eFootball 2026 continues to tap into Serie A history with another Epic release, and the spotlight this time falls on defensive excellence and one big name in midfield control. The Epic Italian League Guardians pack features Lilian Thuram, Andrea Pirlo, and Riccardo Ferri, with the latter debuting as a Legend card.
I know this pack is tempting, so make the choice easy for you. Here’s my full review of the eFootball 2026 Epic Italian League Guardians pack, breaking down how each legend performs in-game and whether the pack is worth investing your coins in.
eFootball 2026 Epic Italian League Guardians players
Andrea Pirlo
- Position: DMF
- Playing Style: Orchestrator
- Showtime Skills: Visionary Pass and Phenomenal Pass
Pirlo does not come in as a defensive DMF by design, but his defensive numbers are honestly crazy good for someone in an Orchestrator role. Interceptions, engagement, and tackling all sit comfortably in the high range, making him far more reliable off the ball than you might expect.
On the ball, this is peak Pirlo. Dribbling feels smooth and secure, and the passing is among the very best you can get in the game. The Visionary Pass plus Phenomenal Pass combo is deadly, since these two are the best passing Show Time skills one can get.
Using him as a DMF under Capello’s Link Up feels like the perfect setup for me, just going to be rock solid for sure. His weakness is in the attacking third and aerial game, but Pirlo isn’t built for that, nor is his playstyle for scoring goals. Double pivot with a taller DMF/CMF, and you’re game.
Suggested Skills: Double Touch, Sliding Tackle, Man Marking, Long Range Shooting, Sole Control
Suggested Booster(s): Duelling
Suggested Progression Points Allocation for Pirlo
| Shooting | Passing | Dribbling | Dexterity | Lower Body Strength | Aerial Strength | Defending | GK 1/2/3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
Lilian Thuram
- Position: RB
- Playing Style: Defensive Fullback
- Showtime Skills: Fortress and Long Reach Tackle
Here’s the reason why many players are going for this pack. Well, if you ask me, there’s no denying that this is an amazing card, and by far the best defensive RB available right now. He feels solid as a rock in-game, putting in consistently strong performances.
The pace is rapid and can be lethal when dealing with fast wingers. Once he locks on, it is very hard to get past him, and I’m speaking from experience, facing his old Juventus card and the most recent Barcelona version, too. Defensively, everything clicks.
Tackling, physicality, stamina, and positioning all come together to make him incredibly reliable across a full match. He does not need to push forward to be effective because his defensive presence alone can shut down an entire flank.
There has also been a lot of discussion around him potentially playing at CB. His older Juve card has already been performing extremely well, and this feels like a healthy upgrade. His Barcelona CB card is still the best version to date, because I feel Aerial Fort is a greater necessity for this man than Long Range Tackle.
Another reason is that without a natural CB playstyle, this one might feel slightly off compared to that. Still, even out of position, he remains top-tier defensively. I have given both the CB and RB builds though, so depending on your liking, you can build this version of Thuram.
Suggested Skills: Acrobatic Clearance, One Touch Pass, Through Passing
Suggested Booster(s): Rebuilding, Defending
Suggested Progression Points Allocation for Thuram at RB
| Shooting | Passing | Dribbling | Dexterity | Lower Body Strength | Aerial Strength | Defending | GK 1/2/3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 0 |
Suggested Progression Points Allocation for Thuram at CB
| Shooting | Passing | Dribbling | Dexterity | Lower Body Strength | Aerial Strength | Defending | GK 1/2/3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 0 |
Riccardo Ferri
- Position: CB
- Playing Style: Build Up
- Showtime Skills: Fortress
Ferri is a good Build Up CB option overall, but the lack of a Showtime skill is definitely a bit of a letdown. That said, his defensive profile is excellent. He has a good pace for a centre-back, can push into the nineties for speed with solid acceleration, and defensive numbers sitting in the very top range.
He feels strong in duels, reads the game well, and does not get caught out easily when tracking runs. His Aerial game isn’t a problem either. Maybe we’ll find out how he fares against the likes of Koller, which is not a good measuring metric, though.
Given how stacked his raw defending already is, it is easy to see why no Showtime skill was added. Still, Aerial Fort could have been a better option. Not an endgame monster if you ask me, but a very dependable option if you need a Build Up CB, because they are kind of a rarity these days compared to Destroyers.
Suggested Skills: One Touch Pass, Through Passing
Suggested Booster(s): Shutdown
Suggested Progression Points Allocation for Ferri
| Shooting | Passing | Dribbling | Dexterity | Lower Body Strength | Aerial Strength | Defending | GK 1/2/3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 0 |
Best pick from the Epic Italian League Guardians pack in eFootball 2026
An amazing pack for those looking for that defensive trio, you can play two cards in CB and one at DMF, all as starters, and you would have a great pack that brings some amazing cards to the picture. If you are looking to have some solid defensive cards, this pack is it.
Here’s my final cards tier list and pack rating.
| Tier | Players |
|---|---|
| SSS (Endgame) | Lilian Thuram, Andrea Pirlo |
| SS (Excellent) | Riccardo Ferri |
| S (Strong) | None |
| A (Good) | None |
| B (Average) | None |
| C (Below Average) | None |
Pack Rating: 4 out of 5
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