M.C - Comments

The file that ends in “New People.fmf”. That's where all the newly-created Person records are stored.

It is all done via the Pre-Game Editor - which has all of the options/variables available to set things up.

It seems like access to the data is pretty available online (i.e. which teams are in which divisions). Whilst that's time-consuming, it's easy. Information about the format could be helpful - if you have a source to information about how those leagues are structured, their schedule, how promotions/relegations work etc?

I am happy to add it to the list but I can't promise a timeline.

In the FM26 official database, there are six levels of Belgium represented. Level 5 (Belgian Third Amateur Division, which comprises the VV & ACFF divisions) is the bottom level that has ‘accurate’ team assignments.

Level 6 is represented by one regional ‘division’ for each of 11 regions. However, the teams assigned into each of those regional divisions are all of the teams from that regional pyramid, as best I can tell from a quick look. For example, Antwerpen Provincial Division contains 116 teams.

Building out a fully-playable lower set of levels in Belgium would be a fair bit of work. I'm personally not in a position to do it as I haven't made the switch to FM26, yet. I have done some of the FM24 league expansions that are part of this site's data update - but the work gets exponentially bigger as you move into regional competitions with lots of teams.

This should not be an issue. Site Admin will be able to confirm definitively - but the process for creating that file is automated so I suspect it is just a ‘warning’ based on how it is generated. It fundamentally works and if everything is working in-game I would just pay no attention to that warning/error.

For what it’s worth, earlier today I found some time and started to create some of the missing players - so far, I managed to add all of the missing Celta U19s (from TransferMarkt) to our FM24 Data Update.

Is it possible that since you last downloaded the Data Update from this site you altered the data in the Pre-Game Editor? Specifically, could you have used the Merge Data function to combine the Ultimate Wonderkids file with one of ours?

This was the only other idea I had, just now. Obviously, I’d like to help you solve it which is why I’m persevering with this. Downloading the latest Data Update would eliminate that merge, if that is something you might have done. Just a thought.

When you say it ‘only happens to you’ - what is this based on?

I would say the sponsorships situation has a very simple explanation: the sponsorship income you are seeing is the same as you would see if you were using the vanilla database, because the Data Update (ours) doesn't make any changes to these…and probably neither do other databases you've used/are using.

I just started a new game with a vanilla database, as well as one fully-updated with the SortItOutSI FM24 Data Update, and the sponsorship incomes for La Liga teams were the same (almost identical) across both...which I would expect.

Unless a database update actively goes in and changes the sponsorships through the editor, they're not going to change. @Footygamer has confirmed our Data Update doesn't change them, therefore it makes sense they stay the same.

Where I mentioned that perhaps/maybe the cause of this file being activated was that it was in a sub-folder, that was just a guess from me. It wasn't an assumption; just a possible reason for what you're seeing. As I say, it was a guess/speculation, because I couldn't think of another explanation.

In any case, the reason for the file being activated is not strictly important. What I can see with some level of certainty is that, at your end, the ‘Ultimate Wonderkids FM24 Database’ file is activated because the database of players you see in-game reflects that. I am not aware of any other method to activate a file other than to copy it into the ‘editor data’ folder - but perhaps when FM24 is installed through Epic Games there are some other, strange differences to how files get activated. Again, I'm guessing because I can't think of a different reason and from what you've said before, what you have done looks correct.

No matter the reason, what you need to do is find a way to stop that file from being activated. My suggestion is:

1. Completely empty your ‘editor data’ folder. When clearing your ‘editor data’ folder, don't move the existing contents into a sub-folder. Move them out of that folder somewhere entirely separate.
2. Start a new game (vanilla). The reason for starting a new game with that folder empty is to check to see if you get a truly vanilla database.
3. Having verified you get a truly ‘vanilla’ database, then copy only the latest FM24 Data Update from this site into the ‘editor data’ folder.
4. Start a new game.

This is the best way I can think of to establish a ‘clean’ folder as a new starting point. If you still see the players from the ‘Ultimate Wonderkids FM24 Database’ when you start the new game at step 2, above, then that means that file is being activated somehow, from some other folder, and there is still an issue to solve.

The file was renamed - some time ago now. The equivalent main file, which contains all of the transfers, is named Contracts.fmf (sortitoutsi.net FM24 Data Update - Contracts.fmf to give it its full name).

