FM26 Beginner's Guide: Tips for New Players

Football Manager 2026 marks a significant turning point for the series.

With the switch to Unity engine, a completely reimagined interface, and the introduction of women's football, even returning players will feel like newcomers.

If you're new to the series or coming back after years away, this guide will help you navigate FM26's biggest changes and get started on the right foot.

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Understanding FM26's Big Changes

Before diving into tactics and transfers, it's important to understand what makes FM26 different from previous editions.

The New Unity Engine

FM26 is the first Football Manager game built on Unity, the same engine that powers some of gaming's biggest titles.



This means significantly improved graphics across all devices, better animations, and more realistic player models.

The match engine now features motion-captured movements from professional footballers, making the on-pitch action more lifelike than ever.

The downside? System requirements are slightly higher. Make sure your device meets the minimum specs before purchasing.

Completely Redesigned Interface

Gone are the days of endless menus and overwhelming screens, or at least this is what the developers aimed for.

FM26 introduces a tile and card system that fundamentally changes how you interact with the game.



Tiles give you snapshot information at a glance. Cards reveal detailed information when you click through.

This should reduce screen clutter and make finding information more intuitive.

The traditional Inbox has been replaced by the Portal, which consists of:

• Agenda: Your priorities and focus areas
  
• Messages: Communication with staff, players, and the board
  

The new Search function is also vastly improved.

You can now search not just for players, clubs, and nations, but also for specific features, information, and navigation within the game itself.

Women's Football Integration

For the first time, you can manage women's teams alongside men's teams in the same save game.

With 36,000+ players across 14 playable leagues in 11 nations, this isn't just a token addition.

You can seamlessly switch between managing men's and women's sides, with unique league rules, transfer systems, and attributes for the women's game.

Note: Loading men's and women's leagues from the same country counts as 2 nations toward your save limit in Console, Touch, and Mobile versions.

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Getting Started: Your First Steps

Choose the Right Club

As a beginner, your first managerial appointment is crucial. Here's what to consider:

Start with a Strong Club:

Don't make it harder on yourself. Choose a team with decent finances, good players, and reasonable board expectations. Premier League clubs, Bundesliga sides, or top-tier teams in smaller leagues are excellent starting points.

Avoid Relegation Battles:

Managing a struggling side requires advanced knowledge of tactics, morale management, and the transfer market. Save this challenge for when you're more experienced.

Consider Your League:

Some leagues are more forgiving than others. The Premier League has no squad registration restrictions, making it beginner-friendly. Spain and Italy have strict rules about non-EU players and squad sizes.

Set Up Your Save Properly

When creating a new game I suggest going to the Advanced Setup screen for better control of your save's aspects.

Active Leagues:

• Start with the leagues that interest you (e.g. 3-5 nations). This keeps the game running smoothly and makes decision-making less overwhelming.
  
• A good practice for improving game speed is to set only the nation you wish to manage in as playable, and the rest as view-only.
  
• Adding Argentina and Brazil as view-only for future newgens is advised.
  
• You can add more leagues later through the Add/Remove Leagues option.
  

Database Size:

• The more players loaded, the easier it will be for you to find good signings for your team.
  
• However, loading all players in the database is overkill and will significantly affect your game speed.
  
• I recommend entering the Advanced database size settings and fiddle with the options available there.
  
• A balanced setup could be to load "Current international players" and "Players from top division clubs" from all continents; you'll get just over 100,000 players.
  

Choose Your Start Date:

It's highly recommended to start in "Early Pre-Season" (usually early July depending on your league). This gives you:

• A full pre-season to learn the game
  
• Time to work on tactics and test formations
  
• Opportunity to assess your squad properly
  
• A complete transfer window to make signings
  
• Friendly matches to build fitness and team chemistry
  
• Starting mid-season makes everything harder as a beginner.
  

Advanced Settings:

• Explore the available checkboxes there and adjust according to your liking.
  
• To make it easier to find players for your scouts, I recommend disabling player attribute masking.
  

