Dream Team is the core game mode in eFootball. In this guide, you will learn all you need to know to progress in the game.
What is Dream Team
Dream Team allows you to build your own custom team and play with either the AI or other players online. Win matches and events, and you earn in-game currency to purchase new players and upgrade your team.
Events
Events pit your team either against the AI or other players online. When you have a new team, events against the AI are a great way for you to get familiar with the game mechanics and your players. You can adjust the AI difficulty to smooth your learning curve.
Konami frequently releases new events for you to participate in. For events against the AI, your opponent will follow a certain theme e.g Champions League, English Premier League.
For events against other online players, the format is generally the same. They are 3 rounds.
- Round 1 – earn at least 1 point within 3 games, or score at least 1 goal within 3 games
- Round 2 – earn at least 3 points within 3 games
- Round 3 – earn at least 5 points within 3 games
There is no limit on the number of times you can participate in events, so you can keep trying till you have achieved the objective.
Clearing the events give you GP as well as Training Program. More on these later.
Play against other players online, earn points, and progress from Division 10 to Division 1.
The game eases you into the game mode by pitting you against the AI in Division 10, which is where everyone starts.
eFootball League
Once you get promoted to Division 9, you will be facing other human players.
Each Division has a points requirement for promotion, as well as for staying in that division. Fail to hit the required points, and you may drop down a division. Points are awarded just like in real-life – 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 point for a loss.
Note that you will not always be matched with a player in the same division, or even the same team strength.
I feel that this is generally not an issue, as someone from a higher division with a stronger team may not always be the winner. To avoid psychology from playing a part here, I always avoid looking at the matchmaking screen, so that I will not know the division and team strength. I also tend not to look at the players my opponent is using, as well as the formation. Some players prefer to have this information so they can plan to counter their opponents tactics, so it will depend on your preference.
Once you reaches Division 1 (it is a long route), you will be playing for Ranking Points.
There are ‘Phases’ implemented in the game, with each phase lasting for a few week. After a phase ends, the league is reset. The division that you are in at the end of each phase, as well as your ranking points if you are in Division 1, will affect the reward (GP) you will receive.
You have 10 games in each division to earn the require points to either avoid relegation or get promoted to the next division. Once you have received the required number of points, you can choose to skip the remaining matches and move on to the next division. I personally like to complete all 10 games even after securing a promotion, as the games will be stress free and I can test out new players and formations. It also allows me to grind to get more experience points to level up my players.
In-game currency
GP – the currency that you will receive in abundance. Win events, complete objectives (more on this later), get promoted in the eFootball league to earn GP. Daily login bonus gives you GP as well. Occasionally, Konami will award you GP as part of some events or as an apology for delays and bugs in the game. GP allows you to purchase ‘Standard Players’.
eFootball points – the second form of currency. eFootball points are mainly awarded when you complete objectives. eFootball points allow you to make purchase in the shop. The shop contains players which are added / refreshed every few months, and also items such as training program.
Coins – the main monetisation method for Konami. You may get some free coins from time to time but that is generally rare and low in quantity. The main way to obtain coins is to pay with real cash for them. Coins allow you to spin for special players such as Legends and Featured players – standard players with boosted stats.
You can get to Division 1 with just regular players and without spending a single cent to purchase coins and get special players. Many have done it and you can too. Of course that requires time to get familiar with the game mechanics, grind the game to earn enough GP to get the players you want, and earn EXP points to level up your player. If you do not have time and wish to have a strong, competitive squad right off the bat, then spending some cash will be a quick way to do so.
Building a Team
You start with a set of default players with 50-60 rating. If you are up for a challenge, stick with them, train them up, and push for Division 1.
Otherwise, once you have sufficient GP, you can purchase players whom you like to build your unique team.
Go to ‘Contracts’, ‘Standard Players’ if you are using GP, or ‘Special Players’ if you are using coins.
In ‘Standard Players’, use filters to identify players who fit your criteria. Superstars such as Mbappe cost more GP, while players with lower ratings obviously comes at a cheaper price.
Note that all players can earn EXP points and get better over time, so a player with a starting rating of 70+ may grow to become a high 80 rated player. It really depends on your preference, though I think there is joy is signing a not-so-good player, and gradually train him to be better. It is also more cost efficient in terms of GP spent.