Please note: all of the newly-created player records are in the New People.fmf file (sortitoutsi.net FM24 Data Update - New People.fmf).

I managed to test it and posted the results just a minute before your reply. Just mentioning so you don’t miss my latest reply - take a look a bit further up as the results are very conclusive.

I just quickly downloaded the ‘The Ultimate New Wonderkids FM24 Database.fmf’ file, which was one that you downloaded from this site on 31st March 2026, via here: https://sortitoutsi.net/content/67825/fm24-the-ultimate-new-wonderkid-database.

I enabled it, alongside the SortItOutSI FM24 Data Update. The game setup was identical (only Spain playable, all players from Spain loaded) and here is the Celta Vigo U19 squad:

This is completely conclusive for me. You have that file enabled (perhaps unknowingly/due to a game bug) and that is the reason you're seeing these duplicates. With this file enabled, I can also find Aldrine Kibet and he is at Pobla Mamufet (as you previously observed).

 

I know around 7th April you tested again and shared screenshots showing the game setup and the result and I know from your screenshots it doesn't appear that ‘The Ultimate Wonderkids FM24 Database’ was active, but it still must have been. Perhaps a bug with the previously-selected set of files remaining active, somehow. Perhaps a quirk with contents in sub-folders being auto-enabled and not appearing in the in-game database list (I’m speculating, here). What is clear is that the database you’re seeing in-game is a combination of our Data Update and the Ultimate Wonderkids FM24 Database: I can replicate this consistently by using both files.

This is why I am suggesting to ensure you completely empty your ‘editor data’ folder and try again. In your position, I'd actually probably empty the ‘editor data’ folder, start up a brand new (vanilla/base database) game and then re-populate the folder with the latest downloaded Data Update from this site.

When installed on its own, our Data Update is providing exactly the data it should and, whilst it may not have every player (i.e. it is a continuous work in progress to add new players), what it does have is accurate and it does not have widespread duplicates.

Have you tried to do exactly as I suggested in my previous reply? This is what I would be doing first, in your position. That is - a completely clean install of our FM24 Data Update into a completely empty ‘editor data’ folder.

You don't have to delete all of your downloaded, existing editor data. Just move all of the files into some other location, temporarily.

No need to send any other save files, I don't think. I've opened the save file you shared. I can see the same database you're seeing in-game. As well as Celta Vigo, I cross-checked a couple of other high-profile players (e.g. Max Dowman). I see he is duplicated in the game.

Looking at the date on which that save game was modified (1st April 2026), alongside looking at your download history, I can see that you would've used the FM24 Data Update from 1st April 2026 when starting that game.

I went and downloaded that exact download and just started a test game. I cannot replicate the issue, when I use that download. Here is the Celta Vigo U19s squad I see, having just loaded a new game using the exact game setup you previously advised (only Spain playable, with all players from Spain loaded, using only the FM24 Data Update files and the Real Name Fix):

It's essentially the same squad, but without some duplicates and some of the players you are seeing. The fact there are duplicates elsewhere (e.g. Max Dowman) means the only logical conclusion is that you're using extra files alongside. Perhaps you didn't realise you were - this game was started just over a week ago, after all. Your download history shows you downloaded various wonderkid databases so I think it is highly likely you were using them. Perhaps you were using them initially and there is some caching reason that means they haven't unloaded. As I say, it's the only logical explanation for you seeing duplicate players and also some players who have never existed in our FM24 Data Update.

Our Data Update is used by many thousands of people, downloaded regularly and we would have many, many complaints if we had duplicate players appearing throughout the database. Our community is pretty quick to tell us when things aren't right.

The only thing I can urge you to do is 100% ensure you are not using additional wonderkid databases alongside our update. These will create duplicates. My recommendation would be for you to completely empty your ‘editor data’ folder so there are no files in it, download the latest FM24 Data Update and copy only those files into it. Then, start a new game, with all of the files enabled. If you're only using our Data Update, the only possible result is that you see the database as I am seeing it when I start a new game.

When I get time - and it'll have to be tomorrow, now - I will download the same wonderkid database you have, previously, and start a game using that alongside the FM24 Data Update. If I see the same duplicates/new players you do, then that will be a very conclusive position (for me) on why you're seeing the database you are.

I am no expert in Spanish, but I think the ‘SortItOutSI sola’ one means ‘only SortItOutSI’. If that save was one where you experienced the issues in the DB we are talking about, let’s try that one.

