Konami turned Pro Evolution Soccer into eFootball, a free download that updates in place rather than shipping a new release every autumn. Dream Team is the centre of it: you sign current players and legends with GP or eFootball Coins, then climb the divisions of the eFootball League. Weekly Live Updates rewrite ratings from real world results, so form on the pitch feeds straight into your squad.
Starting eFootball can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
eFootball is a sports game built around Playing Styles per position and Team Playstyles in Game Plan. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Role
| Role | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Goal Poacher | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Creative Playmaker | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Box-to-Box | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Anchor Man | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Full-back Finisher | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
Our recommendation: Start with Creative Playmaker. It offers the most forgiving experience while teaching core mechanics.
Avoid Full-back Finisher as your first pick. It requires deep knowledge of game systems to use effectively. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn Playing Styles per position
Each player carries one Playing Style that drives his off ball movement, such as Goal Poacher sitting on the last defender's shoulder or Anchor Man refusing to leave the space in front of the back four. Styles are locked to compatible positions, so a Cross Specialist only functions on a wide man.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how Playing Styles per position works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to Dream Team
The core mode. You build a squad from signed players and managers, using GP earned through play or eFootball Coins, and it is the only place most competitive content is available.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Through Passing: it's the most accessible early upgrade. A passing skill that sharpens balls played into space behind a defensive line, which is the entire point of the Quick Counter Team Playstyle.
Step 4: Understand Team Playstyles in Game Plan
Five Team Playstyles sit under Game Plan and Tactics: Possession Game, Quick Counter, Long Ball Counter, Out Wide and Long Ball. Each one rewrites squad behaviour across attack, defence and both transitions.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to eFootball League
The ranked, division based ladder your Dream Team competes in across seasons. Higher divisions pay noticeably better in GP and coins than the lower ones.
Essential Mechanics Explained
Playing Styles per position
Each player carries one Playing Style that drives his off ball movement, such as Goal Poacher sitting on the last defender's shoulder or Anchor Man refusing to leave the space in front of the back four. Styles are locked to compatible positions, so a Cross Specialist only functions on a wide man.
Team Playstyles in Game Plan
Five Team Playstyles sit under Game Plan and Tactics: Possession Game, Quick Counter, Long Ball Counter, Out Wide and Long Ball. Each one rewrites squad behaviour across attack, defence and both transitions.
Player Skills
More than forty skills split across Shooting, Passing, Dribbling, Defending, Goalkeeping and Other. Captaincy cuts squad fatigue, Super-Sub raises a player's ability once he comes on in the second half, and Fighting Spirit protects kicking and heading accuracy under pressure.
Dream Team squad building
You start from a base club or national side, then sign players and managers with GP earned in game or with purchased eFootball Coins. The manager you pick determines the formation and the tactical instructions the squad can actually run.
Live Update ratings
Real world results and transfers feed into player ratings every week. A striker in scoring form arrives with a boost that can outweigh a higher base rated card sitting on your bench.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Signing high rated players whose Playing Style does not fit the manager's formation
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
2. Setting Quick Counter with a slow midfield, so every turnover dies before it reaches the final third
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
3. Ignoring Live Update and fielding a card whose real world form has collapsed
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
4. Putting a Cross Specialist or Anchor Man in a position his style does not support
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
5. Spending GP evenly across every position instead of building two or three genuine strengths
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand Playing Styles per position and Team Playstyles in Game Plan
- Choose Creative Playmaker as starting role
- Clear Dream Team main content
- Acquire Through Passing or equivalent upgrade
- Reach eFootball League
- Choose your manager before you spend GP on players. The manager sets the formation and the instructions your squad can run, and a set of expensive signings in the wrong shape performs worse than cheaper players in the right one.
- Playing Style matters more than overall rating for most positions. A Goal Poacher who runs the shoulder of the last defender will out score a higher rated Target Man in a Quick Counter side, because the movement is what creates the chance.
Tips for New Players
- Choose your manager before you spend GP on players. The manager sets the formation and the instructions your squad can run, and a set of expensive signings in the wrong shape performs worse than cheaper players in the right one.
- Playing Style matters more than overall rating for most positions. A Goal Poacher who runs the shoulder of the last defender will out score a higher rated Target Man in a Quick Counter side, because the movement is what creates the chance.
- Match your Team Playstyle to the cards you actually own. Possession Game needs technical passers in midfield, Quick Counter needs speed on both flanks, and Long Ball needs a striker who can win a header under pressure.
- Check Live Update before making changes. Ratings shift weekly from real world form and transfers, and a boosted card in good form frequently outperforms a nominally stronger one on your bench.
- Read a Playing Style's position compatibility before signing. Cross Specialist only works on a wide player and Anchor Man only on a defensive midfielder, so a card played out of position loses the behaviour you paid for.
- Stack skills onto the players whose role uses them. Through Passing on a defensive midfielder who never plays forward is wasted, while the same skill on a Creative Playmaker converts directly into chances.
- Use Authentic Team and Exhibition matches to test tactics rather than experimenting in ranked play. Every licensed club is available there at no card cost, which makes it the cheapest place to learn how a Team Playstyle behaves.
- Bring a Super-Sub forward off the bench in the last half hour. The skill raises his ability specifically for a second half introduction, and tired defenders make it one of the highest value substitutions in the game.
- Higher eFootball League divisions pay meaningfully better than the ones beneath them, so pushing up the ladder compounds. Playing a hard division badly still earns more than farming an easy one perfectly.
- Save GP for the two or three positions your formation genuinely depends on. Spreading currency thinly across eleven upgrades produces a squad with no strength anywhere, and the transfer list keeps refreshing regardless.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is eFootball free?
Yes. The base game is a free download with cross platform multiplayer. Monetisation runs through eFootball Coins used on player and manager packs, though GP earned through play covers most squad building given time.
What is the difference between Dream Team and Authentic Team?
Dream Team is your own squad, built from players and managers you sign and used in the competitive modes including the eFootball League. Authentic Team gives you ready made real clubs and national sides for Exhibition matches against the AI or friend matches online.
Which Team Playstyle is best?
It depends on your squad. Possession Game rewards technical midfielders, Quick Counter rewards pace on the flanks, Long Ball Counter and Long Ball reward a strong focal striker, and Out Wide rewards crossers with overlapping full backs. Choose the one your existing cards already suit.
How does Live Update work?
Konami adjusts player ratings weekly based on real world matches and transfers. A player in strong form arrives with boosted attributes, which is why the strongest card in your collection is not always the strongest card this week.
How many Player Skills are there?
More than forty regular skills spread across Shooting, Passing, Dribbling, Defending, Goalkeeping and an Other category. Some, like Captaincy reducing team fatigue and Fighting Spirit protecting accuracy under pressure, affect the whole match rather than one action.
More eFootball Guides
- eFootball eFootball Overview
- eFootball Best Builds
- eFootball Tier List
- eFootball Walkthrough
- eFootball Tips & Tricks
- eFootball Weapons Guide
- eFootball Combat Guide
- eFootball Boss Guide
- eFootball Maps & Locations
- eFootball Crafting Guide
- eFootball Classes & Characters
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