FM26 and the 2026/27 season
Football Manager 26 starts in the 2025/26 season. If you want to manage this season's squads, here are your options.
Don't wait for FM27: Gaffa already has 2026/27 squads and updated player ratings. Free, no download, and it plays with no signal. Play Gaffa · FM27: what we know · Free football draft games
FM26's database starts in 2025/26, so its squads and ratings don't show the summer 2026 transfer window. For this season's squads, you can wait for the next Football Manager, use a community data update, or play Gaffa free, which already has 2026/27 squads and updated player ratings.
Why FM26 feels out of date now
Every Football Manager release launches with the database for the season it comes out in. FM26 came out for 2025/26, so a new save starts in summer 2025, before the 2026 World Cup and the transfers that followed. Players who have moved, broken through or declined since then still look the way they did a year ago.
Ways to play with 2026/27 squads
| Option | Cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Wait for the next Football Manager | Full price | An official new database, when it releases |
| Community data updates for FM26 | Usually free | Fan-made squad files. Quality and coverage vary, so check the source |
| Gaffa | Free | 2026/27 squads and updated player ratings across 28 leagues, in the browser |
Gaffa: the 2026/27 season, free
Gaffa is a free football manager built around this season: 492 real clubs in 28 leagues, 2026/27 squads and updated player ratings. It runs in any browser, needs no account, and keeps working with no signal. See the best teams to manage in 2026/27 to pick your club.
Common questions
Does FM26 have 2026/27 squads?
FM26 starts in the 2025/26 season, so its built-in squads come from before the summer 2026 transfer window.
Is there a free football manager with 2026/27 squads?
Yes. Gaffa is free, runs in the browser and has 2026/27 squads and updated player ratings for 28 leagues.
Play the 2026/27 season free
Gaffa has this season's squads and updated player ratings across 28 leagues. Free, no download, no account, and it keeps working with no signal.
Football Manager 2026/27 hub → · Football Manager 26 explained → · Best teams to manage 2026/27 →