eFootball Italy Epic Pack: Maldini, Cannavaro and Nesta

The Italy Epic pack runs 24 to 31 August, and it breaks the usual national-pack pattern in a way that matters this season: all three cards are centre backs. Where the Nigeria Epic spread across AMF, RWF and CF, Italy delivers Paolo Maldini at 104 CB, Fabio Cannavaro at 104 CB and Alessandro Nesta at 103 CB — and lands them into the position v6.0.0 changed most. Better still, their skill sets divide almost exactly along the lines the new system rewards. You can build the ideal centre-back pairing from a single pack. Here's each card and why the split matters.

The three cards

Paolo Maldini — 104 CB Player Skills: Aerial Fort, Long-reach Tackle

Fabio Cannavaro — 104 CB Player Skills: Aerial Fort, Shadow Hunt

Alessandro Nesta — 103 CB Player Skills: Aerial Fort, Long-reach Tackle, Fortress

Note that Nesta carries three player skills despite the lowest rating of the three. That extra slot is worth more than the single rating point separating him from the other two.

The ratings are a real step up

For context on where these sit: the Nigeria Epic cards released days earlier at 100, 100 and 99. Italy arrives at 104, 104 and 103.

That's a meaningful jump within the same fortnight, and it reflects how the Season Update's rating inflation is settling — the top of the pool now sits in the 106-108 range, which puts these three comfortably in the upper tier without quite touching the ceiling.

All three have Aerial Fort — and that matters more now

The common thread across the pack is Aerial Fort, and its value rose with v6.0.0.

Overload deliberately concentrates players around the ball, leaving the far side thinner by design. The natural counter is a quick switch and a cross — which means more balls arriving into your box from wide areas than in a season without Overload.

An aerially dominant centre back is the answer to that, and this pack gives you three.

The skill split is the real story

Here's where the pack becomes genuinely useful rather than just strong.

Cannavaro carries Shadow Hunt — an aggressive marking trait. He's the defender who steps forward, contests, and applies pressure.

Maldini and Nesta carry Long-reach Tackle — extended tackle range, which lets a defender intercept without fully committing his body. That's the coverer's tool: staying goal-side while still reaching the ball.

Nesta adds Fortress on top, reinforcing the same defensive-solidity profile.

Why that split matters: the most common centre-back mistake post-v6.0.0 is fielding two defenders of the same type. Two aggressors leave nobody covering when the first steps out and misses. Two coverers concede the initiative entirely. The reliable structure is one aggressor, one coverer.

This pack contains both. Cannavaro is the aggressor; Maldini or Nesta is the coverer. Draw two and you have the pairing the system actually wants.

Which one to prioritise

If you can only take one, take the one your existing partner doesn't duplicate.

Already have an aggressive, front-foot centre back? Take Maldini or Nesta. Long-reach Tackle lets them clean up behind your stepper without committing.

Already have a stay-at-home defender? Take Cannavaro. Shadow Hunt gives you the contest your current pairing lacks.

Building from scratch? Nesta's third skill makes him the most complete single card, even at 103.

And if you're chasing the pair: Cannavaro plus Nesta gives you the cleanest aggressor-coverer split with three skills on the covering side.

What to check before you commit

Two things the promotional art doesn't show, and both matter under the new system.

Their defensive Playing Styles. v6.0.0 separated attacking and defensive Playing Styles, which means two cards at the same position can behave completely differently without the ball. This is the single most important stat to check on a defender now, and it isn't on the pack screen.

Their speed and stamina. Fluid Formation sends full-backs forward and asks centre backs to cover the space they leave — often at pace, often facing their own goal. A positionally excellent but slow centre back is exposed by a shape that keeps opening one flank, and stamina decides whether that recovery is still happening in the eightieth minute.

The wider week

Italy Epic runs 24–31 August, arriving into a busy stretch:

• The Nigeria Epic pack released days earlier with Okocha, Babangida and Kanu
• The Worldwide POTW — the first of eFootball 2027 — runs its usual weekly window
• Patch v6.0.1 landed on 20 August, alongside two separate notices concerning issues with Custom Tournament

That last item is worth keeping in mind before spending heavily. The season is a week old, its flagship new feature is already receiving fixes, and the meta hasn't settled. Cards that fit a system you understand are safer purchases than cards chasing a meta still being written.

Our centre back meta breakdown covers the aggressor-and-coverer pairing logic in full, and our Fluid Formation pairings guide covers the shapes these defenders would be running in.

Build the back line that holds both shapes

Two-phase defending asks more of every defender than a fixed back four does — and a pairing that covers for each other is worth more than two individually excellent cards of the same type. Browse verified eFootball accounts if you want a squad with genuine defensive range, keep progression and campaign deadlines on track with eFootball hourly services, or hold your division position through eFootball boosting while the new meta settles.

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