Base game save ideas
Saves you can start straight away in FM27, with no custom database needed. 425 save ideas, difficulty from 3 to 9 out of 10. 425 are playable in the base game.
- AmaZulu
Betway PremiershipFounded in 1932, AmaZulu are one of South Africa's oldest major clubs and represent Durban, yet their only national league championship came in 1972. More than half a…
- Arab Contractors
Egyptian Premier LeagueArab Contractors are literally the club of Egypt's giant construction company, have won three African Cup Winners' Cups and gave Mohamed Salah his first senior football…
- Audax Italiano
Chilean Primera DivisiónAudax Italiano were founded by Santiago's Italian community and have won four Chilean titles, but the last came in 1957. Lean fully into the heritage, build a strong…
- Baník Ostrava
Czech First LeagueBaník are the great miners' club of Ostrava and won the Czech title as recently as 2004, breaking the Prague-centred order. They have not been champions since. Build…
- Bohemians 1905Czech First League
Bohemians got their kangaroo badge and nickname after a famous tour of Australia in 1927. Their greatest side then won the Czechoslovak league and reached a UEFA Cup…
- Botev Plovdiv
Bulgarian First LeagueBotev Plovdiv were founded in 1912 and are recognised as Bulgaria's oldest active football club, but they have only two national championships, in 1929 and 1967. Turn…
- Chonburi FC
Thai League 1Chonburi broke Bangkok's grip on Thai football by winning the league in 2007 and went on to play in the AFC Champions League. Relegation later knocked the Sharks out of…
- Chongqing Tonglianglong
Chinese Super LeagueChongqing's established top-flight club folded in 2022, leaving one of the world's largest municipalities without an elite side. Chongqing Tonglianglong rose from the…
- Cork City
League of Ireland Premier DivisionCork City went into liquidation in 2010 and supporters organised through FORAS to keep senior football alive in the city. The rebuilt club eventually became Irish…
- Dalian YingboChinese Super League
Dalian Shide won eight Chinese championships before disappearing in 2012, leaving one of China's great football cities without its old dynasty. Dalian Yingbo are a…
- Defensor Sporting
Uruguayan Primera DivisiónDefensor's 1976 title was the first in Uruguay's professional era won by anyone outside Nacional and Peñarol. Fifty years on, repeat the rebellion - win another…
- Dukla PragueCzech First League
Dukla won 11 Czechoslovak league titles and reached the European Cup semi-finals in 1967. The army club's old dominance disappeared after the communist era and the…
- Dundee United
Scottish PremiershipDundee United have played Barcelona four times in Europe and won all four. They also reached the 1987 UEFA Cup final. Build another great Tannadice side and add the…
- East Bengal
Indian Super LeagueEast Bengal are one of Indian football's great Kolkata institutions and became ASEAN club champions in 2003, a rare international trophy for an Indian side. They have…
- Everton de Viña del MarChilean Primera División
Everton were founded in Viña del Mar in 1909 and took a name inspired by the English game, eventually becoming four-time Chilean champions. The coastal resort city has…
- FC Argeș
SuperLigaFC Argeș won Romanian titles in 1972 and 1979, with Nicolae Dobrin becoming the defining player in the club's history. Pitești has never reached those heights again…
- FC Nordsjælland
Danish SuperligaNordsjælland are built around one of world football's most aggressive youth-development models, linked to the Right to Dream academy in Ghana. Make that pipeline the…
- FC Utrecht
EredivisieUtrecht were formed by merging three clubs in 1970. One of them, DOS, had won the Dutch title in 1958, but FC Utrecht have never repeated it. Break that run and win the…
- Fredrikstad
EliteserienFredrikstad won nine Norwegian league titles and dominated the country before the modern era, but their last championship came in 1961. They are back in the top flight…
- GAIS
AllsvenskanGAIS are four-time Swedish champions and one of Gothenburg's traditional giants, but their last championship came in 1954. They are established back in Allsvenskan with…
- Go Ahead EaglesEredivisie
Go Ahead Eagles finally ended a 92-year major-trophy wait by winning the Dutch Cup in 2025, then beat Aston Villa in Europe. They haven't won the league since 1933. Turn…
- Győr
Nemzeti Bajnokság IGyőr are four-time Hungarian champions and reached the European Cup semi-finals in 1965. The modern club endured bankruptcy and a restart in the lower leagues before…
- Göztepe
Süper LigGöztepe became the first Turkish club to reach a major European semi-final when they made the last four of the 1968/69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. İzmir has never had a…
- Heart of MidlothianScottish Premiership
Hearts lost title deciders in extraordinary fashion in 1965 and 1986, then fell short again on the final day in 2026. They haven't been Scottish champions since 1960…
- HibernianScottish Premiership
Hibs were the first British club to play in the European Cup and reached the semi-finals of its first edition. More recent decades have been much less glamorous. Win…
- IFK GöteborgAllsvenskan
IFK Göteborg won the UEFA Cup in 1982 and 1987 and remain Sweden's only winners of a major UEFA competition. Their last league title came in 2007. Restore the club that…
- Iraklis
Super League GreeceFounded in 1908, Iraklis are one of Thessaloniki's great historic clubs and won the Greek Cup in 1976. Financial and licensing problems repeatedly destroyed their league…
- Kaizer ChiefsBetway Premiership
Kaizer Chiefs finally reached their first CAF Champions League final in 2021 and lost. One of Africa's biggest-supported clubs still has no continental crown - end the…
- MTK BudapestNemzeti Bajnokság I
MTK have won more than 20 Hungarian league titles and reached the European Cup Winners' Cup final in 1964. Modern Hungarian football has been dominated elsewhere…
- OFK Beograd
Serbian SuperLigaOFK's predecessor BSK was one of Yugoslavia's great pre-war clubs, while OFK later reached a European Cup Winners' Cup semi-final in 1963. After years outside the elite…
- Once Caldas
Categoría Primera AOnce Caldas produced one of Copa Libertadores history's great shocks by beating Boca Juniors in the 2004 final. They have never been one of Colombia's permanent…
- Pacific FC
Canadian Premier LeaguePacific were Canadian Premier League champions in 2021, but a lengthy winless run left them bottom in 2026. Restore the former champions from Vancouver Island and prove…
- PalestinoChilean Primera División
Palestino were created by Chile's Palestinian community and remain one of world football's most distinctive identity clubs. Keep that identity at the heart of the save…
- Persebaya Surabaya
Liga 1Persebaya are one of Indonesia's great supporter clubs, backed by the enormous Bonek fanbase and representing one of the country's biggest cities. Years of league…
- Puebla
Liga MXPuebla were Mexican champions, cup winners and CONCACAF champions around their late-1980s and early-1990s peak. They have spent decades nowhere near that level - restore…
- Rubin Kazan
Russian Premier LeagueRubin beat Guardiola's Barcelona at the Camp Nou in 2009 while defending back-to-back Russian league titles. They've never got close to that level in Europe again…
- SC HeerenveenEredivisie
Heerenveen reached the Champions League from a small Frisian town and even took a point off Valencia in 2000. They've never won the Dutch league. Build another exciting…
- San Diego FC
Major League SoccerSan Diego entered MLS with backing from the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and links to the Right to Dream academy network. Build around young players developed…
- Santos
Campeonato Brasileiro Série ASantos are back among Brazil's elite but still carry major financial pressure after transfer restrictions and aggressive short-term squad building. The challenge is not…
- Servette
Swiss Super LeagueServette have won 17 Swiss championships, but bankruptcy in 2005 sent one of the country's biggest clubs tumbling into the third tier. The comeback eventually returned…
- Slavia SofiaBulgarian First League
Slavia Sofia have seven Bulgarian championships and became the first Bulgarian club to reach a major European semi-final in 1967, but their last league title came in…
- Sparta RotterdamEredivisie
Sparta are Rotterdam's oldest professional side and six-time Dutch champions, but their last title was in 1959. Feyenoord have been the city's main attraction for…
- Spartak VarnaBulgarian First League
A predecessor of today's Spartak Varna won the Bulgarian championship in 1932 after reaching three straight national finals. The club has never added another league…
- Standard Liège
