Which clubs could offer a challenge in FM27?

September 9, 2026

We now know FM27 will be out in November. With that in mind, we will take an early look at some clubs that will offer a change in the latest edition of our favourite football manager simulation.

Here are just four clubs that will offer a challenge in FM27:

Paris FC

Imagine being a club in the same city as one of the most dominant forces in the European game. That’s the situation that Paris FC finds itself in when it comes to its existence.

They are the original club in the French capital, but PSG have completely overshadowed them. In fact, it has got so bad for Paris FC that PSG’s club shop is at the bottom of their Stade Jean-Bouin. It would be a massive achievement to overthrow their more illustrious rivals.

However, Paris FC has made a decent start to the 2026/27 Ligue One season. Meanwhile, the European champions have failed to win any of their opening three games, so overthrowing the European champions may not be that hard after all!

Paris FC could well be one of the most entertaining and long-term saves you could do on FM27, as it may well take a while to turn the Parisians into a team capable of challenging their highly illustrious city rivals.

Sevilla

The Andalusians were once a force in the European game. They currently hold the record for most UEFA Cup/Europa League titles at seven. However, in recent years the club has struggled to even avoid the drop to the Segunda.

In fact, Los Nervionenses haven’t finished in the top half of La Liga since the 2022/23 season. Before that run, Sevilla had spent the best part of a decade competing for the European spots in the Spanish top-flight.

Their current squad is a relatively young one, as the Andalusians look to return to their former glories. They face a challenge to re-establish themselves as one of Spain’s top teams.

Even city rivals Real Betis have outperformed them in recent seasons, finishing fifth last season, while Sevilla finished just a point above the relegation zone. Then there is trying to usurp Spain’s big three: Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid.

With a decent young squad, Sevilla still has the potential for an exciting rebuild, and breaking the duopoly at the top of La Liga could be highly satisfying on FM27.

Leicester City

Fancy taking over a former Premier League club that has had an almighty fall from grace recently? Well, taking over Leicester City could be just the job for you.

The 2016 Premier League winners have endured a hellish couple of years, dropping from the English top flight to League One. It has got even worse for the team from the Midlands, as they haven’t exactly made a great start to their campaign in the English third tier.

The Foxes still have a decent quality squad for the level, so there are strong foundations for a recovery. Judging by how the likes of Luton Town, Wrexham and Ipswich have won back-to-back promotions in recent seasons, it may not be a massive challenge to get the Foxes back to the top of the English game.

In real life, the team is on a negative trajectory. However, that momentum is unlikely to be reflected in FM27. On paper, it’s a good project to revive a former English champion. Are you up for the challenge?

Torino

A bit like Paris FC, Torino have lived in the shadow of their arch rivals for a long time, with Juventus among the most successful clubs in the history of the Italian game.

However, Il Toro has a prestigious history, having won the Scudetto on seven occasions. Unfortunately for Torino, they have struggled for success in recent decades.

The Granata’s last title in the Italian top flight was in the 1975-76 season, so it’s been half a century since their last title. The club experienced instability in recent decades, moving between Serie A and Serie B.

Since returning to Serie A in the 2012/13 season, they have mostly been mid-table, except for a few seasons when they fought against the drop.

Although you are unlikely to have a massive budget at Torino in FM27, the club is famous for the young players who come through its youth set-up.

The likes of current Italy internationals Moise Kean and Alessandro Buongiorno are just a few of the players who came through the club’s youth ranks.

Torino’s current squad also contains Lithuanian midfielder Gvidas Gineitis, who joined the club’s academy in 2022.

That youth system could be the key to Torino’s return to glory on FM27. It won’t be easy, but it would be a big achievement to usurp city rivals Juventus.

Which could offer the most entertaining challenge on FM27?

FM27 update: Football Manager 2027 confirmed release in November

David Nugent

September 4, 2026

In recent months, many FM players have questioned the silence from SI when it comes to FM27. Well, we finally had an update on the new game on August 27^th.

Unfortunately, I had been away on holiday, so I couldn’t cover the news when it came out at the time. However, in this article, I will break down what the news is and what it means for FM27.

A video released by SI about FM27

On August 27^th, SI released a video featuring Senior Community Manager Chris Groves. It was an interesting listen, to be honest.

Preparing for kick off 👔

Hear from our Senior Community Manager, Chris, with the latest on FM27 plans and what to expect this year. pic.twitter.com/x1v3otAaTj

— Football Manager (@FootballManager) August 27, 2026

He said he recently joined SI to help the company become more connected with the FM community. For most fans, that is a step in the right direction straight away, considering the company’s radio silence at times on FM.

