The Votes Are In – These are the most-wanted Football Manager 2026 features according to YOU

A few days ago, I put out a post asking you to list the features you’d most like to see in Football Manager 2026. I then picked the most liked and popular answers and bundled them into one massive poll. Since then, you’ve been voting. And now, the results are IN.

It was incredibly tight, but like that desperate tactical voting push you make to get your wonderkid into a Team of the Year shortlist, the FM community has made their voices heard. This next version is absolutely vital for the future of the franchise, so if anyone from Sports Interactive is reading this: take notes. The fans have done your homework for you.

Here’s a full breakdown of the features you most want to see in FM26 (see the end of the article for the full list)

1st: Sponsorship Negotiations — 3.09% (367 votes)

At the top of the wishlist is the ability to actually negotiate sponsorships. Time to give us control and let us hustle for that sleeve sponsor.

2nd: Stadium Builder — 2.88% (342 votes)

People are clearly tired of the game expanding your stadium by four seats every seven seasons. A proper stadium designer, where you choose the look, capacity, and expansion plans, got huge support.

3rd: Realism in Transfer Fees — 2.86% (340 votes)

Why is it that AI clubs reject £150m from us, then accept £50m from another team five minutes later? The people want transfer logic that actually makes sense… consistency, transparency, and maybe even some negotiation mind games.

Honorable Mentions (Aka the “Just Missed the Podium” Club)

• Drama & Scandals – 2.85% (339 votes): Crowd trouble, betting charges, player scandals. Let’s be honest, this game could use more chaos.
• Improved Press Conferences – 2.85% (338 votes): If we have to answer “How important was that goal?” one more time…
• Functional Defensive Tactics – 2.77% (329 votes): Parking the bus shouldn’t feel like a glitch.
• Realistic Player Prices – 2.74% (325 votes): Tired of seeing players magically quadruple in value just because they joined a big-name club.
• Better Match Experience – 2.7% (321 votes): More realistic graphics, proper commentary, and crowd immersion. Less PS2, more next-gen.

Other Top Requests Worth Noting:

• Manager Wages Actually Doing Something – 2.63% (312 votes): Let us buy a house. A car. Just something.
• Expanded Youth Management & School Recruitment – 2.62% (311 votes): Everyone wants to be the next La Masia.
• Players Not Getting Mad Over Praise – 2.62% (311 votes): Imagine Salah demanding a transfer because you said “well played.”
• Cards for Time Wasting, Diving, Dissent – 2.61% (310 votes): Give those hidden traits some actual impact.

The Middle Pack: Solid Ideas With Loud Support

From out-of-possession roles (2.56%) to chaotic AI club owners (2.55%) and full international management experiences (2.52%), there’s a clear appetite for more realism and randomness.

Requests like AI-generated faces, advanced youth development, and Director of Football mode all hovered around the 2.4%–2.5% mark, showing that fans are thinking long-term about how to deepen the game’s sandbox.

The Chaos Division (1%–2%)

This is where things get fun:

• Flares in changing rooms, UEFA fines for political tifos, and alarm clock sabotage at hotels? Yup. 2.35% want more drama.
• Wider set of goal celebrations (2.3%) – People want more than just “stand and stare.”
• Clubs going out of business (2.26%) — Rare, but real. Adds jeopardy.
• Start as a U19 coach or become a real manager like Alonso (2.22%) – Story modes incoming?
• Build-a-tactic with wild shape-shifting formations (2.17%) – Let us become Guardiola on acid.

The Wild West (Under 1%)

Down here, we’ve got some creative, niche and ultimately, not as popular, request. It also shows that for the majority of the Football Manager community online play really isn’t that important:

• Competitive Online Play – 0.67%
• Ranked Versus Mode – 0.58%
• Difficulty Settings – 0.91%
• PSR-based transfer finances – 1.24%
• Touchline scraps with opposition managers – 1.47% (Mourinho sim, anyone?)

Final Thoughts

The fans want more realism, more chaos, better match-day immersion, smarter AI, and most of all, control. We want to build stadiums, negotiate sponsorships, tell press conferences to jog on, and maybe, just maybe, start a touchline brawl with Pep Guardiola.

There’s passion here. There’s creativity. And there’s a clear direction. So Sports Interactive, if you’re listening: don’t just make another FM. Make the FM we’ve been dreaming about. The people have spoken. Now it’s your move.

Full Feature Voting Results

• Sponsorship negotiations – 3.09% (367 votes)
• Stadium builder – 2.88% (342 votes)
• Fairness/realism in transfer fees – 2.86% (340 votes)
• Actual drama (scandals, crowd trouble, betting charges) – 2.85% (339 votes)
• Improved press conferences – 2.85% (338 votes)
• Make playing defensively functional – 2.77% (329 votes)
• Realistic player prices – 2.74% (325 votes)
• Better match experience (graphics, commentary, crowd) – 2.70% (321 votes)
• Use manager wages for something – 2.63% (312 votes)
• More realistic youth management (schools, youth leagues) – 2.62% (311 votes)
• Players not getting upset when praised – 2.62% (311 votes)
• Cards for time wasting, diving, dissent – 2.61% (310 votes)
• Out of possession roles – 2.56% (304 votes)
• More detail on chairmen/directors, crazy owners – 2.55% (303 votes)
• Improved international mode – 2.52% (299 votes)
• Updated press conference questions – 2.51% (298 votes)
• AI-generated faces for regens – 2.48% (294 votes)
• Advanced youth development – 2.45% (291 votes)
• Director of Football mode – 2.43% (289 votes)
• More youth academy options with AI integration – 2.39% (284 votes)
• More off-pitch drama (flares, alarms, fines, AI press) – 2.35% (279 votes)
• Players not irritated after sensible resting – 2.35% (279 votes)
• Wider set of goal celebrations – 2.30% (273 votes)
• Rare cases of clubs going out of business – 2.26% (268 votes)
• Start as U19 coach or real-life manager – 2.22% (264 votes)
• More tactical freedom and detailed shape transitions – 2.17% (258 votes)
• Option to continue after retiring (DoF/Owner) – 2.15% (255 votes)
• Spend money on personal stuff (home, car) – 2.00% (238 votes)
• Better animations – 1.94% (230 votes)
• Fix VAR bugs, AI press, unrealistic AI transfers – 1.90% (226 votes)
• Stadium view before every match – 1.89% (225 votes)
• Fluid tactics for applying Relationism – 1.83% (217 votes)
• Off-ball movement instructions per player – 1.81% (215 votes)
• Playable youth teams with promotion path – 1.76% (209 votes)
• AI-driven player/press discussions – 1.68% (199 votes)
• Pre-game editor region-based transfer rules – 1.63% (194 votes)
• Manage U21 & U18 teams – 1.60% (190 votes)
• More realism for newgens (bans, scandals) – 1.57% (187 votes)
• League comparison analytics – 1.54% (183 votes)
• Search scouts by world knowledge – 1.51% (179 votes)
• Touchline scuffles (Mourinho moments) – 1.47% (174 votes)
• Sign all trialists at once – 1.30% (154 votes)
• PSR accounting (book value by contract) – 1.24% (147 votes)
• Audio commentary – 1.22% (145 votes)
• Bring tactic arrows back, AI press, skip press without penalty – 1.04% (124 votes)
• Difficulty setting – 0.91% (108 votes)
• Competitive online play – 0.67% (79 votes)
• Ranked Versus mode (1v1 matchmaking) – 0.58% (69 votes)