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The worldwide release of Football Manager 26 lands today (4 November), giving fans the chance to finally access new features including overhauled graphics, official Premier League licence, the FIFA World Cup and the women’s game. Those who couldn’t wait for the official release were able to get their hands on the beta version of the game on Steam and Epic (only available on PC), two weeks ahead of the official release date. However, if you didn’t get a chance to jump on the early release, or were holding out for the console version, the wait is almost over with the game launching on PC, PS5 and Xbox tonight. Here’s everything you need about the official release of the legendary football management sim. Football Manager 26 officially launches on 4 November 2025. According to the Playstation Store and Steam websites, the game will be available to buy from 4pm. Meanwhile, Xbox hasn’t confirmed its official release time, but we’re predicting it’ll be the same as its gaming counterparts. If you’re an Xbox game pass member, which costs £22.99 a month, Football Manager 26 will be included as one of the 400+ games available to play. You can take a look at the upgraded game engine and more in the latest Football Manager 26 match day trailer. The biggest change is the long-awaited move to the Unity game engine. The entire user interface and match-day experience have been overhauled, lavishing matches with way more graphical detail than in previous games. On the licensing front, the big news is the inclusion of the official Premier League license for the first time, meaning all 20 teams will have their official kits, logos and player photos. Football Manager 26 will finally introduce the women’s game, too. Sports Interactive has confirmed that the official Barclays Women’s Super League will be fully licensed and included at launch, meaning you’ll be able to take charge of your favourite WSL team and lead them to glory. The licensing fun doesn’t stop there, as FM26 secures the official FIFA license for the first time. This means that major international competitions, most notably the World Cup, will finally be fully branded with their official names and formats. This is part of a larger overhaul of how managing a national team works and feels, making it a much more immersive and authentic experience. From today, the full, traditional game will be available on PC, when purchased through Steam. A console-optimised version is also available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, while Touch 26 is set to be released on Nintendo Switch consoles, tablets and mobile soon. There’s also a dedicated mobile game that requires a Netflix subscription to play. Looking for more gaming inspiration? Read our round-up of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games right now