Chris confirmed that FM27 would be released in November, which is about the time it is usually released, give or take a few weeks.

He also said the game is in the final stages of development, which you would expect for a game that should be with us within the next few months, while stating that it has been going really well.

Chris talked about evolving the current design, but also restoring ideas that worked well in previous editions. Once again, this should be a plus for many FM fans if they are making popular changes.

He said fan feedback played a big role in decisions for FM27, while stating that one of their aims was to make the game easier to navigate. Hopefully this will improve immersion, which was one of the biggest complaints from FM26 players.

As with past editions, we will be getting updates, assuming involving screenshots of the new features and gameplay. It seems we will also hear from more people involved in the game’s development when these updates arrive.

According to Chris, members of the FM community have visited the SI studios to test the gameplay and share their initial feedback. Those members’ feedback is being used to refine the game.

For testing, 40,000 people have registered for the remote playtesting programme. A new SI Discord server will launch in September to help fans stay more connected with the game’s creators.

A positive step for SI and FM

unbekannt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

I have to say this video was a positive for me. In recent years, maybe due to the FM25 debacle, SI have become slightly wary of Football Manager players.

The fact that FM26 came in for so much criticism from so many fans of the game probably also contributed to SI’s wariness about communicating as much as they used to about previous editions. Maybe I am just imagining that SI used to communicate more with the fans of the game, but that’s how it feels.

It seems that appointing someone to communicate directly with the game’s fans is a shrewd move by SI. That means other people within the organisation can focus on improving the game for future editions, including FM27.

Football Manager needs to keep progressing

We all know that FM26 wasn’t the greatest game in the world, but as SI kept telling us, it’s a first attempt at creating a game with a whole new game engine. It was always going to be a case of trial and error.

I have been a critic of SI in the past, but I kind of understand their issues with the new game engine. If SI are sincere about really listening to what the majority of the FM community wants, then it can only be good for the future of the franchise.

The world never stays the same, and Football Manager doesn’t either. I genuinely believe SI wants to keep improving FM. The game needs to keep progressing.

There is no other realistic football manager alternative out there. SI and FM are all we have, so we need them to keep putting their best foot forward when it comes to our game.

No doubt SI will keep improving to keep the company profitable. If the game doesn’t sell, they will have fewer resources for future editions, which means the game will stall and people will lose their jobs.

I am looking forward to September for the gameplay release and the other FM27 reveals. Hopefully, FM27 will be a big improvement on FM26, and the game can keep improving with every edition, as for many of us it is the only game we play religiously, even if it’s not quite perfect.

Are you happy with what Chris Groves said in his recent video?

What Makes Canada Such an Interesting Nation to Build in Football Manager

David Nugent

September 3, 2026

Seasoned Football Manager fans are always looking for a new challenge or a fresh approach to the game they know and love, and that means going beyond obvious choices or those inspired by existing loyalties, instead opting to build sides that have a unique twist or set of obstacles to overcome on the road to making them a legitimate threat.

Canada is a great example of this, with the national side represented by both the men’s and women’s teams in FM26. But why should you consider taking a stab at helming Canada yourself?

An Interesting Team-Building Puzzle

Canada’s international side has a handful of world-class players to call on, with the likes of Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David making their mark at a club level and also proving some of the most successful performers at the recent World Cup. However, unlike some of its European counterparts, there are some notable weak points, and that means putting together a squad that stands a chance in the long run is satisfyingly tricky for FM players.

Canada’s rise to prominence on the international football scene has gone hand in hand with its adoption of sports betting and iGaming. So now if you’re a fan of soccer betting, Canada offers domestically licensed places to play. These are also a good place to look into domestic teams and talent if you’re in the dark about which other prospective players should join your FM squad.

A Question of Dual Nationality

Canada’s national football team is reliant on a lot of players with dual nationality, and that creates another interesting aspect of managing them in your next FM run. Scouting prospects from far and wide mixes up the usual rhythm of recruitment, and is a very realistic reflection of what the side actually does IRL.

The job of both identifying promising new players and giving them a reason to join the Canadian squad when they could otherwise pick another nation to represent is fundamentally satisfying when everything goes to plan.

An International Odyssey

An undoubtedly interesting reason to take on Canada to build out as a football team in FM is that you can get stuck into tournaments that might not normally be encountered if your preference is for European nations and domestic sides. For instance, the CONCACAF Gold Cup pits nations from across North and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, against one another. While Mexico and the US have dominated, with Canada earning one real-world win, this makes the prospect of attempting a victory with you in the manager’s chair all the more thrilling.

