The second International Management update is now available on Football Manager 26 on Steam, Epic, and Microsoft Store.
This update completes the roster of qualified teams available to manage for the FIFA World Cup 2026, incorporates all licenced tournament kits, adds a new option to start your save with the final squads and fixes several identified crash issues.
The 26-player squads implemented for FIFA World Cup 2026 qualified nations are correct as of Monday 1 June. Subsequent injuries, suspensions and squad changes have not been reflected.
Date Released: June 9th, 2026
File size: 532 MB
An equivalent update is available on Football Manager 26 Console, Football Manager 26 Touch (Apple Arcade), and Football Manager 26 Mobile. An update for Nintendo Switch users will be available later this month.
As usual the update is save game compatible, so you don't have to start a new save game.
To update you will need to close down Football Manager 2026 and then re-open the game for it to update. If this does not work for you or you feel it has not updated you will need to restart Steam/Epic.
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.
Can you play an Online World Cup with friends?
Yes. You can take on friends in the World Cup mode Online. Load a 'Quick Start' World Cup, then go Preferences>Multiplayer Preferences and you can choose to make it public or private.
26.3.2 List of Changes
International Management
- Added option to start your save with the confirmed World Cup squads
- All 48 qualified teams in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ now have licensed kits
- All 48 qualified teams in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ are now playable
- Fixed a crash when trying to assign squad numbers to specific players
- Fixed a crash caused by clicking the ‘Wnt’ icon on a Player Profile if the player has no club
- Fixed a rare crash when changing Contract Expires Date on the Player Database screen
- Resolved multiple crashes in online saves that are far into the future
- Prevented a soft lock occurring in specific circumstances when using the space bar to continue in a dual management save
- Fixed an issue in Hotseat mode where the Portal interface could incorrectly appear during matches after half-time
Discussion: Football Manager 2026 Patch 26.3.2 - FIFA World Cup 2026
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