Football Manager has an amazing secret rival, and it’s almost free

For years, Football Manager has had a monopoly on the football simulation world, ruthlessly dominating the genre like PSG dominate Ligue 1. But once upon a time, FIFA Manager was a potentially legitimate competitor—EA’s attempt at bringing a managerial experience to the pitch. However, like a once-promising wonderkid who faded into obscurity (looking at you, Freddy Adu), FIFA Manager was discontinued in 2013, leaving Football Manager to rule unopposed.

But wait! Just when you thought the franchise had been consigned to the history books, the modding community has potentially pulled it back from the dead.. Thanks to dedicated fans, FIFA Manager 24 exists, an up-to-date version of the old game featuring current squads, new features, and a lot of nostalgia. And if that wasn’t enough, there are whispers that FIFA Manager 25 is on the way.

To play this yourself, you need to buy FIFA (or somehow acquire for no money at all) FIFA Manager 2014 – and download this mod.

So, how does this revived relic stack up against its rival, Football Manager 2024? YouTuber Zims Mula decided to put it to the test, diving deep into its features, gameplay, and whether it’s worth your time—or if it’s just a modded corpse being dragged onto the pitch. Here’s what he found.

A Look at FIFA Manager 24: The Good, The Modded, and The Ugly

Zims Mula begins by setting up a FIFA Manager 24 save, immediately impressed by how polished everything looks. Unlike Football Manager, which prioritises spreadsheets over spectacle, FIFA Manager has a slick UI that looks closer to EA FC’s Career Mode. But, of course, the real test isn’t in the menus—it’s in the details.

Here’s what stood out:

1. The Feature List is Stacked Like an Overloaded Squad

• The game doesn’t just focus on the football side of management. It’s basically a full-on life simulation where you can:
  • Buy houses, luxury items, and even invest in the stock market. Yes, you can manage both your club and your crypto portfolio.
  • Get married, have kids, and simulate your private life—because why just manage Bruno Fernandes’ contracts when you can also argue with your virtual wife about how much you’re spending on new signings?
  • Set up personal hobbies like golfing and sailing, presumably to escape the stress of getting sacked by your board.

Essentially, FIFA Manager 24 is a mix between Football Manager and The Sims, where you can be both Pep Guardiola and Warren Buffett.

2. The Database and Teams Are Surprisingly Robust

• Despite the game being officially dead for over a decade, the modding community has kept it alive.
• Current player databases are included, allowing you to manage teams with up-to-date squads.
• You can manage both club and national teams.

3. Match Engine and Graphics: A Time Capsule from 2013

• The 3D match engine is straight out of FIFA 13, and while it’s better than Football Manager’s match simulation, you can tell it’s showing its age.
• Players pull off skills and dribbles, making it look more like an old-school FIFA game
• You can watch full matches or highlights, tweak camera angles, and even switch to a “Manager View” where you stand on the touchline looking stressed—so just like real life.

While the animations are dated, it’s still a step up from Football Manager’s aesthetic – graphics have obviously never been FM’s forte. However, it doesn’t come close to modern FIFA graphics, and you might find yourself longing for something smoother.

4. Tactical Depth: Can It Rival Football Manager?

• FIFA Manager does have an in-depth tactical board, allowing you to tweak formations, player instructions, and roles.
• You can customise individual player behaviour, like instructing Marcus Rashford to make more forward runs or telling Casemiro to tackle like a man who doesn’t fear red cards.
• Player relationships matter—there’s a whole section dedicated to squad dynamics, showing who likes playing together and who sees each other as positional rivals.
• But does it go as deep as Football Manager’s gegenpressing overload tactics? Not really.

While it allows for tactical customisation, it’s clear that Football Manager still wins when it comes to the finer details of footballing philosophy.

5. Transfers and Negotiations: An Enjoyable, Realistic Challenge

• The transfer system is well-executed, with detailed negotiations involving:
  • Transfer fees, bonuses, and agent fees.
  • Clubs having different patience levels, meaning you can push your luck—but don’t expect miracles.
• Zims Mula attempts to sign young talent Roony Babrdghji, experiencing a back-and-forth negotiation process before securing the deal.
• Signings are unveiled at the stadium, although the game doesn’t actually show a cutscene—it just tells you it happened (a bit like when FIFA announces a new feature that’s actually just the same thing with a different UI).

Final Verdict: Should You Play FIFA Manager 24?

Zims Mula’s review paints FIFA Manager 24 as an intriguing alternative to Football Manager, but not a direct competitor. If Football Manager is the meticulous, stats-driven nerd of the football sim world, then FIFA Manager is the flashy, over-the-top cousin who cares just as much about managing their personal life and property investments as they do about their tactics.

FIFA Manager 24 is a nostalgia-fueled alternative to Football Manager, offering a visually engaging experience with immersive off-pitch features like managing personal finances, buying houses, and even starting a family. It’s ideal for those who enjoy FIFA’s Career Mode but want more managerial depth or miss the FIFA Manager series. However, Football Manager remains the go-to for deep tactical realism, an expansive football database, and the thrill of taking a non-league club to glory. If you prefer pure football strategy over stock market investments and simulated marriages, FM is still your best bet.

At the end of the day, FIFA Manager 24 is a fun, ambitious modding effort that breathes new life into a long-dead series. It won’t dethrone Football Manager, but it offers something different—especially if you like the idea of roleplaying as both a football manager and a financial mogul.

So, should Football Manager be worried? Not really. But should FM developers take notes on some of these immersive features (cough manager personalities cough)? Absolutely.