Summary
Highlights
Avoid allocating points to passing for players like Batistuta, who are naturally poor passers. Investing in passing for such players is inefficient and takes away from more crucial attributes without providing significant benefits.
For most players, more than eight points in passing is excessive. Comparing builds, a lower passing allocation (e.g., four points) often yields better overall stats in areas like offensive awareness, acceleration, speed, stamina, and kicking power, making the player more well-rounded than an over-invested passer.
Prioritizing the highest overall rating is a mistake. A build with a lower overall rating can be significantly better if it focuses on relevant stats for a player's role, demonstrated by a defensive build for a center-back that sacrifices speed for superior defensive attributes.
Auto builds are almost always suboptimal, often resulting in inefficient stat distribution. They can lead to overcapping stats and neglecting crucial attributes, as shown with Wan-Bissaka's auto build compared to a manual build that offers better defensive stats and acceleration.
Certain stat thresholds unlock significant performance boosts or animations. Examples include speed being effective until 90, specific tight possession values for improved dribbling, 90 offensive awareness for maximum offensive acceleration, and 82/90 for passing stats combined with abilities like through passing or pinpoint crossing.
For many defenders, over-investing in aerial stats is inefficient. The actual difference in jump height is minimal, and most small attackers will be out-jumped regardless, while true aerial threats will dominate. Prioritizing acceleration and defensive awareness is often more beneficial, especially with changes to physical contact mechanics and manual heading.
The belief that stats increase significantly at increments of five (e.g., 85, 90) is a myth. There is no evidence to support this, and incremental increases across all points are generally consistent.
Applying goalkeeper stat points to defenders is generally a waste, except for specific players like Van Buyten, where a small investment can boost jumping efficiency at a low cost. For most, the boost is negligible, and points are better spent elsewhere.
Generally, it's efficient to level dribbling until one stat reaches 99 and then stop, as further points yield minimal returns. Exceptions exist for players with unbalanced base dribbling stats (e.g., Messi), where raising a lower stat might require pushing others beyond 99.
For goalkeepers, Goalkeeper 2 (focusing on reach and parrying) is the most valuable. Goalkeeping is the most important stat, but jump is the least effective as it only applies to vertical balls. Optimizing Goalkeeper 2 points over Goalkeeper 1 or 3 is advised, even if it leaves fewer points for jump.
Unless playing a very specific possession-based style with a ball-playing center-back, investing points in passing and dribbling for center-backs is often a waste. These points typically yield better defensive stats elsewhere, which are more critical for their role.
Level players according to their core purpose. For example, Michael Owen is a fast striker meant to receive and finish, not win physical duels or make complex passes. Building him for physical contact or passing detracts from his strengths.
Player builds must align with your formation and playstyle. A player like Xabi Alonso needs different stats if he's expected to finish near the box versus if he's a deeper-lying playmaker. Also, speed for defenders is less crucial in long ball counter than in quick counter or possession styles.
A mathematically balanced build might not be the most effective in actual gameplay or with patch changes. Prioritize stats that are most impactful for a player's role, redistribute points from less critical areas (like high finishing if a player isn't a solely raw finisher), and capitalize on manager boosts and efficient point allocations.
Ultimately, your builds should reflect your personal playstyle and comfort. While external advice can provide a starting point, monitor your players' performance in-game and adjust their stats to suit how you actually play, as what works for one player may not work for another.