That being said, whichever the most recent game is that has the issue and that you believe doesn’t include any other database files would be best. Perhaps that is either ‘1.fm’ or ‘2.fm’ - I’m not sure.

I have the In-Game Editor so I can take a look and see if it gives any clues.

If you're referring to the Pre-Game Editor: I checked the data there right at the start. I can definitively say that the duplicate players (a) appear zero times in the original database and (b) are added once by our Data Update. If you're referring to the In-Game Editor - that's something I'd be happy to check out, though I'm not sure what detail it'll give us in terms of understanding where those players are coming from. But I'm happy to try.

What would be useful is if you share with me a save game where you are seeing those duplicates - one of the save games you shared the earlier screenshots from would be perfect.

On the sponsorships: that is something the Site Admin, @Footygamer, will have to come back to you about as I don't have access to that data in a meaningful way to inspect it. It is processed/created from an internal feed, so I can't really advise on what is happening.

I haven't had a chance to create the missing players from Celta's youth team. However, any community member can help with this. There is a form that you fill out, with some instructions here: https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-data-update/attributes. Once they are submitted, we can then approve them and then they become added to the Data Update pretty much immediately (premium) or by the following day (free).

I can see your comment on the player record: https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-data-update/person/67225486.

Perhaps I am misunderstanding, but Alvaro Fidalgo already has a nationality of Mexican so I don't think there is anything to change? In any case, the online submission form does not allow for certain things - such as changing Name, Nationality or Positions of players in the official database. It is only possible to change data related to their contractual situation.

If you are asking about us reflecting his international caps - this, too, is not something that we do. If we were to do this, it would be important to maintain updated international caps for all players (for consistency) and that would be a huge job on a continuous basis.

Ignore my comments regarding the save file you sent. I missed the bit of information that said it was from a vanilla/base setup. That makes sense; and it does nothing to help solve what is happening for you.

I will try a new game using those EDT files but I agree that I can’t see those affecting things.

As I say, I’m a bit out of ideas. Fundamentally, it remains true that when I set up a game with our Data Update, I see exactly the data I’d expect. There are no widespread inaccuracies like duplicate players, nor players in the game who don‘t exist in our data. So the mystery remains. We also don’t have others reporting these strange issues, so my instincts still tell me there is something interfering in your setup - it’s the only logical explanation.

I've just loaded your save and had a look at the Celta Vigo U-19s squad - which I think is the one you shared in a recent screenshot.

I see completely different data to you. Different player names, different nationalities, etc. The below screenshot is from loading the game without using those extra .edt files that you are using.

I also then tried to add the .edt files (just in case) to my installation and relaunched FM24 and reloaded your save game. I see the same squad as in my screenshot above. I'm all out of explanations. Honestly, I have no idea what is happening at your end. But I also don’t know how transferable save games are between different PCs; so not sure how useful that test was.

I've had a look at all three of those .edt files and I don't see any of the players we've been talking about in them. At this point, I am not sure I can come up with an explanation.

I will try and open the save game you shared and see what it looks like for me.

This is not so much a ‘flaw’ but how the game is designed to handle newly-created records.

The game starts sequentially numbering new records from a certain point. When you are working on a file in the Pre-Game Editor, the PGE is aware of the vanilla database and the contents of the custom file you have loaded/are working on. So it stands to reason that the numbers will start from the first available number and go upwards. The PGE is not aware of other files you might use in-game from other creators, for example.

In-game, the records start from the same number but a user might have multiple files that create new people records enabled. Therefore, the game handles them alphabetically, loading filenames ‘A’ before filenames ‘B’. The newly-created people in file ‘A’ get the first set of UIDs and the newly-created people in file ‘B’ get the next set of UIDs.

Naturally, if you change the combination of custom editor data files you use, you can also end up with different UIDs between different save games. The only way to ‘guarantee’ that a specific file's PGE UID and in-game UID are the same is to save it with a name that guarantees it will load first. This way, the newly-created records will always be assigned first and therefore they will be consistent across save games, even if you use other custom files. We do this with the SortItOutSI Data Update to ensure the ‘new people’ file loads first. This is the only way we can reliably provide a matched-up facepack to go with it.

There is no known workaround at this time. This is something Sports Interactive implemented, due to licensing constraints.

For now, I think the only position is to accept it and wait to see if SI reverse it in the future.

No need for apologies - it got late for me, too, so I couldn't reply.

