Football Manager 26 News

[p][/p][p]2026's first FM26 update (26.1.2) is now available via Steam, Epic, and Microsoft Store.[/p][p]This update includes a wide range of improvements, with key changes including global navigational enhancements, a new-look Stages screen, functionality fixes to column sorting and a host of stability fixes.[/p][p][/p][p]FM26 Console and FM26 Touch[/p][p]Updates for FM26 Console and FM26 Touch (Apple Arcade) will follow later this week. We’ll confirm via FMAssist once they’re live. [/p][p]An update for FM26 Touch (Nintendo Switch) is scheduled for early February, containing all  applicable FM26 Touch fixes to date.[/p][p][/p][p]FM26 Mobile[/p][p]The latest FM26 Mobile update containing save and crash related fixes was released on 15th January. FM26 Mobile’s next update is due in late February.[/p][p][/p][p]Our Next Update[/p][p]The next update for FM26 is scheduled for 2-3 weeks’ time as previously outlined. Pass Maps are scheduled to return then, subject to passing QA checks and approvals.[/p][p]The changelist for today's update is available below.[/p][p][/p][p]FM26 (26.1.2) Changelist (non-exhaustive)[/p][p]Technical Issues[/p]

• [p]Various Crash and Stability fixes[/p]
• [p]Fixed game freezing when using Instant Result during hotseat mode[/p]
• [p]Stadium size now displays correctly regardless of the graphics quality set[/p]
• [p]Transition speed preference no longer resets upon game restart[/p]
• [p]Continue Game Timeout preference option now functions as intended[/p]

[p][/p][p]User Interface (UI)[/p]

• [p]Redesigned ‘Stages’ tile to be full screen (shown at the end of the changelist)[/p]
• [p]Redesigned ‘Season Preview’ tile to be full screen[/p]
• [p]Further navigation enhancements, including additional drop-down options in the main and secondary nav bars[/p]
• [p]Improved functionality of customising/rearranging column placement on the first team squad view[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where the Squad Registration for continental competitions would appear as closed despite the deadline yet to pass[/p]
• [p]The squad list now updates in real-time if making changes while the ‘Pkd’ column is selected[/p]
• [p]Fixed ‘At Club Since’ column showing random numbers instead of years[/p]
• [p]‘Knowledge’ column can now be added on the Shortlist screen[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where the 'Set Pieces' and 'Opposition Instructions' buttons were greyed out in the Pre-Match Team Selection screen[/p]
• [p]Fixed functionality for comparison between Coaching, Recruitment, and Medical staff when on the Club Site screen[/p]
• [p]Staff attribute colouring remains constant when scrolling[/p]
• [p]Filtering players by dates (such as contract expiry) now functions as intended within the Player Search[/p]
• [p]Latest season is now selected to display by default within the player Career Stats[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue causing the Play/Pause button to stop working as intended if skipping a replay[/p]
• [p]Added a scroll bar to Team/Player Analytics within the Data Hub[/p]
• [p]Viewing Past Seasons within the Stages card now functions correctly[/p]
• [p]When signing multiple players who are eligible to be sent on an intensive language course, the player names are now better displayed to highlight who is being sent[/p]
• [p]“Set for Next Match” button now highlights when selected within the Tactics screen[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue that was causing a cut off on the inbox items when continuing with the New tab selected[/p]
• [p]Reasons given for certain achievements not yet unlocking has been reworded to prevent any ambiguity[/p]
• [p]Squad depth will now display when requesting a team report from an AI club[/p]
• [p]XG in the player form tile now reflects the true figure[/p]
• [p]Removed duplicated responses within conversation with Agent if asking about player availability[/p]
• [p]League history graph no longer defaults to any specific team initially[/p]

[p] [/p][p]Gameplay[/p]

• [p]Tweaks to the amount of money spent on ageing players by Premier League/High Profile clubs[/p]
• [p]Tweaks to player reputation boosts following matches[/p]
• [p]When offering a player out via an Intermediary, users should receive more appropriate offers from AI Clubs[/p]
• [p]Tweaks to AI player asking prices[/p]
• [p]Outgoing transfers now total correctly within Potential Transfer/Wage Budget Impact[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue preventing user from offering wage that was previously agreed to by the player agent[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue causing a players displayed value to drop drastically with no logical cause[/p]
• [p]Transfer fees are now correctly allocated in the NWSL when conducting a player for cash trade[/p]
• [p]Wages will now correctly display in accordance with the preference set (weekly, monthly, annually)[/p]
• [p]WSL Awards no longer get given to players not deemed to be eligible in the first instance[/p]
• [p]Number of transfers in/out now correctly displays on saves ported from previous editions of FM[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where the Loan Offer message would say there has been an optional fee of £0 agreed, if no loan fee was set[/p]
• [p]Staff will now better action Opposition Instructions if set to do so via Staff Responsibilities[/p]
• [p]Player Milestones now better reflect their actual achievements[/p]
• [p]Tactics Induction now correctly gets prompted if user joins a new club via Apply for Job[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where news item would discuss the teams last game at their current stadium, despite the match taking player at a neutral venue[/p]
• [p]South America - Copa Libertadores – Resolved winner from incorrect year qualifying for Intercontinental Cup[/p]

