FM26: FIFA Tournaments Licensed, International Management Delayed

Football Manager 26 will feature official FIFA tournaments for the first time ever, but International Management won't be available at launch.

Sports Interactive has announced a major multi-year partnership with FIFA that brings authentic international competitions to the game.

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However, the entire International Management system is being rebuilt from scratch and will return as a free update, likely around February 2026.

The Big News: Official FIFA Tournaments

For the first time, Football Manager will include real FIFA competitions with proper branding and authentic structures.

This ends years of using generic tournament names and brings genuine international football to your virtual career.

The timing is perfect as the revamped system should arrive before the FIFA World Cup 2026 in June, letting players experience managing their nation in the world's biggest tournament.

Why Remove International Management at Launch?

Studio director Miles Jacobson explained the decision clearly: player feedback was consistently negative, with fans finding the mode "not very fun."

Rather than include a disappointing feature, the team chose to focus on making the core game as complete as possible.

They're taking proper time to rebuild International Management into something players actually want.

"We decided it was more important to focus on the game's overall completeness", Miles said.

When Does It Return?

The revamped International Management module will arrive in a future free update, likely around February 2026 with the winter data update.

All FM26 owners get it automatically at no extra cost.

What About Old Saves?

There's uncertainty about saved games from FM24 or FM23 where you're managing a national team.

Sports Interactive may create a legacy mode for these saves, or they might not transfer properly.

Clarification should come soon when the studio discusses save game compatibility.

Why This Makes Sense

Removing a major feature at launch is risky, but it shows Sports Interactive prioritizes quality over shipping incomplete content.

With the extra development time FM26 received, they're using it wisely - perfecting the core experience first, then adding the rebuilt feature when it's truly ready.

The FIFA partnership means this feature needs extra care.

Official tournaments, proper branding, and authentic competition formats require more than just slapping FIFA's name on the old system.

The Bigger Partnership

This announcement builds on the existing Football Manager-FIFA partnership, which previously brought the FIFAe World Cup of Football Manager esports tournament.

Now that cooperation extends directly into the game itself, with the multi-year deal suggesting more FIFA content in future releases.

Release Timeline

Football Manager 26 typically launches on November 4, with a free demo available on the same day.

FM26 Early Access is expected to begin on October 21st or October 23rd.

• At launch: No International Management on PC/console (available on FM26 Mobile/Netflix)
  
• Around February 2026: Revamped International Management returns with official FIFA tournaments
  
• 100% Before June 2026: System ready for World Cup 2026 experience
  

The approach is honest and ambitious: deliver a solid core game at launch, then add a properly rebuilt feature that players will actually enjoy.

Source: footballmanager.com

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