Getting Started

In a nutshell

Title Rivals is a multiplayer football management game where your tactical decisions determine whether your team wins or loses. There are no action controls. You manage your squad, set your tactics, train your players, and watch the matches play out.

Your first steps

1

Create your club. Choose a name and stadium, then design your kit and crest.

2

Join a league. Join the World League or enter an invite code for a private league. You can also create your own private league for friends.

3

Set your formation. Go to Tactics and choose a formation, then drag players to the pitch and bench.

4

Choose your playing style. Tiki-Taka? Gegenpress? Park the Bus? Your philosophy defines your team's identity.

5

Train your players. Maintain and boost form, especially for players with low form or those not getting regular game time.

6

Challenge other clubs. Play friendly matches to test your tactics and earn Rivs between league matches.

7

Watch your matches. They are simulated at the scheduled time. Watch the commentary unfold live.

8

Write articles. Publish in your league (1 per day) to earn 300 Rivs for your first article each week. Chat with other managers in the league chat.

The three pillars of winning

Every match is decided by three things. Win two of the three and you'll usually win the game.

1. Tactics

Out-prepare the opponent. Gegenpress disrupts Tiki-Taka. Counter-Attack punishes Gegenpress. Park the Bus frustrates fast sides. And if you correctly read the formation they'll play, your back line becomes the hardest in the league to break down.

2. Squad Fit

Build the squad for your philosophy. A Tiki-Taka team with composed midfielders and a ball-playing keeper converts chances at a noticeably higher rate. The same philosophy with random players feels flat and wastes the style.

3. Squad Strength

Raw skill and form still matter. A strong first eleven is competitive and a weak one will struggle. A truly exceptional player can take a match over on their own, with tight marking barely slowing them.

Read the Match Report

After each match, the Match Report shows who won each pillar. Winning two of three usually wins the match, but formation shape and luck can still flip it.

If you're brand new

Pick Balanced to start. It's the neutral baseline with no style modifiers, so it has no glaring weaknesses for an opponent to exploit. A safe pick while you learn.

Pick a formation that fits your squad. 4-4-2 is the classic safe pick. 3-5-2 only if you have 5 midfielders you trust. 4-3-3 needs 3 forwards.

Check the opponent's probable setup before your match. Look at their recent formations, then set Prepare Against Formation to match. Tightly Mark only works in your favour when you target the opponent's named playmaker, so save it for that. Marking the wrong player still drags down their output a little, but it hands them a small chance-quality bonus, so if they have not named a playmaker it is usually safer to leave the marking off.

Train your players every week. Form fades without games, and the training yard is how you keep it up.

Use the Matchup Calculator. The Matchups page in this guide lets you pit any two styles and formations against each other. It runs on the same logic as the real match engine, so trust it over opinions about which setup is best.

Where to go next

What to do

Create your club, join a league, then go to Tactics, set a formation, and pick Balanced as your style. You are ready for your first match.