FM26: Advanced Access Beta - 2045

After last article on what is happening by 2035, I’ve hit the holiday button once again and let the game run for another ten years. By the time I returned in 2045, almost every player from 2025 has hanged his boots.

The world of football has changed beyond recognition. New powerhouses have risen, former giants have fallen, and some unexpected nations have made their mark on the global stage. From managerial dynasties to wonderkids who became legends, here’s what Football Manager 26 predicts for the next-next decade:

🏆 Club National Championships

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League

If the 2030s ended with Tottenham’s surprise title, the 2040s turned it into a full-blown dynasty:
 

• Spurs didn’t just win a few trophies: they owned English football!
• Manchester City remained perennial runners-up, consistently challenging but rarely overcoming Spurs’ consistency.
• Newcastle solidified themselves as top-four regulars.

Summary: Spurs’ long-term project finally paid off. From shock winners to sustained dominance, Tottenham ruled the 2040s, with City, Newcastle and Liverpool forming the chasing pack.

🇪🇸 La Liga

La Liga in the 2040s remained the stage for football’s oldest and fiercest rivalry:

• Real Madrid and Barcelona continued to dominate, trading titles almost every season and leaving little room for anyone else.

Summary: Another decade of El Clásico dominance, with Madrid narrowly edging Barça in trophies. The chasing pack stayed competitive, ensuring Spain’s top flight never lost its edge.

🇮🇹 Serie A

If there was one team that truly defined the 2040s in Italy, it was Inter Milan:

• After years of sharing dominance with Juventus, Inter elevated themselves to a different level
• Juventus remained their closest challengers
• Milan had flashes of promise, including a memorable 2041/42 triumph

Summary: Inter’s dominance reached historic levels, establishing a modern dynasty in Serie A. Juventus stayed close, but nobody could truly touch the Nerazzurri at their peak.

🇩🇪 Bundesliga

For decades, the Bundesliga was Bayern Munich’s personal playground, but by the 2040s, the dynasty finally began to wobble:

• Bayern’s streak was ended in 2042/43 by Borussia Dortmund
• Two years later, Eintracht Frankfurt stunned everyone by lifting the trophy in 2044/45

Summary: Bayern’s grip loosened at last but not by much. Dortmund and Frankfurt kept the champions honest, hinting at a more competitive era to come in Germany.

🇫🇷 Ligue 1

It’s business as usual in France. Paris Saint-Germain extended their iron grip on Ligue 1:

• Lyon re-emerged as consistent runners-up through the 2040s
• Monaco and Marseille maintained strong European contention
• Rennes broke into the top three on a few occasions

Summary: PSG remain the immovable object of French football.

🇵🇹 Liga Portugal

Portugal quietly delivered a genuine back-and-forth title race that few other leagues could match:

• Porto and Benfica edged Sporting with 4 titles each
• Alverca early 30s rise didn't had continuity

Summary: A lively and unpredictable decade for Portuguese football, with Benfica and Porto trading blows at the top and plenty of movement just beneath them.

🌍 Club Continental Competitions

UEFA Champions League

Between 2035 and 2045, Europe’s premier competition largely remained the playground of familiar giants:

• Real Madrid and Barcelona continued to set the standard, sharing several finals across the decade and reaffirming Spain’s dominance on the continental stage.
• PSG finally managed to conquer Europe again
• Domestically dominant Spurs just managed to get into a final

Summary: The Champions League of the 2040s belonged to Spain once more but England, France, and Italy all kept themselves in the mix, making it one of the most competitive decades in recent memory.

UEFA Europa League

While the Champions League stayed the domain of Europe’s elite, the Europa League provided far more unpredictability:

• Ajax, RB Leipzig, Marseille, Fulham and Athletic Club all lifted the trophy.
• English clubs continued to feature heavily

Summary: A wide-open and entertaining decade for the Europa League, one where tradition mixed with surprise, and new names frequently joined the winners’ circle.

UEFA Conference League

If the Champions League stayed elite and the Europa League balanced, the Conference League became the true home of the underdog:

• Brighton, Villarreal, Angers, and Mallorca all lifted the trophy.
• 5 trophies went to England.

Summary: The Conference League lived up to its purpose: an unpredictable, entertaining stage where ambitious mid-tier clubs could write their own European history.

🌐 FIFA Club World Cup

• Barcelona emerged as the standout, winning twice

Summary: The Club World Cup changed format, but not outcome: European giants still reigned supreme, with Barcelona the defining club of the era..

🌍 International Competitions

FIFA World Cup

• Costa Rica’s fairytale victory in 2038, beating Spain in South Africa, proved that smaller nations could still shock the establishment.

Summary: France and Germany stayed consistent at the top, but Türkiye and Costa Rica’s improbable triumphs made the 2030s–2040s the most unpredictable World Cup era in decades.

UEFA Euro Championship

• The biggest storyline of the 2040s, however, came from Ukraine, who shocked Europe by winning one tournament and finishing runners-up in another.

Summary: Spain and Germany split the honours at the top, but Ukraine’s stunning 2040 win proved the Euros remain a tournament where new stories can still be written.