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For me, every Football Manager game seems to blur into one, making a simple ranking turn into an exercise in trying to pick a favorite child. Obviously, there’s a right answer, but should I say it? With Football Manager 25 now actually on the horizon, it’s a good time to look back at what the best game in the series actually is.
There’s never been a year where I’ve thought, “Wow, this year’s version is absolutely terrible.” Every time, I get hopelessly sucked into the virtual world of spreadsheets and strikers, regardless of what fancy new features Sports Interactive has sprinkled in.
But not everyone is as hopelessly smitten as I am. Some folks are a bit more… objective. So, I decided to venture into the world of rankings to see how each instalment stacks up against the others. For this, I turned to Metacritic—the holy grail of video game reviews—and used their critic and user scores to calculate a sort-of overall rating for each game.
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How we calculated the best Football Manager with actual evidence
First off, let’s acknowledge one thing: Football Manager has been ridiculously consistent over the years. Even the “worst” game in the ranking boasts a critic score of 80. That’s still considered good in most circles, though for FM fans, anything below 85 feels like a travesty.
Second, this ranking only covers games from Football Manager 2008 onward. Sadly, that’s where the data starts. I’m convinced that Football Manager 2007 would’ve clinched the top spot because, let’s be honest, that’s the game that got me hooked in the first place. (I’ll die on this hill.)
So, let’s dive into the rankings and start with the “worst” game of the bunch—although I’m pretty sure Football Manager 2025 would’ve swiped that title if it had already been released.
13. Football Manager 2017
Critic ranking – 80 | User ranking – 5.6
This was the first year that your assistant manager would give you his recommended formation, which is maybe why it’s considered to be the worst Football Manager. But in all seriousness, the reason why it was so low is that all the changes seemed fairly inconsequential and this version really didn’t revolutionise the game in any major way.
While, I still had fun winning the quadruple with Watford in FM 2017, the true spirit of the series felt, not absent, but on loan instead of being a proper transfer from its predecessor. It’s FM, it’s still great, but you’re scraping the cream of the crop from the bottom of the barrel here. Sorry, bud, red card.
12. Football Manager 2015
Critic ranking – 80 | User ranking – 6.2
“We’re left with a game whose main improvements are all disappointments. And yet I’d still I’d put money on me pouring hundreds of hours into it,” one Metacritic user review reads for FM 2015 and, yeah, that about sums up this game.
In this version there did seem to be a lot more changes from earlier games, but not all of them pushed the series forward. It’s obviously still a banger or a simulator, but this series can do much better, and has done better.
11. Football Manager 2018
Critic ranking – 82 | User ranking – 6.2
Unfortunately, Football Manager 2018’s massive features launched in a very rough state making for an unsatisfying game that could slip some brilliance through the cracks. Later improved in 2019 and above, FM2018 is a blueprint for bigger, better games.
10. Football Manager 2014
Critic ranking – 85 | User ranking – 5.8
The critics loved this one but fans definitely had mixed opinions on it. And if you read the reviews from some users you will see that they are… quite unhappy to say the least. At the time, FM14 made a few missteps, tripping over its own ball as it failed to deliver upon the core simulation that players look forward to.
As with any game in the series, it’s not bad, it’s just a stumble, but when you’re an annual franchise like this is, simple mistakes can be the difference between MvP and being benched for an entire season.
9. Football Manager 2009
Critic ranking – 83 | User ranking – 6.4
Just like FM14, the players did not look kindly on Football Manager 2009, although the critics kept the game in the same ballpark as usual. In 2024, there’s little reason to go back to 2009 outside of a fun trip down memory lane.
However, it’s worth noting that 2009 did introduce the series’ iconic 3D match engine, press conferences and more, bringing a whole new level of realism to the series. Sure, that also came with some extreme technical issues that never actually got solved, but it was a huge leap forward that managed to somehow flub the goal.
9. Football Manager 2023
Critic ranking – 80 | User ranking – 7.0
You may have noticed that some of the games have the same ranking. That’s because when I combined the user rankings and the critic rankings they came out exactly equal. That’s how impossible to separate some of these games are.