Game Speed:

• Ignore the estimated game speed rating.
  
• Don't feel pressured to simulate quickly. Take your time with each decision, especially early on.
  

Build Your Backroom Staff

Your assistant manager, coaches, and scouts are crucial to your success. Here's what to prioritize:

Assistant Manager: Look for high ratings in Tactical Knowledge and Man Management. They'll handle press conferences, provide tactical advice, and manage training when needed.

First Team Coaches: Prioritize coaches with high ratings in Working With Youngsters, Attacking/Defending coaching attributes, and Fitness. Assign them to relevant training areas.

Chief Scout: High ratings in Judging Player Ability and Judging Player Potential are essential. A good chief scout helps you find hidden gems.

Physio: Injury management is crucial. A highly-rated physio reduces recovery times and keeps your squad healthy.

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Creating Your Manager Profile

Before you start managing, you need to create your manager profile. This affects how the game helps you learn.

Personal Details

Fill in your manager's information:

• Name: Your manager's name (can be your real name or anything you choose)
  
• Nationality: This affects which jobs you're more likely to get
  
• Date of Birth: Purely cosmetic
  
• Favorite Team: Doesn't affect gameplay
  

Experience Level - IMPORTANT

This is the most important choice for beginners.

Select "No Experience": This turns on the tutorial system. The game will guide you through key features with pop-up explanations and helpful tips. As a beginner, you absolutely want this turned on.

Experienced managers can turn this off to skip tutorials, but if this is your first FM game, keep it on "No Experience."

Manager Appearance

Create your manager's avatar:

• Choose your appearance, clothing, and accessories
  
• There's a 3D face generator if you want to use your own photo
  
• This is purely cosmetic and doesn't affect gameplay
  
• You can skip this and use a default avatar if you prefer
  

Managerial Attributes

You'll be asked to set your manager's coaching attributes. For beginners:

Let the Game Suggest: There's a checkbox that says "Suggest badges based on playing experience." Check this box and let the game set your attributes automatically.

If you want to set them manually:

• Put Tactical and Working With Youngsters to maximum
  
• Put Goalkeeping attributes to minimum (unless you want to personally train goalkeepers)
  
• Spread the rest evenly
  

Don't worry too much about these. Your attributes will change throughout your save based on your results, decisions, and how you manage.

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Your First Day as Manager

Once you've created your profile and selected your club, you'll be taken through several welcome screens. Based on previous FM versions, here's what to expect:

Welcome to the Club

The first screen welcomes you to your new club. It typically shows:

• Club badge and kit
  
• Club reputation
  
• Media predictions for the season
  
• Your key staff (Assistant Manager, Technical Director)
  
• Stadium information and capacity
  
• Training and youth facilities ratings
  
• Club history and trophies
  

Take a moment to review this information. It gives you a sense of what you're working with.

Squad Overview

The next screen will likely show your current squad:

• Your coaches' suggested best starting XI
  
• Overall squad personality and dynamics
  
• Any transfer obligations (players coming in or leaving based on real-life deals)
  
• Any loan obligations (players on loan in or out)
  

This gives you a quick snapshot of your team's strengths and weaknesses.

Board Expectations

This is a crucial screen. Here you'll see:

Club Vision: The board's long-term goals and values for the club. This might include things like "Develop Young Players" or "Play Attractive Football."

Five-Year Plan: Where the board expects you to finish this season and in future seasons.

Ongoing Tasks: Any specific objectives like financial targets or competition goals.

For your first save, don't stress too much about these. Just be aware of what's expected. You can always review this later in the Club Vision section.

Initial Tasks

You'll be asked to handle some initial tasks:

• Press Conference: Your first media appearance. Say yes and attend it. Your answers affect how players, fans, and the board perceive you.
  
• Arrange Friendly Match: Optional pre-season friendly to prepare your team.
  
• Staff Recommendations: Your assistant may suggest backroom staff changes.
  

Accept the press conference invitation. Skipping your first press conference can upset the board.

