This post was last updated on June 4, 2020 at 10:47 am

eFootball PES2020 has been one of the best realistic football games for the last five years now. There are players who love doing a gold ball side and some are interested in scouting the young monsters from silver balls for the new season. While some might stick to traditional black balls squad, the nostalgia of playing the gone but forgotten heroes in the team is in PES something everyone cherishes, be it at forward, midfield or defense, legends find a position in almost every team.

The Legends will forever remain in the same tinge in PES since the time they are drawn into your team. They provide a sense of legacy to this game. Once drawn they are here for once and all. They won’t get that shabby greyish ‘carryover’ color at the end of the year. So let’s head into this section and analyze the different Legends forwards in PES and figure out how we can get the best out of them in-game.

Adriano (CF)

Playing style: None

Adriano lacks any particular playing style, therefore it makes him a bit nerfed. He won’t make runs to receive the balls from wingers/play-makers with low offensive awareness. But the guy is lethal in and around the box. He has exquisite shot power and finishing which can tear the net and can shoot from any angles. His strength makes him a player who cannot be pushed away from the ball. Don’t press with him as his stamina is very low. He can fill in as an excellent super-sub. He has a decent pace and a good free-kick. His 1-star weak foot ability makes him a left-footed player only.



Best Formations to use in: You can use him with a normal CF in two-CF formations in Fernando Santos’s 4-3-1-2 or C.Valbuena’s 4-2-2-2.

Gabriel Batistuta(CF)

Playing Style: Fox in the Box

Batigol is easily one of the best strikers in the game and the advice is just to shoot. He doesn’t contribute much throughout the game but ends up scoring. People often do not like him, due to poor link-up play. Compared to other strikers of a similar rating, he does little in contributing to all-round game performance, besides scoring. If you are going to find the best about him you’ve to play him nearer to the goal and SHOOT.



Best Formations to use in: You can use him in a two-CF formation with a partner with good passing stats in Fernando Santos’s 4-3-1-2 or C.Valbeuna’s 4-2-2-2.

Patrick Kluivert (CF)

Playing Style: Target Man

Kluivert is easily one of the best target man legends in PES, rightfully got a black ball upgrade this season. His shot power is insane and he has the physicality to hold off defenders. His dribbling and pace are decent too. Despite not being insanely fast, he works like a charm since physical contact has a big part this season. His short passing is good which gives him the ability to retrieve the ball and pass it to wings.



Best Formations to use in: You can use him beside a counter-attacking fast CF in Fernando Santos’s 4-3-1-2 or C.Valbuena’s 4-2-2-2. He can also be deployed as a lone central forward in the 4-2-3-1 of R.Mancini and D.Deschamps.

Andy Cole (CF)

Playing Style: Goal Poacher

Andy Cole has a tendency to shoot from distance and also can hold the ball brilliantly, which makes him a brilliant partner in a 2-CF formation.



Best Formations to use in: He can be paired with a hole player or a target man, having good passing stats in Fernando Santos’s 4-3-1-2 or C.Valbuena’s 4-2-2-2.

Robbie Keane (CF)

Playing style: Goal Poacher

The Irishman is a solid striker and goes up to 92 despite being a gold ball. He can pick up long balls from the midfield with his quick pace and finish off in goals. His only downside is his heading. If you have managed to pull him through the rare coin packs at the start of the season, he is definitely a good gold legend to have in your squad.



Best Formations to use in: He can be paired with a hole player or a target man, having good passing stats in Fernando Santos’s 4-3-1-2 or C.Valbuena’s 4-2-2-2. You can also play him in L.Roman’s 4-3-3 or Y.Grimault’s 4-1-2-3.

Romario (CF)

Playing Style: Fox in the Box

Arguably the best CF on this list, Romario was one of the best forwards to spearhead the game in PES 2019. Come PES 2020, where physical prowess has taken a huge stand it’s difficult to say the same about him this year. His stamina, pace, ball control and finishing are still great in the game. The one thing which disappoints slightly is his aerial ability. He can pair up with hole players and finish chances superbly.



Best Formations to use in: He is one of the best players than most to spearhead the attack as a sole striker in Luis Enrique’s 4-3-3 or D.Deschamps’s 4-2-3-1. His high stamina helps to gegen press and good linkup play makes him a good choice in G. Zeitler’s 4-3-3.

Dwight Yorke (CF)

Playing Style: Goal Poacher

Yorke contributes to the build-up and drops deep in the midfield. He tends to move wide to provide width when playing in a 2 striker formation and exchanges pass with midfielders and wingers in front 3 formations while offensive build-ups. He has good offensive awareness, finishing, aerial ability and stamina.



