After skipping a year to focus on major visual and gameplay upgrades, the anticipation is building for the upcoming Football Manager 26 (FM26) release.
Picking the right club to start a new career with can be a tough task, but we have a handy list of the best sides with top budgets and exciting youth setups to get your FM26 journey up and running.
Best Football Manager 2026 Career Mode Clubs
Liverpool
Liverpool are one of the best teams in the world, and with a huge budget, talented squad of players, and massive potential, the Premier League champions are a great team to start your FM26 career with.
Arne Slot’s men are aiming to retain the EPL title this year, as well as going all the way in the UEFA Champions League. Guiding the Reds to domestic and European success in the first season would be a great achievement.
Manchester United
Bringing the glory days back to Old Trafford will be no easy feat, but trying could be extremely rewarding. The Manchester United fans have suffered since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure over a decade ago, but there is still huge potential with the Manchester giants.
The Red Devils had a woeful 2024-25 Premier League campaign, languishing down in 15th place. Bettering that should be straightforward, but can you take the Red Devils back to Europe? The budget will be high, and with several top players already at the club, including Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo, United could be a great choice.
Wrexham
Wrexham have been on a meteoric rise since the Hollywood owners took over at the Racecourse Ground. Backed by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, Phil Parkinson’s men have shot up the English pyramid to the cusp of the Premier League.
Getting the Red Dragons over the line and establishing them in the top tier could be challenging but rewarding. Wrexham have a massive transfer budget by EFL Championship standards, with plenty of money to spend pre-season and in January. Can you continue Wrexham’s fairytale story?
Cardiff City
Staying with Welsh clubs, Cardiff City find themselves in the third tier of English football for the first time in two decades after crashing out of the Championship last term. Winning promotion at the first time of asking is the main priority for the Bluebirds.
Cardiff have caught the eye with several superb performances at the start of the season, with new boss Brian Barry-Murphy stamping his authority in the Welsh capital. They have a team packed full of homegrown talent, with the likes of Cian Ashford, Isaac Davies, and Dylan Lawlor catching the eye. Can you take Cardiff’s young team back to the second tier and beyond?
Salford City
For those thinking about taking a potential sleeping giant up the leagues as the Football Manager 2026 release day is fast approaching, Salford City are a good shout. The team owned by Project 92 Limited will have a decent budget for EFL League Two, and there is real potential at Moor Lane.
Salford missed out on the play-offs last term and have never been promoted to the third tier. Taking the Ammies up the Football League and into the Premier League would be some achievement.
Ajax
Ajax are renowned for having one of the best youth academies in world football. The likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Marco van Basten, and Johan Cruyff represented the Amsterdam club at the start of their careers.
More young stars, such as Mika Godts, are shining through at the Johan Cruyff Arena. Ajax have not won the league since 2022, but can you guide their talented young team to success in FM26?
Juventus
Juventus won the Serie A title nine seasons running from 2012 to 2020. However, the Old Lady of Italian football have not been crowned champions since the 2019-20 campaign.
Juve are hoping to be the top dogs of Serie A again, and the Turin giants have made a steady start. They have had their fair share of disappointment of late, but can you bring the good days back to the Juventus Stadium?
Real Madrid
Real Madrid are Europe’s most successful club side, and Los Blancos go into every season aiming to win everything on offer. Money is no object, but bringing Champions League and La Liga success back to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu is the ambition.
Managing Real’s current crop of Galacticos will be fun, and adding to their quality with the immense financial backing should keep you entertained for hours.
