Things we need for Football Manager 2026 to make the cancellation worth it

The unthinkable has happened: Football Manager 2025 is cancelled. For the first time in franchise history, a Football Manager game has been completely scrapped. But let’s be real, this certainly wasn’t “unthinkable”: the delays, the radio silence and general uncertainty made this a highly thinkable scenario. In fact, we even called for a cancellation just hours before it was officially announced.

Football Manager 2025’s cancellation was so on-the-nose that fans stayed up until the early hours of the morning for SEGA’s quaterly report to occur. Fans were waiting until Japanese business hours just for the bombshell to drop that FM25 was getting aces. Well, it’s here.

So long, Football Manager 2025

As we’ve previously explained, the cancellation of Football Manager 2025 isn’t necessarily the worst thing for the fanbase. Sure, it feels like the climax of a miserable few months, but it’s not the end of the game. What it does mean, however, is that Football Manager 2026 just became the most important release in the series’ history.

Primed for release sometime later this year, FM26 will be everything FM25 was promised to be, and hopefully a little extra. So, what do we need to see between now and FM26’s launch? And what does Football Manager 2026 need to do to make up for all of this? Let’s get into it.

The Match Engine Needs To Be A Transformation

Let’s be absolutely clear: the match engine has to be transformative. If we’re waiting 24 months between Football Manager releases, the improvements need to be massive. With modders already providing huge enhancements to FM24, the next game needs to go big or go home, especially after a year-long delay.

We’ve been promised a revamped Unity-powered match engine, and Sports Interactive must deliver. Personally, I don’t play Football Manager for the graphics, but if they’ve promised a major upgrade and the game ends up looking just like a slightly shinier version of FM24, expect massive disappointment.

Compared to other sports simulations, FM’s visuals have always been underwhelming. The game’s visuals have never been top-of-the-line, and nobody expects them to be, but this is the chance to close the gap while maintaining the intricate details that make the game special. Improving the graphics won’t just win over casual fans—it’ll also help rebuild the trust they’ve lost.

I’ve spoken to a content creator who’s played on the new match engine, and they had glowing praise for it. Clearly, something has gone wrong behind the scenes, preventing it from being ready for FM25. But if FM26 delivers on the promise of a next-level match engine, I have no doubt that people will quickly forget this whole debacle. Football fans have short memories.

Communication needs to improve

Look, I get it. There are legal and corporate obligations that prevent them from being fully transparent. Sega has shareholders, internal processes, and things they shouldn’t disclose publicly. That being said, the communication over the last few months has been atrocious.

As I’ve discussed in previous articles, content creators have been left in the dark, the general public has had zero information, and even people within the company weren’t given full details. A source who tipped me off about the delay well before it was made official told me that many staff members still believed the game was merely postponed—and were blindsided by its cancellation.

For FM26 to succeed, the communication strategy needs a complete overhaul. Here’s a simple rule: don’t release a roadmap and then delay the game a week later. If bad news is coming, deliver it early and properly instead of waiting until the last second and hoping for the best.

It’s almost like they’re so terrified of the backlash that they’d rather say nothing at all—until they’re forced to drop a bombshell. And guess what? That always makes things worse. Just be honest with the fans, communicate with content creators, and keep us in the loop. It’s not that hard.

Reintroduce features they said they would cancel on Football Manager 2025

Let’s talk about the features they planned to cut from FM25.

• International management? Keep it.
• Touchline shouts? Fun, even if they don’t actually do much.
• The social media screen? Entertaining, and could make the world of FM feel instantly bigger than just spreadsheets.

No one asked for these to be removed. Sure, they had their flaws, but instead of scrapping them, fix them!

Make international management actually engaging. Improve the social media screen with more realistic interactions. If we’re waiting two years between releases, we deserve enhancements to features that fans like—not their outright removal. At the very least, just leave them in the game. Throw the fanbase a bone.

Final thoughts

Football Manager 2026 is now a make-or-break moment for the series. Get it right, and this whole mess will be a footnote in an otherwise legendary franchise. Get it wrong—or if it’s barely an upgrade from FM24—and we could be looking at the beginning of the end for the dynasty.

I’m nervous. Very nervous. It’s never felt like FM has ever been at such a crossroads before, and there’s no coming back from the loss of two titles. Football Manager 2026 has to release and it needs to sell well, but it also needs to meet fan expectations.

What do you think needs to happen to make FM26 a success? Let’s hear your thoughts.