If you’ve spent hours tinkering with your eFootball dream squad, you know adding a generational talent like Lionel Messi can turn even lopsided matchups into easy wins. Whether you’re a casual player who only logs in on weekends or a competitive grinder chasing Division 1 ranks, figuring out how to get Messi in eFootball 2024 is one of the most common goals across the entire player base. I’ve tested every possible route to unlock him over the past few months, and I’m breaking down exactly what works, what doesn’t, and what you should avoid to save yourself time and hard-earned coins.
How to Get Messi in eFootball 2024: Free Unlock Methods
You don’t have to spend real money to add Messi to your squad, though it will take a bit of consistent play to hit the requirements. All free routes rely on earning in-game currency or completing limited-time event challenges, and they only pop up during specific windows, so you’ll want to act fast when they go live.
One thing to remember with free methods: if you see a "free Messi" glitch floating around on social media, ignore it. Most of these are scams designed to steal your account credentials, and Konami actively bans players who use exploits to unlock players without meeting the official requirements. You don’t want to lose your entire squad just to skip a few weeks of grinding.
Paid Routes to Unlock Messi Fast
If you don’t have time to grind events or save up hundreds of thousands of GP, paid options let you skip the wait and get Messi much faster, though you’ll have to spend real cash or premium coins to use them. I don’t recommend spending money if you’re a casual player who only plays a few matches a month, but if you’re building a competitive squad for tournaments, it can be a worthwhile investment.
The most reliable paid option is coins exclusive special agents, which have a much higher drop rate for Messi than GP agents, usually between 8% and 12% for 10-pulls. These agents are only available for 2 to 3 days at a time, so set a notification for Konami’s official in-game announcements so you don’t miss the drop window. I’ve seen players miss these agents by a single hour because they didn’t check the news tab, so don’t make that mistake.
You can also get a guaranteed high-rated version of Messi by purchasing the premium battle pass during seasons that feature him as the top tier reward. The battle pass costs around $10, and you’ll unlock Messi once you hit tier 30, which takes about 2 weeks of regular play to reach if you complete all daily and weekly missions. This is the best paid option if you want a guaranteed unlock, instead of risking coins on random agent pulls.
Just don’t waste money on third-party sites that claim to sell Messi accounts for cheap. Most of these accounts are stolen, and Konami will permanently ban them as soon as the original owner reports the account missing. You’ll lose all your money and your new squad before you even get to play a match with Messi.
Tips to Maximize Your Chances of Unlocking Messi
Even if you’re sticking to free methods, there are a few small tweaks you can make to increase your odds of getting Messi without wasting months of grind. I’ve used all of these tricks myself, and I’ve unlocked 3 different versions of Messi over the past year without spending any real money.
First, save all your GP and coins for Messi-specific agents only. It’s really tempting to pull on random agents that feature other good players, but you’ll burn through all your currency before Messi’s agent drops if you don’t stick to a plan. I recommend keeping a running total of your GP in a notes app, and don’t touch it unless you see Messi listed as a featured player in the agent pool.
Second, complete all event challenges as soon as they go live. Many event reward tracks have bonus GP and coins that you can only get if you finish the challenges within the first 48 hours of the event launching. That extra currency adds up fast, and it can give you enough for an extra 10-pull when Messi’s agent drops. I usually set a reminder on my phone for when new events launch so I don’t miss these bonus rewards.
Third, if you’re pulling on an agent, do 10-pulls instead of single pulls. 10-pulls always give you a bonus free player, and they have a slightly higher chance of landing a top-tier featured player like Messi than single pulls do. I’ve never gotten a featured Messi from a single pull, but I’ve gotten two from 10-pulls over the past year, so the difference is noticeable.
What to Do After You Unlock Messi
Getting Messi is only half the battle: you need to build your squad around him to get the most out of his unique skill set. Messi’s best position is as a false 9 or a right winger, depending on the version you unlock, so you’ll want to adjust your formation to fit his play style instead of forcing him into a spot that doesn’t work. I’ve seen players waste Messi’s potential by sticking him on the left wing, so don’t make that mistake.
Make sure you level up Messi’s skills first before you use him in competitive matches. Focus on upgrading his dribbling, passing, and finishing stats first, since those are his biggest strengths. You can get skill upgrade items from event rewards and daily login bonuses, so you don’t have to spend extra coins to max him out. It usually takes me about 2 weeks to fully level up a new version of Messi, and the difference in his performance is night and day once he’s maxed.
You’ll also want to pair him with players that have good link chemistry. Argentine players, Inter Miami teammates, and players with creative playmaker styles all get a chemistry boost when paired with Messi, which makes the entire squad play better. I usually pair him with Enzo Fernandez in midfield and Luis Suarez up front, and that combination has won me 70% of my competitive matches over the past few months.
Don’t worry if you don’t have those players right away. Even if you pair him with lower-rated players that match his play style, he’ll still carry most of your matches if you use him correctly. Focus on using his dribbling to cut in from the right wing and shoot with his left foot, and you’ll score more goals than you know what to do with.
At the end of the day, unlocking Messi doesn’t have to be complicated, whether you’re playing for free or spending a bit of cash to speed up the process. Stick to the official methods we covered, avoid random social media scams, and save your currency for the right drop windows, and you’ll figure out how to get Messi in eFootball 2024 faster than you think. Once he’s in your squad, you’ll wonder how you ever played without him.