Similarly, Canada’s performance in the 2026 FIFA World Cup has drawn attention back to the national side and presents an intriguing prospect for what it might achieve the next time the tournament rolls around. You could build towards this and attempt to redirect history, showing that there is potential for an underdog nation like Canada to snatch victory from the favorites. It’s an alternative to trying to win with England or another of the top teams.

So, if you want to have your FM skills tested and your interest sparked, Canada really is a nation to consider building.

Old players vs young players in FM26

David Nugent

September 1, 2026

I have something to admit: when it comes to FM, I can be slightly ageist. I am not proud of it, but it’s true. When I see an exciting 18-year-old wonderkid available to sign or coming through the academy, it’s one of the highlights of my game.

I then look at where they can play and whether an older player is blocking their path to first-team stardom. I can have a two-year plan in my head. I may have to loan them out for a couple of years, or they may fail to live up to their potential, so I make a quick decision.

Old player vs a new one

I currently have a dilemma in my squad, and although the young player in question isn’t 18, he’s 21 he is exciting enough to consider replacing his older counterpart.

When the young player arrived in the January transfer window, I thought he might be good enough for the next season. They also arrived when I didn’t have lots of options in their primary position on the left wing.

In fact, when he arrived in the winter transfer window, his older counterpart had been sidelined through injury, so he went straight into the team.

I thought when the older player returned from injury, he would just naturally come in and replace him in the starting line-up. It didn’t happen.

The older player: Benali Sadi

When I say the older player, I mean he is 29 years old, and in terms of value, he could probably bring in £80m in a transfer. However, he joined as a youngster for a massive fee of around £135m, when he himself was a wonderkid.

He has been at the club for six seasons, and as you can see from his stats, he has produced good attacking numbers. Ironically, the season that just finished saw him produce his second-most prolific campaign in Premier League goals, scoring 11 in 13 appearances despite injury.

The fact that he has made only 13 top-flight appearances is a mix of those injury issues and the arrival of the youngster.

His average season ratings have always been very high, as he does contribute a lot to the team, including goals and assists.

With clubs interested in him, I have already decided to put him on the transfer list and see if any club is willing to pay a big fee.

The younger player: Alvertos Avlonitis

When he arrived at the club at 20 from Panathinaikos, I thought he had really good stats for a 20-year-old. The fee of around £61m seemed a lot, but he had five-star potential, so I thought he was worth the risk.

As I said, I thought he would make a really good backup to the older player in the position. However, Avlonitis took his chance from his debut, scoring and picking up an assist, which was obviously a promising start.

The youngster just kept impressing, and his stats grew as he went from a three-and-a-half-star player to a four-star player. In terms of star rating, he had caught up with the older player, who had previously been four-and-a-half stars but had dropped to four stars.

The difference between the two players in attributes and star ratings was no longer massive. In fact, Avlonitis had the advantage that he could still develop, whereas at 29, nearly 30, Sadi wasn’t going to develop any further. His injury issues were another major downside for the Algerian.

The way to dominate the game

Like a real-life manager, in FM, you have to make big decisions, including which personnel are best to utilise to take the team forward in the future.

I have just won my ninth straight Premier League title and the Champions League for the fourth time. The league campaign saw the team go unbeaten, winning 37 of 38 games.

For those out there who thought I must have scum saved it, no I didn’t. I couldn’t believe it myself.

My success and domination come from constantly updating my squad. If somebody is not producing, I usually have a young player ready to replace them in the starting line-up.

I try not to spend massive fees on players, but to sign younger players and develop them. This has also made the club relatively financially stable off the pitch.

I have already transfer-listed Sadi and will put my faith in Avlonitis, who, based on his stats so far at the club, will deliver what I need from him for the team.

Then in seven or so years’ time, I will probably repeat the process. I do this with every department of my team. As I am nearly 20 seasons in, it also keeps the game interesting, as the same old players tend to make a save stale, so the squad refurb keeps it entertaining.

Would you keep the old or the new player in your starting line-up?

Can wonderkid Rodrigo Mora fulfil his potential at Roma?

David Nugent

August 25, 2026

Every summer transfer window, we seem to lose many FM26 wonderkids. These young players sign for bigger clubs and are suddenly out of reach for our mere mortal football clubs.

