17 Jul, 2025
We explore the weirdest leagues in football on Football Manager 26. We explore the league formats, quirks & how to play it on FM26 including download links for any league databases not included in the game!
Sometimes, you just get tired of the same old saves and the same old leagues. We’ve all taken a team from League 2 to the Premier League. We’ve all managed in Spain, Germany, or Italy—or maybe all of them. But what about the WEIRDEST leagues you can manage in? Some are in the base game, others require downloading, but all of them are bizarre. Let’s dive into these strange takes on the beautiful game and how the winner is crowned.
Level: Local league (England)
Quirks: The Isles of Scilly League is the world’s smallest football league, featuring just two teams: Garrison Gunners and Woolpack Wanderers. Every season, they face off against each other around 18-20 times.
This quirky league takes us back to simpler times when teams played home and away in the same stadium. But don’t be fooled, it’s not all fun and games. There are cups to win, and it’s the closest thing to managing an eternal derby. It’s certainly not for the faint-hearted, but if you’re after a bizarrely fun challenge, this is as weird as it gets.
How to play on Football Manager: Download here from the Steam Workshop or check out the FM23 database.
Level: Domestic league (amateur, non-FIFA)
Quirks: Yes, Vatican City has its own football league! With just eight or nine teams, this league features players from various Vatican departments, like the Swiss Guards and the Museum staff. There’s even a Clericus Cup for Rome-based seminaries, where players get a “blue card” instead of a red and spend five minutes in the sin-bin. Though not in the base game, mods bring the Vatican League to FM24. It’s a quirky, low-level competition, but who wouldn’t want to manage a team in the world’s smallest state?
How to play on Football Manager: Download here from the Steam Workshop (look for the Vatican flag).
Level: Top national competition (amateur, non-FIFA)
Quirks: The Greenlandic Championship is a logistical marvel. With no roads between towns and a population spread thinly across vast distances, teams gather once a year for a whirlwind tournament. The season lasts only one week, and all games are packed into this period, often played under the midnight sun. It’s a test of stamina and adaptability, and while Greenland isn’t in the base game, modders have created custom leagues to let you experience this unique competition. If you like short seasons and intense challenges, this is your ultimate test as a manager.
How to play on Football Manager: Download here from the Steam Workshop (search for Greenland, and sort by most downloaded).
Level: Top tier (USA/Canada)
Quirks: Welcome to MLS, where football meets American sports culture in a way that’s as confusing as it is exhilarating. But mostly confusing. The league is split into Eastern and Western Conferences, and instead of a straightforward league title, teams duke it out in a playoff system that leads to the MLS Cup. Oh, and there’s no promotion or relegation here. MLS teams are fixed franchises, meaning it’s a closed league system. And let’s not forget about the SuperDraft, where the worst teams get first pick of college players, adding an extra layer of chaos.In FM24, managing in MLS means dealing with salary caps, trades, drafts, and playoff tournaments instead of the usual league format. Your mission? Try to keep up with the wild draft system while chasing the MLS Cup. It’s a stressful but chaotic challenge, and if you’re into that kind of madness, MLS might be just the league for you.
How to play on Football Manager: It’s included in the base game.
Level: Top tier (Mexico)
Quirks: Liga MX is anything but ordinary. It uses a split-season format, crowning two champions each year: one from the Apertura (July–December) and one from the Clausura (January–May). After the regular season, teams enter the Liguilla (playoffs), where the top 4 teams from each half move directly to the next round, while teams ranked 5-12 have to fight it out in a play-in.But the weirdness doesn’t stop there. Mexico used to have a quirky relegation system called “promedio,” which didn’t rely on a single season’s performance but on a three-year points average. The bottom two teams based on this average got relegated, so a poor team could still survive relegation thanks to a strong historical record.
FM24 brings this system to life, making it a fascinating challenge to juggle multiple seasons while keeping an eye on the relegation battle. Your job? Win both the Apertura and Clausura titles and then face off against the best in the Campeón de Campeones.
How to play on Football Manager: It’s included in the base game.
Level: Top tier (Argentina)
Quirks: Argentina’s league setup is like a Rubik’s Cube wrapped in a riddle. The “promedio” system, which calculates relegation based on a three-year average of points, means that one bad season won’t necessarily doom you. But it also means that a newly promoted team can get relegated if they have a poor historical record. Add to that the league’s ever-changing formats (28-30 teams, round robins, play-off systems), and you’ve got a league as unpredictable as it is thrilling. FM24 captures all this chaos, especially when the format changes mid-season. Managing in Argentina means balancing short-term success with long-term consistency. The three-year average is your true test as a manager. Good luck.
How to play on Football Manager: It’s included in the base game.
Level: Top tier (Uruguay)
Quirks: In Uruguay, the season is split into two halves: the Torneo Apertura and Torneo Clausura. But just when you think it’s all over, there’s the “Torneo Intermedio” – a mid-season competition that adds even more drama. If a team wins either the Apertura or Clausura, they automatically qualify for a final showdown for the title. But if the same team wins both, they’re crowned champions without needing the final.The relegation system uses a two-season average (just like Argentina), and teams must navigate three tournaments in one year, each with its own trophy. It’s a whirlwind of managerial challenges, and one of FM’s most fascinating formats. Be sure to keep track of your multi-tournament schedules while avoiding relegation.
How to play on Football Manager: It’s included in the base game.
Level: Top tier (Belgium)
Quirks: Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League has a playoff system that’s guaranteed to give you a headache. After a 30-game regular season, the league splits into two groups: the Championship Playoff (top 6 teams) and the Europa Playoff (teams 7-12). The twist? All the points from the regular season are halved for the playoffs, which can turn the tables completely.Imagine dominating the season only for your lead to be cut in half. What’s more, the final playoff games are played under a dramatically altered table, where the regular season’s top teams have less of a say in the outcome. It’s a true test of consistency and strategy, and FM24 models it perfectly. If you’re into a league where every point counts, even the ones you’ve already earned, Belgium’s your playground.
How to play on Football Manager: It’s included in the base game.
Level: Top tier (Scotland)
Quirks: Scotland’s Premiership has an odd structure. After 33 games, the league splits into the Top Six and Bottom Six. Here’s the catch: teams can’t move between the halves of the table, so a team in 7th place could finish the season with more points than the team in 6th but still be stuck in the bottom half.It’s a strange system, but it creates a fascinating dynamic where teams that finish strong in the second half of the season can’t always improve their position. Managing in Scotland requires careful planning to ensure your team peaks when the split happens. Whether you’re fighting for European spots or avoiding relegation, you’ve got to adapt.
How to play on Football Manager: It’s included in the base game.
So there you have it… the most bizarre leagues to manage in Football Manager. If you’ve reached the point where the game has started feeling a little too familiar, these weird leagues might just be the spark you need before FM26 rolls around. Enjoy the madness!
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