Women's Football

Women's football, added in Football Manager 26, returns in Football Manager 27 with France's Arkema Première Ligue newly licensed, Swiss-style women's league cups and mixed saves that let one career move between the men's and women's game. FM Scout counts 12 playable women's nations in FM27, up from 11.

1:41 Women's football is back in Football Manager 27 after its debut in Football Manager 26, and the main addition is a license: France's top women's division, the Arkema Première Ligue, is fully licensed with official logos, kits and player photos. FM27 also gives the Women's League Cup in England, France and Japan a Swiss-style format and adds an Asian women's national team coefficient. As in FM26, one save can hold men's and women's leagues together, and a manager can move between the two. In the clip, ZachFM reads SI's announcement of the Arkema Première Ligue license.

Quick facts

Women's playable nations	12 per FM Scout (FM26: 11), as of Oct 27, 2026
New license	Arkema Première Ligue (France)
Licensed women's leagues	WSL, WSL 2, Frauen-Bundesliga, Serie A Women Athora, Arkema Première Ligue, NWSL, WE League, Ninja A-League Women, OBOS Damallsvenskan, Elitettan, A-Liga, Adran Premier
Licensed women's competitions	FIFA Women's World Cup, UEFA Women's Champions League, KvindePokalen
Mixed saves	Yes, men's and women's leagues in one save
Matches between men's and women's teams	No (as in FM26)
Shuffle Draft	Men's or women's players, not both in one event

Sources: Sports Interactive, Oct 28, 2026; FM Scout, Oct 27, 2026; Sports Interactive, Oct 27, 2026; Sports Interactive, 2025.

What is new for women's football in FM27?

Three changes are confirmed by SI as of Nov 1, 2026:

The Arkema Première Ligue, licensed through a new partnership with the French Football Federation. SI notes the league dates from 1975, turned fully professional in 2024 and is home to OL Lyonnes, eight-time winners of the Women's Champions League.
Swiss-style Women's League Cups in England, France and Japan, and an Asian Women's National Team Coefficient system.
Women's teams in Shuffle Draft: the new mode can use men's or women's players, though not in the same event.

FM Scout reports that SI said the 2027 Women's World Cup is in the game and every new feature works in the women's game, so Tactical Effectiveness, Tactical Tweaks and Shouts and the new training apply to women's teams too. FM Scout also counts 12 playable women's nations, one more than FM26, and says the new one is not yet named.

Licensed women's leagues

Country or body	Licensed women's competitions in FM27
England	Barclays Women's Super League, Barclays Women's Super League 2
France	Arkema Première Ligue (new)
Germany	Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga
Italy	Serie A Women Athora
Sweden	OBOS Damallsvenskan, Elitettan
Denmark	A-Liga, KvindePokalen
Wales	Adran Premier
USA	National Women's Soccer League
Japan	WE League
Australia	Ninja A-League Women
UEFA	Women's Champions League
FIFA	FIFA Women's World Cup

Source: Football Manager 27 Licences, Sports Interactive, Oct 28, 2026.

The full list for both games is on Leagues and Licenses.

How women's football worked in FM26

In Football Manager 26, women's football launched with "14 playable leagues across 11 nations and three continents" and more than 36,000 women players plus 5,000 non-players, in a single football world shared with the men's game. A manager could move between the men's and women's game; some newgen staff work only in one, some in both. Men's and women's teams never play each other. SI added that free transfers dominate the women's market and release clauses are far rarer. FM27 builds on that world rather than replacing it, and SI has not announced changes to these rules.

How to start a women's save

21:40 In Football Manager 26, SI described the new game screen this way: choose a men's team, a women's team or start unemployed, then build the save's database from men's leagues, women's leagues or a mix of both. SI has not described FM27's start screen differently. A mixed save keeps both job markets open, so the manager can take a job in either game later. Newcomers can follow Beginner's Guide, and more starting points are on Save Ideas and Challenges. In the clip, lollujo sets up a Launch Preview save with men's and women's leagues loaded together, either of which can be taken off.

Mixed saves on console and mobile

In Football Manager 26, on Console, Touch and Mobile, loading a country's men's and women's leagues counted as two nations toward the save limit. SI has not said whether FM27 Console, FM27 Touch or FM27 Mobile keep that rule, and its platform deep dives had not appeared by Nov 1, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Does FM27 have women's football? Yes. Women's football returns in FM27 after its debut in Football Manager 26, with France's Arkema Première Ligue newly licensed.

What women's leagues are in FM27? FM27's licensed women's leagues include the WSL and WSL 2, Frauen-Bundesliga, Serie A Women Athora, Arkema Première Ligue, NWSL, WE League, Ninja A-League Women, OBOS Damallsvenskan, Elitettan, A-Liga and Adran Premier. FM Scout counts 12 playable women's nations.

Can you have mixed saves in FM27? Yes. As in Football Manager 26, an FM27 save can load men's and women's leagues together, and a manager can move between the two.

Can men's and women's teams play each other in FM27? No. In Football Manager 26 matches between men's and women's teams were not possible, and SI has announced no change for FM27.

Is the Arkema Première Ligue licensed in FM27? Yes. Sports Interactive announced on Oct 19, 2026 that the Arkema Première Ligue is fully licensed in FM27, with official logos, kits and player photos.

Can I use women's players in FM27 Shuffle Draft? Yes. FM27's Shuffle Draft can use men's or women's players, though not both in the same event.