I also enjoy signing players who are supposedly past their prime and thus have lower ratings, and training them up to be as good as they were a few years back. I am enjoying spraying passes with Ozil, and dribbling past opponents with Ribery.
In ‘Special Players’, you get a chance to spin for Legends (usually 3) in a box of 150 players. Legends are refreshed weekly. The good thing is that you will not get 2 of the same player in the box, meaning that if you wish to spend all your coins and cash to spin 150 times, you will get all of the Legends.
‘Special Players’ also include featured players from certain teams or leagues. They have boosted stats as compared to the same player card you obtain from ‘Standard Player’, so that will save you some time in levelling them up.
Nominating Contract
A new feature in eFootball is the nominating contract. Nominating contract comes in 1 star to 5 star, with the star rating affecting the type of players you can sign. Nominating contracts are used in the ‘Special Players’ menu. While coins spinning is kind of a lottery (you can’t choose who you will get in each spin), nominating contracts allow you to specifically select the player in the box you would like to get. This is obviously useful when your favourite player is one of the option.
Nominating contracts have expiry dates so be sure to use them before they are invalid.
Contract Expiry
Speaking of expiry dates, do note that all players whom you sign, whether they are standard players, special players, or legends, come with a 365 days contract. What this means is that a year in real-time after you sign a player, they will no longer be usable.
Foil card
Note that Konami has introduced the Foil card in eFootball. This means that if you are lucky (or unlucky), the player you sign will have a playstyle that is different from the norm, as well as a 99 rating in a randomly selected playing style.
It is great if you get a foil Allan Saint-Maximin (originally a Deep-lying forward) as a prolific winger, or a Kante (originally box-to-box) as Anchor man. You won’t be too happy if you get a Mbappe as an Anchor man. This is random so you will have little control over the outcome.
Training Players
Players gain experience point (exp) after every match. Players level up after acquiring sufficient experience points. As with most games, the amount of experience points required for each level increases as the levels get higher.
As you complete objectives in the game e.g Using ‘Possession’ playing style 10 times, you will also earn ‘Training Programmes’. Training Programmes come in the following
- 100 exp
- 1,000 exp
- 4,000 exp
- 10,000 exp
Use training programmes to level up your players quickly.
Whenever your players increase in level, you get 2x progression points. Spend your progression points on increasing certain attributes, or playstyle familiarity.
Attributes
Pinpoint attributes that you would like your players to improve in. You won’t have sufficient progression points to grow all aspects of your players, so it is essential to choose attributes that are the most crucial to the player.
For example, you would want to focus on ‘Dribbling’ and ‘Passing’ for an attacking midfielder or a winger. For a defender, the priority will be ‘Defending’.
You may also choose to grow players in a unique way. For example, you can turn a pacy forward into a target man by focusing on Strength and Heading/Jumping. Or you can focus all progression points for a sideback on attacking attributes and neglect his defending ones.
The beauty of eFootball is that you can build your team in a unique way.
Playstyle
There are 5 playstyles in the game
- Possession
- Quick Counter
- Long Ball Counter
- Out Wide
- Long Ball
Ideally, the playstyle you select in the game should be a good match with your manager, as well as majority (or all) of your players. The higher the playstyle rating of your players, the smoother the game will flow for you when you play with the playstyle.
For the first few progression points, I would suggest for you to spend them on your preferred playstyle, before using them on attributes. For example, if you have selected ‘Possession’ in your tactical plan, aim to increase the ‘Possession’ playstyle of each of your players to at least 90, before using them on attributes.
When your team’s overall playstyle is above 90, you will notice that players ratings will get a bonus, and your players will play better in the game.
You can choose to develop your player in more than 1 playstyle, but do note that as progression points are limited, you will be sacrificing the increase in player attributes.
Hiring a Manager
Managers in eFootball are not restricted by formations. You are free to play any formation you want under all managers.
The purpose of a manager is to help you increase your playstyle ratings, as well as give a bonus in experience points received for certain players.
Continuing with the example in the previous section, if you are playing ‘Possession’, hire a manager with a high rating (ideally >70) in ‘Possession’. Top managers (e.g Guardiola) costs a lot of GP, so if you are just starting out, it is not necessary to get managers like him. There are many other managers with a high rating in your preferred playstyle that costs much less. The benefit of having top managers like Guardiola is that they are strong in more than 1 playstyle, which gives you the flexibility of switching your tactics mid-game.
