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Aion 2
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Slay the Spire 2Save Ideas and Challenges
The classic FM27 challenges are Journeyman (a new club and country every season), Youth to Gold and Academy Only (young or homegrown players only), No Badges (start unemployed with nothing), lower league to glory and fallen giant rebuilds. FM27 adds Saudi and French women's saves with two newly licensed leagues.
The best-known Football Manager 27 challenges are Journeyman (change club every season and never work in the same country twice), Youth to Gold (sign only players aged 19 or under and win the Champions League), Academy Only (no signings at all), No Badges (start unemployed with no coaching qualifications) and lower league to glory, all in FM Scout's 101 Football Manager 2027 Challenges, published in Sep 2026. Challenges are rules players set themselves: FM27 does not enforce them, so you keep to them on your honor. New for FM27 are saves in two newly licensed leagues, the ROSHN Saudi League and France's Arkema Première Ligue. For clubs rather than rules, see Best Teams to Manage.
Quick facts
| FM Scout's list | 101 challenges in 8 groups (Sep 2026) |
| Its groups | Not Your Choice, Your Own Rules, Follow the Script, Styles of Play, Win Everything, Bring Friends, Country Before Club, Football Now |
| Enforced by the game | No: players set their own rules |
| New in FM27 | Saudi Arabia playable; Arkema Première Ligue licensed |
| Nations to choose from | 59 men's, 12 women's |
| Multiplayer twist | Shuffle Draft, 2 to 32 managers |
Sources: FM Scout; SI on the Saudi league; SI's setup guide; SI on Shuffle Draft.
Journeyman
The Journeyman challenge, as FM Scout writes it, asks you to change club every season, never work in the same country twice, and leave even when you are top of the league. It suits a save with many nations loaded, which slows the game: SI's advice is to watch the Estimated Game Speed indicator as you add leagues (How Long Does a Season Take). FM27's 59 men's nations and 12 women's nations give a Journeyman plenty of stops, and one career can move between men's and women's football, as it could in Football Manager 26.
Youth only and Academy Only
FM Scout's Youth to Gold has you sign only players aged 19 or under and win the Champions League, with a harder version that bans anyone over 21 from playing. Academy Only goes further: no transfers in at all, not even free agents or loans. Both lean on FM27's youth tools: SI says to start with the Youth Setup Overview and your Under-23 and Under-19 squads, and the annual Youth Intake arrives later in the season. FM27 also makes young players weigh game time more heavily when choosing a club. See Youth Development and Newgens, How to Develop Youth Players and Wonderkids.
No Badges and unemployed starts
FM Scout's No Badges challenge: start with no coaching badges and unemployed, and take whatever job you are offered. FM27 lets you start unemployed and see where things take you, and FM Scout reports that an unemployed manager can view the player database and make a shortlist again. How to land a first job is on How to Get a Job Without Coaching Badges.
Lower league to glory
Taking a semi-professional club to the top is the oldest save of all. In FM27, SI's own picks include Stranraer in Scottish League Two, and Passion4FM's FM27 lower league ideas include TSV 1860 München, Oldham Athletic and Folkestone Invicta. FM27's Tactical Effectiveness matters here: SI says lower-division squads may struggle with complex plans, so start simple. FM27's returning Cup Draws let lower-league managers follow the draw hoping for a big team.
Fallen giant and rebuild
Restore a big club that has fallen. FM Scout's 10 Clubs to Rebuild in FM27 starts with Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday in League One; Passion4FM's fallen giants list has 16 clubs, from 1. FC Kaiserslautern to Rosenborg. FM Scout's Clean Hands challenge is a rebuild with a handicap: Southampton, starting every points count at -4.
Nation rebuild and international saves
FM Scout's Country Before Club group covers national-team saves. FM27 adds training plans for your international team during a camp, a feature SI says came from community feedback, and the FIFA World Cup and Women's World Cup are licensed. Taking a small nation to a World Cup, or rebuilding a fallen one, works as a save of its own or alongside a club job. See International Management.
Win Everything challenges
For managers who find the game easy, FM Scout lists Invincibles (a league season unbeaten), Five Continents (the top continental club trophy on all five continents) and Grand Slam (the league in all five major European countries). Its Last Dance challenge bans signing anyone under 33, and Spend No Money bans transfer fees. The Tiki-Taka challenge asks for at least 65% average possession for five seasons.
New in FM27: Saudi and women's saves
Saudi Arabia is playable for the first time in FM27, with all 18 ROSHN Saudi League clubs fully licensed. SEGA's Richard Trafford calls the league "a long-requested addition." A Saudi save means a wealthy league with star signings; no editor's challenge for it had been published as of Nov 1, 2026. In the clip FM Scout, saying the league is not yet confirmed, spots its badges in SI's gameplay preview.
The women's game grows too. FM27 licenses the Arkema Première Ligue, France's top women's league, and SI picked London City Lionesses, Crystal Palace Women and BK Häcken among its eight FM27 saves. FIFA's rule that women's teams in its competitions need at least two female backroom staff is in the game. See Women's Football.
With friends
FM Scout's Bring Friends group covers shared saves. FM27's online options are Online Career and the new Shuffle Draft, where 2 to 32 managers draft squads from a shared pool, including Wonderkids, Veterans and Lower League Legends presets. In the clip Omega Luke and his dad draft from the world's best player pool in the Launch Preview.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Journeyman challenge in FM27? In FM27's Journeyman challenge you change club every season, never work in the same country twice, and leave even if you are top of the league. FM Scout lists it among its 101 FM27 challenges.
What is the youth only challenge in FM27? FM Scout's Youth to Gold challenge for FM27 allows signing only players aged 19 or under and aims to win the Champions League. Academy Only is stricter: no transfers in at all.