[p] [/p][p]In-Game Editor (IGE) / Pre-Game Editor (PGE)[/p]

• [p]Various Crash Fixes[/p]
• [p]Tweaks made to improve functionality of the Scroll Bar[/p]
• [p]Making changes to stadium details now updates in real-time within the IGE[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue preventing Continental/International rules from verifying despite being set up correctly within the PGE[/p]
• [p]Stopped the game progressing to a Player report card when clicking attributes on the Player Edit tile[/p]
• [p]Added new editable fields to show OOP tactics data for AI managers[/p]
• [p]Improvements to colour select field[/p]
• [p]Improvements to when the IGE button is disabled and enabled[/p]

[p] [/p][p]New Stages screen[/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p]With Football Manager 26 now more than a month old across platforms, many players are beginning to settle in for long-term career saves.[/p][p]If you’re looking for inspiration or simply a fresh challenge, we’ve highlighted 12 clubs that offer something memorable - whether that’s historical prestige, unique structural obstacles, or the opportunity to build something from the ground up.[/p][p][/p][h3]AS Monaco[/h3][p]Monaco are one of world football’s most prolific producers of elite young talent, making them the ideal destination for anyone who enjoys developing wonderkids and building squads with a strong homegrown identity.[/p][p]Their current group includes Lamine Camara, Maghnes Akliouche and Mika Biereth, supported by experienced internationals such as Takumi Minamino, Denis Zakaria and Thilo Kehrer.[/p][p]Your task is to turn this dynamic squad into genuine title contenders, reclaim domestic honours and mount another serious push for the UEFA Champions League-something Monaco famously a game away from winning in 2004.[/p][p][/p][h3]Sampdoria[/h3][p]With the return of our Serie BKT licence, Sampdoria’s iconic home kit is back in FM26. The club enjoyed a golden era in the early 1990s but since then have endured a much more turbulent period.[/p][p]After a reprieve from relegation to Serie C, your job is to stabilise them in Serie B and guide them towards a long-term resurgence. Restoring their rivalry with Genoa, returning to Serie A, and eventually challenging for honours again can create a deeply rewarding multi-season project.[/p][p][/p][p]To read the full story and more, visit The Dugout. [/p]

