8 New Features Football Manager 2026 NEEDS to make this agonising wait worth it

Football Manager is the best therapy-slash-simulation game-slash-life-consumer we’ve got. But with the cancellation of FM25, we’ve been without our fix for the longest time ever. Football Manager 2026 is on the way, but it’s still a long wait until release.

By FM26, we’re overdue some proper upgrades, and I’m expecting the world. Alongside the expected new roster of players, Sports Interactive has a lot they need to do to truly satisfy the two-year wait.

So here are eight features that could take FM26 to the next level. I’ve also made sure that they’re realistic – so I’ve not put stuff like having a ‘Director of Football’ mode as we know that’s not coming for a while.

1. Let Your Club Build a Visible Identity

Right now, your legacy lives in job history, stats, trophies… and that’s pretty much it.

FM26 needs to show your club’s tactical DNA and transfer philosophy over time and not just through abstract stats. We want labels like:

• “High-Pressing Side”
• “Possession-Focused”
• “Buys Young, Sells High”
• “Loyal to the Academy”

And then have the media actually mention it e.g.

“Under X, Leeds have become known for gritty comebacks, data-led scouting, and regular touchline breakdowns.”

Let the save tell a story that goes well beyond just what trophies you’ve won. After all, Pep Guardiola is known as much for how much he changed football tactics and inspired a new generations of managers, as he is for the amount of trophies he won. I don’t know if I’ve explained this perfectly, but I hope you get the gist of it.

2. Fan-Created Challenges… Built Into the Game

Every year, the FM community does SI’s job for them. You’ve got save ideas, graphics packs, whole challenges floating around Reddit and Twitter. Let’s formalise it.

Give us a Challenge Hub, with:

• Community-made scenarios
• A “Director of Football Mode” where you can’t make transfers (Ok I lied about not including this in the article, I still want them to add this)
• Leaderboards, badges, bragging rights
• Steam sharing baked in

It’s already half-built on FM Mobile. Time to bring it home.

3. Touchline Shouts That Actually Do Something

“Encourage”
“Demand More”
“Berate”
Right now, touchline shouts feel like you’re screaming into the void. The players might respond… but no one really knows how or why. Football Manager have said they’re getting rid of them, but I just think they need to improve them.

Let’s make them tactical:

• “Encourage” = players take more risks for 5 mins
• “Berate” = aggressive pressing spike
• “Calm Down” = reduce tempo and aggression

That way, it’s not just a vibes mechanic – it’s actual coaching and has a tangible impact (not too much of an impact though, no amount of shouting will actually make your player better at passing)

4. AI That Doesn’t Take the P*ss in the Transfer Market

There’s nothing more FM-core than slapping a £40M valuation on your 18-year-old regen and getting back an offer of £3M + a 15% salon clause + an optional free hair transplant. It’s got to stop.

The AI needs better logic around market value, potential, and context. If my player’s bagged 18 goals in the Prem and is wanted by City, PSG, and half of Bavaria, I shouldn’t be fending off £6M offers like it’s 2003. Show some respect.

5. A World That Actually Evolves

You’re 17 seasons deep into your save. Your U23s are stacked. You’ve built a stadium named after yourself. And yet… Ligue 1 still has 20 teams, the FA Cup still has replays, and UEFA haven’t done something stupid for once.

It’s unrealistic. Instead, they could add the following:

• TV deals and revenue shifts
• League restructures (hello, playoffs in Italy?)
• New work permit laws post-Brexit 2.0
• UEFA format shifts
• More leagues getting scrapped, split, or merged

Make the game feel alive. Long-term saves need unpredictability. But there also needs to be a limit to this unpredictability, if the world changes beyond recognition that also wouldn’t be that fun.

6. Zone-Specific Tactical Instructions

FM tactics are deep… but not Pep-level deep.

What if we could build zone-based behaviours? Not just “pass shorter,” but:

“When the left winger receives in the half-space, switch the play to the overlapping full-back.

It’s not just for realism — it’s for fun. Give us a visual tactical map where we can design flows, triggers, and pressing traps. Basically, let us feel like we’re coaching, not just tweaking sliders. Football Manager already does this better than any other game, but let’s take it to the next level.

7. Build a Club Identity

Football Manager lets you control every detail… until it comes to the stadium and kits, where you’re suddenly a passenger for 25 years.

Let us:

• Customise stadium designs (even just from presets)
• Choose new kit styles each season
• Update club colours, crests, banners, the lot

Career saves aren’t just about results – they’re about vibe. Give us the tools to build something that looks and feels like it’s ours. You can already design your own kits, but this could be implemented into the game and there could be a lot more customability.

8. The Agent System Needs to Be Messier (In a Good Way)

Agents in FM currently act like football’s most boring middlemen. You get one email, you agree a fee, and you’re done. At most, you might see that they suddenly dislike you. That’s not how it works, is it?

In FM26, we want:

• Agent stables: Sign one of Jorge Mendes’ lads, unlock five more. Suddenly you’re in a Portuguese talent tree.
• Favour-building: Accept a silly clause now, get priority access or better terms later.
• Blacklist mechanics: Reject one too many contracts, and the agent ghosts you next time.

Make the transfer window feel like Deadline Day, with all the rollercoasters that come with it.

Final Thoughts

We all love FM but when you start to think about it deeply, there’s so much potential left on the table. Football Manager 2026 is a chance to make long-term saves richer, transfers spicier, and the game world feel genuinely alive.

SI, if you’re reading: we’ll still play it in November if you don’t add these. But if you do? You’ll ruin what little social life we’ve got left. And we’ll thank you for it.