One of FM26’s biggest wonderkids, Portuguese sensation Rodrigo Mora, is one of them. The versatile youngster joined ambitious Serie A outfit Roma in the summer of 2026 for a fee of around €25m from Porto, with the Portuguese giants retaining a 50 per cent sell-on clause.

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Mora is regarded as one of the biggest young prospects

The fee was slightly surprising, as Mora is regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in the world game. This status is highly reflected in his ratings as one of the best young wonderkids on FM26.

Like most wonderkids, Mora broke into his club’s first-team squad at a young age. He made his first-team debut at 17 years and 20 days after impressing at the UEFA European Under-17 Championship.

Mora was a massive success in his debut season at Porto, scoring ten goals and producing four assists in the 2024/25 season. Last season, he was slightly less effective with his attacking output, but that had to be expected because of his age, as Mora only turned 19 in May.

His displays for Porto over his two seasons in the first team saw him earn seven caps for Portugal’s U-21’s. They also caught the eye of many of European football’s biggest clubs.

Maybe a less successful individual campaign last season led those clubs to look elsewhere.

Is a move to Roma a step forward for Mora?

Some would say that a move from Porto to Roma is a slight side step, rather than much of a step forward in Mora’s career. The pair are even in the same Champions League pot for the group phase draw.

Although Roma are not a small club by any means, they are not an elite-level club, which is where the best players eventually want to perform.

However, the Giallorossi are ambitious and looking to push forward under American owners, the Friedkins. Qualifying for the Champions League again after an absence is certainly a positive for the Romans.

Arguably, Serie A is a more high-profile league than the Primeira Liga and could help the midfielder raise his profile. The price tag to sign him from Roma in the future, if he impresses, is likely to be far higher than the €25m the club from the Eternal City paid.

Mora is one of the best wonderkids to sign in FM26

When it comes to FM26, if money is no object, then Rodrigo Mora is one of the best wonderkids to sign. At the start of the game, his stats are outstanding for an 18-year-old.

He has a +15 rating for technique, dribbling, flair and first touch. The fact that he has a 15 rating for both pace and acceleration makes him a highly dangerous attacking player, even in the early seasons of the game.

In the updated database, Mora has a minimum fee clause of £60m. This may sound like a big fee for an attacking midfielder, but if you start the game with a big budget, then he can be a shrewd signing.

In most of my saves, Mora becomes one of the best players in the game, winning the Ballon d’Or and various other individual awards.

I have to admit, I have only had the luxury of signing Mora in a few of my FM26 saves, and he cost me £140m. I try not to spend that sort of money on any player, but Mora was a rare exception, as I always wanted to see how good he really was, since his stats in his mid-20s are incredible.

Unfortunately, I can’t remember his stats. However, I seem to remember him getting double-digit numbers in goals and assists. What I do remember is that he played in all the attacking midfield positions, as well as a makeshift central forward.

If Rodrigo Mora can live up to most of my saves on FM26 in real life, then he’ll no doubt have an incredible career. Hopefully he goes on to fulfil his potential and avoids the pitfalls that have befallen so many wonderkids in the past.

Is Roma the right move for Rodrigo Mora this summer?

From the Terraces to the Screen: How Football Fandom Shaped a New Generation of Games

David Nugent

August 25, 2026

Football has never lived only on the pitch. For as long as fans have packed terraces and sung from the stands, they’ve found ways to carry that obsession home with them — through pool coupons, sticker albums, table football, and eventually, video games.

What started as a way to pass the time between matchdays has grown into an entire industry of football-adjacent entertainment, one that says as much about fan culture as the sport itself.

The Armchair Manager Is Born

The real turning point came with the rise of management simulations in the late 1980s and 1990s. Games like Football Manager (and its earlier incarnation, Championship Manager) gave supporters something no matchday ever could: control. Fans who’d spent years shouting tactical advice at a television screen could finally test their own ideas, sign their own players, and take a struggling club to the top flight through nothing but spreadsheets, scouting reports, and stubborn self-belief.

This shift mattered because it changed what “being a fan” meant. Supporting a club was no longer just about watching — it became about playing, tinkering, and simulating. Sites like The Higher Tempo Press have built entire followings around exactly this crossover, chronicling long-term Football Manager saves and tactical deep-dives that read like proper football journalism, just with a save file behind them instead of a matchday ticket.

Fantasy Football and the Data-Driven Fan

Around the same time, Fantasy Football turned every fan into an armchair pundit with skin in the game. Picking a squad each week, tracking points, and trash-talking mates in a mini-league became as much a weekly ritual as the match itself. It also normalised something that’s now central to modern football culture: fans engaging with statistics, form, and odds in a way that previous generations never really did.

