3 new features in Football Manager 26 I can't wait for

Football Manager 26 main art – shows manager in his pitch area commanding players on the field — (Image credit: SI Games)

If you're a fan of Football Manager, you'll know that this year is set to be a landmark for the franchise. The iconic management simulation game has had a turbulent 24 months, after last year's game was abandoned and led to some fans questioning if the end was in sight.

Fortunately, it's not! The latest announcement confirms the Football Manager 26 release date as the 4th of November 2025, and showcases the new user interface.

Football Manager 26 | Reimagined User Interface - YouTube

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As a self-confessed connoisseur of all things Football Manager related, I cannot wait for the game to be released. Here are three of the things I can't wait to get stuck into.

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1. Bookmarks tab

Alright, we're not starting with the glitzy stuff, but the inclusion of the new bookmarks tab in the user interface is really exciting to me. One thing I've always been frustrated with in previous iterations is feeling like I can't quite get things how I'd like them.

Fortunately, that looks to be rectified here, with the option to select between a range of different tabs and have them displayed for quick access. It should make it far simpler to get around and make mincemeat of repetitive actions, which should make the whole gameplay experience quicker.

2. Modern design language

One thing most people change pretty quickly about previous iterations of Football Manger is the skin. While the user interface is usually fine, a dedicated army of third party options mean it's always been a fairly quick modification to make.

I've never bene one for dabbling with that, though, so I'm glad to see the base UI looking much cleaner this time out. It's modern and slick – like a MacBook operating system – and should be easy to lose a few hours in.

3. Realistic game engine

Of course, we couldn't talk about the new game without mentioning that new, redesigned game engine. The 3D match footage looks absolutely mesmerising, with an almost EA Sports FC-esque appearance.

After following the franchise from 2D dots to the basic 3D engine of recent years, this feels like a real coming of age moment. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy in less than two months time.

Sam Cross is an award-winning journalist, with nine years of experience in the media industry. His work can be found in publications as diverse as Oracle Time, Metro and Last Word on Sports.

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