Futbol 11 — Daily Build-a-Starting-XI from 11 Nations
How Futbol 11 works
Futbol 11 is a daily lineup-building game. Every day we pick 11 different countries. Your job is to fill a starting XI using exactly one player per country — no repeats — across a formation of your choice. The twist: not every formation works every day. If the day's country pool does not contain enough forwards for a 4-3-3, the 4-3-3 option is disabled.
The player selector runs off our 773-player curated database, filtered by the slot's country and position. A solvability validator runs at puzzle-generation time against all five formations — so every formation you see in the picker is guaranteed to have at least one complete legal lineup for the day.
Maintained by the PlayFutbol Data Team · First puzzle published January 2025 · Last audited May 26, 2026.
How to play in 4 steps
- 1
Pick a formation
Use the tabs at the top. Only formations that can actually be filled with the day's country pool are enabled.
- 2
Click a position slot
Each slot displays its required position (GK / DEF / MID / FWD). The slot is tied to one specific country from the day's 11.
- 3
Pick a player from that country
The search filters to our 773-player database, showing only eligible players from the slot's country at the required position.
- 4
Fill all 11 slots
Complete every slot with one unique country and position. The lineup is final once all 11 slots are filled.
The five formations
All five shapes share the same goalkeeper requirement. The differences live in the outfield split — which is why some country pools unlock 4-3-3 but lock out 3-4-3, and vice versa.
| Shape | Slot breakdown | When it works best |
|---|---|---|
| 4-3-3 | 1 GK · 4 DEF · 3 MID · 3 FWD | A balanced modern 4-3-3 — today's default if every country has a forward |
| 4-4-2 | 1 GK · 4 DEF · 4 MID · 2 FWD | The traditional two-striker shape — favours countries strong in wide midfielders |
| 3-5-2 | 1 GK · 3 DEF · 5 MID · 2 FWD | Five across the middle — demands deep midfield options from the country pool |
| 3-4-3 | 1 GK · 3 DEF · 4 MID · 3 FWD | Attack-heavy — unlocks when several countries have multiple forwards in the pool |
| 5-3-2 | 1 GK · 5 DEF · 3 MID · 2 FWD | Defensive bloc — best when the day’s countries skew to defenders and wing-backs |
About the authors
Futbol 11 is maintained by the PlayFutbol Data Team. The country pool for each day is chosen with a solvability check that validates every formation against the 773-player database — no unsolvable puzzles ever reach production. Player nationality data is cross-referenced against Transfermarkt, Wikipedia, and national federation rosters. We do not use AI-generated squad data.
Report a nationality mismatch: data@playfutbol.app
Frequently asked questions
How many formations can I choose from?
Five — 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 3-5-2, 3-4-3, and 5-3-2. The formation tabs at the top show only those shapes that can actually be filled given the day’s 11 countries. A formation that requires 3 forwards is greyed out if the country pool does not contain enough forwards.
How does the country rule work?
Every day we pick 11 different countries. Your 11-player lineup must use exactly one player per country — no repeats. A Brazilian can play anywhere in the formation, but only one Brazilian can be on the pitch.
Why are some formations greyed out?
Because they are unsolvable with the current 11-country pool. Our validator checks whether each formation has enough players-by-position across the selected countries. If no legal lineup exists, the formation is disabled to save you wasted picks.
Can I change the formation mid-game?
Yes — switching formation clears the current placements. You’ll be asked to confirm if you have already placed players. Use this when you realise a different shape would be easier given which countries you are strongest on.
Which database powers player selection?
Our curated 773-player database. The search surfaces players by name or nationality, filtered to players from the country of the slot you clicked.
Are there country constraints I should know?
Yes. The 11 countries each day are chosen to guarantee at least one legal lineup exists. Well-stocked football nations (France, Spain, Argentina, Brazil) appear often; smaller pools like South Korea, Japan, and Nigeria force you to think about who is available.
Is there an archive?
Yes. Every past day is playable from the archive as a standalone solve that does not affect your current streak.
Is the daily pool of 11 countries the same worldwide?
Yes. A seeded generator picks the same 11 countries for every visitor on any given date, so comparisons with friends are apples-to-apples.
Is Futbol 11 free?
Yes. No signup, no paywall, no ads inside the game flow.
Related daily football games
- Missing XI — ten starters from a classic final on the pitch; name the eleventh.
- Futbol Grid — 3×3 daily grid matching players to clubs and countries.
- Career Path — follow a mystery player's chain of club crests and name them.
Futbol 11 is maintained by the PlayFutbol Data Team · 5 formations · solvability validator · Last audited May 26, 2026 · Report corrections at support@playfutbol.app.