Save Your Game

Before you do anything else, save your game. Give it a clear name (like "Club Name - Season 2025-26") so you can find it easily later.

Now you're ready to start managing!

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Navigating FM26's New Interface

Now that you understand what's changed, here's how to actually use FM26's new interface day-to-day.

Finding What You Need

The new navigation bar at the top of your screen organizes everything into clear sections:

• Squad: View your players, team dynamics, and manage your roster
  
• Tactics: Create and adjust your formations and instructions
  
• Scouting: Find and track players you want to sign
  
• Transfers: Handle all incoming and outgoing player deals
  
• Training: Set up training schedules and individual development plans
  
• Matches: View fixtures, results, and competition standings
  
• Club: Access club information, finances, board vision, and facilities
  
• Youth: Manage your youth teams and development squads
  

Click on any section to access its features. Everything is grouped logically based on what task you're trying to accomplish.

Using Bookmarks Effectively

Bookmarks are shortcuts to screens you visit most often. You start with 6 default bookmarks and and there's a total of 24 bookmark options to choose from.

Default bookmarks typically include: Messages, First Team, Tactics, Player Database, Transfer Activity and Competitions.

To add a bookmark, open the bookmark drop down menu and click on the star icon next to each bookmark option you wish to add or remove.

Mastering Search

The search bar is your fastest way to find anything. Here's how to use it effectively:

Finding players: Type their name directly. Even partial names work.



Jumping to features: Type what you want to do:

• "training" → Opens training menu
  
• "tactics" → Opens tactics screen
  
• "finances" → Opens financial overview
  

Pro tip: The search function learns what you use most and prioritizes those results.

Your Daily Workflow

Here's a typical way to navigate FM26 each game day:

• Start at the Portal: Check messages and news
  
• Use bookmarks: Jump to frequently-used screens
  
• Use search: When you need something specific
  
• Return to Portal: After completing tasks
  

This workflow becomes automatic after a few sessions.

Navigation Tips for Beginners

Don't memorize everything:
Use search instead of trying to remember where everything is.

Explore without fear:
You can't break anything by clicking around. Explore the interface freely.

Customize your bookmarks early:
Set up bookmarks for screens you check daily. This saves tons of time.

The Portal is your anchor:
When you feel lost, return to the Portal. It's your home base.

Getting Comfortable

The new interface takes a few sessions to feel natural. Give yourself time to adjust.

After managing a few matches and handling some transfers, you'll navigate without thinking about it.

Remember: FM26's interface is designed to be intuitive. If you can't find something, use search. The tools are there to help you.

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Understanding the New Tactics System

FM26 introduces dual formations, fundamentally changing how tactics work.

In Possession vs Out of Possession

You now design two different formations:

• In Possession: How your team sets up when you have the ball
  
• Out of Possession: How your team defends when the opposition has the ball
  

This better reflects modern football, where teams constantly shift shape depending on ball possession. Your attacking 4-3-3 might become a defensive 4-5-1 when you lose the ball.

Team Instructions

Team instructions are now grouped into three categories: Build-Up, Progression, and Final Third.



This makes it clearer how each instruction affects your team's play.

Start simple:

• Choose one clear attacking style (possession-based, direct, counter-attacking)
  
• Set defensive instructions that complement your style
  
• Avoid overloading with too many instructions
  

Player Roles

Player roles define how individual players behave within your tactic. FM26 features new roles and refinements to existing ones.

Keep it simple:
Don't assign fancy roles to every position. A mix of Support and Attack duties with one or two Defend duties works for most tactics.

Match roles to attributes:
A physically imposing striker suits the Target Man role. A quick, technical winger works well as an Inverted Winger.

Understand role combinations:
Certain role combinations work better together. A Deep Lying Playmaker pairs well with a Box-to-Box Midfielder. An Advanced Forward complements a Deep Lying Forward.

