Build A Soccer Squad Squad Building Guide
Building a strong Build A Soccer Squad Starting XI comes down to two things working together: picking players who actually fill your positions, and placing them so their Chemistry links stay green.
The Starting XI Uses a 4-3-3 Shape
Independent guides describe Build A Soccer Squad's default lineup as a 4-3-3: a back four, a three-player midfield, and a front three. You pick one card per slot until all eleven positions are filled.
Your team rating is simply the average of all eleven cards, so a single weak slot drags the whole squad down. That's why guides recommend filling your last few open slots with a targeted Reroll or Refresh rather than settling for whatever's on screen.
What Each Position Actually Needs
Across the confirmed example lineups guides have published, the same position slots keep reappearing. Matching a card's actual position to its slot matters, even though a high-OVR card in the wrong slot still fills the role.
It's easier to keep a consistent Chemistry core when positions line up with your squad's club or nation anchor.
| Slot | Count | Role |
|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | Goalkeeper |
| RB / CB / CB / LB | 4 | Back line |
| CM | 2–3 | Central midfield |
| LW / RW | 2 | Wide attack |
| ST | 1 | Striker |
Chemistry Comes From Placement, Not Just Picks
Chemistry is built from links between adjacent players in your Starting XI. The stronger the shared attributes between two neighboring cards, the stronger the link — and a stronger overall link network pushes your squad's effective rating above what the raw player average would suggest.
| Link Type | Strength | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Club | Strongest | Two adjacent players from the same club form the strongest possible Chemistry link. |
| League | Medium | Adjacent players who share a league form a solid, medium-strength link. |
| Nation | Weakest | Adjacent players who share a nationality form the weakest link on its own, but it still adds up. |
A lower-rated player with strong Chemistry links can outperform a higher-rated player sitting with no links at all, because Chemistry pushes the whole line's effective output up.
See the full Chemistry guide for how link strength stacks across an entire XI, not just between two neighboring cards.
A Confirmed Example Lineup
This is one of several real example lineups Pro Game Guides published after building a 100+ OVR squad — useful as a reference for position fit, not a guaranteed copy-paste recipe since pack pulls are random.
| Position | Player | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| GK | GB Kahn | 108 |
| RB | Pavard | 106 |
| CB | SB Cannavaro | 106 |
| CB | Cannavaro | 102 |
| LB | Maldini | 104 |
| CM | GB Modric | 107 |
| CM | E. Fernandez | 107 |
| LW | James | 108 |
| ST | Messi | 104 |
| RW | SB Muller | 105 |
This lineup averages 105.7 OVR before any Chemistry bonus, close to the 100+ target most guides recommend for consistent Cup runs.
Building Toward Cup Mode
Once your Starting XI clears 93 OVR, Cup Mode opens up. Squeaking in with a 93 or 94 OVR squad tends to mean early losses — most players treat 100+ OVR as the practical target for consistently deep Cup runs.
Chasing a Captain unlock for your squad's anchor nation is one of the more reliable ways to raise your floor, since it guarantees a high-OVR card instead of relying on a lucky pack pull.
Sources and Verification
- Pro Game Guides — How to Make a 100 Rated Team — example formations
- All Things How — Beginner Guide — 4-3-3 shape, chemistry link model
Checked 2026-07-14. Note: one Pro Game Guides article claims Chemistry is driven only by player roles, not club/nation — this contradicts both the beginner guide above and our cross-checked Chemistry page, so we did not use that claim here.
Keep Reading
Chemistry Guide
The full breakdown of Club, League, and Nation links and how they stack.
Read the guide →100+ Rated Team
The confirmed high-OVR cards and resource stockpile this formation strategy builds toward.
Read the guide → 99Captains Guide
A guaranteed way to fill your toughest Starting XI slot with a 99 OVR card.
Read the guide →