Every country and league Football Manager needs to add for FM25 and beyond

While PC players can always hope to the Steam Workshop to play whatever country and league they want, Football Manager doesn’t give you everything you’d want by default. Want to manage in Papua New Guinea? Rest assured, some absolute workhorse has painstakingly crafted a five-tier Papua New Guinea modded database with a ridiculous level of detail. But there’s something special about a country and league being officially added to the game.

Last year, developer Sports Interactive added Japanese leagues to the game in an official capacity. This addition was fantastic as we had a whole host of new content to play without spending five seconds digging through workshop. Furthermore, console players also got to benefit from the new stuff.

However, there’s still a lot more that could be added when Football Manager 25, or more likely some future game, finally gets here. And yes, I get it—there are probably a million licensing or technical reasons why some leagues can’t be included. But hey, I’m allowed to dream, right?

Saudi Arabia – Saudi Pro League

Let’s start with the obvious one. The Saudi Pro League has to be added to Football Manager. Whether you think their impact on football is positive or not, there’s no denying Saudi Arabia has been making waves in the footballing world over the past couple of years. Saudi clubs spent £701 million in the summer transfer window—more than France, Germany, Italy, and Spain combined.

They’ve signed tons of quality players, even if a lot of them are, let’s say, “seasoned.” And they show no signs of slowing down. Arabic is already an official language option in Football Manager, so why not make Saudi Arabia a fully playable nation? It just makes sense.

Egypt – Egyptian Premier League

If there’s one continent seriously overlooked in Football Manager, it’s Africa. Right now, South Africa is the only base playable nation, and that needs to change. Africa is home to 1.3 billion people. How can there be just one playable nation and only two leagues for an entire continent?

Egypt should be the next league added. It’s the most successful footballing nation in Africa, with its clubs winning 11 more African Champions League titles than the next best country (Morocco). Sure, there aren’t loads of big-name players familiar to European fans, but that’s exactly why it should be included. This is a chance to learn about a historic footballing powerhouse.

Nigeria – Nigerian Premier Football League

While we’re on the subject of Africa, let’s talk about Nigeria. Adding the Nigerian Premier Football League to Football Manager would be fascinating. Yes, it’s not a particularly strong league—even by African standards—but the untapped potential is enormous.

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa (227 million people) and is absolutely football-mad. Spend five minutes on Nigerian football Twitter, and you’ll see what I mean. Imagine the challenge of transforming their domestic league into a global powerhouse. It might not be realistic in real life, but in Football Manager, anything’s possible. And it would make for an epic save.

Cyprus – Cypriot First Division

The Cypriot First Division is hands-down the best league not currently playable in Football Manager. According to Global Football Rankings, it’s stronger than the Saudi Pro League, the Greek Super League, and the Israeli Premier League. It’s supposedly the 29th strongest division in the world.

There are even a few recognizable names, like Conor Goldson and Max Meyer. This league deserves some love. It might not be the center of the footballing universe right now, but maybe it could be—at least in your Football Manager save.

Costa Rica – Primera División de Costa Rica

Let’s move on to a completely overlooked region: Central America. Did you know there’s no official representation from this part of the world in Football Manager? Not a single league.

The Primera División de Costa Rica is ranked third in CONCACAF, behind only Liga MX and MLS. I’ll admit, I don’t know much about this league—it’s one you only check when you’re desperate for an acca team—but that’s exactly why it needs to be in the game. It’s a chance to broaden our footballing horizons. Plus, if you get really into your Costa Rica save, it’s the perfect excuse for a holiday.

New Zealand – New Zealand National League

Now this one would be brilliant. New Zealand’s league system is both fascinating and baffling. It starts with three regional leagues, which qualify into a national league, which then leads to a championship playoff… I think? Honestly, it’s a mystery.

And that’s why it needs to be added to Football Manager. It’s a league structure that could rival MLS for its complexity. Rugby might be New Zealand’s main sport, but with a bit of managerial genius, you could convert the nation into football fanatics.

UAE – UAE Pro League

The current AFC Champions League winners hail from the UAE. And here’s the kicker: they’re sixth in their domestic league right now and only finished third last season. Clearly, this is a competitive league.

It feels a bit unfair that some Asian leagues are already included in Football Manager, but not the UAE. It’s time for that to change.

Conclusion

To be fair, Football Manager has done an excellent job covering most leagues. Picking nations that should definitely be added wasn’t easy, and it’s understandable why many are left out—it takes a lot of research and resources. Let’s face it, there are bigger fish to fry.

But in an ideal world, these are the countries I’d add. Of course, there were some notable omissions, like Tunisia, Morocco, and Ecuador. What do you think? Which leagues would make it onto your wish list?

About the Author

William Reid

William is the admin of Out of Context Football Manager, an X account that focuses on FM news. He's worked for LADbible Group and is VG's resident FM expert.