Football Manager 26 review: One step forward, two steps back

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A star rating of 3 out of 5.

It’s easy to take things for granted until they’re no longer around, and that perfectly describes how I feel about Football Manager 26.

Football Manager, as a game released annually, needs to keep improving, and switching to the Unity engine was expected to be a significant upgrade. While the game was already successful, this change aimed to give it an extra boost.

Unity represented a major technical upgrade for the game, finally delivering the visual improvements fans had been requesting and setting the stage for future installments.

After a difficult two years that led to the cancellation of FM25, FM26 is now available. While the game has received graphical updates and a rebuilt foundation, I don’t think all the effort has actually made it a better experience – at least, not for me.

Let’s start off with the good, shall we? Those graphics are indeed a huge step up for the game.

Old, basic player models are a thing of the past. Now, players are much more detailed and animated, making the game feel like you’re watching a realistic football match.

Occasionally, the game’s realism feels a little too real, creating a slightly unsettling effect when animations or player choices seem off. However, overall, SI has done an excellent job.

I’m a little sad they’re removing the feature that let you turn your manager’s webcam photo into a funny, distorted baby face, but I understand.

The game has been improved with more customizable tactics, letting players define their team’s formations and individual player roles when they have and don’t have the ball.

While some parts still need a little refinement, the added flexibility is welcome, even though I’m not a fan of the new role titles right now.

The game now includes women’s football, which is a fantastic addition! I’m really excited about the possibility of even more leagues being added down the line – I’d love to be able to manage my local team, Rugby Borough.

Unfortunately, when it comes to new changes, that’s about it for the good.

This naturally leads to wondering why FM26 still manages to earn a three-star rating. The answer is simple: even with all the updates, it remains fundamentally Football Manager at its heart.

Okay, so the gameplay isn’t totally different, but honestly, that’s a good thing! It’s still really well-made and I’m having a blast playing it. It’s just solid, fun gaming!

Basically, I’d enjoy this game just as much, or even more, if it had the same custom interface I liked in Football Manager 2024.

If you’ve seen anything about FM26, or even played the beta version, you’ve probably noticed that the user interface isn’t very good.

In most games, a bad user interface isn’t a major problem – it’s usually just a small frustration that doesn’t significantly impact how much you enjoy the game.

The user interface in Football Manager really impacts the overall experience, and unfortunately, many players find it quite unpleasant to use.

During my visit to the SI offices last month, I learned that they completely redesigned the user interface after switching to the Unity game engine.

At first, I thought I just needed to adjust to the new design. But the more I’ve used it, the more it seems like the implementation is actually flawed.

This update allowed the developers to completely redesign things, but unfortunately, it also erased years of improvements and helpful features that players had come to rely on.

I was frustrated by some missing features in the preview, but thankfully some of those have been addressed. However, many other important features are still lacking.

It’s the little conveniences that make a big difference – things like saving your favorite team setup for easy access, or quickly sorting emails by repeatedly pressing the spacebar.

Tasks that used to be simple one-click actions in FM24 now involve navigating through many different menus and windows, making them much more complicated.

These complaints might seem small on their own, and I almost feel bad for mentioning them, but they add up. There are just so many little issues with the user interface in FM26 – and many other players agree – that they really can’t be overlooked.

I also have a problem with the game’s performance. On its own, it seems okay, but compared to other games, it doesn’t run as smoothly.

While this game is fun on its own, it doesn’t run as well as Football Manager 2024. I’ve been playing FM24 for the last two years and it’s been consistently smooth and fast, so the difference in performance here is really noticeable.

The app just feels sluggish – everything takes longer, from browsing the menus to getting updates on other games and leagues.

Football Manager 2024 ran incredibly smoothly, handling one league or ten with ease and letting me quickly move through seasons. Football Manager 26, however, feels noticeably slower in comparison.

These are small concerns, and I likely wouldn’t have them if this wasn’t part of a larger work.

However, Football Manager 2026 isn’t a completely new game on its own. It was presented as the start of a fresh chapter for the Football Manager series, which has been popular for twenty years – or even longer if you count its predecessor, Championship Manager.

I’m giving FM26 three stars because, at its heart, it’s still Football Manager – a series I really enjoy. While I have some problems with it, the core gameplay is solid enough that I wouldn’t call it a bad game overall.

But what it is, is a game that feels like it needed more time in the oven.

Honestly, I really feel for the folks at SI. They’re stuck in a tough spot, and it feels like they’re being asked to do the impossible. It’s a no-win situation, and I can’t help but sympathize with what they’re going through.

Since they skipped a game last year, I never thought FM26 would be delayed, even though extra time might have made it even better.

The decision to release international management as a separate, updated mode later this year suggests the game isn’t quite polished enough for launch, according to the developers at Sports Interactive. They clearly want to ensure it meets their high standards before releasing that feature.

Similar to how some fans still prefer the older Championship Manager series and haven’t switched to Football Manager, I expect a split to happen with the next generation of games, likely between versions 24 and 26.

I am confident that we will get the new era of FM that we have been promised eventually.

We’re hoping to quickly improve the user interface with a new design that looks more like the older versions from about two years ago.

Throughout the year, the developers will release updates and improvements to the game, fixing problems and restoring features that were previously removed.

I’m confident that by Football Manager 2027, and definitely by FM28, we’ll finally be experiencing the new and improved version of the game we’ve been anticipating – hopefully, it will live up to expectations and be truly exceptional.

The latest version of Football Manager has gotten off to a bit of a slow start. Even though I’m sure I’ll still spend countless hours enjoying the addictive gameplay, it’s not quite the game I was expecting after such a long wait.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a česká fotbalová liga trophy calling, and I intend to answer.

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2025-10-30 19:43