If you’ve ever found yourself hyped to pull off a last-minute winner against your best mate only to get stuck fumbling through menu settings, you’re not alone. Figuring out how to play eFootball 2023 with friends is way simpler than it looks, even if the game’s slightly clunky UI makes it feel impossible at first. I’ve spent dozens of hours testing every multiplayer mode, troubleshooting connection drops, and tweaking match settings to make casual hangouts and competitive scrims run as smoothly as possible. This guide covers every possible way to play together, whether you’re all in the same room or scattered across different countries.
How to Play eFootball 2023 with Friends: Offline Local Match Setup
Local couch co-op is still one of the most fun ways to play eFootball, especially if you’re hosting a game night or hanging out with people at your place. I once spent 20 minutes trying to get a 4-player local match working before I realized I’d forgotten to pair the third controller to my PS5, so I’ve got all the kinks worked out for you. You don’t need an active internet connection or PlayStation Plus/Xbox Live subscription to play local matches, which makes it a great option if your internet is down or you don’t pay for online services.
To set up a local match, head to the main Play tab on the home screen, select Local Match, then pick Friendly Match. Once you’re on the team select screen, turn on all your controllers and assign each player to either the home or away side. You can have up to 4 players per match on consoles, and 2 players on PC, depending on how many controllers you have. If you only have 2 people playing but want full 11v11 matches, the game will fill the remaining spots with AI players, and you can adjust the AI difficulty to match your skill level. If you want to team up against AI instead of playing against each other, just assign both human players to the same side before launching the match.
Online Multiplayer Setup for Friend Matches and Co-op Play
If your friends live in different cities or countries, online multiplayer is the way to go. First, make sure all players have their eFootball account linked to their platform account, and have each other added as friends on their respective platform (PSN, Xbox Live, Steam, or mobile store accounts). All players on console need an active online subscription (PlayStation Plus, Xbox Live Gold) to join online friend matches, so double check that everyone has an active subscription before you try to set up a lobby.
To create an online friend lobby, go to the Play tab, select Online Friend Match, then choose Create Lobby. You can set a custom password for the lobby to keep random players from joining, then send invites to your friends directly from the in-game friend list. Crossplay works between all console and PC platforms, but mobile players can only play against other mobile players for now, so make sure everyone is on compatible hardware if you’re planning a mixed group session. You can also set up co-op lobbies where you and up to 2 friends team up to play against either AI or other groups of human players online, if you don’t feel like playing against each other.
Best Custom Match Settings for Fun and Competitive Play
Default eFootball match settings are fine for quick casual games, but tweaking a few options can make your friend sessions way more enjoyable, whether you’re just messing around or playing for bragging rights and a silly bet. I’ve tested dozens of setting combinations for both casual and competitive groups, and these are the options that work best for almost every crowd:
- Match length: 10-15 minutes – This gives you enough time to build attacks and mount comebacks, without dragging the game out too long if you want to play multiple rounds in one session.
- Player exhaustion: On – This adds a layer of strategy, as you can’t sprint nonstop for the entire match and have to plan substitutions properly to keep your players fresh late in the game.
- Injury and card effects: Off for casual play, on for competitive scrims – Random injuries and red cards can ruin a close game if you’re just messing around, but they add realism and stakes for competitive matches.
- Pass assistance level: Medium – High assistance makes passes too easy for skilled players, while low assistance is frustrating for new players; medium strikes the perfect balance for mixed skill groups.
You can also tweak other settings like shot accuracy, offside rules, and weather to match your group’s preferences. If you’re playing with people who are new to football games, turn off offside and turn up pass assistance a little to keep the game fun and accessible for everyone. For silly, chaotic sessions, you can even set all player stats to 99 to turn every match into a high-scoring goal fest.
Common Issues and Fixes for Friend Matches
Even if you follow all the setup steps perfectly, you might run into the occasional glitch or connection issue that stops you from playing. Most of these issues have super simple fixes that take less than a minute to try, so you don’t have to cut your session short over a small bug. The most common connection issue comes from closed NAT types on your router, which prevents you from connecting to other players’ lobbies. If you get a NAT type error, enable UPnP in your router’s settings, or set your console or PC to a static IP address and forward the official eFootball ports listed on the game’s support page.
Lag mid-match is another common issue, especially if someone in your group is using Wi-Fi. The best fix for lag is to have everyone use a wired ethernet connection if possible, and make sure no one is streaming 4K video or downloading large files while you’re playing. If your friends aren’t showing up in your in-game friend list, try restarting the game first, and double check that everyone has crossplay enabled if you’re playing across different platforms. If you get a “failed to connect to lobby” error, ask one of your other friends to create the lobby instead – that fixes the issue 9 times out of 10, in my experience, since it bypasses any individual connection issues the original lobby host might have.
At the end of the day, the whole point of playing eFootball is to have fun with the people you care about, and a little bit of prep goes a long way to making those sessions run smoothly. Whether you’re huddled around a TV playing local matches or competing in a 10-man online tournament with your old school friends, knowing how to play eFootball 2023 with friends takes all the frustration out of setup so you can focus on scoring screamers and talking trash. Don’t be afraid to mess around with custom settings to find what works best for your group, and don’t get too upset if you lose – there’s always a rematch waiting right around the corner.