If Football Manager depends on anything, it’s immersion, and licensing is a huge part of that. Mods and logo packs can fill the gap, but they’re not the same as having licenses built in. Today, Sports Interactive and Sega announced they’ve renewed their agreement to keep the English Football League fully licensed for years to come.
Ahead of Football Manager 26‘s release on November 4, it has been announced that the EFL has agreed to renew its contract with the series. According to the press release, the new deal “will see Football Manager and the EFL collaborate on shared content initiatives and collaborations to bring the action fans enjoy in the stadium and on TV even closer to them.” For anyone who isn’t aware, here are the five competitions that fall under the EFL umbrella:
- EFL Championship (2nd tier of English Football)
- EFL League One (3rd tier of English football)
- EFL League Two (4th tier of English football)
- EFL Cup (Carabao Cup)
- EFL Trophy (Vertu Trophy)
There isn’t any information regarding how long the new agreement will last, but considering the English Football League and Football Manager have had an official agreement since 2004, it’s likely a multi-year contract.
In addition to the five competitions that come with the EFL licensing agreement, the deal also includes 72 professional football clubs that currently compete in the lower divisions of the English football pyramid. This is good news to longtime Football Manager players who enjoy England-based Road to Glory saves, which involve taking lower-division clubs to Premier League glory.
This news is just the latest of big announcements Sports Interactive has shared regarding the upcoming Football Manager 26. Previously, the new graphics engine was unveiled, as was the introduction of women’s football and a new UI. This makes FM 26 arguably one of, if not the, most highly anticipated title in the series’ history.
Continue to stay tuned to Operation Sports for more information on Football Manager 26, as well as your other favorite sports games!