Best Formations to use in: He can be played with a target man or Fox in the box in the two-man upfront in Fernando Santos’s 4-3-1-2 or C.Valbuena’s 4-2-2-2

I. Zamorano (CF)

Playing Style: Fox in the Box

Zamorano is great in the air, quite fast and a brilliant finisher. He can shoot well, though he’s not the best dribbler but has quite good passing to link up with another player in a 2-CF formation. His high attacking awareness you will see him make runs to the box.



Best Formations to use in: He can be played alongside a Goal Poacher or a Second Striker in 2-CF formations of D.Millesi’s 4-2-2-2 or C.Valbuena’s 4-3-1-2.

Daniele Massaro (CF)

Playing style: Goal Poacher

Massaro has a decent pace and strength to get past defenders along with sharpshooting skills at his maxed-out 89 ratings. His good linkup play links him up well with wingers and second strikers playing around him.



Best Formations to use in: He can be paired with a hole player or a target man, having good passing stats in Fernando Santos’s 4-3-1-2 or C.Valbuena’s 4-2-2-2. You can also play him in L.Roman’s 4-3-3 or Y.Grimault’s 4-1-2-3.

Marcelo Salas (CF)

Playing Style: Fox in the Box

Zamorano’s Chilean counterpart Salas has better ball control but has less stamina so don’t press with him. You can try combining him with goal poachers of high stamina and pace. Feed ball to him and he will finish it.



Best Formations to use in: He will be useful alongside a Goal Poacher or a Second Striker in 2-CF formations of D.Millesi’s 4-2-2-2 or C.Valbuena’s 4-3-1-2.

Diego Maradona (SS)

Playing Style: Classic No. 10

One of the most celebrated names in the game of football, Maradona’s PES version is not as decorated as his career is. To be fair, his finishing, dribbling, and free-kicks are still top-draw but it’s very difficult to ignore his weaknesses in terms of poor stamina, low max speed, and short height.

In our opinion, he works best closer to the goal. When deployed as a wide SS, he tends to drop deep in the midfield because of his Classic No.10 style quite often which wastes his stamina. Also, his speed makes him a liability for the counter-attacking managers.



In the case of possession managers, you should take your time and dribble past instead of using pace. Maradona can outpace defenders with his off-the-ball runs and finish off if his striker partner holds the ball and places for him perfectly in a 2-CF formation.

Best formations to play him: You can use him as an SS/CF in any two striker formations of D.Millesi’s 4-2-2-2 or F Santos’s 4-3-1-2. He may also find use in A. Conte’s 3-3-2-2.

Johan Cruyff (SS)

Playing Style: Hole Player

Cruyff is one of the best offensive legends in PES. His finishing, positioning, passing, dribbling, speed and stamina are top-notch and world-class, to say the least. The best hole player in the game who is always in the right place at every time making runs to break open the opponent’s defense. Cruyff is the player around whom you can build your team and he will transform your entire attacking force.



He can drop in midfield and support the wingers. He is more lethal when played closer to the goal and if you have good finishers he can be the person in the AMF who can string your attack together.

Best formations to play in: He could also play as a false- CF in G.Zietler‘s 4-3-3.For possession managers such as Luis Enrique and L.Roman, he could make the lives of opponents harder in a left-wide SS. He will be much more fruitful in counter-attacking formations of P.Boer’s 4-2-3-1, Y. Grimault‘s 4-1-2-3 and a central SS in Fernando Santos’s 4-3-1-2.

Bebeto (SS)

Playing style: Fox in the Box

Bebeto is one of the most underrated legends in PES 2020. He has got a good upgrade since last season. Except for the fact of his iconic “baby” celebration, he is exquisite and has terrific all-round stats. The best part about him is that he hasn’t got a weak foot as his Weak Foot rating is 4 along with excellent stamina and form.

Best formations to use in: He can perfectly fit as a left-wide SS in the front 3-formation like Y. Grimault‘s 4-3-3 or C.Tunal’s 4-2-1-3 or even L.Roman’s 4-1-2-3. Although the best use of him as SS is in a 2 men forward line rather than a front 3 since you want him to be more central to attack than on the flanks for Fernando Santos’s 4-3-1-2 or C.Valbuena’s 4-2-2-2.

Karl Heinz Rummenigge (SS)

Playing style: Goal Poacher

The Bayern Munich legend is probably one of the best legends to get added to PES this year. Fast, strong and well-built to hold the ball and finish brilliantly. Rummenigge is easily one of the best players in-game this year and can finish with either foot. His Iconic Moments version is already a fan favorite. He tracks back to defend and has a strong heading ability. In online matches, he bulldozes past defenders and gets at the end of every cross. Play him close to the goal and watch him bang every other effort.



Best formations to play him: He can operate as a CF as well as a left-wide SS or a central SS in any formation of any high-cost manager like Y.Grimault 4-3-3, G.Zietler 4-3-3 or M.Preuss’s 4-2-2-2.

