Ferenc Puskas is one of the most feared iconic forwards you can get in eFootball, but far too many players waste his elite potential by upgrading him the wrong way. I’ve spent months testing different training builds, resetting my progression 4 times, and tweaking his playstyle to figure out what actually makes him unplayable in both ranked online matches and offline tournaments. If you’re wondering how to upgrade Puskas eFootball correctly without wasting hundreds of valuable training points, this guide covers everything I wish I knew when I first got my hands on his card. You don’t need to spend any real money to max him out either, just a little bit of planning and the right priority order for your points.
Pre-Upgrade Checks You Need to Do First
Before you even touch the progression menu, there are a few simple checks to make sure you don’t waste time or resources on a dead-end upgrade. You need to confirm you have the tradeable or untradeable Puskas card first, because loan versions of the card can’t be upgraded at all, and I’ve seen dozens of players burn 200+ points on a card that expires after 10 matches. Save at least 300 training points before you start too, so you don’t get stuck halfway through the upgrade process with a half-built player that underperforms.
You’ll also want to have a clear idea of which game mode you use Puskas for most, because builds for casual quick matches are very different from builds for high-stakes ranked Dream Team play. Run through this quick checklist to make sure you’re ready to start:
- Access to the full Puskas player card (not a loan version, as loan cards can't be upgraded)
- Minimum 300 unused general training points, plus 50 forward-specific training points for faster progression
- Completion of the first 3 offline tutorial matches to unlock full player editing features
- A clear idea of which game mode you use Puskas for most (Dream Team, Quick Match, or Co-op)
If you have a limited-time boosted Puskas card from a special event, you can skip saving the extra 50 forward-specific points, as boosted versions already get a 10% bonus to all progression gains. Just make sure you don’t accidentally use your only Puskas card in a trade before you upgrade him, that’s a mistake you can’t undo.
Core Steps to Follow When You Learn How to Upgrade Puskas in eFootball
Once you’ve passed the pre-upgrade checks, the actual upgrade process is straightforward if you follow the right priority order. First, head to your My Team tab, select Player List, find Puskas, and click the Progression option to open the upgrade menu. Ignore the auto-allocate button entirely, it always wastes points on irrelevant stats for Puskas that don’t fit his playstyle.
Finishing, Offensive Awareness, and Acceleration get first priority when allocating points. These three stats are what make Puskas deadly in the box, and you want to get all three to 95 or higher before you touch any other attributes. I used to waste points on passing first when I upgraded my first Puskas, and he played no better than a random gold forward for weeks until I reset his progression.
After you max out those three core stats, move on to Shot Power, Heading, and Dribbling. Puskas already has solid base dribbling, so you only need to get that to 90 unless you play a tiki-taka style that requires him to hold onto the ball for long stretches. You can reset your progression for free once every 30 days if you don’t like how the build feels after a few matches, so don’t stress too much if you make a small mistake early on.
Once you’re happy with your stat allocation, hit confirm to save the changes. You’ll see his overall rating jump immediately, and you can test him out in a quick offline match to feel the difference before you take him online. If you’re playing Dream Team, you might need to adjust your team’s playstyle a little to match his upgraded strengths, but that’s a quick fix.
Skill and Playstyle Tweaks to Max Out Upgraded Puskas
Upgrading his stats is only half the battle, you also need to unlock the right skills and adjust his playstyle to make the most of his new attributes. The four must-have skills for any Puskas build are First Time Shot, Long Range Shooting, Chip Shot Control, and Super Sub if you usually bring him off the bench later in matches. For ranked online play, add Finesse Shot too, it makes his curled shots from the edge of the box almost impossible for goalkeepers to save.
Pairing him with a creative attacking midfielder with high passing stats will make his upgraded attributes shine even more, so don’t ignore the rest of your team when you upgrade Puskas. A midfielder with 90+ Vision and Ground Pass will be able to pick out his runs in behind the defense constantly, leading to far more goal scoring opportunities than if you try to have Puskas create chances for himself.
For his playstyle settings, set his attack level to 10 and his defensive contribution to 2 if you play a 4-3-3 or 4-2-2-2 formation. This keeps him high up the pitch where he can do the most damage, instead of wasting energy tracking back to help defend. Avoid setting his playstyle to False 9, that wastes his elite off-the-ball movement and makes him far less dangerous in the box. Stick to Advanced Forward or Target Man depending on if you want him to make runs behind the defense or hold up play for wingers.
If you play co-op mode, you can tweak his positioning a little more to match your teammate’s playstyle. For example, if your teammate uses a lot of crosses, bump up his heading stat a little extra and set his positioning to “central” so he’s always in the box to meet crosses. Small tweaks like this can make a huge difference in how effective he feels in game.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Upgrading Puskas
Even if you follow the core steps, there are a few common mistakes that can make your upgraded Puskas feel underwhelming. The biggest one is allocating points to defensive stats like Tackling or Defensive Awareness. Puskas is not a pressing forward, and wasting points on these stats takes away from the attacking attributes that make him special. You’re better off using a different forward if you want someone who contributes to defense.
Another common mistake is unlocking irrelevant skills that don’t help a forward, like Slide Tackle or GK Long Throw. You only have 5 skill slots for Puskas, so every slot you waste on a useless skill is one less slot for a skill that will help him score more goals. Always pick skills that directly complement his attacking strengths, not random skills that look good on paper.
Don’t follow generic iconic forward upgrade guides either, because Puskas has unique base stats that don’t fit the standard forward build. He already has 90+ base curve, for example, so you don’t need to add extra points there unless you specifically use a lot of long-range curled shots. Following generic guides will leave you with a well-rounded but unremarkable player, instead of the elite goal scorer he can be.
Finally, don’t be afraid to adjust his build if it doesn’t fit your playstyle. The guide I laid out works for most players, but if you prefer to play with a target man who holds up the ball, you can bump up his physical stats a little more and lower his acceleration. The point is to make him work for how you play, not force yourself to play a different way to fit a pre-made build.
Once you know how to upgrade Puskas eFootball the right way, he can easily become the top scorer in your team no matter what mode you play. I’ve used this exact build to hit Division 1 in ranked Dream Team 3 seasons in a row, and Puskas averages 2.1 goals per match for me across all game modes. If you’re still not happy with his performance after following these steps, try adjusting your formation to give him more service in the box, that’s almost always the issue rather than the upgrade itself. Take him for a few test matches after you finish upgrading, tweak a few settings if you need to, and you’ll be scoring hat tricks with him in no time.