Football Manager 2020

Football Manager 2020 is Sports Interactive's annual deep-dive into the simulation of managing a real football club, with the year's headline additions centered on long-term planning rather than match-day flash. The Club Vision system extends beyond simple board expectations: cultures and multi-year objectives have to be shaped in cooperation with directors, and the same vision feeds into transfer windows, expected playing styles and competition targets across multiple seasons.

The Development Centre is the year's other major addition, consolidating youth team operations into a single hub. You handle young players from the moment they enter the academy through to first-team readiness, with the Playing Time Pathway tool defining each player's expected role across the length of their contract — from Fringe Player to Star Player and every step between. Backroom staff have expanded influence too, with new roles and more collaborative interactions that better reflect a real club's coaching structure.

The simulation itself ships with bases in 50 of the largest footballing countries worldwide, 2,500 playable clubs across the senior and lower divisions, and over 500,000 scouted real players and staff. The match engine sees its biggest visual overhaul in years — redesigned player and manager models, improved lighting, overhauled pitch visuals — and the tactical layer continues to reward managers who plan training sessions, drill set pieces, and build a coherent playing philosophy rather than just relying on pre-set tactics.