Belgian Pro LeagueStandard won ten Belgian titles and lost the 1982 Cup Winners' Cup final to Barcelona. Their last championship came in 2009, with financial trouble following in recent…
- TPS Turku
VeikkausliigaTPS are eight-time Finnish champions and produced one of Finnish club football's great European nights by beating Inter Milan 1-0 at San Siro in 1987. They are back in…
- TS GalaxyBetway Premiership
TS Galaxy won South Africa's FA Cup as a second-tier club in 2019, then reached the top flight after buying Highlands Park's league status in 2020. It is a gloriously…
- TSV Hartberg
Austrian BundesligaHartberg reached the Austrian Cup final in 2025, with more supporters travelling to the match than the town has residents. They still haven't won a major trophy. Make…
- Tokyo Verdy
J1 LeagueVerdy were the dominant club at the birth of the J.League, winning the first two championships and carrying the legacy of Asian champions Yomiuri. Then they spent 15…
- Toronto FCMajor League Soccer (USA/Canada)
Toronto won the MLS Cup, Supporters' Shield and Canadian Championship in 2017, then lost the 2018 CONCACAF final on penalties to Guadalajara. Recreate the great…
- Universitario de Deportes
Liga 1Universitario were the first Peruvian club to reach a Libertadores final, losing to Independiente in 1972. They won three straight domestic titles from 2023 to 2025, so…
- VojvodinaSerbian SuperLiga
Vojvodina won the Yugoslav league in 1966 and 1989, proving Novi Sad could break the Belgrade clubs' dominance. They have never won the Serbian title since independence…
- Wieczysta Kraków
EkstraklasaWieczysta were playing regional football only a few years ago and reached the Ekstraklasa for the first time in 2026. Kraków already has historic giants in Wisła and…
- Wisła KrakówEkstraklasa
Fourteen-time Polish champions Wisła spent four years outside the Ekstraklasa before finally returning for 2026/27. Their city now contains three top-flight clubs…
- Zbrojovka BrnoCzech First League
Brno are from Czechia's second-largest city and won the Czechoslovak league in 1978, yet have spent much of the modern era outside the top flight. They are back in the…
- ÚjpestNemzeti Bajnokság I
Újpest are 20-time Hungarian champions and reached the European Cup semi-finals in 1974, yet they have not won the league since 1998. That is an absurd drought for a…
- 1. FC Kaiserslautern
2. BundesligaKaiserslautern remain the only newly promoted club ever to win the Bundesliga, taking the 1997/98 title immediately after promotion. They are now in 2. Bundesliga…
- AD Ceuta
LaLiga HypermotionCeuta is geographically in Africa but politically Spanish, and AD Ceuta play in the Spanish league pyramid. The city returned to the second tier after 45 years away…
- AFC Bournemouth
Premier LeagueBournemouth went from administration and League Two survival battles to qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history. The next step is the hard bit…
- Académica de Coimbra
Liga Portugal 2Académica are inseparable from the University of Coimbra and won the inaugural Taça de Portugal in 1939. After dropping into Liga 3 they finally earned promotion back to…
- Admira WackerAustrian 2. Liga
Admira have nine Austrian titles but haven't won the league since 1966. Mergers, relocations and relegations have left the former Vienna power in the second tier. Put…
- AmedsporSüper Lig
Amedspor reached the Turkish top flight for the first time in 2026 after spending most of their existence outside the elite. The immediate objective is survival, but the…
- Ards
NIFL ChampionshipArds won the Irish League in 1958 and beat Standard Liège in Europe in 1973. They've spent decades without a permanent home in their own town after losing Castlereagh…
- Argentinos Juniors
Argentine Primera DivisiónMaradona made his debut here, and Argentinos went on to win the Libertadores in 1985. Few clubs have such a strong reputation for developing players. Build through the…
- Aris ThessalonikiSuper League
Aris have three Greek titles, but the last arrived in 1946. Their neighbours PAOK have had plenty more to celebrate since. Ending an 80-year title drought in one of…
- Atlético OttawaCanadian Premier League
Atlético Ottawa were founded by Atlético Madrid as the Spanish club's Canadian project. Treat it like a genuine satellite-club experiment - mirror the identity, develop…
- Austria WienAustrian Bundesliga
Austria Wien reached the 1978 Cup Winners' Cup final but lost to Anderlecht. Their last domestic league title was in 2013, and recent finances have been difficult…
- BFC Daugavpils
Latvian VirslīgaDaugavpils is Latvia's second-biggest city, yet BFC have never won the national championship. They finished fourth in 2025. Build around the Latgale region and make the…
- Baltika KaliningradRussian Premier League
Baltika play in Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania. They reached the Russian Cup final in 2024 and narrowly missed out on a famous win. Take a…
- Bengaluru FCIndian Super League
Bengaluru became the first Indian club ever to reach an AFC club competition final in 2016, losing the AFC Cup decider. Finish what that side started and make Bengaluru…
- Bodø/GlimtEliteserien
Bodø/Glimt turned a club inside the Arctic Circle into a Champions League knockout side. In their 2025/26 debut in the competition proper they became its northernmost…
- Bohemian FCLeague of Ireland Premier Division
Bohemians have remained owned by their supporters since 1890 and haven't won the Irish league since 2009. Win it again without selling the club's identity: live within…
- Brunei DPMM
Singapore Premier LeagueDPMM are a club from Brunei who compete in Singapore's league system, one of those cross-border setups that feels made for Football Manager. Dominate Singapore with a…
- Bucheon FC 1995
K League 1Bucheon FC 1995 were created by supporters after Bucheon SK was moved to Jeju in 2006. Nearly two decades later the fan-built replacement finally won promotion to K…
- BursasporTFF 1. Lig
Bursaspor broke the Istanbul monopoly to become Turkish champions in 2010, then financial collapse sent them crashing all the way to the fourth tier. Their huge support…
- Busan IParkK League 2
Busan were Asian club champions in 1986 and have four Korean league titles, making them one of the country's great historic clubs. They have spent years stuck in K…
- CD CastellónSegunda División
Castellón's data-driven owners want to show that smart recruitment can beat richer clubs. They've spent years outside La Liga. Stick to the analytical approach, find…
- CD EldenseSegunda División
Lionel Messi has taken control of Eldense, a century-old club that has never played in La Liga. The job is to get his Spanish project into the top flight, preferably…
- CF MontréalMajor League Soccer (USA/Canada)
Montréal drew away to Club América in the 2015 CONCACAF Champions League final, then lost the home leg in front of more than 61,000 people. Rebuild the MLS club and…
- CSM ReșițaLiga 2
Reșița won the Romanian league in 1931 and took the cup in 1954 while playing in the second division. They have spent decades outside the top flight. Rebuild the…
- Cardiff Met
Cymru PremierCardiff Met are literally a university football club competing in the Welsh top flight. In 2019 they became the first British men's university side to qualify for…
- Carrick RangersNIFL Premiership
Carrick Rangers beat Linfield to win the 1976 Irish Cup while outside the top division, then faced Southampton in Europe. Recreate that famous cup run and go further…
- Central Coast Mariners
A-League MenCentral Coast Mariners entered a major ownership and financial crisis in 2026, with the league stepping in while the club's future was stabilised. Rebuild one of…
- Cercle BruggeBelgian Pro League
Cercle have three Belgian titles, but the last came in 1930. They've lived in Club Brugge's shadow ever since, despite a Monaco ownership link and a recent European run…
- Chacarita JuniorsPrimera Nacional
Chacarita won the 1969 Metropolitano, one of the rare Argentine championships claimed by a club outside the country's permanent elite. They now sit in Primera Nacional…
- ChapecoenseCampeonato Brasileiro Série A
Chapecoense's run to the 2016 Copa Sudamericana final ended in tragedy and they were awarded the trophy. Back in Série A, the save is to build a new era strong enough to…
- ChivasLiga MX
Chivas are one of Mexico's biggest clubs but traditionally field only Mexican players. It is effectively the Mexican version of Athletic Club: your recruitment pool is…
- Chornomorets Odesa
Ukrainian Premier LeagueChornomorets reached the 2014 Europa League knockouts before losing narrowly to Lyon. Relegated in 2025, they won promotion back to Ukraine's top flight for 2026/27…
- CiencianoLiga 1
Cienciano beat River Plate to win the 2003 Copa Sudamericana and Boca Juniors to lift the Recopa in 2004. Yet they've never won Peru's league. Take the club that…
