eFootball 2026 brings defensive quality back into focus with the Epic Spanish League Guardians pack, and this one has a big headline: Raphaël Varane makes his Epic debut. Alongside him, we get Rafael Márquez and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, so completing the defensive trio.
Varane’s debut alone makes this one tempting, but does the overall package justify the spin? Let’s take a closer look.
eFootball 2026 Epic Spanish League Guardians players
Raphaël Varane
- Position: CB
- Playing Style: Build Up
- Showtime Skill: Long Reach Tackle and Aerial Fort
Raphaël Varane finally gets that proper premium version, and it looks amazing. Rolls-Royce defender that he was, this card is a good reflection of the same. He’s a Build Up CB, which already puts him in that elite bracket discussion.
The player model looks massive, with the height needed and the player ID having long legs, and now you add Long-Reach Tackle to this, that combination alone is going to feel meta. If everything translates well in-game, interceptions are going to be crazy.
Right now, the top CB debate usually includes Saliba, Ferdinand, and Van Dijk. On paper, this version of Varane looks like he belongs right there. No weakness, I feel, not the best ball-playing defender, of course, but no doubts, numbers are blockbuster.
Suggested Skills: Sliding Tackle, One Touch Pass, Captaincy
Suggested Booster(s): Stealing
Suggested Progression Points Allocation for Raphaël Varane
| Shooting | Passing | Dribbling | Dexterity | Lower Body Strength | Aerial Strength | Defending | GK 1/2/3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 0 |
Rafael Márquez
- Position: CB
- Playing Style: Build Up
- Showtime Skill: Fortress
As a Barca fan, I was actually waiting for a proper version of Rafael Márquez. Because historically, he’s that elegant defender. Calm on the ball, reads the game well, strong in the air. So I expected something a bit more unique.
Something that separates him from just another defensive option. But if I’m being honest, this feels slightly flat. It’s not a bad card. Don’t get me wrong. He looks solid, reliable, and probably consistent. But when you compare him directly to Varane in the same pack, yeah, a fail.
They share the same playstyle, too, pace, and defensive numbers are good. He even got similar passing treatment as Varane, which shouldn’t have been the case. But yeah, it just doesn’t scream “go for it”. The main reason is the Show Time skill.
Fortress is fine, but he should have got atleast either of Aerial Fort or Long Reach Tackle with Visionary Pass. A lost chance of having a good second option for players.
Suggested Skills: Acrobatic Clearance, Fighting Spirit
Suggested Booster(s): Shutdown
Suggested Progression Points Allocation for Rafael Márquez
| Shooting | Passing | Dribbling | Dexterity | Lower Body Strength | Aerial Strength | Defending | GK 1/2/3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 0 |
G. van Bronckhorst
- Position: LB
- Playing Style: Offensive Fullback
- Showtime Skill: Long Reach Tackle and Phenomenal Pass
Giovanni van Bronckhorst is the interesting one in this pack. He’s not flashy, but he looks very usable. Offensive Fullback with good engine, and giving him Long-Reach Tackle is actually smart. It helps cover that defensive gap fullbacks sometimes have.
Phenomenal Pass is nice too, especially if you build from wide areas, but Edged Crossing makes better sense. I don’t see him as a pure attacking LMF-type option. If you’re using your wide player as a full-on winger, there are better explosive and creative picks.
However, I feel he can be a good makeshift DMF, paired with a taller player to take care of his Aerial limitations. The numbers look good at DMF, and you can also make better use of these Show Time skills there. If you pull him, you know what to try next.
Suggested Skills: Heading, Sliding Tackle, Low Lofted Pass, Double Touch, Fighting Spirit
Suggested Booster(s): Crossing
Suggested Progression Points Allocation for G. van Bronckhorst
| Shooting | Passing | Dribbling | Dexterity | Lower Body Strength | Aerial Strength | Defending | GK 1/2/3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
Best pick from the Epic Spanish League Guardians players pack in eFootball 2026
This pack clearly revolves around Varane. For me, he is in that SSS tier. The other two are clearly fillers, pretty disappointed with how they got Márquez’s card built. van Bronckhorst looks decent too. If you’re already stacked at CB, you’ll question whether you really need Varane.
But if you’re looking for that one defensive card and missed out on the Top 3, this is it. And honestly? Even before release, this feels like one of those packs people regret skipping once they start facing that Varane online. But yeah, one should be lucky!
Here’s my final cards tier list and pack rating.
| Tier | Players |
|---|---|
| SSS (Endgame) | Raphaël Varane |
| SS (Excellent) | Rafael Márquez, Giovanni van Bronckhorst |
| S (Strong) | None |
| A (Good) | None |
| B (Average) | None |
| C (Below Average) | None |
Pack Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Read other related articles:
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- eFootball 2026 Starter Set Gabriel Batistuta pack review
- eFootball 2026 Featured Set Show Time Mikel Oyarzabal pack review
- eFootball 2026: What is Golden Ticket and how to get them
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