From the legendary 'Dinosaur' of German football to the resurgence of a Turkish giant and the return of a famous Greek champion, these FM26 save ideas are all about survival.
Get ready for a dramatic 2025/26 season as we explore the history, pressure, and the challenges you will face as the manager of one of the best promoted clubs in Europe.
The 10+1 Greatest FM26 Comeback Stories to Take On as Your Next Save
 |
League: Bundesliga Founded: 1887 |
|
|
The Story:
|
|
After six grueling seasons in the 2. Bundesliga, the "Dinosaur" finally achieved it. They're promoted to the top tier again! But the 2024–25 promotion campaign was a classic nail-biting rollercoaster, with a mid-season managerial changeover thrown in for good measure. Though it wasn't easy, the team got promoted, and now they are faced with the daunting task of not just keeping their heads above water but thriving in the Bundesliga. |
|
The Challenge:
|
|
You need to end the cycle of despair. Key players, most notably top goalscorer Davie Selke, have left the team. The pressure from the fans has been relentless, and the preseason has been tough. Can you build a squad that can survive at the top level and avoid subsequent relegation? Your job is to re-establish HSV as a solid fixture in Germany's elite, not only to keep them afloat. |
 |
League: Premier League Founded: 1879 |
|
|
The Story:
|
|
One of the most successful and well-supported clubs in England. They have spent years stranded in the Championship following their terrible drop from the Premier League to League One. But the 2024–2025 season was one to remember. Finishing a respectable fourth place, they embarked on a thrilling play-off campaign and defeated Sheffield United 2-1 in the Wembley final to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017. |
|
The Challenge:
|
|
While there's a talented young core in the team, there's also a massive financial and infrastructural gap to bridge in the Premier League. Your job is to keep them in the top division by constructing a competitive team through smart squad building. Can you firmly establish their status and make the Stadium of Light a fortress once more? |
 |
League: Ligue 1 Founded: 1969 |
|
|
The Story:
|
|
For decades, Paris has been entirely dominated by the financial might and on-field success of Paris Saint-Germain. Now, Paris FC has finally been promoted back to Ligue 1 after a remarkable 46-year absence, giving the capital a second top-flight club. This achievement sets up a highly anticipated local rivalry, especially as the two clubs are set to share the historic Stade Charléty. |
|
The Challenge:
|
|
This is the ultimate underdog story where the mission is to establish a second competitive team in the capital. You must find a way to thrive in the shadow of PSG while attracting enough talent to Ligue 1's most unique market. Can you compete with the financial and global prestige of your dominant neighbour to create an alternative footballing identity in Paris? |
 |
League: Serie A Founded: 1909 |
|
|
The Story:
|
|
A club with a distant top flight history, Pisa have finally won promotion back to Serie A after a crippling 34-year absence. Their return to the top division is a massive achievement, representing the end of a very long wait for the club and its dedicated fans. The famous Curva Nord of the Arena Garibaldi is now ready to host the elite of Italian football once again. |
|
The Challenge:
|
|
The primary mission is to ensure their historic return is a permanent one and avoid an immediate drop back to the lower divisions. You need to rebuild a team that has been out of the top division for over three decades and make them good enough to survive Serie A's notoriously demanding tactical war. Success will depend on recruiting quality experienced players who can bring in the necessary top-flight experience. |
 |
League: La Liga Founded: 1926 |
|
|
The Story:
|
|
A historic club from the Asturias region, Real Oviedo is finally back in the Spanish elite after two and a half decades in the lower divisions. The club's comeback has been underpinned by a unique ownership model, which includes a partial stake held by Mexican giants Grupo Pachuca. After a heart-stopping play-off decider, their 24-year exile from La Liga comes to an end, and top flight football is back at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere. |
|
The Challenge:
|
|
Your job is to get them settled into one of Europe's technically most challenging leagues without the massive budget of the top Spanish clubs. You must utilize the club's committed supporters and pride of the people of Asturias to turn their home ground into a fortress. Can you blend local identity with smart transfer moves to ensure survival and set the stage for long-term growth? |
 |
League: Super Lig Founded: 1966 |
|
|
The Story:
|
|
The promotion of Kocaelispor is a tribute to resurrection after a dramatic fall from grace that saw the club drop as low as the amateur leagues. After years of financial difficulties and consecutive promotions, they finally sealed their return to the Süper Lig, ending a 16-year absence. This is a day of glorious return for the Green and Black army, who have patiently supported the team through its darkest period. |
|
The Challenge:
|
|
The top priority is stability, as the Süper Lig has a reputation to be unpredictable, and financial discipline will be key to avoiding another collapse. You must capitalize on promotion momentum by attracting the quality needed to rival Istanbul's traditional giants like Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe. The challenge is to restore an industrious team from Izmit's industrial heart to a Turkish footballing power once more. |
