Football Manager 26 is all about proving you’ve got what it takes to lead a team not just in a one-off match, but season-after-season, working with the most promising young players to build a squad that only gets better-and-better with time.
Naturally, starting from the bottom and fighting your way to the top of world football is much easier with some of the best FM 26 Wonderkids in your starting 11. They offer an essential mix of prodigious talent, technical ability which belies their age and, most importantly, the potential to get even better in the not too distant future.
With that in mind, signing Wonderkids in Football Manager 26 is different from other, more casual football sims (chiefly FC 26) for one simple reason: wages.
In a world of Financial Fair Play regulations (from which youth team spending is exempt), the richest clubs have discovered that hoarding all of the best young players is not just a great method for blooding youngsters into their first team, but also a way to consistently make “pure profit” sales which allow them to more easily fund huge transfer fees for established stars.
Therefore, while it’s an outlay in the short term, there’s a reason that the likes of Chelsea, PSG and Man City have so many Wonderkids on long contracts and relatively big wages in their youth teams, even if they’re all unlikely to ever make a first-team appearance.
The knock-on effect of this for “Road to Glory”-style saves in Football Manager though, is that you can’t just load your League 2 team with future superstars and high potential players like you could in previous years and iterations of the game. It’s unrealistic and you simply can’t afford it. Although you can maybe still prise a few players away on loan without a wage contribution.
So, with that in mind, we’ve tried to pick out FM 26 Wonderkids who suit a variety of budgets and who many teams could feasibly bring in on a permanent transfer, even if there’s an initial loan involved. While every player on this list is bursting with potential, some are better suited to top-flight teams looking towards the future, whereas others can help you rise up the divisions.
Football Manager 26 Wonderkids
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Goalkeepers
- Guillaume Restes, Toulouse
- Noah Atubolu, Freiburg
- Maarten Vandevoordt, RB Leipzig
- Matthieu Epolo, Standard Liege
- Zion Suzuki, Parma
- Pascal Loretz, FC Luzern
- Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro, AZ Alkmaar
- Josh Keeley, Luton
- Mikki van Sas, Wycombe
- Murray Johnson, Hibs
With his compatriot Lucas Chevallier making the step up from Lille to PSG this summer, that leaves Guillaume Restes, Ligue 1’s youngest starting goalkeeper, as the top name on the list for a host of superclubs. He’s apparently not been as great recently as in his breakout season, which suggests this might be the best time to snap him up before his potential dips like former Toulouse Wonderkid Alban Lafont.
It’s always worth looking at successful U21 goalkeepers and Noah Atubolu, who excelled with Germany at the U21 EUROs where they reached the final, is another fantastic option for top teams. While form for young goalkeepers can be shaky, Atubolu has been great in the Bundesliga where he’s established himself as a penalty specialist, breaking the consecutive record by saving 5-in-a-row.
Elsewhere in Germany, Maarten Vandevoordt remains 2nd-choice to the evergreen Peter Gulacsi at RB Leipzig who, despite being 25, doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. After starting in the Champions League for Genk, it makes sense that he wouldn’t want to sit around waiting forever.
Outside of Europe’s top 5 leagues, Matthieu Epolo and Pascal Loretz are two great options from Belgium and Switzerland and both suit different playing styles. Epolo is a more typical stopper, with great technical positioning and reflexes. On the other glove, Loretz is a great distributor, the archetypal modern goalkeeper who’s “as good with his feet as his hands”.
Scotland and the lower English divisions are littered with Premier League and Championship loanees, but there are still a few cheaper options to consider. Both Josh Keeley and Miki van Sas are first-choice for their clubs with more experienced goalies behind them. While Murray Johnson has two more established options in front of him, both of whom are only just 30, so a move isn’t out of the question.
Centre-backs
- Ousmane Diomande, Sporting
- Antonio Silva, Benfica
- Nnamdi Collins, Frankfurt
- Finn Jeltsch, Stuttgart
- Max Rosenfelder, Freiburg
- Bright Arrey-Mbi, Braga
- Lautaro Rivero, River Plate
- Joel Ordonez, Club Brugge
- Christian Mawissa, Monaco
- Ryan Flamingo, PSV
- Charlie Hughes, Hull
- Jakob Scholler, SK Rapid Wein
- Abubacarr Kinteh, Tromso
- Axel Tape-Kobrissa, Leverkusen
Once again Portugal reigns supreme when it comes to the next big thing at CB. While the likes of Goncalo Inacio have aged out of the Wonderkid bracket, you can still look at both Ousmane Diomande and Antonio Silva from arch-rivals Sporting and Benfica. Each has both the physical profile and technical ability to slot into just about any top club. For more limited budgets, Bright Arrey-Mibbi offers a similar profile for a much more accessible price.
Alternatively, Germany is the place to go for enough physicality and pace to match the demands of the modern game, which is particularly useful if you want to play a high defensive line. Nnamdi Collins, Finn Jeltsch and Max Rosenfelder are all getting minutes for their respective clubs in the Bundesliga, and probably go in that order for accessibility now that Frankfurt has established itself as the new hipster club with a reputation for the best young players.