Can I start unemployed in FM27? Yes. FM27 lets you start unemployed instead of picking a club, and FM Scout reports that an unemployed FM27 manager can view the player database and make a shortlist.
What is new for save ideas in FM27? FM27 makes Saudi Arabia playable for the first time, with all 18 ROSHN Saudi League clubs licensed, and licenses France's Arkema Première Ligue for women's saves.
Does FM27 have a built-in challenge mode? No built-in challenge mode for FM27 has been announced as of Nov 1, 2026. FM27 challenges are rules players set themselves, and the game does not enforce them.
Sources
- 101 Football Manager 2027 Challenges (FM27), FM Scout, Sep 2026
- 10 Clubs to Rebuild in Football Manager 2027, FM Scout (Stam), Sep 15, 2026
- FM27 New Features Guide, FM Scout (Stam), Oct 27, 2026
- The Best Football Manager 27 Lower League Challenges, Passion4FM, Sep 16, 2026
- FM27 Best Fallen Giants on Football Manager 27, Passion4FM, Aug 14, 2026
- 8 Teams to Manage in FM27, Sports Interactive, Oct 29, 2026
- Top Tips for Starting Your First FM27 Save, Sports Interactive, Oct 30, 2026
- Maximising Your First Hours on FM27, Sports Interactive (Paul Madden), Oct 29, 2026
- Roshn Saudi League makes debut in FM27, Sports Interactive, Oct 27, 2026
- Arkema Première Ligue fully licensed in Football Manager 27, Sports Interactive, Oct 19, 2026
- Football Manager 27 Licences, Sports Interactive, Oct 28, 2026
- FM27: A Deeper, More Immersive Football World, Sports Interactive, Sep 25, 2026
- FM27: Training & Tactical Effectiveness, Sports Interactive, Oct 9, 2026
- FM27: 2D Match Engine, In-Game Editor and Deeper World Upgrades, Sports Interactive, Oct 16, 2026
- FM27: Shuffle Draft, Sports Interactive, Oct 27, 2026
- Introducing Women's Football, Sports Interactive, 2025
- Beginner’s Guide to FOOTBALL MANAGER 27 - Start Your FM27 Save the Right Way!, lollujo, Oct 31, 2026 (video)
- Training and Tactical Effectiveness | FM27 Feature Deep Dive, Football Manager, Oct 9, 2026 (video)
- Everything You NEED To Know About FM27, FM Scout, Oct 27, 2026 (video)
- We Try FM27 New Draft Mode!, Omega Luke, Nov 1, 2026 (video)
Moments
Beginner’s Guide to FOOTBALL MANAGER 27 - Start Your FM27 Save the Right Way!
lollujo
Training and Tactical Effectiveness | FM27 Feature Deep Dive
Football Manager
Everything You NEED To Know About FM27
FM Scout
We Try FM27 New Draft Mode!
Omega Luke
Related
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How to Get a Job Without Coaching BadgesIn FM27 you can start unemployed with no coaching badges and little experience, then apply for vacancies at clubs your low reputation can reach, usually in lower or smaller leagues, and climb from there. Your Manager Profile's badges and experience set your starting reputation.
- AchievementsFM27 supports Steam Achievements and Xbox Achievements, but no list or count had been published as of Nov 1, 2026; Steam's achievements page for the game was still empty. Football Manager 26 has 44 Steam achievements.
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Data HubFM27's Data Hub shows eight per-90 stats in more detail (xG, non-penalty xG, xA, dribbles and more), splits passes into short, medium and long with success rates, counts fouls among defensive actions, and brings back Pass Maps, Heat Maps and Action Zones.
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Editors and ModsFM27 has a redesigned, full-screen In-Game Editor, which SI calls an additional tool on Steam and Epic from the Nov 10, 2026 release, and a Pre-Game Editor due at release; its price was not published as of Nov 1, 2026. SI says skinning and modding are unchanged from FM26, still without official support.
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See also
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Best Teams to ManageSports Interactive's own FM27 picks are Coventry City, London City Lionesses, Leicester City, Crystal Palace Women, Suwon Samsung Bluewings, Bristol City, Stranraer and BK Häcken; FM Scout and Passion4FM add rebuilds such as Sheffield Wednesday, Werder Bremen, Sevilla and Torino. The lists predate the Nov 10, 2026 release.
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Shuffle DraftShuffle Draft is FM27's new multiplayer mode, made with FIFAe as a reimagining of Fantasy Draft, for 2 to 32 managers in public or private lobbies or offline against AI. Managers draft from sets of 20 players that pass round the lobby, then play a Knockout Cup, Group + Knockout or League.
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How Long Does a Season TakeNo measured hours-per-season figure for FM27 has been published by Sports Interactive or the press as of Nov 1, 2026; it depends on how many leagues you load, how much of each match you watch, how often the game stops and your PC. Continue Flow, delegation and fewer leagues make FM27 seasons faster.
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Youth Development and NewgensIn FM27 young players weigh game time more when choosing a club, newgens get more distinct faces, senior training now centers on match preparation while individual training stays, and the Youth Intake still arrives later in the season; SI has not described changes to academies or intakes themselves.
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How to Develop Youth PlayersTo develop young players in FM27, give them real minutes (FM27's young players value game time more), set individual training for attributes, traits and positions, loan them to clubs where they will play, and invest in youth facilities. FM27's senior training now prepares for matches, so individual training does the developing.
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WonderkidsThe best FM27 wonderkids in the Launch Preview database are led by Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), then Max Dowman (Arsenal), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Estêvão (Chelsea), Luca Williams-Barnett (Spurs) and Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid), per FM Scout's provisional list. The lists are not final until Football Manager 27 is released on Nov 10, 2026.