view of the pitch, while also being zoomed enough to be able to concentrate on the immediate action. After playing with the standard camera angle for so long, making the switch to tele broadcast is jarring at first. The benefit is quick to make itself known, though. The game feels faster paced, but not overwhelming. My reaction times are quicker, without really changing how I play. Some things take a little learning; I was caught out a few times missing an opposing player behind my defensive line. But with a little patience, it feels like a gaming hack.

Tactics are good, but finesse is key

4-5-1, 4-4-2, 3-4-2-1, what’re you gonna do? No, these aren’t the lyrics to Ludacris’ seminal track Area Codes. These are just three of 32 custom formations you can apply to your team in EA FC 24. They’re crucial to building a cohesive team that works with your play style, but can often be blamed for bad performances when really, it’s better to concentrate on understanding the game itself.

It’s easy to get bogged down in formation changes and custom tactics, especially if you’re competing in the EA FC 24 FUT Champs mode. FUT Champs is the online competitive mode of EA FC 24, where the best players compete for exclusive loot and bragging rights. In Division Rivals, as you climb up the ranks, you’ll face tougher opposition.

There are infinite ways to tweak your defence, widen your attack, play it safe defensively or go all out in attack. But before you do, first understanding how you play is crucial. From there, tailored tactics will take you to the next level. For the record, the most formation the pros play is the 4-3-2-1, says Renzo.

“First, you need to start learning the mechanics and how to actually perform them,” says Renzo. “From there, learn when to use those mechanics. If you learn a few mechanics, you can go to Division Four in no time.”

But what mechanics should I be using? We’ve all faced players who turn the pitch into a ballet performance, pirouetting their way through your defence. That won’t get you far in the big leagues, but there are a few moves in EA FC 24 that are vital to learn. A move Renzo tells me again and again to start using is the ball roll trivela. It’s essentially a ball roll to the left or right, finished with a shot on the outside of the foot. For some reason, it’s completely overpowered in EA FC 24, and is a “META way of scoring,” says Renzo.

To perform a ball roll trivela on PS5 and PS4, hold L2 and press O, while for Xbox Series X|S, that’s LT and press B. On PC, hold W and press left-click to shoot.

Take your time

Renzo assessed in my performances that rather than build play slowly, I spend too much energy trying to get the ball into the opponents half as fast as I can. This, inevitably, leads to me losing the ball, and leaving myself open to a counterattack. Much more often than not, this leads to a goal.

I took two tips from Renzo that helped up my game. The first is to not take too many risks, and take advantage of the whole pitch. “The most important rule to remember is that you want to go from outside to inside,” says Renzo. “Combining through the middle, especially in EA FC 24, is very hard, so use the width. Your build up should always start on your wings.”

The other key thing to remember is a little more difficult one to perfect. Patience. If you find yourself running into dead ends, pass back and build up play again, suggests Renzo. “We’ve all experienced players who are constantly playing through balls and getting nowhere,” says Renzo. “Switching play and building up again will open up your opponent’s defence, and can give you a better position to attack from.”

How to go pro

If you’re at the top of your game and consistently winning against some of the best players in the game, how do you take the next step to becoming a pro? What separates a great player, from a world class one?

“I can turn you into a Division One player by teaching you the mechanics, such as the ball roll trivela. But the pro players can adapt to any type of player,” says Renzo. “They can counter their opponent, and make quick decisions on the fly. Immediately after kick off, a pro knows how they’re going to get into your box and score in two or three different ways.”

Get scouted

You’ve done the hard part, mastered the tricks, and are seemingly unbeatable. All you need now is to find a team. Or, better yet, for a team to find you.

Like any pro squad, there are some quite specific requirements needed to join Team Gullit. Team Gullit mostly seek out youngsters, who can dedicate more of their time to the game without pesky things like jobs and responsibilities getting in the way. Renzo looks to the online division rivals and weekend league leaderboards, as well as tournaments hosted by the community, to seek out new talent. Think of it as the EA FC 24 equivalent of an Arsenal scout turning up at your 5-a-side game.

Wins aren’t the be all and end all, either. “I’m always looking for something exceptional. A player can be losing 8-0, but they can can be an exceptional attacker,” says Renzo. “If a player is average in everything, I probably won’t sign them. I’m looking for players who can do something very, very, very well, and the rest I can teach them. I’m looking for talent that I can work with.”