- CliftonvilleNIFL Premiership
Founded in 1879, Cliftonville are the oldest football club in Ireland and still play at their historic Solitude ground. They have survived while the sport around them…
- Club BruggeBelgian Pro League
Liverpool beat Club Brugge in both the 1976 UEFA Cup final and the 1978 European Cup final. Brugge have never returned to win Europe's biggest prize. Forget another…
- ColeraineNIFL Premiership
Coleraine won their only Irish League title in 1974. They finished runners-up and won the Irish Cup in 2025/26, so the groundwork for a new challenge is there. Finally…
- Colón de Santa FePrimera Nacional
Colón waited 116 years to win a major trophy, then lifted the 2021 Copa de la Liga. Two years later they were relegated. Get Santa Fe's fallen cup winners back into the…
- CorinthiansCampeonato Brasileiro Série A
Corinthians are one of Brazil's biggest clubs, but the save begins with serious financial pressure: major debt, stadium obligations and repeated cash-flow problems. Win…
- CrusadersNIFL Premiership
Crusaders won three titles between 2015 and 2018, but only survived the 2025/26 relegation play-off on penalties against Annagh United. Take the Belfast club from the…
- Cruz AzulLiga MX
Cruz Azul were founded by workers of the cement company that still defines the club's identity. They grew from an industrial works team into one of Mexico's biggest…
- Cusco FCLiga 1
Founded as Real Garcilaso in 2009, Cusco reached the Libertadores quarter-finals just four years later. They've finished runners-up in Peru several times without winning…
- Deportivo AlavésLa Liga
Alavés scored four goals against Liverpool in the 2001 UEFA Cup final and still lost 5-4 to a golden-goal own goal. They've never won a major European trophy. Build…
- Deportivo CaliCategoría Primera A
Deportivo Cali entered a ten-year restructuring agreement covering more than 106 billion Colombian pesos of liabilities. Forget wonderkids at first - your opening trophy…
- Deportivo GarcilasoLiga 1
Founded by schoolteachers in 1957, Deportivo Garcilaso waited 65 years to reach Peru's top flight. They qualified for the Copa Sudamericana in their first season there…
- Deportivo PastoCategoría Primera A
Deportivo Pasto play in a Colombian city more than 2,500 metres above sea level and won their only league title in 2006. Use one of South America's nastiest away trips…
- Dnepr Mogilev
Belarusian Highest LeagueDnepr Mogilev were Belarusian champions in 1998, finishing above a newly promoted BATE side that would soon dominate the country. Dnepr never repeated the feat and only…
- Dorados de SinaloaLiga de Expansión MX
Dorados were founded in 2003 and reached Mexico's top flight barely a year later; years later Diego Maradona managed them in the second tier. Recreate the club's absurd…
- Drogheda United FCLeague of Ireland Premier Division
Drogheda won the 2024 FAI Cup but lost their European place because their owners also controlled Denmark's Silkeborg. Qualify for Europe again, this time without the…
- Eastern
Hong Kong Premier LeagueEastern made history in 2016 when Chan Yuen-ting became the first woman to lead a men's top-flight team to a national championship. That gives the club one of the most…
- El GounaEgyptian Premier League
El Gouna exists because the founder of the purpose-built Red Sea resort decided his new town needed a football club too. Turn a holiday destination into a football…
- EsbjergDanish 1st Division
Esbjerg have five Danish league titles and were regular European qualifiers in the 2000s, before ownership turmoil and relegations dumped them into the third tier in…
- Etar Veliko TarnovoBulgarian Second League
The Etar name reached the summit of Bulgarian football with the 1990/91 title and a European Cup campaign the following season. Today's Etar are in the second tier after…
- FC AnyangK League 1
Anyang LG Cheetahs left the city for Seoul in 2004. Supporters spent years campaigning for a replacement before FC Anyang arrived in 2013 - and the club finally reached…
- FC Bihor OradeaLiga 2
The old FC Bihor collapsed in 2016. Their replacement made it back to Romania's second tier and reached the 2026 promotion play-offs, but a licensing problem blocked the…
- FC Blau-Weiß LinzAustrian 2. Liga
Blau-Weiß Linz were formed by supporters after FC Linz's identity disappeared in a merger with LASK in 1997. They made it to the Bundesliga before relegation in 2026…
- FC HakaVeikkausliiga
Haka have won nine Finnish league titles despite representing the small industrial town of Valkeakoski. Their last championship came in 2004. Turn one of Finland's…
- FC LidaBelarusian First League
Lida's Soviet-era predecessor Obuvshchik Lida won the Belarusian SSR championship four times in the 1980s, but the club has not played top-flight football in independent…
- FC MidtjyllandDanish Superliga
Midtjylland helped popularise football's modern 'Moneyball' approach in Europe, using analytics, set-piece specialists and undervalued recruitment to punch above their…
- FC SionSwiss Super League
Sion built one of football's strangest cup records by winning each of their first 13 Swiss Cup finals before the streak finally ended in 2017. League titles have been…
- FC St. Pauli2. Bundesliga
FC St. Pauli are more than a football club — they represent Hamburg’s rebellious alternative culture, with a fiercely loyal fanbase, iconic brown-and-white colours and a…
- FC Supra du QuébecCanadian Premier League
The Montréal Supra name disappeared from Canadian professional football in 1992. A new Quebec-based club revived its spirit for the 2026 CPL season and immediately made…
- FC ThunSwiss Super League
Thun returned to the Swiss Super League in 2025 and then won the title in their first season back - the first league championship and first major trophy in club history…
- FC TwenteEredivisie
Twente broke the Dutch establishment to win the Eredivisie in 2010, then financial mismanagement eventually contributed to relegation eight years later. They bounced…
- FC Vaduz
Swiss Challenge LeagueVaduz are from Liechtenstein but play in the Swiss league system. The catch is unique: they cannot qualify for UEFA competition through their Swiss league position, so…
- FC WinterthurSwiss Challenge League
Winterthur finally returned to the Swiss top flight in 2022 after a 37-year absence, only to be relegated back to the Challenge League in 2026. The first miracle has…
- FK CsíkszeredaSuperLiga
Csíkszereda are based in Miercurea Ciuc, a Transylvanian city with a large Hungarian-speaking population. Promotion to Romania's top flight in 2025 was a big milestone…
- FK TransINVEST
A LygaFounded in 2021, TransINVEST won the 2023 Lithuanian Cup while in the second division and qualified for Europe. Promotion, relegation and another comeback followed. Turn…
- FK Žalgiris VilniusA Lyga
Žalgiris became Lithuania's first UEFA group-stage club in 2022 after years of domestic success. Another national title isn't enough. Build the first Lithuanian team…
- FenerbahçeSüper Lig
Fenerbahçe haven't won the Turkish league since 2014, despite vast spending and some big-name managers. Galatasaray have collected titles while their rivals have watched…
- Ferro Carril OestePrimera Nacional
Ferro won two Argentine championships in the 1980s and built one of the country's best sides without the profile of the Buenos Aires giants. They have not played…
- First Vienna FCAustrian 2. Liga
Founded in 1894, First Vienna are Austria's oldest club, have six league titles and wear a badge inspired by the Isle of Man. Their last championship came in 1955. Get…
- Floridsdorfer ACAustrian 2. Liga
Floridsdorfer AC won Austria's league in 1918 and also won a cup final that was never officially recognised. They're now in the second division. Take the forgotten…
- Fram Reykjavík
Besta deild karlaFram have won 18 Icelandic championships, more than almost every club in the country, but the last arrived in 1990. A generation has grown up without seeing the historic…
- GençlerbirliğiSüper Lig
Founded by disgruntled schoolboys, Gençlerbirliği knocked Blackburn, Sporting and Parma out of the 2003/04 UEFA Cup. They even beat eventual winners Valencia in Ankara…
- Ghazl El MahallaEgyptian Premier League
Ghazl El Mahalla are the football club of one of Egypt's great textile-industry cities and produced a remarkable league title in 1973. Outside Cairo's giants, national…
- Gimnasia y Esgrima La PlataArgentine Primera División
Gimnasia's last Argentine championship was in 1929, before the professional era. They came close in 1995 but have spent most of their history looking up at neighbours…
- Girona FCSegunda División
Girona went from a first-ever Champions League campaign in 2024 to relegation two years later. Their links to City Football Group make this an unusual rebuild. Get back…