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Managing Your Squad

Player Morale and Dynamics

Happy players perform better. Keep morale high by:

• Playing your best players regularly
  
• Rotating squad players in cup competitions
  
• Praising good performances
  
• Offering new contracts when appropriate
  
• Managing player personalities (some need more attention than others)
  

Team dynamics affect overall squad cohesion. Foster good dynamics by:

• Having experienced leaders in your squad
  
• Organizing team meetings and bonding sessions
  
• Ensuring your team speaks a common language
  
• Building a strong social hierarchy
  

Training

The training module in FM26 hasn't been detailed extensively yet, but general principles remain:

• Focus on your team's weaknesses in training
  
• Balance intensity (high intensity increases injury risk)
  
• Individual training helps develop young players
  
• Pre-season is crucial for building fitness
  

Transfers and Recruitment

As a beginner, follow these guidelines:

Don't Overspend Early:
You'll make mistakes. Avoid breaking the bank on players until you understand the game better.

Use Your Scouts:
Send scouts to leagues and nations you're interested in. Scout reports take the guesswork out of signings.

Look at Key Attributes:
Every position has crucial attributes. For a central defender, prioritize Positioning, Tackling, Heading, and Jumping Reach over flair attributes like Technique.

Consider Age and Value:
Young players (18-23) develop rapidly. Players aged 24-28 are in their prime. Players over 30 decline but can still be valuable on short-term deals.

Don't Ignore Loans:
Loan deals are excellent for filling squad gaps without long-term commitment. You can also loan out young players for development.

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Match Day Essentials

Team Talks

Team talks affect player morale and performance. General rules:

• Before Match: Be positive against weaker opponents, cautious against stronger ones
  
• Half-Time: Encourage if winning, demand more if losing
  
• Full-Time: Praise good performances, criticize poor ones (but avoid going overboard)
  

Your assistant manager can handle team talks if you're unsure.

Making Substitutions

Watch for:

• Players with low fitness or condition (under 75%)
  
• Players on yellow cards (especially aggressive ones)
  
• Tactical changes needed (defending a lead, chasing a goal)
  

Generally, make substitutions between 60-75 minutes unless an emergency arises earlier.

In-Match Adjustments

FM26's new interface makes tactical changes clearer:

• Losing: Increase tempo, switch to a more attacking mentality, push fullbacks forward
  
• Winning: Tighten defensive shape, reduce tempo, protect the lead with more defensive roles
  
• Drawing: Make proactive changes around the 60th minute if you need a win
  

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Learning and Improving

Use FMPedia

FM26 introduces FMPedia, an in-game guide and glossary. Use it to understand features, attributes, and mechanics without leaving the game.

Don't Be Afraid to Restart

If things go badly wrong in your first save, don't be discouraged. Starting fresh with the lessons learned is perfectly normal.

Watch Full Matches

Don't just sim through highlights. Watch matches in full (or extended highlights) to understand how your tactics work and where problems arise.

Join the Community

The FM community can be incredibly helpful. Join our forum, our Facebook group, or our Discord server to ask questions and share experiences.

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Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

Overcomplicating Tactics:
Simple, balanced tactics work better than complex systems you don't understand.

Ignoring Team Talks and Press Conferences:
These affect morale significantly. Don't just skip through them. Well, you could save some time by sending your assistant to press conferences, as it should be reasonably safe for team morale.

Not Using Your Staff:
Delegate responsibilities to your staff. You don't need to do everything yourself.

Panicking After Bad Results:
Every manager has bad runs. Don't tear up your tactics after one loss.

Buying Too Many Players:
Squad harmony suffers when you sign 10+ players in one window. Be selective.

Ignoring Youth Development:
Young players are the future. Give them game time and watch them grow.

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Final Thoughts

Football Manager 2026 represents a fresh start for the series. Even veterans are learning alongside newcomers this year.

Take your time, experiment, and most importantly, enjoy the journey.

There's no "right" way to play FM; find what works for you and have fun managing your club to glory.

The beauty of Football Manager is that every save tells a different story.

Whether you're building a dynasty with a top club or taking a lower-league side to the top, the journey is what matters.

Good luck, boss.