Football Manager 2026 Patch 26.3.1 - International Management Update

Sports Interactive have released the 18th patch for Football Manager 2026, which is the 13th one for the retail version of the game.

As SI promised, the International Management module has arrived as a free feature addition in this update for Football Manager 26. However, it's a two-part update and this is only the first part.

A second International Management update for FM26 across platforms is currently scheduled ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026. That will cover the remaining official kits and the final 26-man 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament squads for participating nations.

The update also brings further functionality improvements to the User Interface, alongside updates to the wider game.

Date Released: May 26th, 2026
File size: 455 MB

While SI previously indicated that official kits would be included as part of the international management feature, licensing approvals are still ongoing. As a result, not all FIFA World Cup 2026 team kits will be available upon launch of the feature and some may be added at a later date.

At the initial launch of this feature, 47 of the 48 qualified nations for FIFA World Cup 2026 will be playable.

This patch is now live across platforms. The update for FM26 Touch (Nintendo Switch) will follow early next month.

FM26 International Management FAQ

Will International Mode be save game compatible?
Yes

Can I transfer my FM23/FM24 International Management save to FM26?
Yes

Are all nations playable?
When using the World Cup-specific 'Quick Start' option, it will only allow 47/48 nations to be selected. If you opt for a standard Quick Start or Advanced Setup career option, you will have a significantly wider range of playable nations.

Can I choose a start date right before the FIFA World Cup 2026?
You can kick off your campaign on May 11th in-game, giving you some final friendlies to run the rule over your players and complete your squad selection ahead of the summer’s action.
In a subsequent game update in June, there’ll also be an early June start date available. So, you’ll step right into the into the dugout before the first game of FIFA World Cup 2026.
The other option is to begin a regular International Management save.

Do I have to use the real FIFA World Cup 2026 squads or can I choose my own?
At the launch of International Management, you are free to choose your squad as you wish.
In a subsequent update in June, there will be a new start date option in June that allows you to manage with the official 26-man rosters for FIFA World Cup 2026.

Why are there no real faces for the players in the FIFA World Cup 2026 squads?
Due to licencing restrictions, no player images are used when managing national teams.

Can you do a club and nation save?
If you use the new World Cup Quick start, you’ll only be able to use a nation.
With any other start option and date, you’ll be able to begin a club and nation save.

Can you keep managing beyond FIFA World Cup 2026?
Yes – once you reach the end of FIFA World Cup 2026 your save will continue as normal.

What happens to the branding at the end of FIFA World Cup 2026?
The in-game branding will only be visible for the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament only. Once you move beyond this year’s World Cup the branding for FIFA World Cup tournaments will revert to semi-authentic, FIFA branding.
For other international confederation tournaments, FM26 branding will be used as with other unlicensed competitions.

Can you manage women's national teams?
Yes

Will it use real life results or simulate up to that date if I choose to use 'Quick start' for the FIFA World Cup 2026?
It will simulate the results and WILL NOT use real life tables or results

I can’t find the nation I want to manage, where are they?
Some nations only become manageable after adding the relevant number of players from that nation within the database. For smaller nations, ensure you’ve created your game via Advanced Setup and included players from Database Size > Custom relevant to the nation you want to manage.

What happens if I imported an FM26 save that was several years into the future. Can I activate International Management and apply for jobs going forward?
Yes. It will simply enable International Management in your save and you can apply for national jobs.

26.3.1 List of Changes

Mode

• Added International Management to new and existing save files
  
• Added a FIFA World Cup 2026™ Quick Start Mode
  

Technical Issues

• Improved UI speed and performance when playing in Large Online Lobbies
  
• Improved loading times for very large save files
  
• The ‘Show Fixtures & Results Screens’ preference is now enabled by default
  
• Fixed various crashes caused by mass Custom Database changes
  
• Fixed a rare crash caused by removing certain loan clauses
  
• Fixed a rare crash caused by responding 'No Comment' to journalist question about a player retiring
  
• Fixed an issue that would cause User Account logs to take up excessive storage space on certain spec Macs
  

User Interface (UI)

• Intensity is no longer locked to being High or Very High when playing with an ultra-defensive style
  
• Added a dropdown signifying which position the role selector is currently highlighting
  
• Improved the Right-Click functionality on the Tactics pitch
  
• Fixed an issue causing the Position Warning icon to still be present after fixing the IP/OOP positions of players
  
• Scroll bar functionality has been reinstated on the Tactical Styles section of the Training Schedules card
  
• Fixed an issue causing the horizontal scroll bar to disappear when multiple columns were added to tables
  
• Fixed the functionality of sorting staff by nationalities when on the Club Staff screen
  
• Fixed an issue causing the down arrows not to function when selecting the taker order during a penalty shootout
  
• Fixed an issue that would sometimes show ‘-1’ as the squad number for Newgen players within the opposition instructions
  
• Added a ‘Take Off’ option within the match tactics panel when a player is slightly injured but the manager is out of available substitutes
  
• Fixed an issue causing both squad numbers to appear the same on the substitution caption
  
• Filtering by Adaptability within the staff database now functions as intended
  
• The Competition Tree within the Stages tile has now been correctly aligned
  
• Fixed a visual issue where players would appear out of place on the Match Squad Bar after changing their position in the tactics pitch
  
• Shirt icons now correctly display for youth players who were called up to play a first team match
  
• Fixed the information displayed within the Form tooltip in the Competition > Stages card
  
• Restored the Traits button on the Player Report card
  
• Added a filter button to the Managerial Vacancies screen
  
• Hovering over tile carousels will now display a tooltip
  
• Fixed an issue causing the Youth Setup feedback to be blank
  
• Fixed an issue causing duplicate message titles to appear when viewing Player Reports from consecutive Scouting Report messages
  
• Adding Player Report tile to various Scouting Portal messages
  

Gameplay

• Tweaks made to AI manager appointment logic
  
• Tweaks made to Supporter Expectations logic when managing a team with a point deduction
  
• Fixed an issue with players declaring they want to represent the country of their birth but instead playing elsewhere
  
• Fixed an issue to prevent AI hiring for B-Team roles when the user oversees all staff hiring
  
• Fixed a rare issue of players refusing to sign a new deal due to ‘waiting on a promise to complete’, with no promise actually active
  
• Fixed an issue preventing the user to tell an unhappy player you’ll loan them out if they’re already listed for loan
  

Match, Art & Animation

• Tweaked the Dynamic Highlight Mode setting to fix an issue causing them to last excessively long
  
• Ensured captains will always be the ones to lead teams out during the opening cut scene
  
• Ensured captains will always be the one to collect and lift the trophy during celebration cutscenes
  
• Fixed a rare instance of the ball crossing the goal line in game but not awarding a goal when checking the goal-line technology camera
  
• Fixed an issue causing substituted players to occasionally remain visible on the touchline in the 2D pitch tile
  

Competitions and Rule Groups

• Fixed an issue causing the same Mexican clubs to qualify via the league for the North American Champions Cup every season
  
• Fixed an issue in Sweden to ensure the correct teams qualify for the correct UEFA competitions in the initial season
  
• Fixed an issue causing Youth Exemption rules not to be enforced within the WSL
  
• Reflected the real-world postponement of the women's Africa Cup of Nations in game
  

If you encounter any issues post update, please use the official FM26 Bugs Tracker. You can also contact [email protected] for further support.