That data-literate fan base — comfortable with expected goals, transfer values, and probability — turned out to be fertile ground for a much wider entertainment shift.

Football Culture Meets Game Design

As football’s off-pitch gaming culture matured, game designers took notice. Slot and casino developers, always looking for themes that resonate with a built-in audience, began leaning heavily into football imagery: stadium reels, penalty shootout bonus rounds, crowd-roar sound effects, and manager-style bonus features that echo the tactical decision-making fans already love from management sims. For supporters who grew up switching between a Football Manager save and a Saturday afternoon score check, these games feel like a natural extension of a familiar hobby rather than something entirely separate.

It’s part of why football-themed entertainment has spread so far beyond the 90 minutes. Fans looking to unwind on a matchday commute can now find mobile casino games built entirely around the sport they already follow — the same stadium atmosphere and matchday tension, reworked into a quick, five-minute spin rather than a 90-minute broadcast.

A Culture That Keeps Reinventing Itself

What ties pools coupons, Football Manager saves, fantasy leagues, and football-themed slots together is the same underlying instinct: fans wanting a stake in the game beyond simply watching it. Each generation has found its own version of that involvement, shaped by whatever technology happened to be available at the time. Paper coupons became websites. Websites became apps. Management sims became genuinely sophisticated simulations with real scouting databases and tactical AI.

None of this replaces the terraces — nothing quite matches the noise of a full stadium on derby day. But it does explain why football’s cultural footprint has grown so far beyond the pitch itself. The sport’s real strength has always been how easily it lends itself to being reimagined, whether that’s in a spreadsheet, a fantasy league table, or a game reel.

Full Time

From terrace chants to tactical saves to spinning reels, football fandom has always found new screens to live on. The constant thread isn’t the format — it’s the same restless desire fans have always had: not just to watch the game, but to feel part of it.

Young transferees in summer 2026 that could be FM27 stars

David Nugent

August 23, 2026

Many youngsters have made big moves this summer that could raise their profiles. With FM27 on the horizon, which of the young players who moved this summer could be stars of the latest edition of our favourite football management sim?

Marco Palestra (Chelsea)

The young Italian full-back joined Chelsea this summer for an initial fee of around £43m with possible add-ons of £15m. The 21-year-old earned the move from Atalanta, having impressed in Serie A while on loan at Cagliari last season.

Palestra’s performance in Sardinia also earned the full-back his first call-up to the Italian national team in March 2026. He has won two caps for the Azzurri, and being at a high-profile club like Chelsea is likely to earn him more international appearances.

The way the Blues head coach Xabi Alonso plays, often with wing-backs, means Palestra is likely to showcase his attacking attributes.

The full-back had decent stats on FM26, but his raised profile and promising campaign could boost them.

Gonzalo Garcia (Fulham)

The Spanish forward moved to the club from West London for £34.3 million plus add-ons from Spanish giants Real Madrid. Los Blancos will also receive a 30 per cent sell-on for future transfers.

Garcia had a handful of first-team appearances before enjoying a breakthrough campaign in the 2025/26 season, when he scored eight goals in 39 appearances across all competitions.

Although Real Madrid agreed to sell the forward, Garcia has high potential. At Fulham, the youngster is likely to get regular first-team football, which should help him fulfil his potential in the near future.

He has already shown flashes of his goalscoring ability, so being the Cottagers’ main striker will only aid his chances of success in the English capital.

Garcia’s stats are promising on FM26, but his performances for Real Madrid and a move to the Premier League could see his stats receive a slight boost on FM27.

Luka Vuskovic (Brighton)

The Croatian international joined the Seagulls for a reported club-record fee of around £46m from Tottenham. Vuskovic’s fee seems like a lot for a youngster with no Premier League experience.

However, the 19-year-old was excellent on loan at Hamburg in the Bundesliga last season. In fact, he was one of the standout young players in the German top-flight.

Vuskovic is already a good player, but with regular first-team football at Brighton, he could well develop into a world-class player both in real life and in FM.

The defender is a bona fide wonderkid on FM26, and is a wonderkid we seem to sign in every single one of our saves. This is because he becomes one of the best centre-backs in the game, and even a very good defensive midfielder.

It is unlikely he won’t get a big boost to his attributes for FM27, given his impact at Hamburg, which sees him become an even bigger figure than in last year’s edition.

