FIFA 22 Porto Career Mode Guide: Starting lineup and who to sign

Porto has not finished outside the top three in Portugal since 1976, so your league position needs to be at the top in FIFA 22 Career Mode!

However, it has been 10 years since the Portuguese giants have tasted European success when the likes of Radamel Falcao fired them to Europa League glory in 2011.

Now you’re in the hotseat, our guide should help you as you attempt to take Porto back to the top table of European football.

Team Rating

Porto has a 4-star rating in FIFA 22.

The breakdown of the ratings is as follows: ATT 77, MID 80, DEF 77.

Starting Lineup and Formation

Porto’s default lineup is a 4-4-2 but it leaves out some of the best players available to you, so you will want to rip up the script and start fresh.

Agustin Marchesin (OVR 81) should be your first-choice goalkeeper, even if it is just for one season.

We prefer a back four in FIFA 22, so versatile Mexican star Jesus Corona (OVR 82) drops in at right-back, with Zaidu Sanusi (OVR 75) operating on the left.

Veteran defender Pepe (OVR 82) and former Newcastle man Chancel Mbemba (OVR 79) are the obvious pairing at centre-back.

We have opted to play two deeper-lying midfielders to allow our attacking players more freedom, with Mateus Uribe (OVR 79) and Sergio Oliveira (OVR 80) providing that platform.

The three players behind your striker is where the star-quality is, with Colombian speedster Luis Diaz (OVR 81) on the left.

We like to use Otavio (OVR 81) in the central role behind the striker and have brought in Pepe (OVR 77) to play on the right of the three.

Leading the line alone is Iranian forward Mehdi Taremi (OVR 79) who Chelsea fans will remember for scoring an outrageous bicycle kick against them in the Champions League.

Tactics and Instructions

Your lone striker is not lightning quick and not equipped to battle the biggest centre-backs either, so it is important to get your midfielders up in support of Taremi.

Slow Build-Up play should help you dominate possession, but also play the intricate football that suits your smaller, more technical attacking players like Luis Diaz and Otavio.

Diaz is most dangerous when set to ‘Cut Inside’ onto his stronger right foot, and it is worth doing the same for Pepe and maximise their link-up play.

You don’t want Jesus Corona to sit back in defence either, so make sure he is set to ‘Join the Attack’.

As ever, set your central midfield player to ‘Cover Centre’ to avoid being left exposed through the middle of the pitch.

Development Plans

You have three very promising youngsters in Fabio Vieira, Francisco Conceicao, and Vitinha, so make sure they are in the positions you want them in!

Vieira and Vitinha both occupy the CAM role, so if you want them both in the side then one of them will need to either drop deeper or drift out wide.

If you are going to go with Corona at right-back then making that his primary position should help his defensive attributes.

Transfer Market

Starting budget: £17 million

Who should go?

Porto doesn’t have the biggest squad, so it won’t be a mass clear out when you take over.

Reserve right-back Nanu (OVR 72) is probably the only player who is a definite for the transfer list, but keeper Claudio Ramos (OVR 74) can join him if you only want two GKs in the squad.

Ivan Marcano (OVR 77), Wilson Manafa (OVR 76), and Fabio Cardoso (OVR 75) could also be let go if you are prepared to give some youngsters the chance to impress.

Loans

There are three youngsters we would suggest sending out on loan, as we would keep Fabio Vieira in the squad as he can contribute sporadically to first-team action.

Francisco Conceicao (POT 86) and Vitinha (POT 82) can both become good players more than capable of breaking into the starting XI.

English forward Danny Loader (OVR 77) can also benefit from a loan spell, although it is up to you if you think he can make the grade.

There are seven players already out on loan, but it is Romario Baro (POT 82), Diogo Leite (POT 81), and Mamadou Loum (POT 80) that you should watch out for upon their return.

Who to sign?

You can probably bring in another £10-£15 million quite easily through player sales, but that still leaves a budget of maximum £30 million for a new striker.

Porto have had the likes of Moussa Marega, Vincent Aboubakar, and Jackson Martinez in the past, and it is another strong and mobile forward we are looking to add to the squad.

Duvan Zapata (OVR 83) may be slightly out of range, and the same goes for Croatian forward Ante Rebic (OVR 82).

Nice’s Algerian forward Andy Delort (OVR 81) could be the solution as he combines power and pace with 82 Finishing.

Transfer Options (ST)

Porto’s centre-backs are not getting any younger, so we would recommend bolstering the ranks with an injection of youth.

You might find it difficult to prise Morato (POT 86) away from rivals Benfica, so Leonidas Stergiou (POT 86) could be the answer.

Stergiou can reach 86 OVR and should not break the bank with a starting value of just £2.2 million.

Transfer Options (CB)

Board Expectations

With a critical priority on Domestic Success, expect the board to demand trophies in your first season in both the cup and the league.

Continental Success is not quite as important, but the board still views it as a high priority so you will need to get out of the group stage at a minimum.

Brand Exposure and Youth Development are also high priority targets, so leave some funds to invest in your academy!

A medium priority on Financial objectives will give you some leeway in your spending.