Have you ever faced an opponent who just suffocated you by aggressively pressing and not giving your midfield the time to think in EA FC 26? Well, that’s gegenpress, one of the game’s premier techniques when facing those looking to playmake or get ahead with quick counters.
But how exactly can you send multiple players after the ball? To help you awaken your inner Klopp and up the tempo on your own, here’s how to press with multiple players in EA FC 26.
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How To Team, Second-Man, and Partial Team Press In EA FC 26
If you want to learn how to press in FC, you must first master the basics, aka how to Team, Second Man, and call for a Partial Team Press, with the former being triggered by tapping the up and then the right directionals on your controller. Just keep in mind that it takes a few seconds for your team to employ the tactic. Your players will also only perform it for a few seconds before heading back to their default behaviours.
Second Man Press can then be triggered by holding down R1/RB, which will prompt the closest player to the ball holder to aggressively pursue. This technique is used a lot in the current meta, which rewards AI defending over manual actions. But don’t overdo it, as your players cannot keep up the pressing forever and will tire out quickly. Once that happens, you will be unable to call them again for a set amount of time.
Lastly, you can call for a Partial Team Press by double-taping R1/RB and then holding it. Unlike the above, the tactic won’t cause teammates to pursue targets. Instead, the two closest players to the ball will close out passing lanes and cover possible runs. After sending the input, you will know your players are being controlled by the blue cursor over their heads. Like with Second-Man Press, the key here is to not overcommit and only perform it for a few seconds following a pass.
To recap, here’s how to call for Team, Second Man, and Partial Team Press in EA FC 26:
- Team Press: By double-tapping up and then left on the direction pad
- Second-Man Pess: By holding R1/RB.
- Partial Team Press: By double-tapping R1/RB before holding it.
How To Press With Multiple Players in EA FC 26
With the above taken care of, you can efficiently press with multiple players in EA FC 26 by pursuing your target both manually and with Second Man-Press (use Partial Team to kill the passing lines when close to their box). Once the opponent comes close to any AI-controlled player, it’s time to manually switch to them while calling for the player you were previously controlling. I know the above might sound convoluted, but it will allow you to suffocate opponents easily if paired with an aggressive formation, Team Press, and a high line. Just pick your battles, as man-marking tactics can be easily countered by one-twos or manual runs.
For those looking to press close to or at their end of the pitch, Offside Trap + Partial Team Press is then the name of the game. The former will see your players raise the line and fill the midfield while staying compact, thus allowing you to easily kill options or stay on runners. You can call for an Offside Trap and force your defensive line to congest the midfield in EA FC 26 by pressing up twice in the D-Pad.
Published: Apr 20, 2026 10:00 am