If you’ve ever booted up eFootball 2022 only to get stuck navigating messy menus instead of scoring screamers with your best mates, you’re not alone. I spent my first two weeks with the game fumbling through settings trying to figure out how to play with friends in eFootball 2022, running into everything from mismatched version errors to lobby connection drops. This guide pulls together every trick I tested, from quick local couch matches to cross-platform online co-op, so you can skip the frustration and get straight to playing. We’ll also cover common fixes for issues that pop up, even if you and your friends are on different consoles or have spotty internet.
How to Set Up Local Matches to Play with Friends in eFootball 2022
Local couch co-op is the easiest way to play if you and your friends are in the same space, and it doesn’t require any internet connection to work. First, make sure all your controllers are paired to your console or PC before you launch the game, otherwise the system often won’t recognize new controllers added mid-load. Once you’re on the main menu, navigate to the “Play” tab, select “Friend Match” and then choose the “Local” option.
Make sure all controllers are connected to your console or PC before launching the game to avoid the common error where extra inputs don’t show up in the lobby. You can have up to 4 players in a single local match, split across both teams if you want to play 2v2, or all on one team to take on AI opponents together. You can also tweak custom match rules to fit your group’s skill level: turn off stamina, disable offside calls, or turn down referee strictness if you’re playing with people who don’t pick up football games often.
I usually turn off strict foul rules when I play with my little cousin, so he doesn’t get frustrated by random yellow cards every time he tries a slide tackle. You can also pick custom squads, official club teams, or even all-legend rosters for local matches, no grinding required to unlock content for casual play.
Step-by-Step to Host or Join Online Friend Lobbies
If you and your friends are playing remotely, you’ll need a Konami ID to access online friend matches, even if you’re all on the same console platform. You can sign up for a Konami ID for free through the in-game prompt the first time you launch the online mode, and it only takes a minute to complete. Once you’re logged in, navigate to the “Friends” tab on the main menu to add people to your list. If you’re playing cross-platform, search for your friend’s Konami ID instead of their platform gamertag, because gamertags don’t carry over across PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
To host a lobby, go to the “Play” tab, select “Online Friend Match” and then click “Host Lobby”. You can set the lobby privacy to “Friends Only” so random players can’t join, and adjust match settings like length, rules, and allowed squads before sending invites to your friends list. If you’re joining a lobby, just go to the “Friend Lobbies” section under Online Friend Match, find your friend’s name in the active lobbies list, and click join to load in.
Cross-platform play is enabled by default, but if you can’t see your friend’s lobby, double check that both of you have the latest game patch installed. Even a small version mismatch will make lobbies invisible across accounts, and the game doesn’t always notify you if you’re running an old version. You can also play 2v2 or 3v3 co-op against random online players by creating a team with your friends and queuing for casual or ranked co-op matches.
Fun Game Modes to Try With Your Friends in eFootball 2022
You don’t have to stick to standard 11v11 ranked matches to have a good time with friends. eFootball 2022 has a bunch of underrated modes that work perfectly for group play, whether you’re looking for casual chaos or competitive challenge. I rotate through these every time my friends and I have a game night, and they make every session feel fresh even after months of playing:
- 3v3 Street Football: Play on small indoor pitches with no offside rule, 10-minute match times, and faster, more arcade-style gameplay. It’s perfect for groups of 6 players total, or 3 people playing co-op against AI opponents. The lack of complex rules makes it great for new players who don’t know standard football regulations well.
- Custom Tournament Mode: Create a knockout or league tournament with up to 8 friends, set custom match lengths and rules, and even add your own real-life prize rules like the loser buys pizza for the group. I use this for every game night, and it always leads to heated but friendly rivalries that last for weeks.
- Co-op Dream Team: Build a shared squad with your friend using in-game currency, and climb the ranked co-op leaderboards together. You can split roles to play to each other’s strengths: one person can focus on defending and passing, while the other handles attacking and finishing, so you don’t fight over control of the ball.
- Legends Match: Pick teams made up entirely of classic football legends, from Maradona to Maldini, and play without pressure of ranking up or losing in-game currency. It’s a great pick for casual players who don’t want to grind for better player cards to compete.
Keep in mind that some modes, like Co-op Dream Team, require both players to have a certain number of player cards unlocked to participate, but you can always use default legend squads if you don’t want to spend time grinding for new players.
Common Issues When Playing With Friends (And Quick Fixes)
Even if you follow all the steps correctly, eFootball 2022 can throw random errors at you, especially when playing online. I’ve run into almost every one of these issues over the past year I’ve played the game, so these fixes are tested and work 90% of the time without needing to contact support.
The most common issue is not being able to see a friend’s online lobby. Make sure both you and your friend have the same game version installed, and that neither of you has cross-platform play disabled in your account settings. If you’re on PC, double check that your firewall isn’t blocking eFootball’s connection, because Windows Defender often flags the game’s online features as untrusted by default.
If you’re experiencing extreme lag during online matches, have everyone connect to a wired internet connection if possible, and close any background apps that use bandwidth like streaming services or file downloaders. If lag only happens when you play with one specific friend, they might have a slower upload speed, so ask them to host the lobby instead, as host connection speed has the biggest impact on match performance.
For local matches, if a controller isn’t being recognized, restart the game with all controllers already connected, and make sure you’ve assigned each controller to a player in the pre-match lobby. The game sometimes defaults extra controllers to “spectator” mode, so you’ll need to manually move them to a team before starting the match.
At the end of the day, eFootball 2022 is way more fun when you're playing with people you know, even if you're losing every match. Once you get the hang of how to play with friends in eFootball 2022, you can tweak rules, try silly modes, and build inside jokes that make every match feel special. Don't stress too much about winning if you're playing casual – the point is to have a good time. If you run into an issue we didn't cover, try restarting your game and console first, it fixes more problems than you'd think.