Football Manager 26

“After two years, Football Manager 26 doesn't quite justify the wait. Tech upgrades help, but the clunky new interface and technical issues hold it back. The core remains deep and addictive, yet the overall experience feels rougher'even if I still ended up investing plenty of hours.”

“Some of the things Football Manager 26 implements are a step forward for the franchise, such as the shift to allow tactical tweaks for every moment of the match, and the match engine is also noticeably improved. However, FM26 does not feel like an upgrade on 2024’s edition and that is down to a combination of the removed features and UI decisions. Too much information is hidden away, and the gameplay loop becomes about going from one fixture to the next and ticking them off, as opposed to before, when it became impossible not to get sucked into the drama of the world. This franchise has a fantastically loyal fanbase and they are good at seeing the bigger picture. Nobody can question the work ethic of the team at Sports Interactive and they deserve the time and space to ensure FM26 can become the first step in another successful evolution for the series.”

“Football Manager 26 is for the diehards alone for this reason. It’s frustrating to deal with the bugs and UI changes, even if the core game remains basically the same. If you were to imagine this game without those issues, however, the new ideas and enhancements that are in the game are universally good and, whether it is just a matter of patches or waiting for Football Manager 27, there are very good reasons to get very enthusiastic about this series again.”

“A new tactical interface and improved match engine are title-worthy, but a frustrating UI, missing features, and numerous bugs drag Football Manager 26 into a relegation battle.”

“Football Manager 26 is a good step forward when it comes to engine and tactics, but it can frustrate many long-term fans. I like the dual approach to tactical choices, and I feel that the title reflects real-world trends. The match day experience is good, and the integration of women’s football adds a new dimension to the sim.”

“Football Manager 26 is the first step of a new era, and as we're seeing with some of the biggest clubs in the country, any new era comes with the challenge of rebuilding and both setting and meeting expectations. Football Manager 26 can get better with updates, but I doubt that this entry will be the one to make the most of the switch to the new engine, overhauled UI and new features. It might take one or two more years for this rebuild to really meet its potential.”

“Football Manager 26 marks the beginning of a new era. Unity brings with it a breath of fresh air, but that step forward has led to two steps back: the UI is dispersive, almost unbelievable in its capriciousness. In a management game where control is everything and analysis is also crucial, appearing with such cluttered screens is problematic”

“Football Manager 26 lays down a solid new foundation for the series' next era with engaging tactical systems and addictive management simulation, even if it stumbles with UI issues.”

“FM 26 remains the best management sim available, and it’s easy to lose hours to its deep, endlessly rewarding gameplay loop.”

“Football Manager 26 has the potential to become one of the best games in the series. All the pieces are in place, but right now I feel torn between enthusiasm for the potential and frustration with the current state of this production. Great new features are not enjoyable when the basic functionality of the game has problems.”

“Football Manager 26 is finally back, and the work done is undoubtedly of the highest quality and taste. The primary goal was to revamp the game and start from scratch, but obviously the tried-and-true gameplay formula couldn't be completely overturned.”

“Overall, FM26 has impressed me but frustrated me just as much. We've finally got an improved match engine, women's football, and my favourite addition, the new in and out of possession tactic set-up, but I can't shake this feeling that too many changes have been made to the UI. For a game where you spend a lot of time in the menus, I feel that a lot of unnecessary and frustrating changes were made, that's left me finding it difficult to navigate my way around the game. When comparing it to FM24, improvements have been made, but there are also a few factors I've not enjoyed. So, all in all, FM26 is a fine addition to the Football Manager series, but it's far from groundbreaking.”

“SI's gap year was well spent on a fantastic match engine update, but progress is still too slow between games.”

“Football Manager 26 represents the biggest change for the franchise in two decades, with improved tactical options and the best match engine in series history. FM26 is still a strong offering, although some missing features combined with the need to learn a whole new UI might be too much of a challenge for series veterans.”

“The duality of man, or in this case football management games. A horrible experience but a compelling simulation of football game management. ‍”

“time fans, trying to attract even new recruits, while a little regret remains for some technical issues that dirty an overall extremely satisfying experience.”