GOALS brings fresh, free-to-play soccer gameplay to PC, PS5, Xbox, and mobile. With crossplay, lots of squad-building, and a focus on skill, you’ll want to get up to speed fast. Here’s how to skip the newbie phase and jump straight into action.
Complete Rookie Challenges
First thing out, you should dive into the Challenges menu and look for Rookie Challenges. They’re short challenges where you learn basics like shooting and passing while racking up rewards. Try to tackle several at once for quick progression, like practicing shots that help with goal challenges down the line. You’ll collect points fast enough to fuel early pack openings.
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Master Practice Arena
From the play menu, you can enter the Practice Arena and run through Scenarios. These ramp up the difficulty and hand out better rewards for nailing mechanics. Spend a bit of time practicing low, curved shots; these are crucial for when you step into real matches. The more Scenarios you clear, the faster you strengthen your team ahead of your first real game.
Open Packs And Swap Smart
Now, get into pack openings and swaps. Head to the Store and open your starter pack. For one task, you’ll need to swap out your lowest-rated player (just check the top-right number) to complete a challenge. Use your points to grab a Basic+ 5-pack for 2,500 points, but keep everyone this time and claim more rewards. It’s a quick way to upgrade your cards without much of a grind.
Build Your Squad
Building your squad is essential. Head into Edit Team, check Collections for upgrades. Sub in players with better stats or ratings that fit your formation. Stats matter here, so don’t overlook epic cards with lower ratings if they suit your playstyle. Your goal is to hit a 60+ team rating, ideally to breeze through rookie tasks.
Play Bot Matches First
When you’re ready, transition into bot matches first. From Play, pick Play vs Bots on Beginner difficulty, then aim for 5 goals with those shots you practiced earlier. No pressure, just tick off challenges and test your squad. Once you feel comfortable, level up and jump into Ranked matches this time for actual competition.
Key Controls And Defense Tips
Don’t forget to check out controls and defense. Peek at “How to Play” in the main menu, then get a grip on passing, shooting, and tackling basics. On defense, positioning is key, and auto-tackles trigger if you’re goal-side, but sliding risks a foul. So read the play rather than spamming tackles. The game does feel pretty arcadey, but inputs are responsive, so precise timing makes an impact here.
GOALS beta is live till March 22 on Steam, PS5, and Xbox. Grab it for free and build from there.
Published: Mar 19, 2026 05:15 pm