eFootball 2026 Epic English League Guardians (Stam, Cech, Vermaelen) pack review: Strong defensive picks

The latest update to eFootball 2026 emphasizes strong defenses with the new Epic English League Guardians pack. It introduces two new players to the Epic lineup: Jaap Stam and Thomas Vermaelen, who join the already impressive Petr Čech.

This player pack is strong defensively, featuring two brand-new Epic cards and a reliable goalkeeper. It’s certainly attractive, but is it worth the Coins? Let’s take a closer look at what you get for your money.

eFootball 2026 Epic English League Guardians players

Jaap Stam

Position: CB
Playing Style: Build Up
Showtime Skill: Fortress and Aerial Fort

Okay, this card is seriously cool! The first thing you notice is just how imposing Stam looks – he’s 6’3″ and just feels huge. It’s clear they built him to go toe-to-toe with the very best centre-backs in the game, guys like Rio Ferdinand and Raphaël Varane. He’s definitely a physical presence you’ll notice on the pitch!

Stam stands out due to his incredible physical presence. He consistently wins challenges, boasts impressive defensive stats, and is surprisingly fast and quick for a player of his size, making him a very difficult opponent in one-on-one situations.

The most unexpected choice is giving Stam the ‘Build Up’ playstyle. Historically, he was a much more forceful and intimidating player – the ‘Destroyer’ style would have felt more accurate. However, in the game, ‘Build Up’ could actually be smart, as it encourages him to stay in better defensive positions, which is especially helpful when playing with a high defensive line.

Okay, so as a player, this cornerback is a beast on defense. He’s got everything you want – amazing awareness, he’s a solid tackler, really gets in the play, and isn’t afraid to be aggressive. Plus, he’s incredible when it comes to jumping for passes. He also has some awesome special abilities – Fortress and Aerial Fort work really well together, and it seems like they’ve added Long Reach Tackle, which is a huge bonus.

Suggested Skills: One Touch Pass, Acrobatic Clearance

Suggested Booster(s): Shutdown, Duelling, Stealing

Suggested Progression Points Allocation for Jaap Stam

Shooting	Passing	Dribbling	Dexterity	Lower Body Strength	Aerial Strength	Defending	GK 1/2/3
0	0	0	10	7	7	10	0

Thomas Vermaelen

Position: CB
Playing Style: Build Up
Showtime Skill: Fortress and Visionary Pass

To be honest, this card is a little underwhelming. While the stats aren’t bad, it doesn’t really stand out as a top-level centre-back. Compared to the best centre-backs in the game, it just doesn’t quite measure up.

The player’s size is the main problem. At 6 feet tall with an average build and reach, he doesn’t intimidate opponents defensively like top-tier defenders do. He’s also missing key skills, such as a long-reach tackle ability, that could have made up for his smaller stature.

He still looks good on paper as a defender – he tackles well, is aggressive, and can compete for passes. However, he doesn’t really offer anything that other cornerbacks don’t already provide. Plus, a special ability he has, called ‘Visionary Pass,’ doesn’t seem particularly useful for his position.

His passing numbers are generally quite low, around the 70s, making him unsuitable for use as a defensive midfielder. It’s especially disappointing because this is Arsenal’s first ‘legend’ card released to celebrate KONAMI’s 30th anniversary, so fans had high hopes for it.

Suggested Skills: One Touch Pass, Acrobatic Clearance

Suggested Booster(s): Shutdown, Defending

Suggested Progression Points Allocation for Thomas Vermaelen

Shooting	Passing	Dribbling	Dexterity	Lower Body Strength	Aerial Strength	Defending	GK 1/2/3
0	0	0	9	7	7	11	0

Petr Čech

Position: GK
Playing Style: Defensive Goalkeeper
Showtime Skill: GK Directing Defense

Čech is a very capable goalkeeper. He has the ideal physical build – at 196cm tall, he’s impressively sized and effectively covers the goal. This height gives him a significant edge when dealing with long-range shots and crosses.

Looking at his goalkeeping abilities, he’s a clear improvement over previous iterations. His reflexes are now among the best, and combined with his impressive reach and awareness, he should be very dependable when saving shots.

This goalkeeper card is incredibly strong, and with focused training, all important stats can be maxed out at 99 – a clear indicator of a top-level player in eFootball. He’s a top-tier option, and could challenge Schmeichel, who I currently believe is the best defensive goalkeeper available.

Suggested Skills: NA

Suggested Booster(s): Saving

Suggested Progression Points Allocation for Petr Čech

Aerial Strength	GK 1	GK 2	GK 3	Others
2	10	11	9	0

Best pick from the Epic English League Guardians players pack in eFootball 2026

To be honest, I only see two players who are truly top-tier, but they don’t really excite me. Cech has been consistently excellent, and every version of him since the 2025 edition of the game has been a standout, so this new version is a solid improvement, though you can expect similar results. Stam is incredibly strong physically, but there’s still strong competition for the best center-back spot.

I wouldn’t recommend buying this pack. I’d rather stick with Aerial Fort and Long Reach Tackle, as those two work better together.

Here’s my final cards tier list and pack rating.

Tier	Players
SSS (Endgame)	Jaap Stam, Petr Čech
SS (Excellent)	Thomas Vermaelen
S (Strong)	None
A (Good)	None
B (Average)	None
C (Below Average)	None

Pack Rating: 3 out of 5

2026-03-09 14:13