Our favourite Football Manager 27 save ideas use what is new this year: a Roshn Saudi League underdog in the newly licensed league, the Work Rate 15 rule an SI developer plays by himself, a fake-player universe where nobody has a blueprint, and an academy-only run. For something traditional, Sports Interactive’s own suggestions, such as taking Stranraer to the Scottish top flight or Bristol City to their first Premier League season, make great long-term projects.
Below are twelve save ideas and challenges for Football Manager 27, each with the setup choice or rule that makes it work. Every feature and club detail is from Sports Interactive; the challenge ideas are ours. If you would rather just pick a strong club, our best teams to manage covers Brighton, OL Lyonnes, cup-run sides, Chile and Peru, and the unemployed start.
Saves Built on What Is New in FM27
1. Take on the giants in the Roshn Saudi League. The Roshn Saudi League debuts in FM27 with all 18 clubs licensed, taking FM27 to 59 playable nations. SI says the league features Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Ivan Toney and others, with managers such as Simone Inzaghi and Brendan Rodgers. Take a smaller club and try to break the big spenders’ grip.
2. The Work Rate 15 rule. SI developer Antony Farley told FourFourTwo, “I’ve got a rule for myself that I won’t sign a player with a work rate under 15.” He says it “very often starts me looking in the Championship for gems who are going to run through walls for me.” Apply it at any club and recruitment turns into a scouting puzzle.
3. The complex-tactic underdog. FM27’s Tactical Complexity means simple tactics work quickly but top out, while complex ones start slowly but have a higher ceiling. Take a lower-league side and commit to a demanding tactic from day one. Expect a rough first season; the challenge is surviving it. Our FM27 tactics guide explains how the system works.
4. Shuffle Draft as a quick-fire save. FM27’s new Shuffle Draft mode works offline with AI teams filling the slots. Build a draft pool from presets such as “Wonderkids,” “Veterans” or “World’s Best,” pick a squad of 14 to 20 players, and play a knockout cup, groups and knockouts, or a league of up to 20 teams. It is the fastest way to test a tactic.
Long-Term Projects From SI’s Own Picks
Sports Interactive’s 8 Teams to Manage in FM27 is full of ready-made stories:
5. Stranraer to the top flight. SI notes the club is approaching its 160th anniversary and “never played in Scottish football’s top flight.” You start in Scottish League Two. Get them there before the birthday.
6. Bristol’s first Premier League club. SI calls Bristol “England’s largest city to have never had a Premier League club.” Bristol City start in the Championship, where FM27 has expanded play-offs giving six teams a shot at the final promotion place.
7. Rebuild a fallen champion. Leicester City start in League One after successive relegations, ten years after their Premier League title. SI’s brief: promotion first, then the climb back to the top.
8. A women’s football title charge. London City Lionesses, the first independent club in the Barclays WSL, signed Alexia Putellas and Mary Earps over the summer, per SI. Turn them into champions. FM27 has 12 playable women’s nations if you want to go further afield.
Challenges You Set Up Yourself
9. The fake-player universe. In Advanced Setup, tick “Use Fake Players and Staff” and no real names are used at all. Nobody knows the wonderkids or the bargains, which makes it the purest scouting save in the game. SI notes this, like the other advanced settings, cannot be changed once the save exists.
10. Academy only. No senior signings, ever: every first-team player must come through your youth system. Start by checking the Youth Setup Overview and the NXGN 50 list, and pick a club with strong youth facilities on the Club Profile screen.
11. Free transfers only. No transfer fees allowed. Use the Player Database’s Quick Filters to find free agents and players near the end of their contracts. Our FM27 free agents guide lists who is unattached at the start.
12. International management. FM27 lets you create training plans with a national team during international camps, so a national-team save has more to do between fixtures. Take a smaller nation and try to qualify for a major tournament.
Setup Tips for Any FM27 Save
- Choose your transfer mode. “Original” applies every real transfer, “Real World” makes them on their real dates, and “Your World” freezes data at the start of the 2026/27 season with no further real transfers.
- Decide on Quick Start or Advanced Setup. Quick Start builds the world around your club; Advanced Setup lets you pick nations, database size and transfer windows, with an Estimated Game Speed indicator to keep it fast.
- Set your auto-save. SI recommends checking your save frequency in Preferences early, so a crash never costs you a season.
- Tick the In-Game Editor option now if you might want it. It is an advanced setting chosen when you create the save.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good first save in FM27? A club with a clear story and a manageable target. Sports Interactive suggests Coventry City, newly promoted to the Premier League, and Leicester City in League One among its picks.
What leagues are new in FM27? The Roshn Saudi League and the Arkema Première Ligue are newly licensed, and SI says new competitions have been added in Chile and Peru.
How many nations can you play in FM27? 59 men’s nations and 12 women’s nations, according to Sports Interactive.
Can you play FM27 with fake players? Yes. Tick “Use Fake Players and Staff” in Advanced Setup. It cannot be changed after the save is created.
Can you manage a national team in FM27? Yes, and FM27 adds training plans for international camps.
Do Launch Preview saves carry over to the full game? Yes. Sports Interactive says careers started in the Launch Preview continue into the full release; see our Launch Preview guide.