How to Change Players in eFootball Like a Pro Gamer

As both a passionate gamer and technology geek, I was thrilled when Konami announced that Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) would be reinvented as the newer, shinier eFootball. This promised to take the immersive soccer simulation gameplay we love to the next level.

One of my favorite parts of any sports franchise mode is building my ultimate fantasy team by signing superstar players. eFootball takes this up a notch by allowing you to create your dream squad from thousands of real licensed players and clubs. Want to see Messi team up with Mbappe? Or watch Ronaldinho emulate his samba magic alongside legends like Cruyff? eFootball makes it possible.

But how do you actually go about changing players seamlessly in eFootball to create your perfect lineup? As someone who has sunk countless hours into mastering PES and FIFA team building, let me walk you through it step-by-step like a pro.

Why eFootball Changes the Game

Let‘s first appreciate why the change from PES to eFootball matters. eFootball represents a major graphics overhaul and improvement in player animations, making everything look more realistic. The new motion matching technology mirrors the real-life movements of stars like Ronaldo and Kane.

Plus, Konami now has the licenses to recreate faithfully famous clubs like Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester United alongside national teams. Previous PES versions had unlicensed teams like Piemonte Calcio instead of Juventus.

The gameplay itself shifts to a free-to-play model and centers around new mobile versions in addition to console and PC. This allows more gamers easy access to the game. eFootball boasts new mechanics for passing, shooting and dribbling along with deeper tactics.

All of this combines to make eFootball one of the highest quality, in-depth soccer gaming experiences out there. Let‘s look at how to leverage this amazing platform to build your ultimate squad.

Crafting Your Dream Team in eFootball

One of the most satisfying elements of eFootball is creating your perfect club. This means signing the best real world superstars and legends at each position. Let‘s look at some examples of ideal players you could chase:

Striker: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski
Winger: Neymar Jr., Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane
Midfield: Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modric, N‘Golo Kante
Defense: Virgil van Dijk, Sergio Ramos, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer, Jan Oblak, Alisson Becker

You can see elite players are available from top leagues like the Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga. Of course, having Ronaldo AND Messi upfront together likely violates team budget constraints! This is where you‘ll need to master the player changes.

Step-by-Step: How to Change Players in eFootball

Let‘s dive into the nitty gritty of actually changing your starting 11 and squad in eFootball. I‘ll walk you through it like a pro:

Access Team Management

From the eFootball main menu, tap "Game Plan" to enter team management.
This provides an overview of your current lineup and squad. Make a note of positions you want to upgrade.

Enter Edit Mode

Tap the jersey icon in the top left to enter Team Edit mode.
This allows you to make changes to the starting 11 and bench players.

Select Player to Replace

Scroll through your lineup and long press on a player you want to switch out of the starting 11.
For example, I identified my left winger as a weak point, so I press and hold him.

Drag in the Replacement

While still holding the player, use your other hand to scroll through the bench and reserves.
When you see the new player you want, drag the player you‘re holding on top their icon.
Once the new player is highlighted, release to drop them into the lineup.

Confirm Changes

When finished, tap the green checkmark to confirm all changes.
You‘ll see your new player now in the starting 11!

And that‘s the process in a nutshell. Seamless drag and drop swapping. Now let‘s get into tactics and top tips for picking the right players.

Choose Players That Complement Your Tactics

Don‘t just blindly chase the top-rated shiny cards. You want players whose attributes and playstyle fit how you want to play. Here are examples based on popular tactics:

Tiki-taka passing – Prioritize high passing, vision, ball control
Counter attack – Pacey wings and strikers who can finish
Pressing – Look for work rate, stamina, aggression
Set piece threats – Target tall, aerial players with heading ability

If you utilize wing play, sign fast dribblers with crossing ability. If you build from the back, upgrade your playmaking midfielders and defenders comfortable on the ball.

Always balance your team across positions. An elite striker won‘t help if your midfield can‘t feed him passes.

Study Player Stats and Traits

When evaluating a potential new player, dive into their profile and analyze key attributes like:

Shooting – Finishing, long shots, shot power
Passing – Vision, short/long passing, curve
Dribbling – Ball control, tight possession, skill moves
Defense – Tackling, aggression, interceptions

Also check their preferred foot, work rates, injury resistance, weak foot usage and special skills like through passing or speed burst.

Top players will excel across technical attributes, have high weak foot usage and boast special traits that make them stand out.

Boost Team Chemistry

Chemistry indicates how well your players link up on the pitch based on partnerships, nationality and other affinity factors.

Some tips to build chemistry when changing players:

Sign players from the same league or club
Link players by nationality like French or Dutch
Maintain core partnerships like striker-winger
Limit position and role changes

Here is an example of changing two players to improve chemistry:

Position	Player Out	Player In	Boost
CB	Campbell (ENG)	Koulibaly (SEN)	Links better with Senegal LM
CM	Oxlade (ENG)	Kessie (IVC)	Stronger link with IVC ST

With the right chemistry, your team will click and perform better on the pitch.

Where To Find New Players

Once you‘ve identified areas needing upgrade, where do you actually find new talent? eFootball offers several avenues:

Scouts – Send scouts to different regions to uncover new signings. West Europe finds elite talent.
Agents – Sign contracts with agents focused on certain positions like goalkeepers.
Auctions – Bid against other clubs in the transfer market for superstars.
Youth Academy – Develop and promote the best youngsters from your academy.
Events – Limited events release special player packs.
Progression – Earn progression points to upgrade existing player stats and ratings.

Leverage all of these over a season to steadily improve your squad.

Develop New Players After Signing

When you have new signings, don‘t just set and forget them. Invest training into upgrading their skills.

Assign position-specific training like finishing for strikers.
Use progression points to steadily boost attributes like passing, dribbling etc.
Send them to different coaches like goalkeeping or fitness experts.
Schedule training matches and scenarios to get them match sharp.
Monitor their form arrows to see attribute growth over weeks and months.

With the right drills, your marquee signing can go from 80 to 85+ rated in a season.

Optimize Separately for Online vs Offline Play

One final tip – you may want to tweak your lineup and tactics separately for online vs offline play.

Against the AI in seasons mode, you can build ultimate superteams with the best players. Online against real opponents requires more meta tactics to be competitive.

Adjust your squad based on whether you want realism or competitive advantage.

Key Takeaways

Let‘s recap the key tips for seamlessly changing players in eFootball:

Tap the jersey icon to enter Team Editing mode
Long press the player you want to replace
Drag and drop the new player into the lineup
Pick players that complement tactics and chemistry
Study attributes and traits before signing
Use scouts, agents and auctions to find talent
Develop new signings through training
Tweak your squad for online vs offline play

Mastering these player change fundamentals allows you to build your dream team in eFootball and take on any opponent.

As a fellow gamer, I hope these pro tips help you dominate the pitch and create your ultimate eFootball fantasy squad. Let me know if you have any other questions!