The Lessons Learned From 'Everyday Tactician' to Promote Football Manager 26

Football Manager (FM) isn’t just a fun game for fans of the sport to play in brief spells - it’s a way of life. The 2024 edition became a global phenomenon, drawing in more than 7 million players. After a two‑year wait, the follow‑up faced huge expectations, not only to match the series’ gaming success but to deliver on the marketing front too.

FM24’s campaign ‘The Everyday Tactician’ proved a winner. Created by McCann London, it transformed its users strongly held belief in their managerial skills into reality by recruiting a real-life tactician for Bromley FC, documented in a three-part series.

The campaign bridged virtual and real football, boosted engagement and Game Pass users for FM24, showcasing the practical application of gaming skills in professional sports.

Helping the title to achieve a record number of players in the series’ history, the campaign would also win numerous creative awards, including at Cannes Lions and D&AD.

Following it up was always going to be a steep challenge for Sports Interactive, and yet it did just that at the end of 2025 with ‘Missing Managers’, which focused on how gaming could support the aspirations of women football managers too.

Once again created by McCann London, the campaign highlighted that FM26 was the first to integrate the women’s game into the franchise while working to address that imbalance, transforming in-game success into tangible real-world managerial opportunities. 

Female players were invited to prove their skills by completing an in-game challenge. Successful applicants qualify for fully-funded professional coaching courses delivered in partnership with The Powerhouse Project, gaining real UEFA qualifications and top-level work experience at Barclays Women’s Super League clubs. 

Discussing the development of the campaign is Rob Cottingham, senior content & PR manager at Sports Interactive.

What did you learn from 'The Everyday Tactician' that informed this latest work?

For us, 'The Everyday Tactician' validated how the skills developed in Football Manager can translate into the real world. Seeing a player of FM make real contributions as an analyst to a promotion-winning season at Bromley FC demonstrates the knowledge derived from the game translates to the professional world, and vice versa. 

The 'Everyday Tactician' showed us that audiences respond most strongly to experiences that feel authentic and purpose-driven. This understanding helped shape our approach to 'Missing Managers'. With women’s football arriving in FM26, there was a clear opportunity to support something that creates a meaningful, lasting impact on the game.  

Instead of focusing on a single moment, the 'Missing Managers' pathway was designed to help open doors to coaching for many more people. By embedding this directly into the FM experience, the aim is to better connect the virtual and real worlds of football in a way that reflects the ambition, skill and dedication of our players. 

How does the arrival of women managers evolve the Football Manager brand and expand its audience? 

The introduction of women’s football in FM26 represents a huge evolution in the series. Football Manager has always been judged on its realism and depth and so it’s now taken a significant step forward in terms of football authenticity. The new women’s database contains more than 36,000 players and 5,000 staff across 14 playable leagues in 11 nations. Authentic rules, league structures, finances and a motion captured matchday experience combine to ensure the game truly reflects the women’s game.  

By taking these steps, Football Manager hopes to broaden the audience further to fans of the women’s game, as well as deepen the experience for existing players with new leagues, teams and tactical challenges to explore. This integration strengthens the brand because Football Manager now better represents the full world of football, providing greater depth, authenticity and opportunity for everyone. 

How will this expansion be marketed across media and touchpoints? 

The Xbox & Sky Sports 'Missing Managers' programme is being delivered through a fully-connected campaign across broadcast, social media, community channels and in-game touchpoints. As the entry point to the competition, Xbox plays a key role in amplifying the campaign via its owned channels, including streams and digital media. Sky Sports is extending earned coverage and social support, highlighting the lack of representation in coaching and featuring leading voices from the women’s game.

A dedicated Football Manager hub will provide all the information required for aspiring managers. In addition, in-person events hosted in partnership with The Powerhouse Project will offer hands-on coaching tips and experience.

We’ve also developed a series of short-form social films - hosted by ex-pro and Powerhouse Project co-founder, Mollie Kmita. Mollie hosts interviews with famous faces from the world of football, uncovering what it takes to be a successful football manager.

Throughout the campaign, ongoing content capture will document the experiences of the successful 'Missing Managers' - following their progression at The Powerhouse Project, and observing their work experience at real WSL clubs.

Why was this the right moment to introduce the women’s game and is it overdue? 

Women’s football has been growing rapidly, with increasing attendances, broadcast deals and major investment. Arguably, Football Manager was behind the curve in terms of integrating the women's database into the game - however, we knew we needed to do it right. That's why we spent time crafting a database that truly represents the women's game in as much detail as the FM audience has come to expect. This is also why the partnership between FM26 and Sky Sports was so important for this campaign - bringing the UK's largest broadcaster of female football to the project means we could reach more women with this opportunity.

However, we knew when we did it that it needed to be done right, and so it’s been a journey to ensure we realised our ambition, creating a fully-realised ecosystem rather than a simple feature.

Football Manager enables players to explore football like nothing else can, and so with the growth of the women’s game it was undoubtedly overdue. We’re really pleased with how that’s come to life but, as we previously said, this is only the beginning. Marketing 'Missing Managers' alongside this integration gives purpose to the launch and channels the energy and anticipation from the community into pathways that extend beyond the game.

Why is McCann such a strong partner for Xbox and Football Manager? 

McCann has a strong understanding of the cultural themes surrounding Football Manager and Xbox, and how campaigns can connect meaningful insight with real‑world action. Their work on 'Everyday Tactician' showed how in‑game skills can translate into real football environments, and 'Missing Managers' demonstrated a continued commitment to telling purposeful stories.

Importantly, McCann recognises the significance of the women’s game and the need for authentic representation. Their approach supports programmes with impact beyond launch moments and aligns with Football Manager’s long‑standing focus on realism, depth and genuine connection to the sport.