The best saves to keep you going until Football Manager 2026 eventually gets here

With the news that Football Manager 2025 has been cancelled, it looks like the next time we’ll be getting a new FM release is Football Manager 2026. Football Manager 2024 launched on November 6th—its usual spot on the calendar—which means we’re looking at approximately 268 days until the next full release. That is an utterly absurd amount of time to wait for a new Football Manager. Given the current state of the world, there’s a very real chance World War Three could kick off before then.

So, to help you survive this football-less abyss, I’ve scoured the leagues for the most interesting teams you could manage in the meantime. I’m talking about clubs having wild seasons right now—teams that would have been prime candidates for Football Manager 2025. The good news? You can download custom databases to essential turn Football Manager 2024 into 2025 and jump straight into the action.

Will it fully make up for Football Manager 2025 getting axed? Obviously not. But it might just save you from a level of boredom so severe that you start considering watching real-life international friendlies.

Nottingham Forest – Somehow Do Even Better Than Nuno

We have to start with Nottingham Forest. At the time of writing, they’re third in the Premier League and, according to Opta Analyst, have a 50% chance of qualifying for the Champions League. That is absolutely bonkers considering they’ve been in relegation battles the past few seasons.

Nuno Espírito Santo is doing an incredible job, and the squad has hit its best form in decades. Obviously, this will be a perfect save for Football Manager 2026, when they’ll either be in the Europa League or the Champions League. But for now, it’s worth downloading an updated database and seeing if you can replicate what Nuno’s doing.

Can you do better than him? I doubt it. But if you can even get close, it would be an incredible achievement.

Sunderland – Get Promoted With Their Wonderkids

If you follow the Championship as obsessively as I do (not because I want to, but because I’m a Leeds fan), you’ll know that Sunderland are the perfect team to manage this season.

First off, they’re being carried in the promotion race by a squad full of wonderkids. The flashy standout name is 19-year-old Jobe Bellingham, but arguably the even more impressive 17-year-old Chris Rigg has been doing incredible things. Add in talents like Trai Hume and Romaine Mundle, and you’ve got a seriously fun save.

They’re also a fallen giant—what’s not to love?! (Unless you’re a Newcastle fan.) Can you repeat the heroics of Régis Le Bris, who’s defying expectations and battling against the parachute-payment clubs?

LOSC Lille – Win The Champions League This Season

The most impressive teams in this season’s Champions League group stage? Lille. They stormed into the knockout rounds, winning five games, brushing aside far richer clubs.

They’re the biggest overperformers relative to their squad value, and their team is seriously fun to manage. I’ve personally used Angel Gomes and Jonathan David in Football Manager, and both are an absolute joy.

If you can go even further than real-life Lille and win the Champions League in your first season, that would have to go down as one of the best Football Manager one-season achievements. Especially since—as I’ve painfully learned from doing the Pentagon Challenge—winning knockout tournaments is an absolute nightmare.

Pro-Vercelli – The True Fallen Giant

From a resurging fallen giant in Sunderland… to one that’s, well, not resurging at all.

Pro Vercelli are a TRUE fallen giant. Believe it or not, they’re among the top five most successful clubs in Italian history. The catch? Their last Serie A appearance was over 90 years ago.

At this point, they’re not so much a fallen giant as a giant that fell off a cliff, broke both legs, and was never seen again.

Right now, they’re 15th in Serie C, so they won’t be playing Milan or Inter anytime soon. But can you take this founding father of Italian football and restore them to the top? The odds aren’t in your favour—but that’s what makes it fun, right?

Carlisle United – The Worst Team In England This Season

With Oldham out of the Football League, a new contender had to step up as the most miserable team in English football—and Carlisle have wasted no time claiming that title. Rock bottom of the entire Football League, they’ve managed just five wins in 29 games after finishing 24th in League One last season. Safe to say, Carlisle fans have seen better days.

In fact, the club has only ever spent one season in the top flight, so it’s not like they’ve had much to celebrate over the years. To make matters worse, they’re (probably?) the most northern team in the Football League, meaning not only do they lose a lot, but their fans also have to travel absurd distances just to witness it firsthand. Surely, it’s time for someone to step in and bring a bit of joy to this corner of Cumbria.

Valencia – The Giants That Somehow Found the Relegation Zone

At least Carlisle fans don’t expect much. Valencia fans, on the other hand, are living an absolute nightmare.

Right now, they’re still in the relegation zone—which is utterly inexplicable for a club that once fought for Champions League titles. What happened to the Valencia of old?

Was it mismanagement? Terrible luck? A secret curse? Whatever the reason, the reality is grim. This club should NOT be going down to the Segunda División.

So, are you the one to step in and save them? Can you rebuild them and restore their place among Spain’s elite? Because if not… well, Football Manager 2026 might just be launching with Valencia in the second tier.

Which Team Will You Manage Until Football Manager 2026?

There you have it—six teams with wild storylines that could keep you entertained until Football Manager 2026 arrives.

So, who’s it going to be? Will you break into the Champions League with Forest, resurrect Valencia, or take Pro Vercelli back to their long-forgotten glory days?