The long wait for the next edition of Football Manager has prompted me to reminisce about previous versions of the game. For some reason, one of the editions that stands out is FM18. It was one of my favourite editions of the game.
With every new edition of the game, we end up with new favourite players or specifically, wonderkids. Here are some of the biggest wonderkids from FM18:
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan)
One of the hottest prospects on FM18 was Italian goalkeeping prodigy Gianluigi Donnarumma. He started the game as an 18-year-old at Milan and became one of the best players in the world. In fact, even at the start of FM18, his stats already made him a world-class player.
In real life, unlike many FM wonderkids of the past, Donnarumma went on to fulfil his potential. Still just 26, the Italian international star has already won the Ligue One title four times with PSG, among other trophies, while helping the French giants to become European champions for the first time earlier this year.
At international level, Donnarumma played a key role in Italy winning the European Championships with the Azzurri.
Kylian Mbappe (PSG, on loan from Monaco)
The forward was on loan at PSG from Monaco during the 2017/18 season before he made a big-money switch to the Parisians the following summer.
Mbappe was arguably the best wonderkid on FM18, as not only did he have the potential, but he already had a number of high stats, including 18 flair, 17 dribbling, and 17 acceleration.
Similar to Donnarumma, Mbappe has gone on to have a trophy-laden career in real life. Also, just 26, the forward won six Ligue One titles with PSG after his appearance in FM18. However, the biggest trophy of them all was winning the World Cup with France the summer after FM18 was released.
Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax)
When FM18 was released, the defender was regarded as one of the most promising prospects among defensive players. Despite being just 17-year-old was still at boyhood club Ajax. His potential rating was -9, which virtually guarantees a player will become a world-class player in the game.
Since FM18, De Ligt hasn’t quite reached the levels of success expected of him. Despite winning the Eredivisie with Ajax, Serie A with Juventus and the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, there are doubts about the 25-year-old’s ability to fulfil his potential at the highest level of the game.
Now 25, and playing for Premier League Manchester United, there is still time for him to regain his form and become the player everybody expected him to become.
Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City)
The Brazilian international forward was a 20-year-old playing for Manchester City in FM18. Even at such a young age, Jesus was rated at 150 current ability, which made him one of the wonderkids with the highest ratings at the start of the game. Like De Ligt, his potential rating was -9.
His best stats at the start of the game were dribbling (16), finishing (15), first touch (15), pace (16), and acceleration (16).
At Manchester City, the forward enjoyed a trophy-laden career, including four Premier League titles and one FA Cup victory. However, he moved to Arsenal in 2022 in search of regular first-team football, as he was never considered a guaranteed starter despite scoring 95 goals in 236 appearances across all competitions.
Unfortunately, Jesus’ career with the Gunners has been hampered by injuries. At 28, he is now in the prime of his career. Everybody associated with Arsenal will be hoping that the Brazilian star can return to full fitness and form in the 2025/26 season.
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
The forward starts FM18 at 20, and is one of the hottest prospects at Manchester United. In fact, he starts the game with an approximate rating of 143 and a potential of -9.
Some of his highest attributes were pace (16), acceleration (16), dribbling (14), finishing (14), first touch (14), and off the ball (14).
After a bright start to his United career, Rashford’s form has been inconsistent at times in recent seasons. His form was so underwhelming last season that he spent the second half of the campaign at Aston Villa.
Rashford’s future at Manchester United is in doubt. It seems unlikely that Villa will sign him on a permanent basis. He has recently been linked with a move to Italian giants Juventus and Catalan behemoths Barcelona.
