The Absolute Grind: Digging Up the Dirt on RTWC 98 Squads
Listen up. I’ve seen all the lists online, the same five or six teams getting thrown around when people talk about FIFA Road to World Cup 98. Brazil, France, obvious stuff. But I hate trusting those guides. I always figured the real power teams, the ones that break the game, had to be hidden deeper in the roster. So, I decided a few months ago I needed to settle the damn debate myself. This wasn’t just casual playing; this was a serious research project.
I dug my old console out of storage, blew the dust off the disc, and dedicated myself to what became a massive statistical and practical grind. The goal was simple: cycle through every 4-star and 5-star team, play the same set of opponents (always max difficulty, always 8-minute halves), and log the results based purely on player stats and how the AI handled them. I ignored the overall ratings EA gave them and focused entirely on the hidden numbers—acceleration, shot power, stuff you couldn’t easily see on the selection screen.
The Practice Log: Eliminating the Pretenders
The first few weeks were a nightmare of repetition. I started by dismissing the teams everyone talks about. Yes, Brazil is great, Ronaldo is unstoppable, but they are a known commodity. I needed the sleeper squads. I decided to focus specifically on teams with three elements:
- A central striker with 95+ Shot Power (this stat completely breaks the 98 goalie AI).
- Fullbacks who are rapid but also have high Aggression (they cause fouls that lead to dangerous free kicks).
- A solid, often overlooked defensive midfield pairing.
I hammered out dozens of matches with teams like Germany, Italy, and Spain. They were solid, dependable, but lacked that explosive, game-breaking edge. Klinsmann and Vieri were good, but they couldn’t just brush off defenders like some others could. I quickly realized that in RTWC 98, speed and raw power trumped tactical finesse every single time. It’s an arcade game pretending to be a simulator.
I pivoted my testing strategy. I stopped playing the tournament structure and instead used the exhibition mode. I would pit the potential team against the exact same opponent—the Netherlands, because they had high technical ability but slightly softer defense compared to France. This standardized the benchmark. I logged goals, shots on target, and how many times I could score a goal directly from a corner kick (a common cheesy tactic I wanted to master).
The Breakthrough Squads I Found
After weeks of this monotony, my data pointed consistently to three teams that were simply unfair to play against. These are the classic squads you need to fire up right now:
Argentina (The Powerhouse):
Forget the midfield glamour. This team is pure physical violence up front. Gabriel Batistuta is the absolute cheat code. His shot power is unreal. If you get him within 25 yards and just boot the ball, the keeper either deflects it weakly or it goes straight through him. I recorded a 70% scoring rate when Batistuta got off a clear shot. Run down the wing, cross it, let him turn and hit it. Done. Claudio López on the wing is also absurdly quick, even for the standards of that era.
England (The Tank):
This sounds boring, but trust me. England is built like a tank. They are physically imposing everywhere. Alan Shearer is Batistuta’s slightly slower, slightly angrier cousin. But the real magic is the midfield bulk. David Batty and Paul Ince just flatten opposition players. This team excels at winning the ball back quickly, usually through overly aggressive tackles that the game engine lets slide. If you want to bully the opponent and rely on brutal set pieces, this is your squad. Also, that mid-90s kits are just awesome.
Norway (The Hidden Gem):
Now, this is where my real practice paid off. Norway is only 4.5 stars, so most people skip them. Big mistake. They have an unbelievably glitched defense. Henning Berg and Ronny Johnsen are programmed to be giants, winning nearly every single aerial battle. But the key is Tore André Flo. He’s tall, surprisingly quick, and his finishing is ridiculously consistent. I uncovered that their overall rating is deceptive because they rely on basic, high-percentage plays—long passes and powerful headers—which the game struggles to defend against. They are structured like a perfect early FIFA team.
The Reason for the Obsession
Why did I spend two and a half months systematically breaking down a game that came out when I was barely out of high school? That knowledge didn’t come cheap.
This all started last winter. I was working a contract job, 12-hour shifts, often solo, monitoring some remote servers for a financial company. The site was miles from anything, nothing to do between maintenance calls. I wasn’t allowed to stream video or really use the company internet for anything personal. So, I hauled in my old PC tower and decided I needed a distraction that required zero network connectivity. I literally just played FIFA 98 over and over again. It was pure boredom that led to this technical breakdown.
I had a running bet with my old college roommate, Dave, who claimed he knew every cheat code and hidden team. We hadn’t talked in ages, but I messaged him, proposing a massive grudge match tournament. He said I’d never beat him unless I used Brazil. That was the final insult. I vowed to find the truly untouchable B-tier team that would blindside him. I had to know the statistical weaknesses, the glitched players, the broken corners. I needed to win that $50 bet.
So yeah, this isn’t data gathered from forums. This is data extracted through pure repetition and spite during long, lonely shifts. Now you know the best teams, go forth and smash some goals.