- GlenavonNIFL Championship
Glenavon became the first Irish League champions from outside Belfast in 1952. In 2025/26 they lost their opening 11 games and were relegated after 21 years in the…
- Godoy CruzPrimera Nacional
Seventeen straight seasons in Argentina's top flight ended with relegation in 2025. Godoy Cruz are back in Primera Nacional after years as an established Primera…
- Gorica
2. SNLGorica won three consecutive Slovenian titles from 2004 to 2006 and four overall, making them the clearest old rival to the country's modern giants. They are now in 2…
- Grazer AKAustrian Bundesliga
Grazer AK won the Austrian double in 2004 before collapsing financially and restarting in the eighth tier in 2013. Six promotions took them back to the Bundesliga by…
- HNK Segesta
SuperSport Prva NLSegesta were founded in 1906 and are widely recognised in Croatia as the country's oldest surviving football club. They spent five seasons in the top flight in the 1990s…
- Hajduk SplitCroatian Football League
Hajduk have one of the biggest supporter cultures in the Balkans but have not won the Croatian league since 2005. Dinamo Zagreb have spent most of the intervening years…
- Hapoel Petah Tikva
Israeli Premier LeagueHapoel Petah Tikva won five consecutive Israeli championships from 1959 to 1963, still one of the country's great dynasties. They have spent much of the modern era…
- Harland & Wolff WeldersNIFL Championship
Founded by workers at Belfast's famous shipyard, the Welders began with a collection among employees and grew into a senior football club. Take a team tied to the yard…
- Helsingborgs IFSuperettan
Helsingborg were Swedish champions in 2011 and were still playing Champions League qualifiers the following year. They have since bounced between divisions and are back…
- HonvédNemzeti Bajnokság II
Honvéd were the club of Puskás, Bozsik and the great Mighty Magyars generation, winning five Hungarian titles during the 1950s. The modern club was relegated in 2023 and…
- HuracánArgentine Primera División
César Luis Menotti's Huracán won the 1973 Argentine title playing unforgettable attacking football. They've never been league champions since and lost the 2025 Apertura…
- IFK MariehamnVeikkausliiga
Mariehamn represent Åland, the Swedish-speaking autonomous archipelago between Finland and Sweden with a population of roughly 30,000. They somehow became Finnish…
- Independiente RivadaviaArgentine Primera División
Independiente Rivadavia only reached the top flight in 2023, won their first major trophy in 2025 and beat Fluminense at the Maracanã during their 2026 Libertadores…
- Inter Bratislava
2. LigaInter Bratislava won back-to-back Slovak championships in 2000 and 2001 before the original senior side effectively disappeared and the club had to be rebuilt. They are…
- JEF United ChibaJ1 League
JEF were founder members of the J.League and had never been relegated until 2009. What followed was an extraordinary stay in J2 lasting more than 15 seasons before they…
- Johor Darul Ta'zim
Malaysia Super LeagueJDT already dominate Malaysia and became the country's first AFC Cup winners in 2015. Domestic success is almost assumed - the real challenge is to outgrow Malaysia…
- KV MechelenBelgian Pro League
Mechelen beat Ajax to win the 1988 Cup Winners' Cup and then defeated PSV in the Super Cup. No Belgian club has won a major European trophy since. After years of…
- Karpaty LvivUkrainian Premier League
Karpaty won the Soviet Cup in 1969 while playing outside the top division and became one of western Ukraine's great football institutions. The original club collapsed in…
- KocaelisporSüper Lig
Kocaelispor beat Beşiktaş 4-0 in the 2002 Turkish Cup final before eventually falling into amateur football. Five promotions later, they returned to the Süper Lig in…
- Kuala Lumpur CityMalaysia Super League
Kuala Lumpur City reached the 2022 AFC Cup final and were one match from becoming only the second Malaysian club to win the competition. They lost 3-0 to Al-Seeb. Turn…
- LASKAustrian Bundesliga
LASK won the Austrian league and cup double in 2025/26, then produced a ridiculous Champions League play-off comeback against Celtic to reach the competition proper for…
- LNZ CherkasyUkrainian Premier League
LNZ were playing in Ukraine's fourth tier in 2021. Five years later they finished second in the Ukrainian Premier League and qualified for Europe for the first time. The…
- Le Mans FC
Ligue 1Le Mans were a Ligue 1 club in 2010 before financial collapse sent them as low as the sixth tier. After years rebuilding, back-to-back promotions have returned them to…
- LeixõesLiga Portugal 2
Leixões won the Portuguese Cup in 1961 and then reached the European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals despite coming from Matosinhos rather than one of Portugal's…
- LierseChallenger Pro League
The original Lierse won four Belgian titles and played Champions League football before going bankrupt in 2018. The name survives in the professional game through the…
- Limavady UnitedNIFL Premiership
Limavady knocked Linfield out of the 2026 Irish Cup while in the Championship, then won promotion to the Premiership for the first time since 2008. Keep the…
- Lincoln CityChampionship
Lincoln are back in the Championship after a 65-year absence. They have never played in the modern top flight, so the next promotion would be completely new territory…
- Liverpool FC (Montevideo)Uruguayan Primera División
Uruguay's Liverpool waited 108 years for their first league championship, finally beating Peñarol in the 2023 final. The domestic breakthrough is complete. Next comes…
- Lokeren-TemseChallenger Pro League
Sporting Lokeren won the Belgian Cup in 2012 and 2014 before bankruptcy ended the club in 2020. Lokeren-Temse became the vehicle for the city's football identity and has…
- LoughgallNIFL Championship
Loughgall put a village of around 300 people into Northern Ireland's top flight in 2023. Relegation followed in 2025. Get them back up and see whether a club from one of…
- Lyn1. divisjon
Lyn are two-time Norwegian champions and one of Oslo's oldest clubs, but bankruptcy in 2010 forced them to restart in the sixth tier. The climb has taken them all the…
- Maccabi JaffaLiga Leumit
Maccabi Jaffa were founded by Bulgarian Jewish immigrants and spent decades in Israel's top flight before the original club dissolved in 2000. Supporters later revived…
- MagallanesPrimera B de Chile
Magallanes won the first three professional Chilean championships from 1933 to 1935, making them the original dynasty of the league era. They later spent 36 years…
- Mito HollyHockJ1 League
Mito spent 26 straight seasons in J2 after joining the J.League before finally winning promotion to J1 for the first time in 2025. Your job is simple at first: do not…
- Mohun BaganIndian Super League
In 1911 Mohun Bagan became the first Indian side to win the IFA Shield, beating the East Yorkshire Regiment in one of Indian sport's most symbolic victories. Take that…
- Montevideo WanderersUruguayan Primera División
Wanderers won three Uruguayan titles before professionalism, the most recent in 1931. They were close in 2014 but lost the championship final to Danubio. End a league…
- Moss FK1. divisjon
Moss produced one of Norway's great outsider championships in 1987, winning the league under Nils Arne Eggen. They have spent years outside the top flight since. Start…
- Moyola ParkNIFL Championship
Moyola Park won the first Irish Cup in 1881, beating Cliftonville in the final. They won promotion to the second tier for 2026/27 after years outside senior football…
- NK Karlovac 1919SuperSport Prva NL
Karlovac climbed from the third tier to Croatia's top flight with back-to-back promotions and finished sixth in each of their first two seasons there, before financial…
- NacionalUruguayan Primera División
Nacional have three Libertadores and three Intercontinental Cups, but their last continental triumph was in 1988. No Uruguayan club has won the Libertadores since. The…
- Neuchâtel XamaxSwiss Challenge League
Back-to-back Swiss champions in the 1980s, UEFA Cup quarter-finalists twice and capable of beating Real Madrid and Bayern Munich at home. Bankruptcy in 2012 forced the…
- Newell's Old BoysArgentine Primera División
Messi grew up playing for Newell's, while Bielsa and Martino are part of the club's history. Their last league title came under Martino in 2013. Make the Rosario academy…
- Newry City AFCNIFL Championship
Newry City's original club was wound up in 2012. Supporters started again and climbed from local football to the Premiership in five seasons, before further relegations…
- Oțelul GalațiSuperLiga
Oțelul were Romanian champions in 2011 and faced Manchester United in the Champions League that autumn. They went bankrupt five years later, and supporters had to start…
- Palermo F.C.
