How to play All Eras XI
Sign in, choose a formation, then build a team by taking one player from each squad you spin. All Eras XI turns your completed side into a simulated campaign, with results, individual scoring statistics and achievements to review.
Sign in and choose your challenge
All Eras XI is free on the web, iPhone, iPad and Android. Sign in with Google or Apple to play, then open the game hub. Your first useful decision is the kind of campaign you want: a league rewards consistency, a knockout tournament makes each tie decisive, and a short draft puts more responsibility on each selection.
Classic 38-0-0 gives your XI a 38-match league season. World Cup Legends draws from national teams and takes a multinational XI through three group matches and, if you qualify, up to four knockout ties. Treble Chasers combines a 38-match league, up to four domestic cup ties, eight European league-phase matches and up to four European knockout ties.
5-a-side Arena needs five picks and reveals The Cage one match at a time. Wins and draws extend your survival streak, defeat ends the run, and a run can reach 30 matches. English Archive uses the 38-match league format with an archive season choice. The mode guide explains the different goals before you settle on a favourite.
The other solo formats have different rhythms. Survival Mode is a 38-match relegation battle; Giant Killer is a cup run of up to seven ties. Bidding War uses an auction followed by six league fixtures for your side and a final for the top two. Dynasty continues across seasons, each with 38 league matches and up to four domestic cup ties. Head to Head offers a single match or a best-of-three or best-of-five series against a friend.
Set a formation and difficulty
In a standard spin draft, choose your formation before the first squad appears. The formations guide lists the exact slots. A 4-3-3 needs wide forwards and three central midfielders, while a 4-4-2 needs two strikers and left and right midfielders. Those requirements stay relevant on every turn because each selection fills an open slot.
Casual gives you three re-spins for the whole draft. Hardcore starts with zero; in Classic 38-0-0, World Cup Legends, Treble Chasers and 5-a-side Arena, it also favours stronger squad tiers. You accept the offered squad and find its best contribution. Mixed and Elite opposition are separate settings where offered; Elite selects stronger opponents. Bidding War has its own auction flow, with passes replacing ordinary squad re-spins.
For a first standard run, Casual with Mixed opposition gives you room to learn placement. Instant takes you quickly to the result. Watch Live presents the fixtures minute by minute, with speed, pause and skip controls. Choose the viewing style that helps you follow the campaign.
Understand what a spin gives you
A squad is a particular club season or national-team edition from the pool, rather than a random collection of players. Read its label and era, then inspect the available names, primary positions, alternative positions and overall ratings. Your job is to take one player from that offer and decide where that player belongs in your developing side.
Tap a player to open the placement pitch. Each available position shows the rating the player would have there and a fit label. Natural positions preserve the full overall rating; listed alternatives and improvised roles receive adjustments. The position picking guide helps you judge cover, while scoring and ratings explains why a famous forward may be a poor solution to an empty defensive slot.
Confirming a position commits that turn and moves to the next squad. Plan around the positions still empty. A drafted name counts as already selected when it appears again, and the goalkeeper slot is reserved for a goalkeeper. Outfield players have broader placement options, including emergency fits with a substantial rating reduction.
A worked turn: Brazil 1970
Suppose you are drafting a 4-3-3 in World Cup Legends, Brazil 1970 appears, and ST, RW and RB are still open. Pelé is listed as a 97-rated CF with ST and CAM alternatives. Placing him at ST gives a Comfortable fit and a displayed rating of 92 after rounding. Jairzinho is a 90-rated RW, and Carlos Alberto is a 90-rated RB, so each keeps 90 in his natural slot.
All three are useful choices, but you take one. If you already have an excellent central attacker and have been finding weak right-backs, Carlos Alberto may solve the more pressing problem. If ST is your major gap, Pelé offers a strong alternative fit. Compare the improvement to your actual XI, then commit the position that leaves the clearest plan for the remaining turns.
Spend re-spins on the problem in front of you
A re-spin replaces the current squad before you pick. It spends one from the shared draft allowance, so using two on an early turn leaves one for all later turns in Casual. A sensible reason to spend is a board of weak fits across your remaining slots. A less persuasive reason is merely hoping the next offer contains your favourite player.
Inspect every usable option first. Players already drafted or unsuitable for the open slots appear dimmed, and goalkeepers disappear from offers once your keeper slot is filled. When a squad has nobody eligible for your remaining places, the draft waits on that offer: a remaining re-spin replaces it. Keeping one in reserve is especially useful if goalkeeper is your final vacancy.
Watch the campaign and read the result
Completing the last pick starts the simulation. In Watch Live, follow the score, match feed and running record; in The Cage, follow the round reveals and growing streak. Match outcomes depend on both sides’ strengths and variation, so a stronger team improves your prospects across a run.
The result screen shows wins, draws and losses, your drafted team, the outcome headline and your leading scorer. Open the statistics to inspect fixtures, goals, assists, clean sheets and streaks. Treble Chasers also separates the three competitions. Every run is checked by the server, and the displayed run score gives you a performance measure for that mode. Use the share button to create a card of your team and result.
Regular leaderboards keep your best score on each board, separated by mode, difficulty and, where relevant, opposition. Achievements provide longer-term targets, starting with First Steps for completing a run. The Daily challenge gives everyone the same squads and settings with a rotating objective and one attempt per UK day. Mini-Leagues let friends compete over shared drafts and rounds.
Five beginner tips
- Read every slot in your formation before starting, especially the wide roles.
- Compare placement ratings before choosing a player, including listed alternative positions.
- Take a strong goalkeeper when the rest of the offer gives you little improvement.
- Save a re-spin for the closing turns, when your remaining needs are narrowest.
- Review fixtures and goal totals after the run, then change one drafting priority next time.