Football Manager 26 Hardest Saves

Every year, there’s a special type of Football Manager player who looks at the toughest clubs in the game and thinks, “Yeah, that’s the one for me.” The kind of person who doesn’t want instant glory or billionaire takeovers. They want to suffer. They want to scrap for every point, stretch every budget, and see if they can do the impossible.

So if you’re one of those people, here are some of the hardest, most brutal saves you can take on in Football Manager 2026.

Edinburgh City (Scottish League Two)

Let’s start with chaos. Edinburgh City begin FM26 buried under a 15 points deduction that puts you miles behind before you’ve even picked your starting XI. You’re basically managing on hard mode right from day one. The squad’s thin, the morale’s awful, and the budget’s tight. Just staying up would feel like winning a cup final. Survival here isn’t just an achievement, it’s a miracle.

Dumbarton FC (Scottish League Two)

Over to another Scottish side in crisis. Dumbarton are also hit with a points deduction (smaller though) and find themselves in the same sinking boat as Edinburgh City. The club’s got history and heart, but not much else. You’ll be relying on short-term loans, youth players, and a whole lot of luck. It’s the kind of save where you celebrate a 0-0 draw like you’ve just won the Champions League.

Unione Sportiva Triestina (Serie C)

Triestina are one of the toughest starts you’ll find anywhere in the game. They’ve got the biggest points deduction in Football Manager 2026, 20 points, and that’s before you even deal with the usual Italian lower-league madness. The squad’s not bad, but morale’s low and expectations are sky high. You’ll be constantly balancing finances, form, and sanity. Avoiding relegation is huge. Climbing back up the pyramid? Yeah right.

OFI Crete (Greek Super League)

If you’re the type of manager who likes a long-term, underdog rebuild, this is the one. The Greek league has been ruled by the same few clubs for decades, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, AEK Athens, and PAOK. Since 1988, no one else has managed to break their grip on the title. Olympiacos in particular have been relentless, failing to win it only a handful of times in nearly 30 years.I’ve gone for OFI Crete, but really you could go for any of the other teams that haven’t challenged the biggest teams in Greece.

Athletic Bilbao (La Liga, Spain)

No transfers outside the Basque region. None. Zero. Athletic Bilbao’s recruitment rule has made them one of the most unique clubs in world football and one of the toughest saves in Football Manager. You can only sign Basque-born or Basque-trained players, which means every youth intake, every scouting report, every academy graduate suddenly matters more than ever.The challenge isn’t just to compete, it’s to thrive. If you can build a side capable of taking on Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético under those restrictions, you’ll feel like a genius. Win the Champions League? You might as well retire right there.

FC Vaduz (Swiss Challenge League / Liechtenstein)

This one’s a cult classic. FC Vaduz are from Liechtenstein, but they play in the Swiss league system. That means you can’t qualify for the Champions League by finishing high in the league, your only route is through winning the Liechtenstein Cup, which they dominate every year.But the real challenge is taking them from “small Liechtenstein club” to Champions League winners. That’s like taking a non-league side to European glory. It’s a slow, painful grind, but the payoff is unmatched. Completing the “Vaduz Champions League Challenge” is one of FM’s ultimate bragging rights.

Southport (National League North)

Down in the National League North, Southport are struggling big time. As of early October 2025, they’re bottom of the table, fighting to stay afloat. Resources? Minimal. Squad depth? Barely there. Morale? Nonexistent. It’s one of those saves where you’re praying for loan signings and hoping your part-timers can survive the winter. It’s ugly, gritty football and if you can turn it around, it’s deeply satisfying.

Peterborough Sports (National League North)

Just a few places above Southport (if that), Peterborough Sports are another lower-league nightmare waiting for you. They’re short on cash, short on fans, and short on time. You’ll have to make something out of nothing, rebuilding the squad on a shoestring while trying to keep morale and finances from collapsing.But if you like building clubs from the ground up, this is pure FM gold. If you get them stable, or even pushing up the leagues, you’ll feel like Pep Guardiola in disguise.

Final thoughts

These aren’t the glamorous saves. They’re not the ones with shiny budgets or Champions League nights. But that’s the whole point. The best Football Manager stories are born out of pain, from turning relegation favourites into survivors, from clawing your way out of debt, or from somehow beating Olympiacos on a rainy Wednesday night in Crete.If you want an FM26 save that’ll genuinely test you, these clubs will do it. Pure, unfiltered Football Manager misery. And that’s exactly why you’ll love it.

 

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