The best, and funniest, Football Manager simulations on the internet

One of the best things about Football Manager is how much of a sandbox it can be. With a little work in the Football Manager editor, you can turn your most bizarre football thought experiments into reality. Ever wondered what would happen if a player from the 1960s was dropped into the modern game? You don’t have to wonder anymore. Curious about which attribute is the most important? You can run simulations to find out.

Unfortunately, most people simply don’t have the time to set up these experiments themselves. Luckily, there are plenty of dedicated Football Manager addicts who do—and they’ve come up with some of the wildest experiments imaginable. So, what are the best ones that you need to check out ASAP? Let’s dive in (don’t worry, no spoilers—so you can go and watch them yourself).

If you enjoy this FM content, maybe check out our deep dive into the awesome new match engine mod, or check out the most obscure nations to find wonderkids in.

Perfect player in the worst team

When it comes to Football Manager simulations, Zealand is the undisputed GOAT. At this point, there’s not much in the game he hasn’t tested. He’s pushed the Football Manager editor to its absolute limit, and one of his best experiments is dropping the perfect player into the worst team in football.

What happens when you max out every attribute and then stick that player in the most hopeless squad imaginable? Does he single-handedly drag them to greatness, or is the burden just too much? You’ll have to watch to find out. Watch here.

1000 years into the future

Busted went to the year 3000, but Lollujo went even further—at least in Football Manager. He simulated all the way to the year 3024. Ever wondered what football might look like in a thousand years? Well, now you don’t have to.

There aren’t any flying cars in this version of the future, but everything else has changed. The records that have been broken (and the ones that somehow haven’t) are absolutely wild. This is a must-watch video, and if you want to experience it firsthand, you can even download the save file yourself. The future is now. You can watch it here.

Perfect twin wonderkids – at different clubs

One of the greatest debates in history: nature vs. nurture. If you take two identical twins, how much does their environment shape them? And, crucially, how does that translate into Football Manager?

TomFM put this to the test in a brilliant experiment, placing a wonderkid at an elite club…

…and one at Manchester United.

Joking. But seriously, this experiment explores how two perfectly identical players develop under completely different circumstances.

50 year transfer ban

Not all of the best simulations come from this year’s game. TomFM has been cooking up brilliant experiments for a while now. A couple of years ago, he tested what would happen if football implemented a global transfer ban for 50 years.

Would the sport become a utopia of homegrown talent? Or would it spiral into chaos as clubs lost their star players and couldn’t replace them? Do the biggest teams manage to stay on top, or does the entire football hierarchy collapse? Find out in his Football Manager 2023 experiment.

Money vs Youth

A tale as old as time. One club with an endless bank balance. Another with the best youth development system in the world.

This experiment explores what really matters more in Football Manager—and maybe in football as a whole. I had my suspicions about which would come out on top before watching, but seeing it play out over time was fascinating. See for yourself which reigns supreme.

Giving a non-league club a HUGE stadium

Ever wondered what would happen if your local non-league side played in the Maracanã instead of a tiny park with a burger van? Probably not. But the second I saw the title, I had to know.

It’s a question that nobody asked, but now that TomFM has done it, we all need the answer. A unique and brilliant Football Manager experiment that truly thinks outside the box.

The Perfect Manager

Most of the simulations on this list come from well-established Football Manager content creators—and for good reason. They’re incredible. But I also want to shout out a smaller creator doing some fantastic work: Jayhuahua.

One of my favorite experiments of his is creating the perfect manager and seeing what happens. Managing Wolves at one point?! Surely not.

Final Thoughts

These are just a handful of the best Football Manager simulations on YouTube. But before I wrap up, I have to mention the greatest simulation ever run outside of this list: my own experiment where I tested what would happen if players could only sign for their local clubs.

Have I missed any legendary simulations? What’s the best Football Manager experiment you’ve ever seen? Let me know in the comments!