Each manager will also give a bonus in experience points to certain groups of players. Some examples are
- +300% exp to defenders
- +300% exp to forwards
- +100% exp to players above 30 years old
- +100% exp to players below 23 years old
This is helpful if you wish to level up a certain group of players at a faster rate.
Objectives (Regular, Weekly, Premium)
Objectives grant you in-game items and currency when you meet them. Almost all of the regular and weekly objectives are attainable as you spend more time in the game. The objectives are meant to encourage you to try all aspects of the game e.g Play Tour Events, Score 10 goals, Complete the match with Out Wide playstyle.
Premium objectives are purchased with coins, one of the in-game currency. Completing them gives you some coin rebates, some player cards, and more in-game items
Formation
You have the freedom to use any formation under any manager. You can also freely adjust the position of each player anywhere on the pitch. To change a player’s position (e.g CMF or AMF, WF or SS), press Square (PS) or X (xbox).
Your player’s position will affect his rating as well as the activation of his playing style.
Playstyle Explained
As briefly covered above, the 5 playstyles are
- Possession
- Quick Counter
- Long Ball Counter
- Out Wide
- Long Ball
Possession
Players will get into position around the ball carrier to receive a pass. However, your teammates will seldom make forward runs, which can be frustrating at times. To overcome this, trigger 1-2 runs with your forwards. I would advise finding players with good passing attributes and one touch passing ability.
Quick Counter
Players will get forward quickly to counter attack as soon as you win the ball. Players will make more forward runs. The downside is that your defenders will play a high line, which makes you susceptible to long balls. Be sure to have a strong defensive midfielder to win back possession, and fast forwards to launch quick counter attacks.
Long Ball Counter
Your forwards will get into positions to receive long balls as soon as you have the ball. Defenders play a deep line, which prevents opponents from sending a long ball past your defenders, but provides space for your opponents to gradually build up attack towards your goal. In any case, this tactic seems to be preferred by many online players.
Out Wide
When the ball is along the flanks, teammates will get into position to receive crosses. Get players who are ‘Cross Specialists’ to receive passes on the flanks and send in crosses. Play a ‘Target Man’ or a striker with good heading and jumping abilities to convert those crosses. ‘Hole Players’ are great for making late runs into the box as well.
Long Ball
Considered as anti-football but an effective tactic regardless. It is a fun tactic to use in a game. A ‘Target Man’ surrounded by fast wingers will help you execute this tactic. Find defenders with good long passing capabilities to send accurate long balls forward.
What is the best playstyle?
Most players adore Long Ball Counter as it seems to be a balanced playstyle – defenders play a deep line which prevents quick counters, and attackers make forward runs to give you passing options. That said, there probably isn’t a ‘best’ playstyle since many other factors (e.g player ratings, playstyle ratings, playstyle activation, player skills, internet connection) affects the game. Find a playstyle that fits your philosophy and stick to it, even though you may lose some games initially, and enjoy the game!
Monetisation
eFootball is a free-to-play game, so monetisation is unavoidable. While spending money is not essential to get a good team or reach Division 1, it can help you achieve them faster.
You can buy premium player packs, which gives you a full team immediately. This saves you time from slowly earning GPs, signing ‘Standard Players’, and levelling them up slowly.
You can also purchase coins to spin for ‘Special Players’, such as featured players of the week or legends. These players usually come with higher ratings than ‘Standard Players’ and will likely help you to enjoy the game earlier than if you were to grind.
There is no right way to play the game. There are people who reached Division 1 using the default set of players. There are people with stacked legend teams languishing below Division 1. Ultimately it depends on the amount of time and budget you wish to allocate to the game.
Conclusion
eFootball has come a long way since its less-than-perfect launch and I feel that plenty of improvements has been made. With the freedom to sign your desired player, the flexibility in how you level up your players, and range of playstyles (e.g Possession) and player playing styles (e.g Cross Specialist), the game provides much more gameplay depth than many would give it credit for. Things may not go your way all the time. You will encounter bugs, toxic players, and bad connections. Just keep in mind that it is just a video game and it is not worth getting stressed for. Do relax, mess around with the mechanics, and have fun!
Main image credit: Konami