Like many of you, I love FM and i didn't like fm26 tbh so i returned to fm24, but I’ve been getting really frustrated with the arcadey feel of the default Match Engine. I got tired of seeing laser-guided ping-pong passes and shots, defenders doing random suicidal slide tackles, and goalkeepers acting either like Prime Buffon or completely forgetting how to dive.
So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I've spent the last few weeks digging deep into the ME files, running endless tests (simulating full seasons in Full Detail across different leagues like the Portuguese Primeira Liga and German 3. Liga), and comparing the in-game stats directly with real-life Opta data.
The goal wasn't just to make the game "harder"; I wanted to make it play like actual, real-life football.
What’s changed:
Ball Physics & Passing: The ball actually has "weight" to it now. Short passes aren't hit like powerful shots anymore, and long cross-field balls have a realistic, natural trajectory. Build-up play finally looks like real football.Defending Behavior: Defenders are much smarter. They stay on their feet, jockey properly, and only commit to tackles when it makes sense. Say goodbye to those ridiculous, game-breaking red cards from mindless sliding tackles.
Goalkeepers: I've tweaked their reaction times and agility so they behave normally. They make the saves they should, but they won't pull off superhuman, teleporting dives every single time.
Direct Free Kicks: I found the sweet spot for this. Set-piece specialists can actually score now, but at a lower realistic rate. Top teams and specialists will get around 0-5 free-kick goals a season (exactly like real life), instead of 15.
The Results: I didn't just eyeball this. After running multiple full-season simulations, the match stats are virtually a 1:1 match with real-life league averages. Pass completion (around 82-84%), shots on target, foul counts, and set-piece goals are exactly where they should be for modern football.
If you enjoy winning 6-5 every weekend with 40 shots a game, this ME is definitely not for you. But if you want to feel like a real manager where your tactical tweaks matter, player attributes actually show on the pitch, and the game flows realistically, give this a try.
I want to give a massive shoutout to the guys in the modding community who have been digging into the ME files and sharing their findings and raw data freely. I didn't discover all these variables myself. I basically took their incredible groundwork and decided to go one step further using Gemini 3.1 Pro & ChatGPT 5.4.
CI hope you enjoy and i would love some feedback so we can improve it together. Btw I use it alongside with Daveincid realism pack + my injury pack.
Installation instructions: make a backup and then delete the simatch.fmf file in the installation data directory. Then put the simatch folder as it is without chaning anything in the name in data installation folder. Enjoy. New save is not required.
MacOS file also included.
I runned my final Simulation test and my new results were stunning. i am gonna give them to you so you can check what TrueSim has achieved.
Where i have put the R7, it means the reale top 7 europe leagues average number.
**** Direct freekick goals R7: 0,75 goals/team/season VS TrueSim_1.1: 0,77goals/team/season
**** Cross Success Rate R7: 16%-23% with an average 19% VS TrueSim_1.1: 18,8%
**** Goal ratio from Headers Ration R7: 16% VS TrueSim_1.1: 15,9%
**** Successfull Pass Percentage R7: 78%-90% with average 84,5% VS TrueSim_1.1: 85%
**** Shots per game R7 11-16,5 with an 13,5 average VS TrueSim_1.1: 10,5-17,2 with an 13,8 average
**** Shot conversion rate R7: 9%-15,6% VS TrueSim_1.1: 8,8%-15,4%
**** Fouls per game per team 11-13 R7 Vs TrueSim_1.1: 12,3 average
**** Yellow Cards per team per game average R7: 2,1-2,4 VS TrueSim_1.1: 1,8-2,6
**** Goals from corners R7: 5,5-7,5: VS TrueSim_1.1: 5,9 average (I could boost this a bit but because i know how corners could be exploited, i left it there)
**** Indirect Freek kicks goals R7: 3,5-4,5 per team per season VS TrueSim_1.1: 4,2 average.
Update 1.4:
Sacrificed a bit of delivered stats in order to Improve the match flow and motion feeling.
Now the game motion feels more natural and smooth, more attacking & beautifull football is being played.
To keep scoring realism up as much as i could, because FM24 overperforms in scoring, i had to pump the GKs just a bit.
Update 1.5
Fixed some visual bug headings occured after a cross has happened.
Fixed some really powerfull driven crosses that were impossible to defend.
Lower the effectiveness of gegenpress a bit, now being punished more if used when you shouldn't.
A txt with installation instructions is also placed inside the zip file.
For the optimal visual experience, it is recommended to play at +1 speed.
The version 1.5 will be the last till late May since i think only a lot of feedback can make me change things.
![FM26 2025-26 Real Fixture & Results [23-4-2026]](datas/users/realresult_thumb_25_26_fm26_257759.png)
Discussion: True Sim 1.5 (Final) for FM24
45 comments have been posted so far.
https://ibb.co/0jvyRjL4
Posted this screen shot. Look like there way too many goals per game. I put those leagues in detail and seem like the top team are getting 3-5 goals per day in my save.
Just to be clear — I’m not a professional modder, nor am I trying to present myself as one. I’m just someone who’s been playing FM since 1998 and enjoys experimenting with the game for personal enjoyment.
I worked on the physics side simply because that’s what the community tools currently allow people like us — non-developers, hobbyists without a programming background — to actually work with. I used what’s openly available (like the physics editor from sortitoutsi) and focused on that area, not because it’s the only thing that matters, but because it’s what’s accessible.
I also tested various mods, including Match Lab. I respect the amount of work behind it, but it didn’t quite match what I was personally looking for in terms of feel, which is why I decided to try something on my own.
On injuries, I tracked season averages and they were in line with the default simatch (which already has higher injuries/season). I didn’t zoom in injuries so much. I only suggested my injury pack because it gave me the most consistent results alongside this setup. But since you say that I truly believe you.
I’m not trying to replicate a full-scale project or commit to long-term modding. I took something already available, approached it in my own way, and shared it in case others might enjoy it too.
The editor exists so people can experiment and explore different ideas — that’s all I’m doing here.
If people like it, great. If not, there are plenty of other options available.
All the best.
At the same time your work is being hampered because only changing one file, although brings instant changes, those changes need to be substantiated with more work being done in other files and outside of the simatch file.
There's a reason as to why our mod, FM Match Lab, needed a team of almost 30 people working full time on the mod. Because it needs a small team to make changes that can impact all types of saves, that can impact different types of tactics, not only in the first two seasons, but also for 10/20 even 50 seasons down the line.
The best advice I can give you so you can offer something even better is to mimic the structure we had and go all in. Competition is nice and I personally love seeing other mods coming to life. But at the same time, I hope you and others have the same honesty and commitment to long term testing since players deserve options they can choose from. And this means making sure your promises of gameplay can be backed by the changes you make.
Edit: to add that your work will impact injuries directly. You cannot say it doesn't because it does.
Good luck and I wish you all the best.
@no1likeus New game not needed. Just download, import and play your normal save
@tylerbode i tried my best to make this ME (1.5version) antimeta so we can go as realistic as we can. only testing and feedback can show if i succeed. Hope i get feedback. Final version 1.5 is up. Fixing some visual header bug and some super fast driven crosses that made defenders impossible to defend.
2-3 injuries pr. match...
I have added the new Injury add-on yesterday. Maybe that helps a bit.