If you’re a long-time eFootball fan digging back into eFootball 2024 in 2026 to grind old limited-time events, build a retro themed squad, or just play a version of the game without the 2026 meta’s overpowered speed boosts, you’ve probably typed what team is ronaldo on efootball 2024 into search at least once. I’ve spent hundreds of hours across every eFootball iteration since the series rebranded from PES, and I still get asked this question weekly in the two eFootball community groups I moderate. There’s a lot of outdated info floating around about his roster placement, especially with all the 2026 patches and retro event drops Konami has rolled out for older game versions, so I put together this full breakdown to clear up confusion, cover all his alternate card versions, and share actionable tips to get the most out of CR7 if you add him to your lineup.
What Team Is Ronaldo On eFootball 2024? Official Base Roster Breakdown
If you’re just loading up the base game without any 2026 community or official patches installed, the answer is straightforward: his standard 88 OVR base card is listed under Al Nassr of the Saudi Pro League. This is the default version you’ll find if you search for him in the free agent list, build a squad around the Saudi Pro League, or pick Al Nassr in friendly match mode. His base card comes with base OVR of 88, 5-star weak foot, high attacking work rate, and 93 finishing, which makes him one of the most clinical finishers in the base game, even if he doesn’t fit the current 2026 meta’s focus on blistering pace.
If you have the official 2026 Konami retro patch installed, his base OVR drops slightly to 87, but his finishing and heading stats stay the same. The patch also adds his Portugal national team base card to the roster, which you can only use if you’re playing international friendly matches or building a national team themed squad. It’s worth noting that this national team base card can’t be added to your regular myClub squad, so if you’re grinding myClub, you’ll only be able to get his Al Nassr base card from standard packs. A lot of outdated guides online still say Ronaldo is on Manchester United for eFootball 2024, but that’s only true for the flashback special card, not the base roster.
Hidden Ronaldo Versions You Can Unlock in eFootball 2024 (2026 Active Event Drops)
Most casual players don’t know that Konami still rolls out limited-time retro events for eFootball 2024 in 2026, and these events come with a handful of special Ronaldo cards that are assigned to different teams than his default Al Nassr base card. That’s why you might see other players using Ronaldo on Manchester United or Portugal in myClub matches, even if you can’t find those versions in the base roster. All of these special cards are still obtainable in 2026, though some require more grind than others:
It’s important to note that none of these special cards change the default base roster placement. If you’re just playing friendly matches without myClub, Ronaldo will still only be available on Al Nassr and the Portugal national team, no matter what patches you have installed. The alternate team assignments only apply to the special myClub cards you unlock through events and challenges.
Pros and Cons of Adding Ronaldo to Your eFootball 2024 Squad in 2026
I’ve used every version of Ronaldo in eFootball 2024 for the past two years, both in casual matches against friends and in ranked retro ladder play, so I have a pretty good idea of where he shines and where he falls short. Before you spend weeks grinding to unlock him, it’s worth weighing the pros and cons to make sure he fits your playstyle.
The biggest upside of having Ronaldo on your squad is his elite finishing from anywhere inside the box. Even his 87 OVR base card will put away chances that most other forwards would miss, and he’s almost automatic from inside the six-yard box. He also has unmatched heading ability, so if you play a style that focuses on crossing from the wings, he’ll score 10+ goals a season for you easily. He’s also very versatile, you can play him as a striker, left winger, or even a second striker, depending on your formation. I’ve found that he’s especially good if you use a 4-3-3 formation with two wingers that can cross well, since he’ll get on the end of almost every cross you send into the box. If you play on legendary difficulty, his finishing is even more valuable, because most forwards miss a lot of chances on that difficulty, but he’s still consistent.
That said, Ronaldo has some pretty big downsides if you’re used to the 2026 meta or play a counter-attack focused style. His pace is only 82 on his base card, and even his highest OVR special card only has 87 pace, which is way slower than meta forwards like Mbappe or Vinicius Junior. That means he won’t be able to run past defenders on counter attacks, so you’ll have to build up your attacks more slowly to get him the ball in good positions. His dribbling is also not as smooth as younger forwards, so you don’t want to hold onto the ball with him for too long, he’s much better at making runs into the box and finishing chances than creating his own opportunities.
For casual players or anyone building a themed squad, he’s absolutely worth unlocking. But if you’re trying to climb the ranked retro ladder in 2026, you might be better off picking a faster forward that fits the meta better. I still keep his TOTS card on my secondary squad for fun matches, but I don’t use him for ranked play anymore, since most opponents use fast defenders that can easily keep up with him.
Tips to Get Ronaldo on Your eFootball 2024 Squad in 2026 Without Spending Real Money
You don’t have to spend real money on premium coins to unlock Ronaldo in eFootball 2024, even in 2026. I’ve unlocked three versions of him without spending a dime, and these are the tips I swear by to make the grind as fast as possible.
First, make sure you grind the weekly retro challenges every single week. Each week, Konami releases 3 retro challenges for eFootball 2024, and the top reward for completing all three is a 85+ OVR player pack that has a 12% chance of dropping Ronaldo’s base Al Nassr card. The challenges are usually pretty easy, like scoring 5 goals with Saudi Pro League players or winning 3 friendly matches, so you can complete them in less than an hour a week. I got my first base Ronaldo from one of these packs after only three weeks of grinding.
Second, don't waste your coins on single premium packs. The drop rate for special Ronaldo cards in single premium packs is less than 0.5%, so you’re much better off saving your coins for the monthly retro pack bundles that cost 100,000 GP. These bundles have a 3% chance of dropping one of his special cards, which is 6 times higher than the single pack drop rate. I saved up 300,000 GP last month and pulled the Manchester United flashback card from one of these bundles, so it’s definitely worth saving for them. It’s also worth noting that the transfer market prices for his base card drop significantly during the retro event months, so if you wait until March when the anniversary event is running, you can pick him up for as little as 30,000 GP.
Third, join an active eFootball retro community clan. Most active clans run weekly tournaments for eFootball 2024 in 2026, and the prizes often include special Ronaldo cards that you can’t get anywhere else. I’m in a clan with about 50 other retro eFootball fans, and we run a tournament every weekend where the top 3 players get a free special Ronaldo card. I won the Portugal Legacy card in one of these tournaments last year, so it’s a great way to get rare cards without grinding challenges for weeks.
If you don’t want to grind at all, you can also trade for his base Al Nassr card in the in-game transfer market for around 50,000 GP, which is a pretty good deal if you have extra GP lying around. Just make sure you don’t overpay for his base card, since the drop rate is pretty high from the weekly challenge packs.
Whether you’re building a retro Saudi Pro League squad, putting together a team of all-time greats, or just want one of the most famous footballers in history on your lineup, knowing what team is ronaldo on efootball 2024 is the first step to adding him to your collection. Even in 2026, he’s still one of the most fun players to use in the game, and if you follow the tips we shared, you can unlock him without spending a dime. If you have any other questions about eFootball 2024 rosters, unlocks, or retro event drops, drop a comment below and I’ll help you out as soon as I can.