However, the advancements in technology over Football Manager 2009 and 2023 are plain as day, and players have locked in slightly more with this more modern title. It may not have created a huge, series-defining feature, but it does have better Match AI than its predecessors if that’s anything to write home about.
8. Football Manager 2020
Critic ranking – 84 | User ranking – 6.4
Unfortunately, Football Manager 2020 is another entry in the series that failed to introduce any major imrpovements. Outside of a roster refresh, a few new goodies and some improved simulation, FM 2020 is more FM, which I love, and you probably do as well.
Sure, we should probably be asking for more for the annual fee of £39.99, but they do have us in a stranglehold. Now, that was a fun game! Not much football in it, though.
8 Football Manager 2008
Critic ranking – 86 | User ranking – 6.1
Football Manager 2008 is the last bastion of classic FM, retaining the iconic player lines and sticking to the old formula of the series. However, by this point, fans were getting pretty tired, and FM 2009’s new match engine couldn’t come sooner.
Nevertheless, ’08 still ranks as one of the best games in the series, and massively overhauled transfer systems meant players had more control than ever. For fans who want to jump into a time machine to play some classic FM, well, you don’t actually have to. There are still ways to play this.
7. Football Manager 2016
Critic ranking – 81 | User score – 7.1
Marred by bugs on release, like pretty much every game in the series, FM 2016 was a bold step forward for the for the series. Fantasy Draft mode, Create-a-Club, and improved AI behaviour made for one of the best playing games so far, but it’s still not the best in the series.
6. Football Manager 2021
Critic ranking – 85 | User ranking – 6.5
Unfortunately, FM21 didn’t offer enough improvements and new features to justify its full-price release. Of course, it’s not a bad game, it’s Football Manager! However, anyone who’s spent thousands of hours in every game in the series knows this is less impressive than many deem it to be.
5. Football Manager 2024
Critic ranking – 84 | User ranking – 7.0
Before FM25 arrives next year, FM24 is our current game in the series, and one that seems to be a little bit unfairly maligned by user reviews. It may not be the absolute peak of the franchise, but with brilliant set-piece control, a great roster of countries and leagues as well as enhanced player development, this is a beautiful game to simulate the beautiful game.
4. Football Manager 2013
Critic ranking – 86 | User ranking – 6.9
The best of both worlds, FM 2013 merged the then-modern design of the series with the classic formula, adding in Classic Mode for more streamlined management alongside fun, inventive challenges for hardcore players.
To this day, Football Manager 2013 is a fan favourite entry in the series, and it deserves to be remembered as one of the best. But it’s not the best, or even a podium finish, according to everyone.
3. Football Manager 2022/Football Manager 2019
Critic ranking – 85 | User ranking – 7.4 / Critic ranking – 86 | User ranking – 7.1
Adding a brand-new tactical interface, completely revamped training module, and official Bundesliga licenses, Football Manager 2019 has been rightfully heralded at one of the GOATs of Football Manager. However, in joint-third with FM 2022, it has tough competition.
Just a few years after 2019’s awesome debut, FM22 comes running out of the box with the Data Hub, a feature that revolutionized how players analyzed matches. Alongside newly refined AI, you now had to deal with smarter opponents and less-stupid teammates. It was a massive jump forward.
2. Football Manager 2012
Critic ranking – 84 | User ranking – 8.1
For many, Football Manager 2012 may be a heart pick, but it was a brilliant game when it released. A massive overhaul of everything fans loved about the game, FM12 is still fun to play today. It may not have all the bells and whistles of, say, FM24, but for a game that released a dozen years prior, it’s pretty damn fantastic.
1. Football Manager 2010 / Football Manager 2011
Critic ranking – 87 (the highest) | User ranking – 7.7 / Critic ranking – 85 | User ranking – 8.5 (the highest)
Unfortunately, there are no penalties for spreadsheet-focused video games, but Football Manager 2010 and 2011 clutch the top spot together. After 2010 turned the series back around with a revamped tactical creator and detailed match analysis, 2011 booted its improvements into the back of the net with improved training, dynamic player interactions and agent negotiations.
Conclusion
There you have it. Every Football Manager game with decent online score tracking has been ranked, and they’re pretty much what we expected. Did any placement take you by surprise? Make sure to tell us.
Football Manager 2024
- Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s): Management, Soccer, Sports