Serie BPalermo are a club steeped in Sicilian identity, based on an island with a unique and almost mythical atmosphere. With a rich Serie A history, legendary players and…
- ParmaSerie A
Parma went bankrupt in 2015, restarted in Serie D and became the first Italian club to earn three consecutive promotions back toward the top. They are now established in…
- PeñarolUruguayan Primera División
Peñarol won the very first Libertadores in 1960 and five in total, but none since 1987. Their last final ended in defeat to Neymar's Santos in 2011. Build a side worthy…
- Plaza ColoniaUruguayan Primera División
Plaza Colonia are a tiny club from Colonia del Sacramento who stunned Uruguay by winning the 2016 Clausura. Break the Montevideo monopoly properly this time - turn a…
- Polonia BytomI liga
Polonia Bytom were Polish champions in 1954 and 1962 and once regularly represented the country in Europe. Decades of decline eventually dumped them into the regional…
- PortadownNIFL Premiership
Portadown won four Irish League titles between 1990 and 2002, including a double in 1991. Relegations and off-field trouble have since interrupted that success. Rebuild…
- ProgresoUruguayan Primera División
Progreso's only league title came in 1989 when their president was Tabaré Vázquez, who later became president of Uruguay. They finished above both Nacional and Peñarol…
- Queen's ParkScottish Championship
Queen's Park were founded in 1867, are Scotland's oldest football club and remained amateur for 152 years before turning professional in 2019. That change creates a…
- QuilmesPrimera Nacional
Founded in 1887, Quilmes are one of Argentina's oldest clubs and have national titles from 1912 and 1978. They are now back in Primera Nacional, living in the shadow of…
- RFC LiègeChallenger Pro League
RFC Liège are five-time Belgian champions and were still reaching a European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final in 1991. They have not played in Belgium's top flight since…
- Racing SantanderLa Liga
Racing were one of the ten founding members of La Liga in 1929 but spent 14 years outside the top flight, including seven seasons in Spain's third tier. They are back…
- Radnički NišSerbian SuperLiga
Radnički Niš reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 1982, eliminating Napoli and Feyenoord along the way before losing to Hamburg. They have never been national champions…
- Rhyl 1879Cymru North
Rhyl FC were Welsh champions twice and played European football before being wound up in 2020. Supporters formed Rhyl 1879 immediately afterwards, and the new club has…
- Roda JC KerkradeEerste Divisie
Roda's fans invaded the pitch in 2024 thinking they'd won promotion, thanks to a stadium announcement about a goal that never happened. They're still in the Eerste…
- Rodina MoscowRussian Premier League
Rodina started as a private youth academy and made it to the Russian Premier League just eleven years after being founded. Moscow already has plenty of famous clubs…
- Royal AntwerpBelgian Pro League
Royal Antwerp are Belgium's oldest registered football club and hold matricule number one. They have modern success again, but the hook is bigger than a normal title…
- SK BeverenBelgian Pro League
SK Beveren won the 2025/26 Belgian second division unbeaten, an extraordinary feat that sent them back to the top flight. They're a separate club from historic KSK…
- SK Rapid WienAustrian Bundesliga
Rapid have 32 Austrian titles but not one since 2008. They also lost Cup Winners' Cup finals to Everton in 1985 and PSG in 1996. End the domestic drought and give…
- SV ElversbergBundesliga
Elversberg were in Germany's fourth tier in 2022 and reached the Bundesliga for the first time in 2026. They represent a community of roughly 13,000 people - the…
- San LorenzoArgentine Primera División
San Lorenzo won the Libertadores in 2014, but by 2026 they were dealing with huge debts, dozens of legal cases and unpaid wages. Fix the finances without gutting the…
- Santa ClaraLiga Portugal
Santa Clara are a Portuguese top-flight club from the Azores, roughly 1,450 km from Lisbon in the middle of the Atlantic. Every domestic away day is effectively…
- Schwarz-Weiß BregenzAustrian 2. Liga
The original Schwarz-Weiß Bregenz collapsed in 2005 after playing Bundesliga football. A successor reclaimed the historic name and is now in Austria's second division…
- SelangorMalaysia Super League
Selangor have won the Malaysia Cup a record 33 times and reached the final of the first Asian Champion Club Tournament in 1967. Their domestic history is enormous, but…
- Shaanxi UnionChina League One
Shaanxi football has cycled through clubs, relocations and collapses, leaving supporters repeatedly starting again. Shaanxi Union was built with a strong supporter…
- Sigma OlomoucCzech First League
Sigma have decades of European qualifying history but did not reach a modern UEFA group/league phase until 2025. They sit outside the Czech Republic's dominant Prague…
- SivassporTFF 1. Lig
Sivasspor came close to winning the Turkish title in 2009 and finally lifted their first major cup in 2022. Relegation followed in 2025. Return to the Süper Lig and…
- Sporting CristalLiga 1
Sporting Cristal reached the 1997 Libertadores final but lost 1-0 to Cruzeiro after a goalless first leg. No Peruvian club has won the competition. Take one of the…
- TigreArgentine Primera División
In 2019 Tigre were relegated from Primera División and then beat Boca Juniors to win the Copa de la Superliga, qualifying for the Libertadores as a second-tier club…
- Torpedo MoscowRussian First League
Torpedo won promotion in 2025 only to be removed from Russia's top division after a refereeing corruption case. They were three-time Soviet champions long before that…
- TorreenseLiga Portugal 2
Torreense won the Portuguese Cup while playing in the second tier and qualified for the 2026/27 Europa League league phase. You are balancing two completely different…
- Trefelin BGCCymru Premier
Trefelin reached the Cymru Premier for the first time in 2026/27. You are starting at the exact moment a small Welsh club hits its highest-ever level. Survive…
- Tromsø ILEliteserien
Tromsø sit around 350 km north of the Arctic Circle and are the northernmost club to have won a recognised major national football trophy, lifting the Norwegian Cup…
- UMF Grindavík1. deild karla
Volcanic activity forced the evacuation of Grindavík in 2023 and left its football club playing away from home for months. The team eventually returned to its ground…
- Universitatea ClujSuperLiga
Founded in 1919, Universitatea Cluj have never won the Romanian league. They came close in 2025/26, finishing second, while city rivals CFR have eight titles. Finally…
- Universitatea CraiovaSuperLiga
Universitatea Craiova reached the 1983 UEFA Cup semi-finals and lost to Benfica on away goals. They finally ended a 35-year wait for another Romanian league title in…
- Unión MagdalenaCategoría Primera B
Unión Magdalena became Colombian champions in 1968 and remain the only club from the Caribbean city of Santa Marta to win the national title. Carlos Valderrama also…
- Unión MinasLiga 2
Unión Minas played top-flight football almost 4,300 metres above sea level in Cerro de Pasco. The miners disappeared from the professional game before winning the 2025…
- Vancouver FCCanadian Premier League
Founded in 2022, Vancouver FC reached the Canadian Championship final in 2025 before losing to the Whitecaps. Get the Langley club past its wealthy MLS neighbour and…
- Vancouver Whitecaps FCMajor League Soccer (USA/Canada)
The Whitecaps knocked Messi's Inter Miami out of the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup before losing the final 5-0 to Cruz Azul. The run proved they can reach the biggest…
- VasasNemzeti Bajnokság I
Vasas won six Hungarian titles and reached the European Cup semi-finals in 1958, where Real Madrid finally stopped them. They have spent years drifting between divisions…
- Vestri Ísafjörður1. deild karla
Vestri managed to win the Icelandic Cup and get relegated in the same season. They're based in the remote Westfjords, a long way from most of their opponents. Get them…
- VikingEliteserien
Viking returned from Norway's second tier in 2018, became champions and reached the Champions League main stage for the first time in 2026/27. Keep the climb going…
- Waterford FCLeague of Ireland Premier Division
Waterford won six Irish league titles in eight seasons from 1965 to 1973, then went more than half a century without another. Bring back that level of dominance and see…
- Widzew ŁódźEkstraklasa
Widzew won four Polish titles and reached the European Cup semi-finals in 1983 before bankruptcy forced a complete restart in 2015. The new club climbed from the fifth…
- Wollongong WolvesNational Premier Leagues / state system
Wollongong won back-to-back Australian championships around the turn of the century before becoming champions of Oceania. Australian football has changed completely…
- Zorya LuhanskUkrainian Premier League
Zorya shocked Soviet football by winning the 1972 USSR championship. The club has played away from its home city since the war began in 2014. Take the displaced former…
- Örgryte ISSuperettan / Allsvenskan pathway
Founded in 1887, Örgryte are Sweden’s oldest football club and 12-time champions. Restore the country’s original giants in a game that has long since moved on without…
- Östersunds FKSuperettan
Östersunds FK went from Sweden’s lower leagues to the Europa League knockout stages under Graham Potter, famously beating Galatasaray and Arsenal along the way. Now back…
- İstanbulsporTFF 1. Lig
İstanbulspor were founded by pupils and teachers at Istanbul High School, with colours tied to the school's First World War history. They have spent years overshadowed…
- ŁKS ŁódźI liga
ŁKS won Polish championships in 1958 and 1998 but have spent the modern era bouncing between the top two divisions while city rivals Widzew rebuilt their own status…
