Football Manager 2021 is the newest addition to the long-standing football simulation game series, now under SEGA’s umbrella. It has you taking charge of a small club during their humble beginnings and training them to become the world’s leading football team.

Newest in the series

Football Manager is a long series of simulation games that’s been running since 1992. It used to go under the name of Championship Manager, but it got rebranded after a while, and today, people know it as FM. 

Unlike direct match-playing games such as FIFA, this game has you managing clubs and cultivating the talent for the games they’ll play. FM21 is the latest title in this series, playable from desktop or smartphone.

Comprehensive football management

FM21 introduced more playable nations to the mix with the choice of prioritizing either domestic dominance or joining international tournaments. 

Of course, one doesn’t exclude the other. You can dedicate yourself to becoming the best national team before trying your luck abroad.

Furthermore, there are in-depth features for communicating with your team through newly-introduced Quick Chats and Gestures. These functionalities make your management more interactive and comprehensive.

Dynamic gameplay

The gameplay mechanics are comprehensive while remaining reasonably straightforward. After you pick a club from the massive selection, it’s on you to customize the team and make each player a valuable asset on your way to football glory. 

Apart from managing players, you’ll deal with backroom staff to analyze the comprehensive player market. That way, you can purchase new players and include them in the club, boosting their chances of winning championships. 

You’ll also handle your club’s playstyle during the matches. After each one, you get access to stats to make decisions and impact all future games.

Our take

Overall, while FM21 is a well-designed, in-depth management game, it doesn’t bring much novelty to the table. It’s an excellent choice for those who never played the popular series’s previous iterations, though.

Should you download it?

Yes, if you enjoyed Football Manager 2020, want to see some more, and find it affordable. Otherwise, try a popular alternative such as FIFA 21.