Mastering FM26 Online - The Ultimate Guide to Setting Up Your Multiplayer Career

There is nothing quite like the chaos of a Football Manager 2026 online career. Shouting at your mates in Discord while you outbid them for a wonderkid is the peak FM experience. However, a laggy connection or a slow host can ruin the vibe pretty quickly.

If you’re wondering how to set up an FM26 network game that actually runs smoothly, you’ve come to the right place. Here is everything you need to know to get your online save up and running without the technical headaches.

1. Starting Your Online Save: The Basics

First things first, you need a "Host." This should be the person with the most powerful PC and the most stable internet connection.

1. Launch FM26 and hit Online on the start screen.
   
2. Select Start a New Online Game.
   
3. Server Visibility: This is crucial.
   
• Public: Anyone can join (expect randoms).
  
• Private: Invitation only.
  
• Offline: No one can join.
  
• Pro Tip: Use a unique Server Name and a Password. It makes it way easier for your friends to find you in the lobby search.

2. Best Settings for a Fast-Paced Game

Online saves can drag if one person is taking 20 minutes to scout a backup left-back. To keep things moving, use these "Speed-Play" settings:

• Disable Friendlies: Unless you really want to manage every pre-season game, let the Assistant handle these. It cuts down on "waiting for players" prompts.
  
• Force Press Conferences to Assistant: Trust me, you don’t want to wait for your mate to tell the media he's "delighted with the performance" for the 50th time.
  
• Anti-Cheat: If you’re playing in a competitive league, toggle off the ability to Import Tactics or Shortlists. This ensures everyone is building their team from scratch.
  

3. The "Secret Sauce" for Scheduling (Wednesday/Saturdays)

This is the single most important setting for a smooth FM26 online experience.

Navigate to the Matches section in the setup and select "Use Saturdays and Wednesdays Matchdays".
Why? In single-player, games are spread out for TV. In multiplayer, this means you’ll be sitting around watching your friend play their match while you have nothing to do. Forcing matches to the same day means everyone plays at once, keeping the momentum high.

4. Automation: The Processing Options

Don't let one "slow" manager hold up the entire group. In the bottom right of the setup screen, you’ll find Processing Options. You can set timers or auto-continue rules that force the game forward after a certain percentage of players have hit "Continue". It’s harsh, but it’s the only way to finish a season before FM27 comes out!

5. What if you can’t make a session?

Life happens. If you know you’re going to miss a night of FM, don't leave your team in the lurch.

1. Go to Home -> My Profile -> Go on Holiday.
   
2. Tick "Use Current Match Tactics" and "Use Current Team Selection".
   
3. This ensures your Assistant Manager doesn't decide to play your star striker at center-back while you're gone.
   

6. Troubleshooting Cross-play

FM26 supports cross-play between Steam and Epic Games. To make this work:

• Ensure the host has signed into their respective platform account within the game.
  
• Use the "Invite Friends" button (found under the Cog Icon -> Game Status) to send direct invites.
  

Quick FAQ:

• How do I join an FM26 network game? Go to 'Online' -> 'Join Online Game' -> Search for your friend's server name.
  
• Why is my FM26 online game lagging? Ensure the host has a wired connection and that "Match Scheduling" is set to Wednesdays and Saturdays to sync up processing.
  
• Can I play FM26 multiplayer on different platforms? Yes, cross-play is supported between Steam and Epic via the Game Status menu.
  

Tech Support

If you experienced any technical issues whilst setting up or playing FM26 Online Career Mode, you may submit a support ticket so that the Sega support team can help you.