Football Manager 2027 Review – Tactically Effective and Getting Better

Football Manager 2027

10th November, 2026

Platform

PC (Windows and macOS), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X

Publisher

SEGA

Developer

Sports Interactive

It's been a while since I've reviewed a Football Manager release outright. To be precise, the last time I reviewed a Football Manager game was the 2022 iteration, which was absolutely fantastic. Since then, my time with the series has faltered a little. I've played them, but not as much, and Sports Interactive themselves stumbled with the cancellation of FM25 and the poor reception of FM26.

What a difference a year makes, though. One year on, we have Football Manager 2027, and a question many will have had is whether the creases have been ironed out and just how well it looks and plays compared to the previous version. Needless to say, Sports Interactive and SEGA were certainly confident, opening the game up entirely for free for five days prior to launch, and I would argue that confidence comes with a fair bit of merit.

I'm going to start by talking about some of the problems that still hang over the game from last year's move to Unity - which most people still haven't understood was a complete and utter rebuild of the game, not just an iteration change as with previous releases. Some features missing last year have returned to the game, but others remain absent. One of them, arguably my favourite in-match analytic option, is the average position of your players. I'm going to massively commend the tactics options later in this review, but the average positions feel like the missing piece of the puzzle in that area.

Other aspects still missing for those who were playing pre-engine-change are such as staff attributes showing as a general word, the sidebar - it's still at the top, social media, and an end-of-season review, to name a few. I'm not sure I would argue these are essential, or that I'm missing much beyond the staff attributes. I'm going to argue that it makes sense for your scouts or coaches to give a player that number as a rating, whereas with staff it's more of a generalisation about whether they're crap or great at a particular thing, since you don't scout them.

I'll stick to negatives for now and mention that I've had a few bugs and crashes here and there. Some players make decisions that no human with a functioning brain would make, too. I still found navigating the myriad menus a little much, though it is better than last year's version. Still, for the vast majority of the time, Football Manager 2027 feels like a good return to form.

The Interface is probably the most obvious example of this, even if it isn't as good as it could be, as mentioned above. FM26 was a little too much like treacle. It was thick and sticky, and while Football Manager 2027 is still a little thick, I'm finding it a lot smoother. Indeed, the engine change also led to a quicker game last year, and something that has carried over and seemingly improved here. The simulation between games is impressively fast, where I can have more leagues - and 3x more players - than I was ever able to in previous iterations.

Where Football Manager 2027 really shines, though, is tactics. FM26 introduced the separate in and out-of-possession formations and tactics, and FM27 really pushes this to the next level with the brand new tactical effectiveness system. This system incorporates your players' understanding of your tactics, their abilities, and how much they personally buy into them. You've also got to factor in how much match preparation you've done in training and, more generally, how complex your tactical system is.

Where this really shines is in the nuances of tactics, with this version feeling like the most responsive it's ever been in the series, and your changes - even something small - can make a noticeable difference. I'm always AFC Telford, or at least I will be while they're in the bottom tier, and part-way through my current 40+ hour game, I hit a terrible dry spell. I was dominating possession, but was struggling to convert chances. I was also weak on the counter-attack, conceding far more than I should have been.

I made a few tactical changes. Moved my left and right defenders from inside wing-backs to outright wing-backs, giving me extra width. I increased creative freedom to a balanced level and made it so that shooting was mixed, instead of waiting until the last. Also, when out of possession, I switched my attacking wingers to tracking wingers, having them pull back to provide cover. Just to keep something up front, I made it so my centre-forward wasn't tracking back. The aim was simple: add width, add cover, and start to shoot more.

It worked. Took two games to bed in, but we started getting back to wins, instead of interminable draws and a few losses. My team aren't suddenly world-beaters, probably now on the level of a strong League Two side, or Manchester United, but the tactical system gave us that ability. I could see what was wrong, make adjustments that made sense, and they were actually reflected in the game. It's by far the shining light of Football Manager 2027, though it still makes me miss the average position dataset, since I'd be able to see how the changes work visually.

Training is another area where your choices matter. Now, I'm still more of a hands-off manager when it comes to training, mostly because the time I have available for micromanaging has disappeared due to old age, work, cats, and life, but I have found myself taking a little more control here. You get to focus on broader areas and get that match preparation in, while still getting into personal training and developing individuals. This, alongside the tactics, makes the game feel as if you have personal control and that your decisions do matter.

The match engine improvements also help with this. The game looks a bit more natural, and you can actually distinguish between players. It is still prone to a few mess-ups, but they are fewer and further between, and while it will never rival your FIFA, it doesn't need to. What you want is something that can show the players, and you can spot where there are issues, and see where your changes have made an impact - positive or negative.

Other small things that add to the broader picture include the return of cup draws and Transfer Deadline Day, as well as improvements in the wider football world through the news system and competitions. These returns aren't revolutionary, but they are all welcome improvements from last year, and FM has always worked best when you have that personal involvement in your squad and the world it inhabits.

The major question is whether Football Manager 2027 is worth playing and whether it's an improvement over the previous iteration. I would say a yes to both of those questions, and a resounding yes on the latter. There are still some bugs and features that those used to FM24 will miss, and the interface is better but could still do with a few small improvements. The big takeaway is that you have to think now more than ever before, and while that can be a scary prospect, it's not a bad thing.

PC version reviewed. Copy provided by the publisher.

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Football Manager 2027 marks a strong return to previous highs, following the stumbles last year, with the standout feature being the impressive and engaging changes to the tactics system, enhanced by greater control and noticeable feedback. Fans of the series should, and will, enjoy it, and it will make a good move forward for those who have been sticking with FM24.

- Excellent tactical depth, with even small changes making a difference.

- A smoother, more accessible interface than last year's release.

- Training feels more meaningful, with greater control over team development.

- Improved match engine makes tactical decisions easier to see.

Pros

- Several useful features from older Football Manager games remain missing.

- Occasional bugs, crashes and baffling player decisions still frustrate.

- The interface still requires too much navigation in places.

Cons

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