- AEL LarissaSuper League Greece 2
Larissa produced one of Greek football's great outsider stories by winning the league in 1988. They remain the only club from outside Athens and Thessaloniki to have…
- AFC WimbledonLeague One
AFC Wimbledon were created by supporters in 2002 after Wimbledon FC was moved to Milton Keynes. They climbed from the ninth tier back into the EFL and returned to Plough…
- Akademisk BoldklubDanish 1st Division
Akademisk Boldklub literally began as a club for university students and went on to win nine Danish championships. They return to Denmark's second tier for 2026/27 after…
- Albion FCUruguayan Primera División
Founded in 1891, Albion are Uruguay's oldest football club and helped establish the national association. They returned to the top flight for 2026 after more than a…
- Amazonas FCCampeonato Brasileiro Série C
Amazonas were only founded in 2019, won Série C in 2023 and reached Série B almost immediately. Relegation has put the Manaus club back in Série C, but the location and…
- AmedsporSuperlig
**Why Amedspor is a great FM27 save** Based in Kurdish-majority Diyarbakır, Amedspor is a symbol of Kurdish pride. That identity has brought racist abuse, away-fan…
- América de CaliCategoría Primera A
América de Cali reached three consecutive Copa Libertadores finals in 1985, 1986 and 1987 and lost all three. One of South America's most brutal unfinished stories is…
- Atlético MoreliaLiga de Expansión MX
Morelia effectively lost its Liga MX club when Monarcas were moved hundreds of miles away and became Mazatlán in 2020. Atlético Morelia revived the identity in the…
- Austria SalzburgAustrian 2. Liga
When Red Bull took over Austria Salzburg in 2005 and transformed the club’s identity, a group of supporters started their own Austria Salzburg. They worked their way…
- Bangor 1876Cymru North
Bangor 1876 were created by supporters in 2019 as turmoil engulfed historic Bangor City. They won the Ardal North West in 2025/26 and have reached Cymru North. Rebuild…
- Barry Town UnitedCymru Premier
Barry dominated Wales in the 1990s and early 2000s, winning seven league titles and even beating Porto 3-1 at Jenner Park in 2001. Financial collapse then nearly wiped…
- BeerschotChallenger Pro League
The Beerschot name has been through mergers, bankruptcies, rebirths and multiple journeys through the Belgian pyramid. The current club still plays at the historic…
- Belshina BobruiskBelarusian Highest League
Belshina won the Belarusian title in 2001 and three national cups, but the years since have included repeated drops out of the top flight. They returned to the Highest…
- BoavistaLiga Portugal
Boavista remain the only club outside Benfica, Porto and Sporting to win the Portuguese league since 1946, doing it in 2000/01. They are the obvious 'fourth giant'…
- BreiðablikBesta deild karla
Breiðablik became the first Icelandic club to reach a major UEFA group stage in 2023/24. Icelandic clubs still face a huge financial and scheduling gap to continental…
- Cape Town SpursMotsepe Foundation Championship
Cape Town Spurs spent two decades as Ajax Cape Town before Ajax ended the partnership and the club reclaimed its old identity. Build an independent Cape Town giant…
- CataniaSerie C
Catania spent much of the late 2000s in Serie A before debt and bankruptcy eventually killed the old company in 2022. A new Catania started again in Serie D and…
- Central EspañolUruguayan Primera División
Central Español were promoted in 1983 and won the Uruguayan league in 1984, an extraordinary first season back. They returned to Primera División for 2026 after 12 years…
- Cobh Ramblers FCLeague of Ireland First Division
Roy Keane got his start at Cobh Ramblers, and future Westlife singer Nicky Byrne later kept goal for them. The club has never been Irish champions. Find the next young…
- ComoSerie A
Como's rise has already gone from Serie B to the Champions League in barely two years. In 2026/27 they entered Europe for the first time in club history - straight into…
- DanubioUruguayan Primera División
Founded by Bulgarian immigrants and named after the Danube, Danubio have won four Uruguayan titles and produced the likes of Cavani and Giménez. Their last title came in…
- Deportivo La CoruñaLa Liga
Deportivo were Spanish champions in 2000 and Champions League semi-finalists in 2004, then collapsed as far as the third tier. They finally returned to La Liga for…
- Derry City FCLeague of Ireland Premier Division
Derry have won league titles in both Northern Ireland and the Republic after crossing leagues during the Troubles. They also completed a domestic treble in 1989. Try to…
- Dinamo BucureștiSuperLiga
Dinamo won 18 Romanian titles and reached the European Cup semi-finals in 1984, eliminating Hamburg along the way. Relegation in 2022 was the first in their history…
- Dynamo Dresden2. Bundesliga
Dynamo Dresden won eight East German league titles and remain one of the former DDR's biggest clubs. They are in 2. Bundesliga, but reunified Germany has never seen them…
- Dynamo KyivUkrainian Premier League
Dynamo won European Cup Winners' Cups under Valeriy Lobanovskyi in 1975 and 1986, then reached the 1999 Champions League semi-finals. Recreate the attacking football of…
- EA GuingampLigue 2
Guingamp have won two French Cups, both against Rennes, despite coming from a town of around 7,000 people. Their ground can hold more than twice the population. Winning…
- Ellas SyrouSuper League 2
A club from the small Aegean island of Syros reached Greece's second division for the first time in 2025. Build a competitive side despite the island's size and travel…
- Energie Cottbus2. Bundesliga
Energie Cottbus spent six seasons in the Bundesliga despite coming from a relatively small city in the former East Germany, then fell all the way into the regional…
- FC EindhovenEerste Divisie
FC Eindhoven won the last Dutch championship before professional football began in 1954. Their neighbours PSV have rather dominated the city's football story since. Get…
- FC NantesLigue 2
Nantes have eight league titles and a famous tradition of attacking football, but haven't been champions since 2001. They're now in Ligue 2. Bring back the academy-led…
- FC RostovRussian Premier League
Rostov nearly won the Russian league in 2016 and then beat Bayern Munich 3-2 in the Champions League. They've never been national champions. Win the title that slipped…
- FC RyukyuJ3
Based in Okinawa, the Southern-most area of Japan, separated by 400 miles of ocean to the mainland, these tropical islands are home to a distinct culture and history…
- FC SüdtirolSerie B
Südtirol are an Italian club with a German name in a mostly German-speaking Alpine province. They've never reached Serie A. Build a side around South Tyrol and…
- FC VolendamEerste Divisie
Volendam have been promoted to the Eredivisie eleven times and relegated eleven times. It's hard to think of a more committed yo-yo club. Keep them up for good and win a…
- FF JaroVeikkausliiga
FF Jaro are a proud club from the small coastal town of Jakobstad, with a strong local identity and a history of competing in Finland’s top flight. After years of ups…
- FK LiepājaVirslīga
Liepājas Metalurgs were Latvian champions before collapsing financially. FK Liepāja was created in 2014 and won the league almost immediately, but the bigger challenge…
- FK MettaLatvian First League (Nākotnes līga)
University-linked academy club Metta spent years surviving in Latvia's top division before relegation in 2025. Start in the second tier, back young players and see…
- Finn Harps FCLeague of Ireland First Division
Finn Harps once faced Derby County, Everton and Aberdeen in Europe from their small home in Donegal. They've spent much of recent history yo-yoing between Irish…
- GenoaSerie A
Founded in 1893, Genoa are Italy's oldest active football club and have nine league titles - but the last came in 1924. You are managing a giant historical name without…
- GlentoranNIFL Premiership
Glentoran held Eusébio's Benfica to two draws in the 1967 European Cup but went out on away goals. They haven't won the Irish League since 2009. End the domestic drought…
- Gloria BistrițaLiga 2
Gloria spent 21 consecutive seasons in Romania's top flight and won the 1994 cup before the original club collapsed. A rebuilt football project reached Liga 2 in 2025…
- Guangdong GZ-PowerChina League One
Guangzhou Evergrande won eight Chinese titles and two Asian Champions Leagues before financial collapse erased the club from professional football in 2025. Guangdong…
- IndependienteArgentine Primera División
Seven Libertadores titles, more than anyone else, but not one since 1984. Financial instability has left Independiente a long way from the side that once ruled South…
- Inverness Caledonian ThistleScottish Championship
Inverness won the Scottish Cup in 2015 and entered administration less than a decade later. They're trying to recover after dropping down the leagues. Get a Highland…
- Isloch Minsk RaionBelarusian Highest League
Isloch were founded in 2007 as an amateur club, entered the national league system in the 2010s and reached the Belarusian top flight by 2016. They are now established…
- IsmailyEgyptian Premier League
In 1969, Ismaily became the first Egyptian club to be crowned champions of Africa, before either Al Ahly or Zamalek managed it. Bring Egypt’s original continental…
- KTPYkkösliiga
KTP won back-to-back Finnish titles in 1951 and 1952, but modern life has been defined by bouncing between the top two divisions. Relegated in 2025, they have already…
- Kerry FCLeague of Ireland First Division
County Kerry is Gaelic football country, and it didn't even have a League of Ireland club until 2023. Kerry FC won once in their debut season but have already reached an…
- KuPSVeikkausliiga
KuPS are one of Finland's oldest major clubs, yet only reached a UEFA group/league phase for the first time in 2025. Finland is playable, making this an accessible…
