It's not all about Ultimate Team. FIFA 22 Career Mode offers a nostalgic offline alternative and we're excited about playing with these teams in particular
(Image credit: EA Sports)
The FIFA franchise might slowly have become more about Ultimate Team and playing against your mates online than anything else but, for many, the most rewarding aspect of the game still remains its classic career mode. Career mode can be an incredibly fulfilling gaming experience if you opt for the right team and give yourself a real chance to achieve something in the game.
Whether it’s returning a failing club to the top division, or helping a fallen giant to regain its status in world football, being able to do something iconic at a club is what makes career mode fun.
So without further ado, here’s a look at seven of the most exciting teams to manage on FIFA 22…
A side which absolutely falls into the 'fallen giant' category we mentioned above. Until recently, Schalke were regular participants in the Champions League, and even finished runners-up to Bayern in the 17/18 Bundesliga season. But years of mismanagement, dwindling funds and boardroom controversies have seen their fortunes plummet, and now they find themselves in the second tier.
Schalke are one of Germany's oldest and most well supported clubs, with a history for developing top level talent. The likes of Leroy Sane, Mesut Ozil, Manuel Neuer, and Julian Draxler made their breakthroughs at the Royal Blues, but were sold to rivals in order to make much needed cash.
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But it doesn't have to be that way. In the rights hands, Schalke can be rebuilt, using players from the club's enviable youth academy instead of expensive signings. Should you help them get back to the Bundesliga, and then the Champions League, coffers can be re-filled, meaning precious gems needn't be sold to raise funds for transfers. A long-term project, certainly, but they're always the most satisfying.
Celtic
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The objective is clear: take your crown back from cross-town rivals Rangers. Steven Gerrard's side stunned Scottish football by winning a first SPL title in a decade last term and you need to show the Englishman who's boss.
It won't be easy. Rangers are a savvy, talented side and will be expecting to win almost every domestic clash. You'll need to do the same and then clinch victory in the force Old Firm Derby games if you want to take Celtic back to the summit of Scottish football. The squad will need investment, particularly after the loss of Osdonne Edouard to Crystal Palace in the summer, and you won't have much cash to rebuild with. But do a decent job, and you'll also have a chance to take the club back in to the Champions League and refill the coffers.
Manchester United
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Not quite a fallen giant, but certainly a big team in need of some restructuring. Manchester United, of course, come armed with one of the biggest transfer budgets on FIFA 22 Career Mode, and you're going to need to invest even more than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did over the summer.
With Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani in the squad, scoring goals shouldn't be an issue, but a proper defensive midfielder will be needed if you're to take the Red Devils back to the summit of English football. Then of course, there's the tough task of selling on the deadwood. Is Fred good enough to keep, will Anthony Martial ever come good, and what to do with Donny van de Beek? There's a lot to sink your teeth into.
Manchester United have been looking for the next Sir Alex Ferguson since the day the great man retired. Is that person you?
Sunderland
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Sunderland aren’t a team for the faint of heart, but give them a little bit of time and managing the Black Cats could turn out to be one of your most rewarding managerial experiences on any iteration of FIFA.
The Wearsiders were relegated from the Premier League in 2017, and have since fallen down the English football pyramid to League One after being plagued by problems on and off the pitch.
Restoring them to their former top flight glory over the course of a few seasons would make for a fine in-game story.
PSG
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Come on, it's okay to let your hair down once in a while. PSG are essentially a cheat mode in real life and also on FIFA and there's always room for a bit of fun between the more gruelling projects.
A squad jam-packed with world class talent including the drool-worthy front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, would be fun enough o play with anyway. But add in talents such as Julian Draxler, Angel Di Maria, Marco Veratti, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Gini Wijnaldum and you can expect to play some of the most dazzling football ever seen on these shores. The added element of a big war chest to spend ever window and plenty of amazing youngsters pushing through from the academy will make you the envy of opposition managers in your own little virtual playground.
With the French league title and cup pretty much guaranteed, you can chop and tweak and change as much as you like there and save your best performances for the Champions League. There's nothing noble in it, sure, but it's fun for that reason alone. Come to the dark side!
AC Milan
(Image credit: PA Images)
Milan’s total dominance of Serie A has long been a thing of the past. They’ve spent the better part of the last decade trying to sneak back into the upper echelons of Italy’s top flight, and it finally looks as if they may have a team capable of competing for the title. They've got a great defence, a decent midfield and, of course, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who continues to defy logic at the age of 40. You could help them reach their potential on FIFA 22.
Borussia Dortmund
(Image credit: PA)
Borussia Dortmund are probably the team that ticks the most boxes out of any in the game. A decent transfer budget that doesn't border on the ridiculous, a strong squad capable of competing for domestic success, a project that will need patience in order to earn European success, a phenomenal clutch of young stars and a world class academy.
Just good enough to have fun with straight off the bat, but not so good it's easy, BVB represent the best of the worlds as you battle to take the title from juggernauts Bayern. Develop young talents - such as Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland and Giovanni Reyna - or sell them for heaps of cash and bring in ready-made stars. The choice is yours at Borussia Dortmund.
Ed is a staff writer at FourFourTwo, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career.
