There’s nothing better than settling in for a competitive football match with a friend right next to you, no online lag or random opponents to ruin the fun. But if you’ve fumbled through eFootball 2023’s menus trying to set up a 2 player game and come up empty, you’re not alone. Konami’s menu layout can be confusing for new and returning players alike, especially if you’re used to older PES titles. This guide breaks down every way to play 2 player on eFootball 2023, with no confusing tech jargon or extra steps you don’t need.
How to Play 2 Player on eFootball 2023: Offline Couch Co-op Setup
Couch co-op is the most popular 2 player mode, and it works on every console and PC that supports eFootball 2023. I’ve tested this setup dozens of times with friends on both PS5 and Xbox Series X, and the only time I ran into issues was when one of our controllers was still paired to a different console in the house. The process is the same across almost all platforms, with just minor menu differences.
First, launch eFootball 2023 and navigate to the “Play” tab on the main menu. Select “Offline Match” then “Friend Match” to open the pre-game lobby. Turn on your second controller and press the primary action button (X on PlayStation, A on Xbox, Space or left click on PC) to register it to the second player slot. You’ll get a pop-up asking if you want to sign in to an existing account or use a guest profile for the second player. You don’t need an active internet connection to run offline 2 player matches in eFootball 2023, so this works even if your internet is out.
Once both controllers are registered, you can select your teams, kits, and stadium just like you would for a single player match. Guest accounts work for second players on all major consoles, no separate PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live subscription required. The only catch is that match stats for the second player won’t be saved to any profile if you use a guest account, but that’s no big deal for casual play.
Local Wireless 2 Player Setup for Handheld and Mobile Devices
If you’re traveling or don’t have access to a TV, local wireless 2 player mode lets you play against a friend on separate Switch, iOS, or Android devices without an internet connection. This is perfect for long car rides or hotel stays when you don’t want to crowd around a single small screen.
If you’re trying to figure out how to play 2 player on eFootball 2023 on Switch, start by making sure both consoles have the game downloaded and updated to the latest version. Hold the power button on both Switches and turn on “Local Wireless” mode, then launch eFootball 2023. Navigate to the “Local Match” option under the Play tab, have one player select “Create Room” and the other select “Join Room”. The room should pop up within 10 seconds, and you can join with one tap.
For mobile devices, the process is almost identical, but you’ll need to connect both phones or tablets to the same wifi network first. Always confirm both devices are running the same eFootball 2023 patch version to avoid connection drops mid-match. If one device can’t find the room, try turning off bluetooth on both devices and restarting the game. I’ve found that mobile matches run a lot smoother if you close all background apps before launching the game, too.
Customizing Your 2 Player Match Settings for the Best Experience
eFootball 2023 lets you tweak almost every part of your 2 player match to fit your play style, whether you want a quick casual round or a competitive, realistic match that mimics real professional football. Don’t just stick to the default settings, because they’re tuned for single player play and might not work well for two people of different skill levels.
Here are the top 3 settings to adjust before you start your match:
- Match length: Opt for 6-10 minute halves if you want a realistic, full match experience with substitutions and tactical shifts, or 2-3 minute halves for quick, casual rounds that don’t take too long to finish.
- Difficulty level: Set the AI difficulty to Amateur or Regular if one player is new to the franchise, or Professional/Super Star for more competitive play where even small mistakes can cost you the match.
- Team restriction rules: Turn off “star player only” selections if you want to let both players pick any club or national team, or enable it for a more balanced, fair match-up where both teams have similar overall ratings.
You can also adjust control settings separately for each player, so if one person prefers classic controls and the other uses advanced controls, you don’t have to compromise. You can turn on shared split screen for matches if you prefer to have separate field views, or keep it on a single combined view for couch co-op on smaller TVs. Split screen works best on 40 inch or larger TVs, otherwise the text and player models can be hard to see.
Common 2 Player eFootball 2023 Issues and Quick Fixes
Even if you follow all the steps correctly, you might run into small glitches or issues when setting up your 2 player match. Most of these have super simple fixes that take less than a minute to implement, so you don’t have to give up and play a different game.
The most common issue is the second controller not being detected by the game. If this happens, first make sure the controller is fully charged and not paired to another device. For wireless controllers, try unpairing and re-pairing it to your console, or use a wired connection if you have a cable handy. For PC players, make sure you’ve enabled controller support in the game’s settings menu, as it’s turned off by default for some third-party controllers.
Another common issue is the second player being stuck on the spectator slot and unable to select a team. Always assign controllers to the home or away team slot in the pre-match lobby before you select your teams to avoid selection glitches. If you already selected your teams first, back out to the main menu and re-open the friend match lobby to fix the issue. If you’re playing local wireless on mobile or Switch and keep getting disconnected mid-match, try moving closer to your router or turning off other devices that are connected to the same network to free up bandwidth.
Once you get the hang of the setup process, playing 2 player on eFootball 2023 is one of the most fun ways to experience the game, whether you’re playing casual rounds with a friend who barely knows the offside rule or competitive matches with a fellow eFootball fan. You don’t need any extra subscriptions or fancy equipment to make it work, just two controllers and a little patience to navigate the menus. Next time you have a friend over, you’ll be able to jump straight into a match without wasting 20 minutes fumbling through settings.