Jeremy Jacquet (Liverpool)

The French centre-back was regarded as a good centre-back in the original FM26, but his stats were boosted in the update after some impressive displays in Ligue One for Rennes.

It was those impressive displays that persuaded Liverpool to sign the 20-year-old for a reported fee of around £55m, plus add-ons of around £6m, to acquire his services.

Jacquet has just returned to training after injury. When he is fully fit, the youngster will be looking to compete with on-loan Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo for a place alongside Reds legend Virgil van Dijk in the centre of the defence.

Jacquet took the number five, vacated by Ibrahima Konate, who left for Real Madrid as a free agent.

The youngster is likely to be an FM27 wonderkid. If he gets into the Reds’ first team when fully fit, he could become a big player for Andoni Iraola’s team in the new edition of the game and in real-life.

Johan Manzambi (Aston Villa)

The Swiss World Cup star caught the eye last season at Freiburg in the Bundesliga, as he scored seven goals and also produced the same number of assists in all competitions.

The 20-year-old carried that form into the World Cup, scoring three times for Switzerland before picking up an injury that ended his competition.

It was his club form that was enough for Aston Villa to splash out a club-record fee that could add up to £59.5m, including performance-related add-ons.

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Manzambi has played in a variety of positions in recent seasons, but mostly plays as a central midfielder or a number ten behind the striker. With so many forward-thinking players leaving the Villans, Manzambi could well be a pivotal player in Villa’s attack in the 2026/27 season.

The youngster’s updated stats on FM26 are highly promising. However, they are likely to be boosted again, which could make him an even bigger player on FM27.

Can FM24 wonderkid Valentin Barco prove a hit at Chelsea?

David Nugent

August 17, 2026

Many recent FM wonderkids have made moves this summer. One of the more intriguing ones could be that of the versatile Argentinian international Valentin Barco, moving from Strasbourg to Chelsea for a reported fee of around £34m.

Barco was one of our favourite FM24 wonderkids

When Valentin Barco was still in his native Argentina with Boca Juniors, he was one of our favourite FM24 wonderkids. He was the typical highly talented youngster who can be picked up from a South American club for a ridiculously small fee on FM.

He would go on to fulfil his potential in most saves, and either become a top left-back or even a top left-winger, depending on how you developed him.

If you signed Barco in FM24 before any other club could nip in, it was considered a coup, as he was always highly in demand at the start of the game.

If you were a club with a small transfer budget, he was the sort of player who could really help you out, as he would inevitably move on to a club with bigger financial resources at a big profit.

His move to Brighton in the 2024 winter transfer window was a real downer for Barco fans, as we knew he would become far harder and more expensive to sign in the next edition of the game, which turned out to be FM26, by which time a lot had changed for Barco.

Barco has already had a few moves since FM24

The move to Brighton was just the start of a series of moves for the young Argentinian international. He made just six appearances for the Seagulls in the 2023/24 season after his January switch.

The team from the English south coast decided to loan him out for the 2024/25 season to La Liga outfit Sevilla. Once again, his appearances were limited, as he made just nine appearances across all competitions.

In fact, he didn’t complete the season with the Andalusians, as in the January 2025 transfer window he moved to Strasbourg, once again on loan.

This time he featured far more prominently, playing 14 times for the French club. His move to the Ligue One outfit was made permanent in the summer of 2025, when he joined Strasbourg for a reported fee of £7.87 million.

It was in the 2025/26 season that Barco really started to impress. It may have been no coincidence that it was also the campaign in which the Argentinian international switched to a defensive or central midfield role.

Barco seemed to thrive in the more central role. He scored three goals and also produced 11 assists as he helped the club qualify for Europe and reach the last four of the Europa Conference League.

His form was enough to earn him not only a move to Chelsea, but also a place in Argentina’s squad for the 2026 World Cup. He made one appearance in the competition in a 3-1 group stage win over Jordan, and eventually picked up a runners-up medal, as his team suffered a final defeat against Spain.

Why Barco’s versatility will be highly important for Chelsea

Barco’s versatility was always a handy asset to have on FM24. His slight drop in stats for FM26 meant that he wasn’t the same player as in the previous edition, until the game was updated. However, when the game was updated, his stats reflected his real-life performances.

However, in real life for Chelsea and probably for FM27, Barco may well once again prove to be a big asset, especially for head coach Xabi Alonso, who is known to be tactically adaptive, using formations such as 3-4-2-1, 3-4-3, 4-2-3-1 and even 3-2-5 while in possession.

