FM26 introduces women’s football for the first time – but can your current setup handle it? Below you’ll find the official Football Manager 26 system requirements, what they actually mean in plain English, and how the new women’s football database affects performance.
💡 Quick answer: if your PC could comfortably run FM24, you’ll almost certainly be fine for FM26 – but it never hurts to check.
Minimum System Requirements
These are the baseline specs officially recommended by Sports Interactive for running Football Manager 26 on Windows or macOS. You’ll be able to play the game, but may need to lower graphics settings or limit active leagues.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit / macOS 12.0+ |
| Processor (CPU) | Intel Core i3 / AMD Ryzen 3 (or equivalent) |
| Memory (RAM) | 4 GB |
| Graphics | Intel Iris / AMD Radeon R7 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 (1GB VRAM) |
| Storage | 7 GB available space |
Tip: The game cares more about CPU speed than GPU power. Football Manager runs tens of thousands of calculations in the background – so processor performance affects simulation speed far more than frame rate.
Recommended System Requirements
If you want smooth processing across multiple leagues, or plan to use the expanded women’s football database, these are the specs to aim for.
| Component | Recommended |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 11 64-bit / macOS 13.0+ |
| Processor (CPU) | Intel Core i5 / AMD Ryzen 5 (quad-core or better) |
| Memory (RAM) | 8 GB+ |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 1050 / AMD Radeon RX 560 (2GB VRAM) |
| Storage | SSD strongly recommended |
Women’s Football & Performance
The new women’s database in FM26 adds over 39,000 players and hundreds of staff, which increases processing load – especially if you manage multiple leagues. On mid-tier laptops, you might notice slightly longer save or simulation times, particularly during international breaks.
For the best experience, consider running:
- 1–2 women’s leagues + 1 men’s league at a time, or
- “View Only” mode for leagues you’re not managing in.
Can My Laptop Run FM26?
Here’s a quick guide to help you estimate performance based on your CPU and GPU class:
| Device Example | Expected Result |
|---|---|
| Intel i7-1165G7 + Iris Xe | ✅ Smooth, 6–8 leagues possible |
| Intel i5-8250U + UHD 620 | ⚠️ Playable, 2–3 leagues |
| Intel i3-6100U + HD 520 | ❌ Struggles even on small databases |
If your laptop is older than 2016 or has under 4 GB RAM, you may need to reduce graphics detail and limit active leagues.
Final Verdict
If your laptop handled FM24 comfortably, you’ll be fine with FM26 – especially with the latest performance optimisations. The Unity engine transition has made match rendering smoother, and CPU load is slightly better balanced across cores.
However, for the full women’s football experience with multiple nations active, consider an SSD and at least 8 GB RAM for the best results.
