Best Football Manager teams to manage when you can finally get the 2025/26 league update

We’re at the crunch point of the season, and soon we’ll know all the leagues for next year. Probably a day after that, you’ll be able to download edited databases with the updated league systems already in place. Knowing how quick the Football Manager community is, don’t be surprised if it’s ready within a few hours. And with these new leagues come new teams, excellent prospects to manage.

But which clubs already look like tantalising prospects for next season? I’ll start with some obvious ones, throw in a few who look very likely to be in a new division, and I’ll even chuck in a few rogue shouts for those who like to manage outside of England.

Macclesfield F.C. – promoted to the Vanarama North

Macclesfield F.C. are the successors to Macclesfield Town, who were liquidated and expelled from the National League in 2020 due to massive debts. They’re currently in the Northern Premier League (the division just below the Vanarama North) and are absolutely romping it. They’ve racked up 106 points from 41 games, 26 points clear of second place. Macclesfield clearly mean business, and jumping on the bandwagon as they rejoin the base leagues in Football Manager could be the perfect time to take them back to where they used to be. Other teams at the top of the table likely to join them in the Vanarama North/South include Merthyr Town, Bedford Town and Billericay Town. A lot of towns.

Leeds United – promoted to the Premier League

Obviously, I’ve got to start with the team I support. Leeds United have just been promoted back to the Premier League, and optimism is starting to bubble up in Yorkshire again. But survival won’t be easy. All three promoted teams have been relegated in back-to-back seasons recently, the gap between the Premier League and the Championship is clearly widening. If there’s one team that could buck this concerning trend though, it’s maybe Leeds. Managing them in the top flight should be a fascinating challenge. You’ll have to nail your recruitment, but there’s a lot of potential in the squad. Plus, you’ll get to manage Archie Gray’s brother, Harry Gray, a huge bonus.

Bristol City – potential promotion to the Premier League

Bristol City are probably the biggest club never to have played in the Premier League. They haven’t been in the top division since the 1979/80 season. Bristol is a massive city crying out for a top-tier football club. It’s a running joke that Bristol City seem eternally stuck around 12th place, but this season they’ve bucked the trend. They’re currently in the playoffs, four points clear of seventh. If they were to get promoted, it would be massive for the club and the city. But the real challenge would be survival… even for teams who’ve finished near the top, the Premier League looks brutal. Keeping them up in your first Football Manager season would be one hell of an achievement.

Racing Santander – potential promotion to La Liga

Racing are currently sitting third, in the playoff spots, but they’re within touching distance of the top two. Racing Santander used to be La Liga regulars, even finishing as high as sixth. But they’ve been absent from the top flight for a long while. From 2013 to 2022, they couldn’t even crack the second division. Managing them as they potentially return to the top tier after 13 years could be a brilliant save. But you’re only allowed to sign super-quick players, because of the name. Rules are rules

Wrexham – potential promotion to the Championship

You’re probably sick of hearing about Wrexham, and honestly, so am I. But I feel duty-bound to include them here. There’s a real chance Wrexham make it to the Championship… their third consecutive promotion. They’re currently second, battling Wycombe, Charlton and Stockport for that automatic spot. If they do make it up… and you fancy having Ryan Reynolds as your boss while chasing Premier League football, then Wrexham’s the save for you. Their climbs out of non-league and League Two felt inevitable given their resources, but League One looked like it might stop them. Yet they’re defying the odds again. It feels like one of those Football Manager saves where you just get momentum and can’t stop getting promoted.

Leyton Orient – potential promotion to the Championship

Leyton Orient haven’t been in the Championship since the 1960s, but they’re currently sitting in the playoffs (with a huge game tomorrow against Wycombe). Their highest-ever finish is 22nd in the second tier, so if they do go up, you could be making some serious history. They’ve always lived in the shadows of their bigger neighbours – Arsenal, Spurs, West Ham – but maybe they’re about to start making a few waves of their own.

Carlisle – potential relegation from League Two

Carlisle have long been a staple of the Football League. Apart from a brief spell in 2005, they’ve always been part of the system. Fifty years ago, they were even in the top flight. They’ve never exactly been serial winners, but they’ve been a solid league club. Now they’re staring at back-to-back relegations. They’re firmly planted in the League Two relegation spots, and their status is looking seriously precarious. Managing them in the Vanarama National League could be a great save. A proper challenge to restore a bit of lost dignity.

Montpellier HSC – relegation from Ligue 1

Montpellier are one of the founding members of French top-flight football. Along with Marseille, Rennes, and Nice, they played in the inaugural 1932–33 season and had stayed in the top division since. They even won Ligue 1 in 2011–12. Yet despite this proud history, they’re either already relegated or about to be, I can’t quite tell. Either way, with just 15 points from 30 games and sitting 12 points adrift of the nearest team, it’s grim. Reviving this fallen giant could be a brutal but rewarding challenge. Getting them back to Ligue 1 would be hard enough, overtaking PSG one day? Yeah, good luck with that one.

Final Thoughts

Which teams are you excited to manage with the updated leagues and all the promotions and relegations? Who do you reckon will join Burnley and Leeds in the Premier League next season? Let me know in the comments!