 |
League: Primeira Liga Founded: 1939 |
|
|
The Story:
|
|
F.C. Alverca's return to the top flight is an incredible tale, with the club folding entirely in 2005 before being re-formed in the regional leagues. The team's meteoric rise was crowned with a Hollywood-style double promotion, back in the Portuguese top flight after 21 years of absence. Their story is further amplified by the new ownership group, which includes global superstar Vinícius Júnior. |
|
The Challenge:
|
|
With an almost entirely new team brought in during the summer, the sporting structure is still shaky despite the new ownership's big aspirations. Your primary task is to quickly build a strong team identity from among a batch of fresh signings to ensure immediate survival in the unforgiving Liga Portugal. You must deal with the high-profile external pressure and avoid an immediate relegation that coulf destroy this revitalized project. |
 |
League: Pro League Founded: 1919 |
|
|
The Story:
|
|
This is perhaps the most spectacular resurrection in European football. The original club (RAA La Louvière) was dissolved in 2009. The current club was re-established in 2017 in the fifth tier, buying the matricule number of a lower club. In a miraculous climb, they achieved two successive promotions to reach the Belgian Pro League for the first time in their current incarnation, ending an 19-year wait for top-flight football in the city. Their return is capped by a move into the newly built Easi Arena for the 2025/26 season. |
|
The Challenge:
|
|
You are managing a club that has jumped multiple divisions in rapid succession, resulting in a squad and infrastructure that must adapt almost instantly to the elite level. Despite the new stadium, the club is starting with one of the smallest budgets in the league. Your job is to stabilize this meteoric rise, avoid the drop back down, and secure the legendary status of this resurrected club. Can you ensure the new Easi Arena remains a Belgian Pro League ground? |
 |
League: Primeira Liga Founded: 1933 |
|
|
The Story:
|
|
After a short but successful spell in the Primeira Liga, C.D. Tondela is back after a three-year absence. The club won their recent promotion through conquering the Liga Portugal 2, proving that they are strong and determined to regain a place in the top division. They are back among the elite after recently playing in the final of the Taça de Portugal some seasons back, demonstrating that they have potential to punch above their weight. |
|
The Challenge:
|
|
The goal is to move beyond being a typical "yo-yo" club by finding the consistency needed to firmly establish themselves in the Primeira Liga. You must use the promotion momentum to keep their core talent while making smart, calculated additions that can compete with the league's perennial top half. The central challenge is turning the small Estádio João Cardoso into a place where the 'Big Three' clubs truly fear to visit. |
 |
League: Super League Founded: 1964 |
|
|
The Story:
|
|
After four years out of the top division, AEL has returned to the Super League after another successful promotion campaign. As the first team from outside of Athens or Thessaloniki to win the title in the late 1980s, they are a historic team in Greek football, but they have since struggled to maintain a spot in the first division. The 'Queen of the Thessaly Plain' now attempts to revive its glorious but distant past. |
|
The Challenge:
|
|
Your job is to take a team with a glorious pedigree and get them established once again in Greece's competitive top flight. You will need to build a strong team that can compete for European places, thus enabling the club to compete with the traditional financial and media might of Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, and AEK. The ultimate aim is to return them to their former glory and make the AEL FC Arena a formidable ground. |
 |
League: La Liga Founded: 1909 |
|
|
The Story:
|
|
After a two-season absence, Levante has returned to La Liga, recovering from their last relegation in short order. Synonymous with their electrifying, attacking style of football and their tendency to constantly produce shock upsets, they are a side that never fails to fight to remain in the upper division. The club's quick return symbolizes the strong foundation that they had built during their previous five-year spell in the top division. |
|
The Challenge:
|
|
The primary challenge is simple but incredibly difficult; survive in one of the toughest, most tactical leagues in the world. You will have to use smart, budget-friendly recruitment and superior tactical training to compete against the sheer quality of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and the well-drilled sides of the Spanish top-flight. Success requires forging a distinct, high-energy style of play that can compensate for the lack of financial power. |
It is now up to you to lead each club through the ultimate test of survival, stability, and growth in a top-tier, frequently harsh environment.
Will you finally be able to break the curse at Hamburger SV, put Sunderland back in the top division, and solidify Kocaelispor's incredible comeback?
This season's promoted teams promise more drama, passion, and incredible moments than ever before.
Which of these incredible FM26 save ideas will you take on first? Let us know in the comments below!
Discussion: FM26 Survival Challenge - Top Promoted Teams to Grow
No comments have been posted yet..