[p][/p][p]Developing your own superstars is one of the most satisfying parts of any Football Manager save — especially for long-term careers. Few feelings compare to watching an academy graduate light up the biggest stages for your first team.[/p][p]What’s the best way of bringing these young players through? InvWingbacks is here to help, providing a list of top tips for youth development in Football Manager 26.[/p][p][/p][h3]Setting some general principles[/h3][p]How you approach youth development will vary based on the club you’re managing, the league you’re in and how good the team are for the level. Every stage of a club’s evolution demands something slightly different from your youth system.[/p][p]For example, if you’re managing in the lower leagues, you’ll often look to your youth team to provide depth for your first-team squad. Physical attributes matter more here — they’ll need strength, stamina and pace so they can meet the demands of lower league football and the volume of games they'll be playing.[/p][p]It’s important to set yourself some general principles for developing your youngsters. That means thinking about whether you focus on physical or technical ability, what percentage of minutes you want your youth prospects to play, which cups/league games they'll have opportunities in and how you make decisions on who gets loans and permanent moves.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Technical and Physical Development[/h3][p]Player development happens in stages. Game time and general training will lead to most players evolving their Physical and Technical Attributes, with Mental Attributes typically improving more as they get older.[/p][p]From this writer’s experience, your decisions on whether to prioritise technical or physical development should be based on their age, position and level of experience.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Generally speaking, when a player is between the ages of 15 and 17, you should prioritise their physical development. This can be done with an individual focus on their Physical Attributes and work in their position – so defender, midfielder or attacker – rather than a specific role.[/p][p]Then, unless they’re an obvious superstar, the ages of 18 to 21 are when you should focus on rounding out some of their technical deficiencies and priming them for their role in their squad. Training should evolve to Technical Attribute-focused at this stage with a preferred role assigned based on how their profile is shaping up and where you want them to fit in. It’s also at this stage that you should consider loan moves at an appropriate level.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]From 21 onwards, the player should be pushing for a first-team place or be a candidate for you to sell in the transfer market. In terms of their training at this point, you should alternate your focuses between Mental and Technical Attributes and also begin to think about incorporating Traits that you want them to adopt in their game.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Youth Training in FM26[/p][p]To set up individual focuses on FM26, first head to Squad and Youth Setup, then pick the youth player you want to set up training for. You’ll find the training tab at the bottom of their player profile. This will take you into the familiar individual training screen and from there, you can set up not only this individual player's training, but also the rest of the youth squad.[/p][p]This year, individual training looks a little different. Because there are in and out of possession roles, you can set up focuses for both phases of play, as well as an additional focus.[/p][p]In the example below, I've got a player who I want to play as a Defensive Midfielder in possession, but a Full-Back out of possession:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]You will see that from this one screen, you can also swap the players' training units, see their progress, and tweak their individual focuses. This player is under 18, so the focus should be more on physical development; the IP and OOP focuses will hit a lot of the key Technical Attributes he needs to develop, so working on Agility and Balance will bring more benefit than 'double training' the Technical Attributes.[/p][p]Many youth players don’t develop their physical attributes evenly. Some stats climb quickly, others hardly move.[/p][p]That’s why it’s worth checking their training plans every few months and tweaking their individual focuses. These small adjustments help keep their physical development balanced.[/p][p][/p][h3]Building a Development Pipeline[/h3][p]Training your players is only one aspect of their development – you need to have a pipeline and plan in place for them to move from your Under-18s through to your first-team squad.[/p][p]You can’t get a full scope of a player’s potential at Under-18 level, so at this stage it makes sense to keep a broad, deep squad as long as you’ve got the coaching staff to handle the workload. Give them focused individual training to work on their physical development and aspects of their general position (defence, midfield, attack). When they hit 18, take stock of how they've developed and what their potential next step is.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]When a player reaches 18, gametime starts to become more important. If they're at an appropriate level, you can start to think about loaning them out to clubs playing in competitive leagues. The key is to find clubs and divisions where they'll receive quality game time and will perform well; minutes and rating are both important at this stage. There are a few ways to achieve this, including via affiliate clubs in different leagues. The new Opportunities feature introduced from TransferRoom is another great way to source a suitable move.[/p][p]There will be youngsters that you struggle to find good moves for. For some, this will be because they're simply not good enough. For others, the challenge isn’t quality but timing; even good players can struggle to find a loan when clubs don’t need their position. In this situation, you need to ensure they’re getting regular minutes for your Under-21 side or put them in your first-team squad for rotation and cup minutes wherever possible. For most 'big' clubs, your youth teams will be playing semi-regularly, and especially continental youth tournaments still boast a good range of valuable minutes for youngsters.[/p][p]The key here is not to have too many players left at the club, so that those in your Under-21s get a good share of minutes, with your most promising taking rotation minutes in your first team where possible.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]By the time a player reaches 21, you should have a relatively clear idea of whether they have a future at your club. The Squad Planner is a great resource for this - you can pull players into your squad planner from the youth system, to see where they fit in your squad in terms of ability and position. If you can give them minutes, then that is the perfect outcome, and they can start to form part of your first team squad.[/p][p]However, at 21, a lot of youngsters hold a lot of value, often beyond their actual ability, so this can also be a good time to sell them on and reinvest that money in more youngsters to run through the pipeline.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The most important thing is to try to develop a system which means you're never blocking or stagnating a player's progress during their time with your club. A well-run youth system is key to developing, sustaining and achieving success on Football Manager.[/p][p][/p][p]For more like this, head over to The Dugout. [/p]

[p][/p][p]For the first time in Football Manager history, women’s football arrives in FM26, with the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) as a headline licensed competition - opening up new opportunities to explore, manage, and make history in the women’s game.[/p][p]The WSL is the top level of domestic women’s football in England. A league that hits hard in both performance and passion: it’s the home ground that nurtured some of the biggest stars of the twice-Euro-winning Lionesses. It is known for deep rivalries, nail-biting matches, and some of the largest and most ardent fanbases in the game.[/p][p]With upcoming expansion and increasing investment, this league offers managers a high-profile, high-stakes landscape within which to test their skills. It's time to step into the dugout and explore new horizons.[/p][p]To read the full story and more, visit The Dugout. [/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]We’re pleased to confirm that the latest FM26 update (26.1.1) is now available on Steam, Epic, and Microsoft Store.  [/p][p]Included within the 300+ changes are further improvements to player and staff contract logic, under the hood improvements to game stability, and improved post-match and past match report screens. We’ve also addressed the issue surrounding players being offered out on transfer if rested, following an initial rollout via a hotfix to the Steam Public Beta Track. [/p][p]For queries about how to update on these platforms, please review this FAQ.  [/p][p]For Steam Public Beta track users, please consult the FAQ for any questions about how to revert to the retail version and save game compatibility. [/p][p]The next update for FM26 Console and FM26 Touch will now come in the new year. Critical issues were identified in the previous Public Beta Track update that impacted those versions directly. As a result, our usual submission process to these platforms will not be possible this side of Christmas. [/p][p]Going forward this week, you can expect further communication about our update plans over the coming months.  [/p][p]You can find today’s changelist, here.[/p]