Anyway, a new day - and we continue the troubleshooting. I have now started a couple more test games, matching your ‘editor data’ file configuration and game setup exactly. The same 69 enabled files, the same database size/player setup - everything.

Once again, I have only the players appearing who I would expect. I have one instance of Iago Barreiros, one of Mateo Sobral, no Aldrine Kibet. This matches the data that appears in the FM24 Data Update files and so it is correct. Given we're using the same database files and the same game setup, it is impossible for those same files to result in different content in the game.

I went back through everything you had previously shared and the only thing in your installation that appears different - which is therefore what I suspect for the discrepancy - are some of those files in your edt folder. You shared the following screenshot previously:
 

The three I have circled in red do not match what I have (I am using the Real Name Fix, same as you).

edneud11byfmsite and leyendas_juveniles are files I don't have at all. support_staff is a file that I do have, but mine is 2kb in size whereas yours is 1,978kb in size. I'm pretty sure this file contains non-playing staff, however, so I don't suspect it.

Can you please send across (attach them here) the edneud11byfmsite and leyendas_juveniles files, so I can take a look at their contents?

Another thing you could do, as a test, is approach this from the opposite direction: start a new game with none of the ‘editor data’ files enabled. This should give you the vanilla database. If you still see one Iago Barreiros, one Mateo Sobral and Aldrine Kibet, this also proves that these players are not coming from the FM24 Data Update.

At this stage, I am 100% confident that they are not coming from that Data Update.

As an aside, I will spend some time today trying to add some missing players to our Data Update files. But, with your current installation, when we do that you will still have duplicates. My recommendation is that we persevere to figure out where your duplicates are coming from and then you can make a decision about what files you use/don't use. Of course we have no control over the content in other people's files, so the only thing I can commit to is the work on the FM24 Data Update to plug some of the missing player gaps.

The thing I would recommend is to do the following:

1. Make a folder somewhere and cut and paste all of your ‘editor data’ contents into that folder; thus ending up with an empty ‘editor data’ folder.
2. Download the latest FM24 Data Update and copy all of the files in.
3. Start a new game, selecting all of the files.

This gives a clean installation and should definitively show us what the content of the FM24 Data Update is providing. It is what I would do in your situation, as a starting point.

The file named “Max PA YouthPlayers v2” is not from our Data Update. I bet that is introducing the duplicates/some of the youth players that are missing from our update.

The first step is to not use that file. Everything else you have enabled looks like it is from our update.

Now, that won't get as far as making the players missing from our Data Update appear. But that has a logical cause and straightforward solution - which is for community members to create those missing players, as per my earlier advice.

Definitely no need to make a video - but I think seeing the contents of the following folders would be useful:
 

\Documents\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2024\editor data
\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\913740

These are the two locations that would contain custom database files. The second one is only relevant if you purchased the game via Steam.

For now - from my perspective and looking quickly at the data via the site (including my moderator's view), I can see no reason why the instances of the missing players would appear in the FM24 Data Update.

Again, the conclusions I can make for now are:

1. The players who are missing are in the FM26 database (officially) and not created for inclusion in the FM24 database. Example include Izan Server and Dani Noya. Therefore it makes sense to me that they don't appear, at this time, in an FM24 game. If it's an issue with data not appearing on the site that actually does exist, that will become clear when I inspect the actual Data Update data. If it is the case that these players haven't been created (yet), then the solution will be to create them. That would still leave the mystery as to how they are appearing for you at all in-game.
    
2. Having very quickly cross-checked a few of the players, I am seeing that those who are appearing twice have been created in the FM24 Data Update once. The same examples - Mateo Sobral and Iago Barreiros - are good ones. In your game, they show up twice - but they show up with different details (different ages, for example). This means there are two Person records in the database, in total. When I search in the Pre-Game Editor with the New People file loaded, I find one each of Mateo Sobral and Iago Barreiros.
   
   This fact, combined with the fact that they have different data in-game (e.g. different ages) makes me pretty confident that the second instance is coming from somewhere else.
    
3. The player you mentioned, who is at the wrong club (Aldrine Kibet) does not appear inthe New People file at all. This matches what I can see on the website, too. Again, I feel as though he must be coming from somewhere else. My instincts tell me this ‘somewhere else’ is the same file that is introducing Mateo Sobral and Iago Barreiros (i.e. I think these issues have the same root-cause, whatever that is).

