Football Manager FIFA Partnership Brings Official World Cups to FM26

Football Manager and FIFA have officially confirmed a long-term partnership. With Football Manager 26, fans can engage in fully licensed FIFA tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Women's World Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.

The partnership not only makes the experience more realistic but also changes the way in which fans around the world enjoy international football within the most popular management simulation series on the planet. Here is everything you need to know about the new Football Manager partnership.

Football Manager FIFA Partnership Announced

For the first time, players will be able to experience officially licensed FIFA tournaments in the Football Manager FIFA partnership. Included are the FIFA World Cup 26, FIFA Women's World Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with all original kits, tournament branding and broadcast graphics.

FIFA World Cup 26 is taking place in Canada, Mexico and the USA and will be the largest edition in history with 48 teams. Football Manager 26 will showcase all those original kits and visuals to see and feel like they are in the real tournament.

What Does This Mean for Football Manager

This FIFA deal with Football Manager is surely going to mark a huge leap in the authenticity of the franchise as a whole. It will coincide with the launch of a redesigned International Management module, dropping as a content update in 2026. This will be available on all FM26 platforms, including FM26 Console and FM26 Touch, giving fans the chance to lead the national teams to World Cup success.

Miles Jacobson, the Studio Director at Sports Interactive, referred to the partnership as a “historic moment” for the studio. As per him, this actually poses a great opportunity for the Football Manager franchise to provide fans with the most authentic experience ever in terms of teams, tournaments, players, thanks to official licensing.

How This is Massive for Both Organizations and Football Gaming

The partnership between Football Manager and FIFA is not merely a licensing arrangement; it is an impactful partnership for both organizations and the football games industry as a whole.

For FIFA, it means their international competitions, including significant content from select tournaments, can reach an entirely new audience through one of the most recognized management simulation games in the world.
At the same time, EA Sports is currently transitioning away from the FIFA brand name with the upcoming EA FC, which allows Football Manager to fill an original, unique lane as the standard bearer of today's world football. Also, do not forget to check out the Football Manager 26 new features on our website.