Francesco Totti (SS)

Playing style: Classic No. 10

Totti is probably the most underrated legends attacker in PES, the Roma legend is a beast when used properly. His passing stats show that he could pick passes properly for your attackers. He is tall and well-built to receive and play passes. His nature as a Classic No.10 neutralizes if you play him at CF. He can be used as an AMF where he can properly function as an attacking playmaker. Totti is a beast if you use him properly, just max him up, get his familiarity high and enjoy.



Best formations to play him : You can play him as a second striker upfront with a Fox in the Box in Fernando Santos’s 4-3-1-2 or C.Valbuena’s 4-2-2-2.

Alessandro Del Piero (SS)

Playing Style: Prolific Winger

Del Piero is as great in-game as he was on the field a real joy to play with. Since the physical prowess of defenders has a larger impact in PES 2020, he is not that scintillating as last year. He has great pace, amazing dribbling, free kicks. The best use of him as SS is in a 2 men forward line rather than a front 3 since you want him to be more central to attack than on the flanks. He can also perform well with an aerially strong partner ie Target Man who can receive the ball well.



Best formations to play him: He can be partnered with a CF upfront who can link up well in Fernando Santos’s or C.Valbuena’s 4-3-1-2. He also can perfectly fit as a left-wide SS in the front-3 formation of Y. Grimault’s 4-3-3, C.Tunal’s 4-2-1-3 or L.Roman’s 4-1-2-3.

Álvaro Recoba (SS)

Playing Style: Creative Playmaker

The former Inter Milan legend is awesome except for his stamina. Recoba gives a Messi-esque feel to the game with great curlers, free kicks, dribbling, passing and crossing. However, since he lacks stamina so it’s not advisable to press with him. As a Creative playmaker, he is a player who is willing to sacrifice his own position to move to free positions in attacking third.



Best formations to play him: He can function as a right-sided wide SS or a RWF in any flexible possession and counter-attacking managers like Y. Grimault’s or Luis Enriques’ 4-3-3.

Luis Figo (RWF)

Playing Style: Prolific Winger

Luis Figo is one of the most peculiar legends in PES 2020. His pin-point crossing in the box followed by high physical prowess makes him somebody who can’t be pushed away from the ball. Although his low speed and acceleration is not a quality you want for a wide midfielder or winger. He has quite an average dribbling compared to the likes of Cruyff but can play centrally as an attacking playmaker. If you can pair him up with one target man in the box you’ll reap benefits from him. His preferred foot is right so if you want to score with him you could play him on the left flank.



Best formations to play him: He Can be used as LWF/RWF in front 3 formations likeY.Grimault‘s 4-3-3,4-1-2-3 or 4-2-1-3, R.Koeman‘s 4-3-3 and also as LMF/RMF inC.Ranieri, P.Bosz, S.Gϋnes‘s 4-4-2,4-2-3-1.

Ludovic Guily (RWF)

Playing style: Hole Player

Part of Barcelona’s 2005-06 Champions League winning squad, Guily‘s PES legends version is a mixed bag. He has excellent dribbling abilities, ball control and can finish. However, his lack of pace isn’t up to the mark compared to the best legends of the game. His low physical strength is not feasible for PES 2020 while his low stamina indicates he can’t help in pressing duties. Besides as a RWF, he can be deployed in an AMF position where he can pick the odd pass to the strikers and look for spaces around the box if given the opportunity.



Best formations to play him: You can try playing him in the SS/RWF in Fernando Santos’s 4-3-1-2 or C.Valbuena’s 4-2-2-2.

Denilson (LWF)

Playing style: Prolific Winger

Denilson is a skillful player’s paradise and was a delight to play with last year. His ball control, dribbling still remains one of the best and can still burst forward past with his pace. But the lack of physical strength and finishing gives him no end-product. Try getting past the wing-backs against opponents with his pace and skills and cross into the box for the Target Man.



Best formations to play him: He Can be used as LWF in front 3 formations likeY.Grimault‘s 4-3-3,4-1-2-3 or 4-2-1-3, R.Koeman‘s 4-3-3 and also as LMF inC.Ranieri, P.Bosz, S.Gϋnes‘s 4-4-2,4-2-3-1.

Andre Arshavin (LWF)

Playing style: Hole Player

Arshavin’s pace and acceleration make him a beautiful hole player to have in your squad. Hole players tend to find spaces between the opposition defenders and exploit them perfectly. He has excellent finishing backing up his dribbling stats. One of the excellent additions made in the game this year. The only downside is his weak physical strength.





Best formations to play him: He is lethal in counter-attacking managers in G.Zietler’s 4-3-3 as an LWF or a left-side SS in Y. Grimault or Ronald Koeman’s 4-3-3.

Did we miss out on any legends forward on the list who has worked well for you online in PES? Feel free to mention them in the comment section below!

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