Now, I have also just started a brand new game with a clean install of the latest FM24 Data Update and in-game I see the following:

1. The players who are missing (e.g. Dani Noya & Izan Server) are missing. This is logical - they don't exist in our FM24 Data Update.
    
2. The players who appear duplicated for you (e.g. Mateo Sobral & Iago Barreiros) appear exactly once for me. This is logical - and is what I'd expect.
    
3. Aldrine Kibet does not exist in the game. Again, this is logical - he doesn't exist in our FM24 Data Update.

I know you have said you're not using other custom database files - how certain of that are you? Could it be that you are subscribed to some mods on Steam? So far, the most logical conclusion for me is that both the duplicated players and the one at the incorrect club do not come from our files. If they were in our files, I'd expect to be able to see them just as you can. Just to be absolutely clear: I started a new game with all 60 files enabled (and nothing else) from the premium FM24 Data Update, which I downloaded about 20 minutes ago. I am going to check the free FM24 Data Update - which should be identical - just in case there's a discrepancy.

One other thing that may help with everyone's understanding: not every player you can ‘see’ on the website exists in FM24. Since the release of FM26, the website presents the FM26 database of players when you conduct a search. For example, I can find Dani Noya (https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-data-update/person/2000388782), but the entry I can see is the FM26 official database instance of him. Because there is no corresponding created_player version, there is no mechanism for him to appear in FM24.

@Miguerp1007 - just FYI, I'm in the process of looking at the squad-related parts you've mentioned. I will need a few hours to find the proper time to understand exactly which faults you're drawing our attention to via your screenshots and then to cross-check the data to understand the cause, including comparing what I see in a new game when using the FM24 Data Update at my end.

As an aside, the request for you to post in English was not to enable us to start investigating (FootyGamer already translated your message and is already investigating) - it's just the forum rules request that everyone post in English.

I know @Footygamer is looking into the issue regarding club budgets - this data is something he has access to so I'll leave him to investigate that.

What I can observe, in terms of the issues you're reporting - from the screenshots I can make the following conclusions:

1. I see some duplicate players appearing in-game for you at Celta Vigo. Namely Mateo Sobral and Iago Barreiros. If I use these as examples and follow the data, I see that these are players that only exist in an ‘official’ capacity (i.e. in Sports Interactive's database) in FM26. Our FM24 Data Update also has these created, one instance of each. Therefore, my instincts tell me that you maybe are using other files alongside ours, including some that add wonderkids, which could be resulting in the duplication. I'm speculating, but that's what it appears that is happening from the screenshot.
    
2. On the example of Aldrine Kibet - I don't think he exists in our FM24 Data Update at all. Again, looking at our data and SI's official data: Aldrine Kibet was introduced in FM26. As best I can tell, no-one in our community has created him for the FM24 Data Update. This suggests to me his existence in your game is due to some other files and, therefore, his contract with Pobla Mafumet would come from those other files. I can't see any reason why he would exist at all, except for some other custom databases.

Are you able to confirm what set of custom databases/editor data files you're using? Alternatively, if I've not represented what you're reporting well, please do explain what I have missed. I have done my best to understand the fault report based on the screenshots but, as someone who doesn't speak Spanish, it's actually quite difficult to easily understand which part of the various screenshots you're drawing our attention to. The duplicate players and Aldrine Kibet were what I could understand.

As an overall position, please be advised that the SortItOutSI Data Update is a community-driven update. The website provides the tools and the community make the submissions. If any transfers haven't been updated, we invite all community members to use the submission system to make those changes, which can be found here: https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-data-update/contribute.

Similarly, if there are players missing entirely from the game, we also have the ability for these players to be submitted and added to the database. The best starting point is here: https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-data-update/attributes. For example, if someone wanted to add Aldrine Kibet to our FM24 Data Update, they would need to add him as a created player by following the instructions/web form. The staff would then moderate that submission, as well as take care of ‘linking’ him to the official version in FM26, so that he is only created in the FM24 Data Update and then everyone gets to have him in their game.

These are the basic principles behind how the Data Update contains what it does. Hope that helps.

Yep, exactly.

This is something SI have introduced, citing licensing restrictions. I do not believe it’s in the community’s hands to solve, unfortunately.

FM26 is not able to successfully process/handle more than one image with the same filename - even if they are different game item types.

To work around this, the faces were prefixed so there were no instances of duplicated file names when using our mega packs together.