- LarneNIFL Premiership
Larne became the first Northern Irish league club to reach a major UEFA group/league phase in 2024/25. You start with a domestic structure already playable in FM, but a…
- Leones Negros UdeGLiga de Expansión MX
Leones Negros are the football club of the University of Guadalajara and finished runners-up in Mexico's top flight three times during their 1970s peak. They are now in…
- Liaoning TierenChinese Super League
The old Liaoning FC became the first Chinese club to win Asia's top continental competition in 1990, then eventually disappeared. Liaoning Tieren are a separate modern…
- Lion City Sailors
Singapore Premier LeagueLion City Sailors became Singapore's first privatised football club and then the first Singaporean side to reach a major Asian continental final, losing the 2024/25 AFC…
- Marek DupnitsaBulgarian Second League
Marek Dupnitsa beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the 1977/78 UEFA Cup, with Gerd Müller, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Sepp Maier and Uli Hoeneß in the Bayern squad. Marek now play in…
- MarítimoPrimeira Liga
Marítimo spent 38 consecutive seasons in Portugal's top flight before relegation in 2023. In 2026 they won promotion back, restoring Madeira to the Primeira Liga. Stay…
- Matsumoto YamagaJ3 League
Matsumoto climbed from regional football to J1 in barely a decade, powered by crowds far bigger than their level suggested. They then fell just as dramatically and ended…
- Mjällby AIFAllsvenskan
Mjällby won their first Swedish title in 2025 with a league-record points total despite representing a tiny community. Their first European season then took them into a…
- Montpellier HSCLigue 2
Montpellier beat PSG's new owners to the 2012 title with a team that started the season thinking about survival. They're back in the second division. Build another side…
- MálagaLa Liga
Málaga reached the Champions League quarter-finals in 2013 and were seconds from eliminating Dortmund, then financial decline eventually carried them into Spain's third…
- NAC BredaEerste Divisie
NAC won their only Dutch championship in 1921 and are known for the atmosphere of an 'Avondje NAC'. They're back in the second division. Give Breda a title-winning side…
- Nagoya Grampus EightJ1 League
The club Arsène Wenger managed immediately before Arsenal. Sometimes the historical connection is all the excuse you need. Build the Japanese side Wenger left behind…
- NancyLigue 2
Nancy gave Michel Platini his breakthrough and won the Coupe de France in 1978, but years of decline eventually pushed them into the third tier. They have fought their…
- Notts CountyLeague One
Founded in 1862, Notts County are widely recognised as the world's oldest professional football club. After years outside the EFL they are climbing again and have…
- Ogre UnitedLatvian Virslīga
Ogre United won the 2025 Latvian second division on a dramatic final day to reach the top flight for the first time. There's no established elite history to lean on…
- PanioniosSuper League Greece 2
Panionios trace their roots to Smyrna before the population exchange brought the club to Athens. They won two Greek Cups but financial collapse forced them into the…
- Paris FCLigue 1
Paris FC and PSG were once part of the same club. Now Paris FC are in Ligue 1, have wealthy backing and play across the road from the Parc des Princes. There is one very…
- Partick ThistleScottish Championship
Partick famously beat Celtic 4-1 in the 1971 Scottish League Cup final after leading 4-0 at the break. They've spent plenty of time living in Glasgow's footballing…
- PatronatoPrimera Nacional
Patronato won the 2022 Copa Argentina in the same season they were relegated, which meant playing Copa Libertadores football as a second-tier club. Get them back to the…
- Petrolul PloieștiSuperLiga
Petrolul beat Bill Shankly's Liverpool 3-1 in the European Cup in 1966, forcing a deciding third match. Their fourth and last Romanian title also came that year. End the…
- Plymouth ArgyleLeague One
Plymouth is one of England's biggest cities never to have had a club in the top flight. Argyle have spent well over a century trying to change that without quite…
- Politehnica TimișoaraLiga 2
Timișoara has one of Romania's biggest football followings but its club identity has been dragged through relocations, ownership disputes and repeated restarts. The…
- Polonia WarsawI liga
Polonia were Polish champions in 2000 and regular European qualifiers before financial disaster in 2013 dumped them from the top flight to the fifth tier. They have…
- RAAL La LouvièreBelgian Pro League
The original La Louvière won the 2003 Belgian Cup but collapsed in 2009. The modern RAAL began rebuilding in the fifth tier and reached the top flight by 2025. Finish…
- RCD EspanyolLa Liga
Espanyol have lost two UEFA Cup finals, both on penalties, and have never won a major European trophy. They also share a city with Barcelona. End the European curse and…
- Raith RoversScottish Championship
Raith went to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup in 1995 and led at half-time, despite playing second-tier Scottish football. Recreate one of the strangest European nights in…
- Rapid BucureștiSuperLiga
Rapid's railway workers won three Romanian titles and reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 2006. Bankruptcy forced a restart in the lower leagues in 2016, but they're…
- Real KashmirI-League
Real Kashmir became the first club from Kashmir to reach India's national top-level league structure. Build a club from one of football's most politically and…
- Real MurciaPrimera Federación
Real Murcia have spent 18 seasons in La Liga but have not been back since 2008. One of Spain's biggest cities has watched its main club spend years in the lower…
- Real ZaragozaPrimera Federación
Six-time Copa del Rey winners and 1995 European Cup Winners' Cup champions, Zaragoza have now fallen into Primera Federación after years outside La Liga. One of Spain's…
- Red Star FCLigue 2
Jules Rimet founded Red Star, but the club that helped give football the World Cup has never won the French league. Build a proper Parisian rival to PSG, starting from…
- Rotor VolgogradRussian First League
Rotor knocked Manchester United out of the 1995 UEFA Cup despite Peter Schmeichel scoring a late equaliser at Old Trafford. They twice finished runners-up in Russia…
- RouenLigue 3
Rouen spent decades in France's top flight and even beat Arsenal in Europe in the 1960s, but have not played Ligue 1 football since 1985. They are now in the new…
- Rovaniemen PalloseuraYkkönen
RoPS offer a unique Football Manager challenge: a club based in Rovaniemi, right on the Arctic Circle, with a proud history in Finnish football, European competition…
- Ruch ChorzówI liga
Ruch have 14 Polish league titles, placing them among the most successful clubs in the country's history, but the last came in 1989. Financial collapse later dragged…
- SKA-KhabarovskRussian First League
Khabarovsk is more than 6,000km from Moscow, which makes away days in Russia's leagues rather interesting. SKA reached the Premier League once and lasted a season. Get…
- SamsunsporSüper Lig
Samsunspor lost their manager and several players in the 1989 team-bus disaster. Decades of rebuilding and lower-league spells followed, before a return to Europe in…
- Santa CruzCampeonato Brasileiro Série C
Santa Cruz have one of Brazil's biggest lower-league fanbases, yet financial collapse took them out of the national divisions completely in 2024. The recovery has become…
- Santiago WanderersPrimera B de Chile
Founded in 1892, Santiago Wanderers are widely regarded as Chile's oldest football club and represent the port city of Valparaíso rather than Santiago. They have three…
- Schalke 04Bundesliga
Seven-time German champions Schalke have one of Europe's biggest fanbases and a 62,000-capacity stadium, yet spent three consecutive seasons in 2. Bundesliga. They are…
- Seongnam FCK League 2
Seongnam have seven Korean league titles and two Asian championships, a trophy cabinet that should make them one of the continent's elite clubs. Instead they are in K…
- ShelbourneLeague of Ireland Premier Division
Shelbourne are one of Ireland's historic clubs and finally reached a UEFA league phase for the first time in 2025. The League of Ireland is playable, but the financial…
- Sint-TruidenseBelgian Pro League
Sint-Truidense reached a UEFA league phase in 2026/27, giving a club usually overshadowed by Belgium's bigger names a rare European platform. Use it to close the…
- Slavia MozyrBelarusian Highest League
Slavia Mozyr won the Belarusian title in 1996 and 2000 and reached Champions League qualifying, but their second championship remains their last. More than a quarter of…
- SochauxLigue 2
Sochaux are one of France's great industrial clubs, created around Peugeot and twice crowned French champions. Financial problems nearly destroyed the professional club…
- StenhousemuirScottish Championship
Stenhousemuir have a stand named after Norwegian fans who found the club's name on Teletext and adopted them in 1992. The club have finally started winning promotions…
- StevenageLeauge One
Stevenage have never finished above 6th place in the 3rd tier in their history. The Boro are also the 2nd largest club in Hertfordshire, behind Watford. Can you take the…
- SunderlandPremier League
Back in the Premier League and back in Europe after more than half a century, Sunderland's 2026/27 campaign gives you a sleeping giant with momentum. Turn their first…
- Suwon Samsung BluewingsK League 2
Suwon won four Korean titles and back-to-back Asian club championships in 2001 and 2002. In 2023 they were relegated for the first time in club history and have remained…
- Tampere UnitedYkkönen
Tampere United are three-time Finnish champions who were relegated to the lowest tier of Finnish football in 2011. After a long journey back, the club are now on the…
