Why does every match feel the same and so exhausting?
I am writing this as an average player, not as someone pretending to be elite.
Lately, a huge part of my frustration with EA SPORTS FC 26 comes from how repetitive and exhausting many matches feel. It often seems like I am facing the same style again and again: very aggressive pressing, the same few formations, heavy AI coverage, and almost no room to actually build attacks in a natural way.
A big problem is constant pressure and extreme defensive intensity. In many matches I feel forced to make decisions instantly just to avoid losing the ball. Even when I try to move the ball quickly, there is often another defender already covering the exact passing lane. It creates a feeling that I am not being beaten by better football, but by a system that heavily rewards pressure, AI positioning, and defensive automation.
I also keep seeing very similar setups, especially narrow or compact defensive structures and formations like 4-4-1-1. Whether the opponent presses high or sits deep, the result often feels the same: there is very little space, very little freedom, and very little variation from match to match.
What makes this even worse is that these scumbag-style tactics are not only a problem in online modes.
The same feeling exists in Squad Battles too. If a team is set up with a very deep defensive block and compact defending, the experience becomes almost identical to the worst online matches. It does not even need to be a squad full of overpowered cards. A perfectly set defensive setup is enough for the AI to turn the match into a miserable experience.
Even on World Class difficulty, not just Legendary or Ultimate, it can already feel absurd. You go into Squad Battles hoping to take a break from online frustration, and instead you run into the same kind of suffocating defensive structure there as well. That is what makes it feel so ridiculous. There is no real escape from this style of gameplay, because the same low-block, AI-assisted defending keeps showing up across multiple modes.
For example, when I try to use 4-3-1-2, I can sometimes make it work in Rivals, but in this current event it often feels useless because the pressure is so constant that I can barely progress toward the box at all.
I know the easy response is “skill issue,” and that is fine. I am not claiming to be an amazing player. I dropped from Division 4 to Division 5, and I finished FUT Champions with 7 wins and 8 losses. But many of those games were still close enough that I felt they could have gone either way. That is exactly why the experience is frustrating: not because every loss is a total destruction, but because so many matches feel like I am starting from a disadvantage no matter what tactical choice I make.
Another issue is the type of player behavior this gameplay seems to encourage. Sometimes if I score first against a stronger player, the entire tone of the match changes. It stops feeling like normal competition and starts feeling like the opponent wants to prove a point, overwhelm me completely, and turn the match into a humiliation. In other matches, players are several goals ahead and still seem irritated that I do not quit. That kind of atmosphere is not healthy for the game.
So I think there are a few important questions:
Why does aggressive pressing feel so consistently effective with so little downside?
Why do AI interceptions and defensive lane coverage feel so dominant?
Why do the same few formations appear so often?
Why does deep block defending create the exact same frustration even in Squad Battles?
How is an average player supposed to improve when so many matches feel less like football and more like surviving the same oppressive meta over and over?
I do not expect every match to be easy. I do not expect to win all the time. But I do expect variety, some tactical freedom, and the feeling that trying different formations or ideas is actually worth something.
Right now, too many matches feel repetitive, restrictive, and mentally draining. For average players especially, the game can start to feel less like competition and more like punishment.
If EA wants players to stay engaged, then issues like constant pressure, AI defensive assistance, repetitive meta setups, deep block defending across multiple modes, and matchmaking quality need much more serious attention.
