Sports Interactive reveals first teaser for 'Football Manager 26'

The world's most popular spreadsheet game is finally back after being canceled last year.
 By 
Chance Townsend
 on 
3d-rendered footage of a football on top of a podium

After a rocky hiatus, one of the most beloved sports sim franchises is making its long-awaited comeback: Sports Interactive has officially confirmed Football Manager 26.

The announcement trailer, released Wednesday, keeps specifics close to the chest but does offer a glimpse of in-game match day visuals. This marks the series’ return after Football Manager 25 was abruptly canceled in February following repeated delays that pushed it beyond its traditional November launch window. It was the first time in more than three decades that a Football Manager or Championship Manager entry failed to make its scheduled yearly release.

Sports Interactive cited several factors behind FM25’s cancellation, chief among them the transition to Unreal Engine and the inclusion of women’s football for the first time in franchise history. Pre-cancellation, the studio shared a rough development roadmap for FM25 in blog posts, but early fan reactions to the new look were lukewarm at best.


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There’s still no word on a release date for FM26 or whether the UI will stick to its pre-hiatus design. However, the trailer promises a more detailed first look at the new match day experience in the near future.

Headshot of a Black man
Chance Townsend
Assistant Editor, General Assignments

Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.

In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and greatly enjoys Detroit sports. If you have any tips or want to talk shop about the Lions, you can reach out to him on Bluesky @offbrandchance.bsky.social or by email at [email protected].

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