The cancelation of Football Manager 25 came as a surprise to football simulation fans. However, it creates an opportunity for EA Sports to capitalize on the void left by FM, potentially making FC 26 the go-to choice for management enthusiasts. It must be noted FC 26’s manager career mode will need to be a vast improvement to that of FC 25, offering upgrades in all aspects of the simulation game. Many players disappointed by FM 25's cancelation will be searching for an alternative to fill the void, and FC 26 could be the solution – provided it expands its depth.

The current state of FC 25’s Manager Career mode is solid, but persistent bugs and unrealistic features hold it back. To truly capitalize on FM’s absence, the developers must understand what made FM 24 so popular and build upon those strengths. There’s a running joke within the FC community that EA Sports releases the same game every year with minimal changes – if the company wants to change that perception, it will need to make meaningful improvements to Career Mode in FC 26.

10 Career Mode Needs Budget Increase Requests Like FIFA 15 & 16 Had

More Freedom & Realism Would Be A Great Improvement

One of the standout features from the previous FIFA games, which were later rebranded to EA Sports FC, was the ability to request budget increases in Manager Career mode. This allowed a player to request additional funds to be added to their transfer budget by asking the board for . In return, the player would have to promise certain successes. This was an excellent feature, but has since been removed and was not a part of the FC games.

For a better and more realistic experience, this feature should be brought back for FC 26. It would better replicate and represent the relationship between a board and their manager, giving the player a more authentic experience. This would also give players more freedom in their gameplay, but a well-balanced and intelligent AI would be essential to prevent the feature from being exploited.

9 Fan Expectations Should Influence Career Mode

A Club Is Only As Good As Its ers

In football, there are several factors that measure the manager's success: one of the most important is fan expectations. Millions of people across the world show their love for a club by going to matches and ing them from the stands, and this needs to be a bigger factor in Manager Career mode. The closest thing to a fan parameter is the social media tab in FC 25, though this has no bearing on the players' success and is full of bugs.

In FM 24, board and er confidence is a key feature that the player must keep an eye on. Each club, depending on size, has different fan expectations that the manager needs to fulfill. FC 26 could take inspiration from FM 24 by implementing a er confidence feature, which would greatly enhance the realism of Manager Career mode and make club management feel more immersive.

8 Club History Needs to Be Properly Represented in Career Mode

More Detail Will Increase Player Immersion

One of the biggest draws to the FM franchise is its ability to showcase stats and information to increase immersion. A player is able to look through every detail of every season for a particular club, including the number of goals scored and trophies won over the history of the club. FC 25 does have this to a degree, but more detail is more than necessary to attract more manager simulation fans.

In FC 25, players are able to check particular stats about a player's performance throughout the season, including goals, assists, clean sheets, as well as yellow and red cards. However, this disappears when the player loads into the next season. Players are also able to check the managers' career stats, though this lacks a huge number of details. A more detailed representation of a club’s history would greatly enhance player immersion, allowing managers to feel a stronger connection to their team's legacy and long-term progression.

7 Scouting Must Be More Detailed to Feel Like a Real Recruitment System

Scouting Can Become Boring In FC 25

Scouting is a huge part of modern football. Finding the best and most appropriate players for the squad is a huge part of what makes a successful manager. The FC 25 scouting system is okay but requires a huge update. A player can send scouts to particular counties with specific instructions, but the system currently lacks a level of depth that properly replicates the challenges of real-world scouting.

If FC 26 is to take a step forward, EA Sports should look to introduce a more dynamic scouting network - one that s for important factors such as scouting reputation and competition from rival clubs. FM 24 also requires players to consider work permits, which is a level of detail that would improve FC 26.

6 Managers Must Be Able To Change Clubs & Build Their Reputation

Managers In Real Life Lose And Get Jobs All The Time, So This Has To Be A Feature

In every league around the world, managers are constantly moving between clubs, whether through resignations, sackings, or new opportunities. However, in FC 25, managers remain at the same club indefinitely, creating an unrealistic and static career mode experience. Seeing Pep Guardiola stay at Manchester City for another eight seasons, without any natural career progression or managerial changes, removes the unpredictability that makes football so compelling.

Football Manager realistically simulates the managerial carousel, with coaches moving between clubs and even retired players transitioning into managerial roles. This needs to be implemented into FC 26. This may require career mode to last longer than the current duration of seasons, but this is a minor change to make.

5 Player Morale & Interactions Need to Feel More Realistic

The Relationship Between A Player & The Manager Needs To Be Portrayed Well

The relationship between the managers and players is also a factor which impacts the success of a club. Some take a hands-off approach, while some work closely with the players and care deeply for man management. In FC 25, you're faced with messages from the players, and this is a solid feature that lacks overall meaning. FM also has this feature, but with more scenarios and dialogue options, it is presented far better.

FC 26 must feature more scenarios and possibilities which impact the relationship and morale of the players. This would make the game slightly more difficult and replicate the unpredictable world of football. In tandem, the improvement of this could be mirrored with pre- and post-match press conferences.

4 Youth Development Needs a Complete Overhaul in FC 26

One Of The Most Exciting Features has Become Generic

One of the most exciting moments in football management games is seeing a homegrown talent rise through the youth system and break into the first team. Football Manager excels in replicating the youth development process while also accurately reflecting the differences in youth facilities between clubs. In contrast, the FC 25 youth system feels somewhat generic and disconnected.

To improve this for FC 26, EA Sports should refine player progression and introduce more detailed youth player reports. As well as this, under 21s football could be implemented into the game. Currently, with FC 25, players are able to take part in rush mode tournaments with their youth teams, but this is dry and lacks detail.

3 Hiring & Managing Staff Should Be a Key Part of Career Mode

There Is Far More To A Football Club Than Just The Manager

In FC 25, players can hire coaching staff across four departments: attack, midfield, defense, and goalkeeping. While this adds a layer of management, it feels barebones compared to Football Manager 24, where players have full control over assembling a backroom team, including assistant managers, fitness coaches, medical staff, and youth development specialists.

Expanding the coaching set up for FC 26 is a much-needed improvement. Allowing players to hire specialized staff, such as tactical analysts, physiotherapists, and youth coaches, would create a more strategic and interesting experience. Integrating staff statistics and reputation – where coaches improve over time or move between clubs – would bring the game closer to real-life football management.

2 Set Piece Creator Would Add a New Level of Tactical Depth

Corners Have The Oppotunity To Be More Fun

Set pieces are a fantastic attacking opportunity to score goals, and in real-life, create some interesting moments throughout the game. In FC 25, corners are extremely basic and are too difficult to score from. The most detail the player is given is choosing vague roles for who takes the set piece and where some players stand. On the other hand, FM 24 is able to give the player tactical freedom for free kicks and corners, making them personalized to the manager’s style.

For a future game, freekicks and corners must be detailed. Players should be able to dictate how their team acts in these situations, whether it is setting up certain routines or customizing player positions during corners.

1 FC 26 Must Introduce Advanced Tactical Instructions for Deeper Strategy

Tactics Is The Most Important Feature In Football Simulation Games

What truly separates the best managers from the worst is the tactical approach they implement. They don’t simply rely on star players; they create dynamic and cohesive systems and styles to win matches against anyone. This is why the tactical system for an FC 26 title would need to be the best on the market. Managers should be able to lock players to positions, as well as set up team shape, pressing, and defensive lines.

A feature from FC 24 that has been removed and missed for FC 25 is the ability to move positions freely anywhere on the pitch. This needs to be returned. An enhanced tactical system would make FC 26 the go-to choice for a football simulation game.