This time last year on what they call in North America a ‘Hail Mary’ play to claim top place in the FIFA Club World Cup™ game.
Heading into the final day of the competition, he needed to bridge a 30-place gap to the top of the leaderboard. Rolling the dice with a squad stacked with Chelsea players did the trick as the English side stunned Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
Now, the king of the club game has his sights set on further dominance in the international arena ahead of the start of the FIFA World Cup Fantasy, powered by Aramco, game.
Speaking exclusively to FIFA from his home in the English town of Bristol, Spiller shared tips and insights into how to achieve success in the tournament’s official fantasy game and reveals his Round 1 line-up.
The core of my squad consists of Joshua Kimmich, Marc Cucurella, Bruno Fernandes, Florian Wirtz and Mikel Oyarzabal. I also wanted Erling Haaland in my initial team, but I had to decide whether he would be part of my squad or whether to deploy him with the 12th Man Booster.
The deciding factor was that the 12th Man option cannot be captained, so Haaland earned a place in the squad. This also means I'll likely use the 12th Man Booster in Round 2, when France, Germany, Spain and England all have excellent fixtures.
I was keen on Lamine Yamal, but there was simply too much uncertainty surrounding his fitness and expected minutes.
In all of my early drafts I included Cristiano Ronaldo, but Kai Havertz's strong performances in the recent friendlies convinced me to make him my final forward instead.
That switch also allowed me to upgrade my midfield, replacing James Rodriguez with Luis Diaz. While I think James is likely to be substituted early, Diaz has enjoyed an excellent season and offers greater upside.
My final two midfield spots go to Raphinha and Michael Olise. I expect Brazil assets to be highly sought after in Round 2, while Olise's hat-trick in a recent friendly gave me every reason to include him. I think multiple French and Brazilian players will be popular picks for their second match.
The final decisions involved my goalkeepers and budget defenders. Originally, I had Daniel Munoz, but I've read that he isn't quite as attacking for Colombia as he is at club level. As a result, I've opted for Johan Mojica at $3.9m as my Colombian defender and doubled up with Camilo Vargas in goal.
My fourth defender is Julian Ryerson, who has enjoyed an excellent season. Uruguay also appear to have strong clean-sheet potential, making Mathias Olivera an easy selection given his secure starting spot. Finally, Ecuador look capable of delivering defensive returns, so I've chosen Hernan Galindez as my second goalkeeper.
I’ve put together several drafts over the past week or so and have finally settled on the core of my team. The main uncertainty was whether certain players would qualify for the low-owned scouting bonus points.
My Booster strategy is fairly straightforward. I'll use the 12th Man Booster in either Round 1 or 2, before activating my Wildcard in Round 3 to take advantage of identifying teams that have already qualified and players who may be at risk of being rested.
As I did during the Club World Cup, I'm saving Maximum Captain for the final. Rotation should be minimal at that stage, giving the best chance of backing a player capable of delivering a double-digit return.
My current plan is to transfer Erling Haaland to Kylian Mbappe in Round 2, while using the 12th Man Booster on either Vinicius Jr. or Harry Kane. My other transfer will likely be used on swapping out Ryerson unless a more pressing issue arises.
Goalkeepers: Hernan Galindez, Camilo Vargas
Defenders: Joshua Kimmich, Marc Cucurella, Julian Ryerson, Johan Mojica, Mathias Olivera
Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes, Michael Olise, Raphinha, Luis Diaz, Florian Wirtz
Forwards: Mikel Oyarzabal, Kai Havertz, Erling Haaland
Sources: FIFA Official