But for cheaper players, I like both Jakob Scholler from Austria and Abubacarr Kinteh from Tromso in Norway. They both have elite physical attributes, but aren’t total pace merchants either.
Left-backs and Right-backs
- Arnau Martinez, Girona
- Fresneda, Sporting
- Tom Rothe, Union Berlin
- Juanlu Sanchez, Sevilla
- Givairo Read, Feyenoord
- Nathaniel Brown, Frankfurt
- Elias Baum, Frankfurt
- Martim Fernandes, Porto
- Joaquin Seys, Club Brugge
- Yaimar Medina, Genk
- Almugera Kabar, Dortmund
- Semm Renders, Royal Antwerp
- Andre Garcia, Reading
- James Dornelly, Peterborough
- Ronan Kpakio, Cardiff
Once again, Germany is the place to pick up great defenders in FM 26 and there’s something for everyone. Nathaniel Brown is the best option for top teams with a big budget who’re also looking for someone to slot straight into the first team for the next 10 seasons. Then on the other side, Elias Baum is a teenage talent with an engine that’s perfect for wingback favouring formations.
However, Tom Rothe at Union Berlin is a bit more unique. At 6ft 4” he provides more physical presence, but is also a crossing specialist – even though you’d probably prefer for him to be on the end of them than whipping them in.
Also for top-flight teams, the happy hunting ground of the Eredivisie is still a great place to shop, with Givairo Read standing out at Feyenoord.
For smaller budgets, Andre Garcia is a very promising Wonderkid who has great speed and attacking impetus from left-back. He’s exactly the kind of player who’ll be snapped up by someone like Spurs before long, so move fast to tie him down.
CDMs
- Hugo Larsson, Frankfurt
- Javi Guerra, Valencia
- Ayyoub Bouaddi, Lille
- Zeno Debast, Sporting
- Lennon Miller, Udinese
- Efe Akman, Andorra
- Christian Ordonez, Parma
- David Watson, Kilmarnock
- Matias Siltanen, Djurgardens
- Petar Sucic, Inter
- Maurits Kjaergaard, RB Salzburg
- Bailey Rice, Rangers
- Lamine Fanne, Luton
- Xavier Simons, Bolton
- Bradley Ibrahim, Plymouth
CDM is an interesting position, because there are so many different profiles you can deploy in that area of the pitch. However, whether you prefer a deep-lying playmaker or physical destroyer, there are still a range of options.
From Eduardo Camavinga to Warren Zaire-Emery, France has produced so many midfielders who are beyond their years recently, but Ayyoub Bouaddi looks to be next in line. Straight into the first team and bossing the middle of the park like it’s nothing, he’ll be at the top before long, so make sure it’s with your team.
For quite a similar profile though, who combines both physical presence with technical ability, also check out Hugo Larsson at Frankfurt. At this point, it feels easier to just recommend going through Frankfurt’s entire roster and picking who you like.
If you need some industry at the base of your midfield, I really like the look of Christian Ordonez at Parma, who seems like the archetypal terrier.
The smallest budgets should be looking towards League 1 however, where all 3 of Lamine Fanne, Xavier Simmons and Bradley Ibrahim have an amazing mix of pace, power and passing ability for the level.
CAMs
- Johan Manzambi, Freiburg
- Hakon Haraldsson, Lille
- Oscar Gloukh, Ajax
- Can Uzun, Frankfurt
- Mario Stroeykens, Anderlecht
- Gianluca Prestianni, Benfica
- Rodrigo Mora, Porto
- Nico Paz, Como
- Paul Nebel, Mainz
- Gustavo Sa, Famalicao
- Alvyn Sanches, Young Boys
- Assan Ouedraogo, RB Leipzig
- Kees Smit, AZ Alkmaar
The number 10 role is probably the most difficult role to recruit a Wonderkid for because it has an instrumental impact on how the rest of the team functions. If your attacking midfielders are out of their depth, it can quite quickly feel like you’re playing with 10 men as attacks break down at their feet and their defensive contribution goes lacking too.
However, you can try to alleviate this by picking up players with great physical characteristics first and then focussing on their technical ability in training. Of course though, there are some players whose natural talent just can’t be denied, even if they’re not the strongest or the best runners.
First among those is Serie A breakout star Nico Paz, who in real life is nailed on to return to Real Madrid as they have a ridiculously small buy-back clause on his contract, but in FM 26 can still be whisked away to a top team for a hefty fee.
The only more accessible player who’s similar to Paz is Gustavo Sa in Portugal. They’re both 6ft 1”, where most of the other picks are around 5ft 7”, and Sa has a similar eye for a pass as well as being strong on the ball.
