Getting started with Football Manager 26 for the first time can be intimidating. There is a lot going on to keep track of and that all starts with your very first decision of what club you want to start your save out with. While the Football Manager community is awash with challenges and trick runs with specific stipulations, or deep dives to the semi-pro levels to find a future continental champion, that doesn’t mean you need to go all-in with your first save on FM 26.
If you’re new to the Football Manager series, these save ideas are the perfect starting point to jump in. Each provides a different type of challenge while still having you in control of a team with enough going on that you can feel confident in the players at your disposal right from the word go. Using this approach, you can get familiar with the systems of the game with a little extra margin for error built in, thanks to your team’s capabilities.
Take Over The European Champions
The long and often tragicomic pursuit of a Champions League title in Paris finally got its payoff last season as Paris Saint-Germain put together a squad that ran through the new Champions League format’s knockout stage after some early struggles during the league portion. With PSG finally at the top of the mountain, it goes without saying that this is a club that is overloaded with talent. While dominating France has (mostly) been a simple tick-the-box exercise every season, getting over the hump in Europe was always the real goal.
If you’re new to the game, the simplest way to come to terms with it is by playing with as much margin for error as possible, and margins don’t get bigger than being the European holders out of the distant fifth league in the Big Five. You’ll have to actively try not to have a strong domestic campaign, allowing you to learn, grow, and focus your attention on Europe as you come to grips with the systems underlying FM success.
Toss Your Hat Into The Ring In Spain
If you’re looking for a powerful European side but with a little more going on in your domestic matches, then the Spanish big two is the way to go. Whether you prefer Barcelona or Real Madrid is a matter of taste, as both are talent-loaded sides with some of the best young players in the sport on the roster.
La Liga is a much deeper league than Ligue 1, providing more competition across the majority of your fixtures, while the other Spanish giant is also there, scooping up points by the bucketful. This is an excellent opportunity to get familiar with the game with some training wheels, but still with the high pressure of trying to keep pace in a league where you aren’t the clear and unchallenged top dog just by showing up to play.
Turn A Local Power Into A European One
One of my favorite ways to split the difference on light entry and high targets for the future is to look to a team that is dominant in a second or third-tier league. While the real-world Celtic are finding the challenge to be a bit firmer than expected coming into the year, on pixels, they remain the clear class of the Scottish Premiership while also being clearly a step below the biggest sides they then encounter in Europe.
With this save, you have a buffer for your domestic matches as you learn to play the game well, but are immediately presented with up-front challenges and room to grow when those European nights roll around. Consolidate your control over Scotland while building your presence on the continent until it’s you taking down the PSGs, Barcas, and Real Madrids of the world.
Arsenal Women Want To Make It Stick
The women’s game has finally come to Football Manager, and that means you can find fun saves for that half of the sport all over the world. For a team that fits the Celtic mold of plenty to grow on, but also still quite good, enter European Champions Arsenal. While they do currently hold the biggest trophy in women’s club football, having shocked the Barcelona juggernaut in the final last season, they were a surprising champion and have also found themselves falling behind Chelsea domestically.
Arsenal were one of the first clubs to truly invest in women’s football, and have been leaders as the game has taken off in recent years. Bring them back to the glory days earlier in the 2000s by chasing down and surpassing Chelsea, then building a squad that can not just beat Barcelona in a final, but totally play them off the pitch.
Take A Single Espresso To The Top
While the clubs in the NWSL may not have access to direct competition with Europe’s finest in the Champions League, that doesn’t mean it’s not a league overflowing with some of the top talents on the planet. Although some American players have begun to make European club play more common, a lot of the stars of the current holders of the last world championship in women’s football, the Olympics, still ply their trade in America, including breakout star Trinity Rodman.
Rodman is the star and focal point for a Washington Spirit team loaded with expectations. After a runner-up showing in both the league phase and playoffs last year, Washington is again trending toward #2 after the Kansas City Current’s incredible regular season. FM says otherwise, however, making them the favorites this season. Take over, prove the game is right, then stabilize the franchise as a proper dynasty to be proud of.
A lot is going on for a new player in Football Manager 26, but we think these clubs can help simplify things while still presenting their own unique challenges. Did any catch your eye, or are you looking for another club to get started?
