Sports Interactive reveals first teaser for Football Manager 26

After a rocky hiatus, one of the most beloved sports sim franchises is making its long-awaited comeback: Sports Interactive has officially confirmed Football Manager 26.

The announcement trailer, released Wednesday, keeps specifics close to the chest but does offer a glimpse of in-game match day visuals. This marks the series’ return after Football Manager 25 was abruptly canceled in February following repeated delays that pushed it beyond its traditional November launch window. It was the first time in more than three decades that a Football Manager or Championship Manager entry failed to make its scheduled yearly release.

Sports Interactive cited several factors behind FM25’s cancellation, chief among them the transition to Unreal Engine and the inclusion of women’s football for the first time in franchise history. Pre-cancellation, the studio shared a rough development roadmap for FM25 in blog posts, but early fan reactions to the new look were lukewarm at best.

There’s still no word on a release date for FM26 or whether the UI will stick to its pre-hiatus design. However, the trailer promises a more detailed first look at the new match day experience in the near future.