Barco is an almost perfect player for Alonso, as he could play as a left-back who could invert, a left wing-back, or a central midfielder. His presence in the team also gives his coach the option to switch formations, knowing the 22-year-old can do a good job in whatever position he is placed in.

There is no guarantee that Barco will even start at Chelsea next season, as the Blues have so many options in all his positions. The Blues even recently signed left-back Pep Chavarría after the 28-year-old impressed at Rayo Vallecano. They already had highly-rated Dutch left-back Jorrel Hato on their books.

In central midfield, the Blues have Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Romeo Lavia, Diego Essugo and Jordan Henderson.

It could be argued that Barco is more creative than most of the Blues’ central midfielders, maybe barring Fernández, although Barco’s compatriot has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City.

It will be interesting to see how Barco develops at Chelsea, and if he is given a chance to impress from the start of the season.

The youngster’s performances for Strasbourg proved what he can do. Some will claim that Ligue One is generally a far inferior level to the Premier League, which is hard to argue against, with maybe the exception of back-to-back European champions PSG.

However, he still had to go out and impress, which he did in a new position. If he is given decent game time, then he may well start fulfilling his incredible potential from FM24 in real life.

Will Valentin Barco be a success at Chelsea this season?

How to Recreate the World Cup USMNT’s Playing Style in Football Manager 2026

David Nugent

August 11, 2026

Mauricio Pochettino has given the USMNT a clear identity: high energy, aggressive pressing, and a shape that shifts dramatically depending on whether the team has the ball. That kind of fluid, positional system is exactly the sort of thing Football Manager 2026 rewards when you set it up correctly.

Get the formation right, pick the right player roles, and the simulation does a convincing job of mirroring what you see on the pitch. Get it wrong, and it becomes a mess of misplaced passes and disorganized transitions.

Build the System Around the USMNT’s Key Players

Recreating the USMNT in Football Manager 2026 should start with the players rather than simply copying a formation. The important question is what each member of the side is being asked to do within the system and which attributes allow them to perform that role. That is particularly relevant with attacking players, where movement, positioning and decision-making can matter as much as their starting position on the tactics screen.

Christian Pulisic is the clearest example. His value comes from receiving the ball in wide areas before attacking central spaces, carrying possession towards defenders and becoming a direct goal threat. In Football Manager, that means giving him enough freedom to move inside rather than treating him as a conventional winger expected to remain close to the touchline. Set him as an Inside Forward on Attack duty to reflect this.

The quality around Pulisic matters just as much. Discussion of the Americans operating alongside the USMNT’s biggest name has extended to several players attracting serious attention across European football, as reported by Yahoo Sports. That wider group is important when recreating the national side because the tactic needs to reflect how different profiles complement one another rather than relying on Pulisic alone.

Choosing the Right Base Formation

The USMNT under Pochettino does not settle into a single rigid shape. Out of possession, they defend in a recognizable 4-2-3-1 or a 3-4-2-1 block, but with the ball those lines shift dramatically toward a 3-2-5 or 2-3-5 structure with fullbacks pushing high and wide into the front line. Football Manager 2026 allows you to replicate this through a combination of starting formation and role-specific movement instructions rather than trying to manually switch shape mid-game.

Start with a 4-2-3-1 as your base. This gives you the defensive structure the Americans use while leaving room to push fullbacks forward through role instructions. Alternatively, a 3-4-2-1 works well if you want natural width built into the shape from the start, which can make the transition into a five-man attack feel more organic once your wing-backs advance.

The choice between these two often comes down to squad depth. A 4-2-3-1 is slightly more forgiving defensively if your wide players are not disciplined enough to track back consistently. A 3-4-2-1 demands more from your wing-backs physically and positionally, but it rewards you with a more natural overload in advanced areas when possession is established.

Team Instructions That Mirror Pochettino’s Identity

Mauricio Pochettino — Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

Set the team mentality to Positive or Attacking depending on the opposition. The USMNT is not a team that sits back and waits, and the mentality setting reflects that intent throughout every role and duty on the pitch. From there, the in-possession instructions should push toward a higher tempo with a mix of direct and short passing. The idea is to move quickly but not blindly, combining in tight areas before releasing a runner or switching to an isolated winger.

Enable pass into space and encourage dribbling to give attacking players license to be direct. Adding an overload instruction on one side of the pitch forces the opposition to shift, which isolates your opposite winger in a one-versus-one situation. That is a deliberate part of Pochettino’s approach, and it works well in Football Manager when your wide players have high enough one-on-one attributes to make use of the space created.

