"Football Manager 2026" gets the FIFA license

“Football Manager” is getting international competitions: Thanks to a partnership with the world football association FIFA, players will be able to manage national teams and play the 2026 Football World Cup in “Football Manager 26”.

This was announced by developer studio Sports Interactive in a statement. FIFA appears to have found its new partner: after the end of the license agreement with EA, the world football association was looking for a new studio to bring the world's largest football tournament to screens virtually. Announced the developer studio Sports Interactive in a statement.

Sports Interactive speaks of a multi-year contract that brings official licenses for FIFA's biggest competitions into the “Football Manager” games—and thus into future titles as well. In “Football Manager 26,” which will be released on November 4th, international competitions will not be included initially. However, they are to be added before the World Cup begins in June.

Women's World Cup also included

In addition to the men's Football World Cup, the Women's World Cup and the Club World Cup are also part of the license package that FIFA is putting together for “Football Manager.” The licenses include not only the official jerseys of all participating teams but also the broadcast graphics and tournament visuals of the competitions. Further details are to follow.

“Football Manager” is a detailed management simulation that includes football tactics, training, scouting, and financial decisions. You cannot play yourself; the game characters behave according to their tendencies, abilities, and tactical instructions. Whether FIFA will continue to seek a partner to develop a playable football simulation after the separation from EA is open. There are not many candidates for this.

For the upcoming “Football Manager 26,” Sports Interactive is switching to the Unity Engine, which brings a completely revised interface and new graphics for the game simulations. In addition, women's teams are included for the first time. Due to the switch to a new engine, “Football Manager 25” was canceled.

(dahe)