The FUT Champions Finals, also known as the Weekend League, is still the most exciting game mode to put your skills to the test and get cool rewards. The following tips are with the intention to maximize your performance.

Warm Up

I personally think that FC 24 can be quite a challenging game, especially when it comes to using all those different mechanics. Year over year new game mechanics got added to the game.

Thus it's even more important to get into the game warmed up. You should be able to execute your favorite mechanics (right stick player switches, player locks, different passing techniques, …) without any hesitation and flawlessly as well. So you already have to have your "FC brain" going when you get into the Weekend League matches. One part about the "FC brain" is the decision making, but also don't underestimate having the motor processes for all the different mechanics that you do with your fingers ready.

You get there by playing at least one or two warm up matches. If you don't do it, you might end up in a situation in your first match early on where you would have been able to score a goal or not concede it, if you wouldn't have been as mechanically cold.

Actually you can also try to enforce it a bit in those warm up matches. Focus even more on clean right stick player switching or use a player lock where it might not even be necessary.

No Experiments

Ultimate Team is a cool mode at which you not only try to optimize your formations and tactics, but we have a constant influx of new players. It's very easy to be tempted to make small or big changes in your squad. But the Finals are not the game mode for experiments. You don't want to end up playing several matches with a new formation, tactic or players in your team and you're not convinced that it will work as intended.

Use Rivals, the Play-Offs or some themed Cups during the week to try out different things. But when you go into the Finals, you should know the players and formations that you're playing with. Or at least when you change something, like a player in your team, play some Rivals matches to get familiar with these players.

And since you have properly tested your new tactics or formations, this will also help you to reduce the chance that during the Finals, you get the feeling that you have to completely change your tactics or team, because of missing success. You don't want to end up doctoring around your team, just because you hit a bad start into the Finals.

Stop Auto-Piloting

I want you to stop auto-piloting. I don't want you to be in the Champions menu, just press X or A a few times and then all of a sudden you're in the next match at the kick off and you're actually mentally not ready. I want you to be conscious about your next match.

So next time you're in the Champions menu, looking at your squad, ask yourself:

- Are you ready for the next match?
- Are you still concentrated enough?
- Do you feel confident that you will win the next match?
- Have you already forgotten about the tilty moments of the last match?

If you can't answer those questions with "no”, then pause. Especially now with "only” 20 matches in the Finals, you don't need to rush things.

Generally speaking, only getting consciously in a match will help you to start the match with a higher focus. You will less often concede a goal from the kick-off or just lose the ball right away, but instead overwhelm the opponent who was not ready for this match that they are playing against you right now.

You can also create some rituals for you that help you to focus or refocus while loading up the match. For example, take three deep breaths. Or listen to a specific song or playlist to get you in the zone. Or always look at the opponent's squad at the beginning of the match, instead of just blindly skipping it away. This can also help you to be conscious about the opponent and his match plan. So when you see Salah, Griezmann and Son in the opponent's squad, all with the Finesse Shot PlayStyle+, guess what they will try to do in this match. You will be much better prepared!

No Distractions

I know, I know, sitting in front of the console, having a down time here and there between the matches or sometimes also during the matches - and with our minds currently trained to get input all the time - it's very tempting to open up a stream on the PC, have the TV running or use your favorite social media app on your phone.

In the end it's probably coming down to personality, but I noticed for myself - I play much better when I turn off all those kinds of distractions and I'm able to fully focus on the match. So this is my recommendation: turn off all these other devices. It might be also good training for your mind to not have some sort of input the whole time.

Don't Give The Opponent Hope

We already talked a bit about focus and being concentrated. And well, yes it's as important. We play for about 15-20 minutes per match and the outcome can sometimes be decided within a few seconds and crucial moments.

This can hold especially true in matches in which you have a comfortable lead. In one universe you might crush the opponent easily 4-0 with a rage quit, in another parallel universe the match against the same opponent might become a nail biter. How is that possible? Momentum? DDA? Not really.

Sometimes it just comes down to you not slacking and losing focus, but instead just keep playing like every goal counts. Don't give the opponent hope for a comeback by conceding an easy goal, instead suck every hope for a comeback out of the opponent by being stone-cold and play out every situation as best as you can.

Shifting those situations in your favor and avoiding the chances for a comeback of your opponent will help you quite a lot to just overall win more matches in the Finals. So next time you're up 2-0 early on, press for the 3rd goal instead of resting on your laurels.

The Aftermath

You might be finished with the Finals and not happy with your result. But you shouldn't be worried or angry. You're not a worse person, just because you didn't hit the result in the Finals that you were aiming for. It's just a video game and not every person has to be the best gamer out there. It shouldn't be the case that a video game leads to some serious frustration or unhappiness.

Instead try to focus on the positives. On the learnings you were able to make in the Finals. On the small targets or improvements you were able to accomplish along the way.

Also keep in mind - you have plenty of chances to do better. There are about 50 Finals you can play in every year of the game. The outcome of just a single Weekend League doesn't seem so important anymore, does it? You have the next chance the next weekend or the next one you opt to play.

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