Out of possession, select a much higher line of engagement combined with counter-press. This replicates the aggressive shape the USMNT uses immediately after losing the ball, looking to win it back high up the pitch rather than retreating into a defensive block. Set a fallback option as a compact 4-4-2 mid-block for situations where the press is beaten, giving your side a recognizable defensive shape to recover into.

Transitions and Set Piece Setup

Fast transitions are central to the USMNT’s identity and Football Manager 2026 handles them through a combination of mentality, counter-attack instructions and player roles. Enable the counter-attack trigger so that when possession is won in advanced areas, forward players immediately look to exploit the space behind an unorganized defense. Pulisic and any forward set to attack duty should have the pace and decisions attributes to convert those moments effectively.

For set pieces, the USMNT relies on physical presence and well-organized delivery rather than elaborate routines. Keep corners and free kicks straightforward, target a strong aerial presence in the box, and use short corners sparingly to avoid disrupting your attacking shape. The system’s strength is in open play, and set pieces should complement rather than complicate it.

Getting this tactic to click in Football Manager 2026 takes patience with player development and tactical familiarity. The system rewards teams that have trained together and understand the movement patterns involved. Give it time, monitor how your fullbacks and wide attackers develop, and the results will reflect the energetic, purposeful football Pochettino has built with the USMNT heading into the World Cup.

What’s going on with FM27?

David Nugent

August 5, 2026

The last few years have been particularly turbulent for the makers of Football Manager, Sports Interactive (SI). First, there was the lack of FM25, and then many complained about FM26.

Shortly after SI’s perceived struggles in recent years, would they be keen to hype up the next edition of the game, FM27? Surely, wouldn’t they?

A lack of information on FM27

Over the years, SI have been very proactive at sharing information about their latest editions of the game. This was both to get fans excited and also to encourage sales.

This information was usually released, or even leaked, well in advance, which, as I can remember, has sometimes been as early as June, with the game being released in late October or early November. However, we have had barely any information on FM27.

However, we did have a post in the SI official forum on July 13^th to say that there would be more information about the new edition of the game in the coming months.

I have to say that doesn’t fill fans with confidence, considering what happened with the FM25 debacle. You can’t blame fans for feeling slightly nervous about whether the game will be an improvement on FM26, or even, in the extreme, actually be released.

Hopefully SI will actually listen to the community

The Football Manager community is notoriously vocal when it comes to their game. For many, like myself, it’s the only computer/video game I actually find time to play in a hectic schedule.

SI have always been willing to listen to the fans of the game in order to help the game progress and improve.

I am not sure if it’s just me, or whether SI have become a bit more unwilling to listen to the community.

For me, FM26 is not the disaster that many fans have made it out to be. No, I can’t say it was anywhere near as good as FM24, which was arguably the pinnacle of FM games so far.

However, SI were trying to be brave with FM26 by using a new game engine, and that was always going to have some teething problems. The same was true of earlier editions of the game when the previous engine was first used.

Without experimentation, nothing ever moves forward. That is what SI were doing with FM26. They were trying something new to help the franchise take a leap forward.

While the game isn’t awful in my opinion, many players have made suggestions in forums and such that could well improve the game. They could even make it more playable.

My concern is that those valid suggestions, which would have previously been taken into account, won’t now be listened to, as it seems that SI may be slightly more defensive to suggestions from the community due to criticism of FM26, and also the lack of FM25.

Hopefully that is not the case, and it is just my very vivid imagination, and Si will implement some of the community ideas in FM27.

I am not expecting much evolution from FM26

With FM26, it was a case of SI crawling before they could walk. The new engine was always going to be hated by some and loved by others. Obviously, the game didn’t meet with universal approval from the FM community.

I don’t think FM27 will be much of an evolution from FM26. In the past, the game has always had small changes from edition to edition.

It gradually grew, and the result was FM24. It will take a while until we reach that point with this engine.

SI has stated they have taken into account concerns from FM players about FM26. However, there is no going back to FM24 style. That is now gone.

The challenge that now faces SI is to mould FM26 into the sort of game that both the new users they are trying to attract and, more importantly, FM stalwarts also want to play.

Those FM stalwarts are the ones who play the game obsessively and have the power to help the game progress into the future. Ignore those fans, and all you will be left with is a game that casual players will only play occasionally.

The community, which is what has made FM so good over the years, will slowly disappear.

With FM27, SI have to show those loyal players that the game is moving in the right direction, without losing the facets that made it great in the past, such as depth, immersion and efficient navigation. Good luck with that. You are going to need it!

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