All of the other options are great too, but Assan Ouedraogo stands head and shoulders above the next. Not in terms of talent necessarily, but because he’s 6ft 3” and very strong on the ball. While his passing is raw, his dribbling ability is unquestionable and makes a really interesting proposition for anyone who can lure him away with promises of gametime (although he does have goals and assists in the Bundesliga already this season).
Left Wingers and Right Wingers
- Assane Diao, Como
- Luciano Rodriguez, NEOM
- Said El Mala, Koln
- William Gomes, Porto
- Maher Carrizo, Velez Sarsfield
- Victor Munoz, Osasuna
- Matias Soule, Roma
- Giannis Konstantelias, POAK
- Jean-Matteo Bahoya, Frankfurt
- Roger Fernandes, Al Ittihad
- Yeremay, Deportivo
- Malick Fofana, Lyon
- Gabriel Silva, Santa Clara
- Geovany Quenda, Sporting
- Newerton, Shakhtar
- Mika Godts, Ajax
- Ruben van Bommel, PSV
- Bazoumana Toure, Hoffenheim
- Julien Duranville, Dortmund
- Leo Sauer, Feyernoord
- Ian Subiabre, River Plate
- Bae Jun-Ho, Stoke
- Kwadwo Baah, Watford
- Findlay Curtis, Rangers
- Daniel Bennie, QPR
If there are fewer Wonderkids in attacking midfield, then you’re almost spoilt for choice on the wing, where incredible young players are always bursting onto the scene with plenty of pace and trickery in their locker. You don’t need me to tell you who Lamine Yamal or Estevao are, but there are lots of similar players around if you’re willing to look.
Como obviously have a lot of financial backing and a big-name coach in Cesc Fabregas, so their players demand a premium, but Assane Diao looks tailor made for many top teams and the Premier League in particular. He’s very fast, tall but still agile and, most importantly, has some quality end product after scoring 8 goals in just 15 games last season.
Again, Portuguese teams and players are your friend when it comes to Wonderkids in FM 26. Geovany Quenda has a pre-contract agreement to join Chelsea as they continue their quest to acquire every single winger on the planet, but if that doesn’t transfer through in-game he’s very, very good.
Elsewhere, William Gomes is the archetypal Brazilian trickster at Porto, while Gabriel Silva at Santa Clara could’ve been a 100m sprinter. Roger Fernandes is a great Wonderkid who moved on from Braga to Al Ittihad, but it’s well-known that particularly young players don’t stay over there for very long, so you can look to bring him back to Europe at your earliest convenience.
If you’re a fan of speed demons, check out Jean-Matteo Bahayo, again at Frankfurt, as well as Julien Duranville and Bazoumana Toure.
But finally, it also makes sense to take advantage of the well-worn path between Argentina and European football, with both Maher Carrizo and Ian Subiabre looking fantastic at a very accessible price-point.
Strikers
- Emanuel Emegha, Strasbourg
- Nicolo Tresoldi, Club Brugge
- Samu, Porto
- Lucas Stassin, Saint-Etienne
- Kaua Elias, Shakhtar
- Karim Konate, RB Salzburg
- Jhon Duran, Fenerbahce
- Charalampos Kostoulas, Brighton
- Matthis Abline, Nantes
- Mason Melia, St Patrick’s
- Nelson Weiper, Mainz
- George Ilenikhena, Monaco
- Jeronimo Domina, Union
- James Wilson, Hearts
- Calum Osmand, Celtic
- Bradley Fink, Wycombe
- Harry Leonard, Peterborough
- Joe Taylor, Huddersfield
Just like deeper in midfield, your choice of striker will depend massively on how you want to set up your team. But while young players are more often associated with nippiness, lightness and speed, there are actually a lot of great, young target men to consider as well.
Chief among them is Emanuel Emegha from Strasbourg. At 6ft 5” he’s dominant in the air, but also has unbelievable speed to get in behind on the ground as well. In real life, Strasbourg’s relationship with Chelsea pretty much guarantees that he’ll be wearing royal blue before long, but there’s still hope in FM 26.
Similarly, I was surprised that Samu at Porto didn’t make a move in the summer with so many top teams looking for someone up front, but maybe 27 goals in all competitions last season inflated his value too high – Portuguese clubs don’t tend to let players go for less than their true value.
For a more traditional style of number 9, there are two players in France who’re definitely worth checking out: Lucas Stassin at Saint-Etienne and Matthis Abline at Nantes. Both are quick, solid finishers with decent physical presence and enough silk in their boots to latch onto the end of passes and provide the final touch. With Saint-Etienne’s relegation to Ligue 2 Stassin is an absolute no-brainer pick-up.
In the lower leagues, raid the benches of the big teams in Scotland. The magnificent Gorgie Boys are flying at the top of the Scottish Premiership, but it’s James Wilson you want (not to be confused with the overpowered former Manchester United Wonderkid James Wilson from 10 years ago). Alternatively, both Calum Osmand and Johnny Kenny look like great lower league signings, particularly with Kelechi Iheanacho ahead of them.