Football Manager 26 is set to include women”s clubs for the first time when it launches next month. This landmark addition marks a significant development in the long-standing history of the franchise, which has been popular for simulating team dynamics and transfer activities.
The inclusion of women”s leagues in the game is a response to the increasing prominence of women”s football, particularly highlighted by the record attendance at events such as Euro 2025 and the recent World Cup. “It”s been a long time coming,” remarked Tina Keech, who spearheaded the creation of an extensive metrics database that provides players with behind-the-scenes control over 14 global women”s leagues. She acknowledged that while some fans have expressed sexist complaints, the majority of feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. “It”s actually just enhancing the game and making it a good experience, and a different experience,” Keech stated.
According to Sports Interactive, the British developer behind the game, 96 percent of its users are male. Keech aims to attract more female players to the franchise while also increasing ticket sales for women”s teams that gamers can manage virtually. The game will also retain its traditional men”s teams when it debuts on November 4. This follows the cancellation of the previous installment, Football Manager 25, which faced delays due to technical issues.
Competitors in the gaming industry have already begun incorporating women”s teams into their formats. For instance, the career mode of EA Sports FC added women”s sides last year, building upon its decade-long inclusion of female football stars in its main gameplay.
The first iteration of the Football Manager franchise was developed in 1982 by Kevin Toms, who initially created simple graphics featuring stick figures. Reflecting on the evolution of the game, Toms noted that back then, women”s football was a much smaller sport, but he believes there is no aspect of football that women cannot excel in. Toms has since revived his original game, now named “Football Star Manager.”
Plans for including women”s teams were announced by Sports Interactive in 2021, with the intention for them to debut in Football Manager 25. However, the delay allowed Keech and her team to adapt to the rapid changes within women”s football, such as Arsenal”s record signing of Canadian forward Olivia Smith for £1 million.
While creating the database for over 36,000 women players, Keech faced challenges such as shorter contract lengths and injury rates that disproportionately affect female athletes. Her international team of approximately 50 scouts is substantial, though still smaller than the team for male players. The development team also conducted new motion capture for women”s players to accurately represent their movements during matches.
Despite some critics arguing that the addition of women”s teams has contributed to delays in the game”s release, others, like Kevin Chapman, a YouTube content creator with a substantial following, note a positive overall response. Chapman indicated a mixed response from the community, with many expressing support while others remained indifferent or opposed. Nevertheless, he reported growing interest in Football Manager, attributing part of that growth to the focus on women”s football.
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