The Ultimate Football Manager 2026 Wishlist – what everyone wants from FM26

Sports Interactive have a lot of work to do to rebuild trust with the community. The teaser video was a step in the right direction, showing real communication for once and building up excitement. But if they truly want to get everyone back on side, it might be worth their time bringing in features that are easy wins with the wider community.

As someone in the middle of a bustling Football Manager scene, and a regular trawler of the forums, I’m in a good position to see what people are desperate for in the new game. So what features do people actually want? What does the community expect to see in Football Manager 2026? And are those expectations even realistic? I’ve told you what features I want to see, now I’ve come to see what EVERYONE wants.

Smarter AI

This is the one that gets mentioned over and over again. Players want an AI that is sharper, adapts more intelligently, and feels realistic. And that goes for every aspect of the game. People want AI opponents who make smarter transfer decisions, managers who change tactics effectively during matches, and AI clubs that don’t lowball you in every single transfer regardless of the situation. Some fans are even asking for a difficulty setting that scales the challenge for more experienced players. I doubt that will make it into Football Manager 2026, but improving the intelligence of the AI at this stage feels like a necessity rather than just a wish.

Ability to be a reserve/youth manager

This one might sound far-fetched, but loads of people want it. Imagine starting as a youth coach and working your way up through the ranks to become the best. It would add another layer of difficulty for those who have already mastered the game and would enrich the storytelling that makes Football Manager so addictive in the first place. If that’s a step too far for FM26, then at least give us more influence over youth development. For example, let managers decide the type of player and style of play that comes through their academy. If your team plays out from the back, it makes no sense to produce centre backs who can’t pass.

Modernised user interface

A refreshed UI is one of the big promises of the new Unity engine, but it could prove incredibly divisive. The community’s general demand is for a layout that looks cleaner and makes navigation faster. Things like better search and sort functions on screens such as the squad list would go a long way. But none of this should come at the expense of the detail that makes Football Manager unique. If the UI gets watered down to the point it looks like FM Touch or the console version, there will be uproar. Nobody wants this game drifting towards being EA FC.

Expansion of in-game stats

It’s hard to overstate how important statistics are in modern football. Even if you’re just a casual fan, you’ll have heard terms like xG, field tilt and the rest. Twenty years ago you’d have been laughed at for talking about that stuff, but now it’s central to the game. Football Manager should be leading the way here. We need more stats, more custom views, and more depth. Imagine being able to track your team’s attacking and defensive shapes in detail, or use a timeline tool to see how tactical tweaks shifted momentum during a match. The possibilities are endless, and the more statistical depth, the better.

Built-in mod tools

This long gap without a new Football Manager has been painful. But one thing that has kept the game alive has been the modding community. Mods have kept things fresh and breathed life into a series that has felt like it’s running out of steam. That’s why modding tools should no longer be an afterthought. They need to be built into the game, front and centre, and easy to use. Imagine official scenario editors, simpler ways to tweak databases, attributes or events. Football Manager could be the most fun football sandbox in the world if modding was made straightforward.

Final thoughts

The new match engine and women’s football will be the headline additions in Football Manager 2026. But these features above could have an even bigger impact on how enjoyable the game is for most players. Even if only a few of them make it in, we could be looking at the best Football Manager in years. What features are you hoping to see in FM26? Drop your thoughts in the comments.