eFootball Free to Play: Can You Still Compete Without Spending Money?

The eFootball series has always promoted a free-to-play football experience where users can build squads, compete online, and collect legends, all with no spending. But with the evolution of eFootball 2026, players are now asking: Is it still viable to play free-to-play? The answer is complex.

On one hand, Konami is giving out more free things than ever before. On the other hand, overpowering packs and premium packs that are only available for limited times have made the F2P grind more of a challenge than ever before. Let’s break it down.

The State of Free-to-Play in eFootball

Konami deserves recognition for remaining genuinely free-to-play friendly. Today, for instance, players logging in are bombarded with daily login rewards, event bonuses, free coins, and short-term campaigns.

The celebrations for 900 million downloads even gifted player showtime Lewandowski for free, which is unheard of since other previous campaigns gifted players like Messi, Neymar, Bellingham, and legends like Cannavaro and Rooney.
This all-but-afforded generosity means that even players just joining can have a squad stacked with stars, and without spending a dime. As a matter of fact, a few lucky pulls from free spins can elevate a club to a top-tier level squad.

More importantly, free-to-play squads can defeat “god squads” with players that are drawn to premium epics, following substantial skill being exhibited. The core gameplay fundamentally holds enough balance in the overall design to permit victories over perceived ranges of handicaps. For new players wondering how to build their team efficiently without spending, our eFootball Guide offers tips on squads, coins, and event rewards.

The Struggles of Staying F2P

However, F2P managers will not always have it easy. The biggest challenge is not assembling a collection of competitive players. It's about missing the players you wanted. Konami releases plenty of cards, but many players will be cut out of their fan-favorites because of the event.

Selecting Cannavaro almost means giving up on Rooney or Van Basten. United fans who wished they could just get Rooney, but needed a defender, had to abandon the sense of nostalgia for practicality.

Another irony is that the rewards are random. Free accounts may land a legacy card like Rijkaard or a mediocre player, but a solid option, like Xavi Simons. Randomness in the system makes a huge difference from the F2P perspective.

In the meantime, the premium packs keep coming with flashy epics, and this year’s Balon d’Or winner that F2P players just can’t have unless they save coins for months.

What eFootball Needs for Better F2P Balance

Despite these frustrations, eFootball offers better video-game-style content than most other sports games. But Konami needs to support F2P gameplay better, such as setting long-term objectives to strive for rather than just rewarding players when they log in.

One possibility is to run objective-based campaigns, such as having players score 100 goals using Brazilians to earn a special Neymar, or defensive milestones to earn Alba. These objectives let players grind their way to a feeling of progression, minus luck or reward for simply logging in.

While many F2P teams can compete in the Division 1 and Division 2 matches, they often come down to sweaty meta squads. Having more structured objectives would make F2P gameplay more engaging and allow players to try more creative line-ups instead of their meta squad of cards sabotaging gameplay variety.

Will free-to-play also be viable in eFootball 2026? Yes, but with some caveats. Konami provides enough free players to be competitive, and with skill, you can definitely defeat opponents who paid for premium players. Those hunting for their dream striker can explore our Best Center Forward eFootball picks to see which forwards fit perfectly into an F2P squad.

However, if you want a specific player or want the convenience of going after your beloved players, it can be restrictive as an F2P player.

In the end, eFootball remains among the most generous football simulations available. However, for free-to-play managers, patience, smart decisions, and a bit of luck have never been more important.