So glad I found this thread, this issue is ruining my enjoyment of playing this game solo. I usually avoid using or playing against teams rated 4.5 star and above, and yet even if I use a team like Eibar (3.5) I get Real Madrid, PSG etc. It's crazy! Didn't even realise you couldn't select lower league teams in England anymore. Guess my club doesn't exist on this mode now? Wild.
I could understand this issue when the game just came out back in September. Maybe it's just a server problem, maybe it's just a bug, surely it will be fixed smoothly in the next update. We've been through what now, around 10 updates? You've let this issue go on for too long. Everytime it's the same story: I want to play as Ajax or Fulham because you know, there's more to football than the usual top teams but 90% of my matches are Real Madrid. Even if you're a good player the odds that you beat a team that has a Vinicius at the peak of his powers, Ernesto "does everything" Valverde, Ferland "Roberto Carlos" Mendy, etc. are infinitely small because the technical and physical superiority will end up prevailing over whatever tactical thinking you possess, that's true for the higher divisions at least. I'm not gonna hand free points to opponents anymore, this is not fair. The filters work very fine for cup games even if they happen only every 2 weeks so why you just won't fix something as futile (from the pov of whoever is responsible for the maintenance of this game) as restrictive matchmaking. This is so frustrating. FIFA 23 had no such problems.
Ironically the only reason why I have a PSN subscription to begin with is because of how playable Seasons was but you're giving me no choice but to reconsider it if you're resolved to ignore an issue as easy as this.
In FIFA 21, there weren't any issues with matchmaking, even without setting restrictions. Usually, it matched teams at a similar level, maybe half a star difference at most. Besides, differences in player physicality could be neutralized with good gameplay. But now, even if you're playing well, the opponent just needs someone fast/strong, and no matter what you do, your players move so slow that you end up losing. That's what's so frustrating. Ever since FIFA 22, the overall matchmaking got messed up. Restrictions used to work, but now they don't at all. It feels like the sale of an incomplete product. Where can I ask for a refund from EA?
