admin Verdict
In its current state, Football Manager 26 Touch is difficult to play, as I experienced countless UI issues and more crashes than you’d expect from an Apple Arcade launch. The improved visuals are a great touch, but this game’s bread and butter is how well its menus work, and at the time of writing, I can’t help but feel disappointed.
After a break in 2025, Football Manager 26 Touch is back. For those who don’t know, this is a slightly pared-down version of Sports Interactive’s iconic football management sim for Apple Arcade and the Nintendo Switch. It doesn’t quite offer the depth of the full-fat version, but it’s a great way for fans of the beautiful game to test whether they really have the tactical nous to compete with legends such as Pep Guardiola, Hansi Flick, and the other managerial beasts of the footballing world. Spoiler: I do not.
I have to slightly caveat this review by saying that FM26 Touch is for a certain type of gamer, and if you didn’t enjoy the endless menus and decision-making from previous games, you probably won’t now. This is, after all, a management simulator, so there’s no EA FC-style soccer gameplay, but you have control over almost every element, both on and off the pitch, from transfers to set-piece routines. Simply put, it’s a game for soccer fanatics and those keeping track of xG, and if that’s not you, you’ll likely find the game a touch overwhelming.
On loading up FM26 Touch for the first time, you can start a new career or import your FM24 Touch progress, but to keep things fresh, I started from scratch. Here’s where you might notice one of the big differences from previous versions, as women’s football is much better represented, including women’s leagues from all around the world. That means you’ve got even more choices to pick from, but I’m always going to have to opt for my beloved, and beleaguered, West Bromwich Albion. Still, it’s nice to have even more options, and, of course, it’s another win for inclusivity.
So, FM26 Touch sounds pretty good so far? Right? Well, unfortunately, things are about to take a turn. The UI is, in my experience, a bit of a mess. Often, I’d find the game not reacting to my taps, even after poking the screen multiple times. In one instance, during a game, I somehow managed to open my manager’s inbox, and from that point on, I couldn’t escape the menu until the final whistle. Sadly, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The most irritating issue is substitutions, which are anything but intuitive. To access your subs, you first need to go to your tactical menu and select the player you’d like to replace. However, the game doesn’t indicate who on your bench plays in the same position. If you’re still getting used to your team, it’s wildly frustrating to have to click on every individual profile to find a backup attacking midfielder. Even once you’ve found a suitable player, you, for some reason, have to go to your messages to confirm the swap, which is how I got stuck in my inbox, as I referred to earlier. This is just one short story describing my frustrations with the UI, but I’ve got more than I’d like.
I really didn’t imagine I’d have to broach ‘playability’ in this review, but on the back of my experience, I’m going to have to. FM26 Touch is playable, just about. It’s irritating, and honestly, I think I’d take continuing on in FM24 over the glossy graphics if it means that the game is going to register my inputs. Honestly, I hate to say it, as, given how much of a soccer fan I am, I wanted to love it, but loving it is hard right now.
To cut Sports Interactive some slack, I’ll say that the in-game visuals, as in the simulated matches, do indeed look a lot better than in previous versions, thanks to some hard work from Sports Interactive to implement the Unity game engine. This is the part of the game that I felt needed the most work, which is an opinion I shared with a large swathe of the community, so it’s nice to see the developer is listening. Not every manager character model is a winner, and I’d run from some if I saw them approaching me in a dark alley, but you’re free to customize at will to try and make your in-game avatar look as much like a real person as possible.
In terms of performance, I’ve already pointed out my issues with the UI, but I also experienced a few crashes during my hours of play. I’ll admit that the iPhone I’m using is now four years old, so I’m willing to give the game the benefit of the doubt, but for an Apple Arcade launch, I don’t think it’s good enough. I’ve also loaded the game up on my iPad, and it feels a little more at home there, but the issues with the game responding to my taps, as well as crashes, are still annoyingly prevalent. I will say the bugs aren’t quite as prevalent as they were pre-launch, but they’re still there, and bugs are only really half of the problem.
So, all in all, I can’t recommend checking out Football Manager 26 Touch as it stands. Of course, this is a mobile game, so there’s plenty of scope for Sports Interactive to sharpen up the UI and fix the issues with the game not responding to inputs. If the developer can do that, it’ll have a great game on its hands, as the visuals are exactly what I was hoping for. Until then, I’ll have to see if my local Sunday league team is looking for a new coach to get my managerial fix.
There you have it, our Football Manager 26 Touch review. If you want to try the game for yourself, it’s now available via the Apple Arcade games library, or you can wait until it arrives on Nintendo Switch on December 4. Or, if you’re looking for something else to play, check out our guides to the best Switch games and the best mobile games while you’re here.
