If you’ve ever booted up eFootball 2023 only to get completely dominated by the AI on your first friendly match, or found yourself scoring 10+ goals every game with zero challenge, you’re not alone. I remember when I first started playing, I got crushed 7-0 by the AI on Professional difficulty and thought I’d never get good—turns out I just needed to drop down to Amateur for a few matches to get the hang of controls first. Many new players skip over difficulty settings entirely, assuming they’re locked or hard to find, but adjusting your match difficulty is one of the fastest ways to make your gameplay more fun and rewarding. We put together this step-by-step walkthrough to show you how to change difficulty in eFootball 2023 for every game mode, plus tips to pick the right level for your current skill set.
Step-by-Step: How to Change Difficulty in eFootball 2023 Offline Modes
Offline modes are the easiest to adjust difficulty for, and the process is almost identical across friendlies, Master League, Career Mode, and offline Dream Team matches. First, navigate to the match setup screen before you confirm your team and line-up. You’ll see a small “Game Settings” tab near the bottom of the screen, usually right next to the “Select Kit” option. Open that tab, and you’ll find the difficulty slider halfway down the menu.
You can only adjust difficulty before starting a match, not mid-game for most offline modes, so double check the setting before you hit “Start Match” to avoid having to quit and restart if the level feels wrong. If you’re playing a long-term mode like Master League, you can adjust the difficulty for individual matches between game weeks, you don’t have to stick to one level for the entire career. Default difficulty for new accounts is usually “Professional”, which is a mid-tier level that works for casual players with some football game experience, but it’s totally fine to drop it lower if you’re still learning.
For Dream Team offline event matches, you’ll find the difficulty setting on the event details page before you select your squad. Some limited-time events have fixed difficulty levels to keep rewards fair, so you won’t see the adjustment option for those events, but most standard offline events let you pick whatever level you prefer.
Can You Change Difficulty for Online eFootball 2023 Modes?
This is one of the most common questions we get from new players, and the answer depends on what type of online mode you’re playing. Ranked online modes like Division 1 and Dream Team ranked matches use skill-based matchmaking, so you can’t adjust the difficulty manually. The game automatically matches you with players of a similar skill level, so the challenge level will adjust as you win or lose matches and move up or down divisions.
If you’re playing casual online matches with friends, though, you can absolutely adjust the difficulty. Online casual lobbies let the host set difficulty for all players, so if you’re playing with a newer friend who’s still learning the controls, you can lower the difficulty to make the game fair and fun for everyone. Just make sure to communicate with your group before setting the level, so no one is surprised by an unexpected Legend difficulty match right off the bat.
For co-op online matches against AI, the host can also adjust the difficulty the same way they would for an offline match. We usually recommend picking a difficulty level that’s one step lower than the highest level any individual player in the group is comfortable with, so no one feels overwhelmed trying to keep up with more experienced teammates.
How to Pick the Right Difficulty Level for Your Skill
Picking the right difficulty level isn’t just about winning every match—it’s about finding a sweet spot where you feel challenged but not frustrated, and where you’re still building new skills as you play. If you’re not sure which level to start with, here’s a breakdown of every difficulty option and who it’s best for:
- Beginner: Perfect for first-time football game players. AI makes frequent mistakes, passes are easy to intercept, and defending requires almost no manual input. Most players outgrow this level after 5-10 matches, but it’s a great starting point if you’ve never played a football simulation game before.
- Amateur: Great for casual players who know basic controls but struggle with timed passes or skill moves. AI defends slightly more aggressively, but still gives you plenty of scoring chances, and you won’t get punished for small mistakes like misplacing a pass.
- Professional: The default setting for most players. AI will counterattack quickly, make accurate passes, and you’ll need to use basic defending tactics to stop them from scoring. This is the ideal level if you want a fun, low-stress game that still feels challenging without being frustrating.
- Top Player: For players who have mastered basic controls and want a bigger challenge. AI rarely makes unforced errors, you’ll need to time your tackles perfectly, and you can’t just run through the defense with one star player. Most competitive players practice on this level to prepare for online matches.
- Legend: The highest difficulty level, designed for hardcore eFootball players. AI will exploit every gap in your defense, passes are almost perfect, and you’ll need to use advanced tactics and skill moves to create scoring chances. Don’t feel bad if you lose your first 10+ matches on this level—it’s meant to be extremely tough.
You don’t have to stick to one level permanently, either. If you’ve been winning most of your matches on Professional for a few weeks, try moving up to Top Player for a few matches to see how it feels. If you’re getting frustrated and losing every match, you can always drop back down. Moving up one difficulty at a time will help you build skills faster than jumping straight from Professional to Legend, since you’ll have time to adjust to small increases in AI challenge without feeling overwhelmed.
Common Difficulty Adjustment Mistakes to Avoid
Even though adjusting difficulty is simple, a lot of players make small mistakes that ruin their gameplay experience without realizing it. The first mistake is changing difficulty after every single loss. It’s normal to lose a few matches in a row even on a level you’re comfortable with, and sticking through those losses will help you learn what you’re doing wrong and improve faster than dropping down a level every time you don’t win.
Another common mistake is assuming you have to play on the highest possible difficulty to be a “good” player. At the end of the day, eFootball 2023 is a game, and it’s meant to be fun. If you’re only playing on Legend because you think it makes you better, but you’re not enjoying the matches, there’s no point in forcing it. You don’t have to use the same difficulty level for every game mode—it’s totally fine to play Top Player for your solo Master League run and Amateur for friendly matches with friends who don’t play often.
The last mistake we see a lot is forgetting to adjust difficulty when you’re grinding for in-game rewards. If you’re trying to earn a lot of GP or player items from offline events, dropping down to a lower difficulty will let you finish matches faster and win more consistently, so you can get the rewards you want without spending hours grinding hard matches. There’s no shame in playing on a lower level for grind sessions, it’s a common trick even competitive players use to save time.
At the end of the day, eFootball 2023 is meant to be fun, and adjusting your difficulty settings is the easiest way to make sure every match fits what you’re looking for. Whether you’re a new player just learning the controls or a long-time fan chasing a new challenge, knowing how to change difficulty in eFootball 2023 lets you customize your gameplay exactly to your tastes. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different levels until you find the one that makes every match feel rewarding, no matter if you win or lose.