- Tatran Prešov2. Liga
Founded in 1898, Tatran Prešov are one of Slovakia's oldest football clubs and twice finished runners-up in the Czechoslovak league. Their latest top-flight return…
- The New SaintsCymru Premier
TNS became the first club from the Welsh domestic league to reach a UEFA league phase in 2024/25. The oddity is that their home ground is in Oswestry, England. Use…
- Torino FCSerie A
The Grande Torino side dominated Italy in the 1940s before the 1949 Superga air disaster. Torino have only won the league once since and haven't done so since 1976…
- UTA AradSuperLiga
UTA won six Romanian championships and knocked reigning European champions Feyenoord out of the European Cup in 1970. They haven't won a league title for more than half…
- University of PretoriaMotsepe Foundation Championship
University of Pretoria are literally a university football club competing in South Africa's professional pyramid. Lean fully into it: build around young players, impose…
- União de LeiriaLiga Portugal 2
José Mourinho managed União de Leiria before Porto, and the club was a regular top-flight and European name during the early 2000s. Financial collapse eventually sent…
- Valencia CFLa Liga
Valencia lost successive Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001 before winning two league titles under Benítez. They've been a shadow of that side for years. Rebuild…
- VarzimLiga 3
Varzim have spent more than 20 seasons in Portugal's top flight but have not been there since the early 2000s. The Póvoa de Varzim club now sit in Liga 3, squeezed…
- Ventforet KofuJ2 League
Ventforet Kofu won the Emperor's Cup as a J2 club, qualified for the Asian Champions League and then became the first Japanese second-tier side to reach its knockouts…
- Viktoria ŽižkovCzech National Football League
Viktoria Žižkov were Czechoslovak champions in 1928 and won the Czech Cup as recently as 2001, all while living in the shadow of Prague's much bigger clubs. They now…
- Villarreal CFLa Liga
Villarreal won the 2021 Europa League after an 11-10 penalty shootout against Manchester United, but the club from a town of roughly 50,000 has never won La Liga…
- Wacker InnsbruckAustrian 2. Liga
Financial collapse forced Wacker Innsbruck to restart in the fifth tier in 2022. Three straight promotions have brought them back to Austria's second division, with LAFC…
- Çorum FKSüper Lig
Çorum only entered the professional leagues in 2018 but won the 2026 promotion play-off to reach the Süper Lig for the first time. Keep them there, compete with Turkey's…
- Östers IFSuperettan
Öster won four Swedish championships between 1968 and 1981, an extraordinary haul for a club from Växjö. Their return to Allsvenskan in 2025 lasted only one season, so…
- AD AlcorcónPrimera Federación
Alcorcón humiliated Real Madrid 4-0 in the 2009 Copa del Rey when Ronaldo, Kaká and Benzema were all in the squad. They've never played in La Liga. Turn that one famous…
- Alemannia Aachen3. Liga
Alemannia Aachen played Bundesliga and UEFA Cup football in the 2000s before financial trouble and relegations dumped them into the regional leagues. They are back in 3…
- Arenas Club de GetxoPrimera Federación
Arenas were one of the ten founding members of La Liga and won the Copa del Rey in 1919. In 2026/27 they are playing in the third-tier Primera Federación. Take a club…
- Athletic ClubLa Liga
Athletic have never been relegated from La Liga while maintaining one of football's most famous recruitment policies: first-team players must have a Basque connection…
- Athlone Town AFCLeague of Ireland First Division
Part-time Athlone held AC Milan to a 0-0 draw in Europe in 1975 and even missed a penalty. They're now in Ireland's second tier. Get them back to the top, return to…
- B.93Danish 2nd Division
B.93 have nine Danish championships, a total that sounds absurd for a club now playing in the third tier. Most of that glory belongs to another footballing age. Take one…
- BK Frem3. division
Frem are six-time Danish champions and one of Copenhagen's great old football names, but their last title came before the modern European era and they now play in…
- Beroe Stara ZagoraBulgarian Second League
Beroe are 1985/86 Bulgarian champions, four-time Balkans Cup winners and once beat Juventus 1-0 in European competition. In 2026 they were relegated to the second tier…
- BromleyLeague One
It took Bromley 132 years to reach the EFL. Two seasons later they have already climbed again, reaching League One for the first time. The save starts with momentum but…
- CD ExtremaduraPrimera Federación
Extremadura football has had more than its share of bankruptcies and restarts. The current club has climbed rapidly after beginning again in the lower leagues. Get the…
- CD MirandésPrimera Federación
Mirandés have reached two Copa del Rey semi-finals despite representing a small town and never playing in La Liga. Get them into the top flight for the first time and…
- CE EuropaPrimera Federación
CE Europa were founding members of La Liga and reached the Copa del Rey final in 1923. They now sit in the third tier, sharing Barcelona with two of the biggest clubs on…
- CannesLigue 3
Cannes gave Zinedine Zidane and Patrick Vieira their first senior football and were playing in Europe during the 1990s. Financial collapse later sent the club into the…
- CobreloaPrimera B de Chile
Cobreloa reached back-to-back Copa Libertadores finals in 1981 and 1982 and lost both. They are now in Chile's second tier, so the route back starts with promotion…
- East KilbrideScottish League One
East Kilbride only joined Scotland's senior pyramid in 2013 and have already reached the SPFL. Build on that momentum and turn a relatively new club from one of…
- FC Andorra
LaLiga HypermotionFC Andorra represent a country of roughly 80,000 people but play inside the Spanish league system. They are back in Segunda División, so La Liga is realistically within…
- FC AndorraSegunda División
Gerard Piqué's club represents an independent country but plays in Spain's league system. Take FC Andorra to La Liga, then try to win the Spanish title with a club that…
- FC VersaillesLigue 3
Your club represents Versailles but still has to play home matches outside the city because Stade Montbauron cannot host them. Get them out of the third tier, sort out a…
- Fortuna Köln3. Liga
Fortuna Köln reached the 1983 DFB-Pokal final and spent 26 consecutive seasons in 2. Bundesliga, usually living in the shadow of 1. FC Köln. They won promotion back to…
- Gimnàstic de TarragonaPrimera Federación
Nàstic have suffered consecutive promotion play-off final defeats, including one that went wrong in extra time. Get them back into Spain's second tier and eventually La…
- Grimsby TownLeague Two
Grimsby were a First Division club in the 1930s and reached two FA Cup semi-finals. Their 1939 semi-final against Wolves drew 76,962 to Old Trafford, still the stadium's…
- GuaraniCampeonato Brasileiro Série C
Guarani won the 1978 Brazilian title and remain the only national top-flight champions from a Brazilian interior city. They now play in Série C. Take Campinas back…
- Hamilton AcademicalScottish League Two
Hamilton have endured points deductions, transfer restrictions and a frightening financial collapse. The job here is straightforward, even if the save won't be: keep the…
- Huddersfield TownLeague One
Huddersfield became the first English club to win three consecutive top-flight titles, doing so from 1924 to 1926. Almost a century later they spent two seasons in the…
- Hércules CFPrimera Federación
Hércules have spent 20 seasons in La Liga and produced one of the great promoted-team shocks when they beat Pep Guardiola's Barcelona 2-0 at the Camp Nou in 2010. They…
- LinfieldNIFL Premiership
Linfield have won more Irish League titles than any other club and reached the European Cup quarter-finals in 1967. Another domestic title won't make this save special…
- LivornoSerie C
Livorno were playing Serie A and UEFA Cup football in the 2000s before financial collapse ended the old club in 2021. The reborn US Livorno climbed back into Serie C and…
- MariborSlovenian PrvaLiga
Maribor are the only Slovenian club to have reached the Champions League group stage, doing it three times. Domestic dominance is not enough for a club with that…
- NovaraSerie C
Novara returned to Serie A in 2011 after 55 years away, then a decade later financial problems saw the old company excluded from professional football. The club was…
- Oldham AthleticLeague Two
Oldham became the first former Premier League club to fall out of the EFL when they were relegated to non-league in 2022. They finally won their Football League place…
- OstiamareSerie C
Daniele De Rossi bought his boyhood club in Ostia and helped take them back into professional football. They're still a long way from Roma. Make De Rossi's childhood…
- PerugiaSerie C
Perugia went through the entire 1978/79 Serie A season unbeaten and still finished second to Milan. They're now in Serie C and have never been Italian champions. Go one…
- Pescara CalcioSerie C
Zdeněk Zeman's Pescara scored 90 league goals in 2011/12 with Immobile, Insigne and Verratti in the side. They're back in Serie C. Build another daftly attacking 4-3-3…
- Pirin BlagoevgradBulgarian Second League
Pirin's academy helped produce Dimitar Berbatov and a long list of Bulgarian internationals, yet the first team sits in the second tier and has endured a dreadful start…
- Preußen Münster3. Liga
Preußen Münster were founder members of the Bundesliga in 1963 but disappeared from the top two divisions for decades. Back-to-back promotions took them from the…
- Pro VercelliSerie C
Pro Vercelli won seven Italian championships before modern Serie A even existed, but have not played top-flight football since the 1930s. They now sit in Serie C. This…
- RB Omiya ArdijaJ2 League
Omiya Ardija were bought by Red Bull and rebranded RB Omiya Ardija, bringing the global Red Bull model into Japanese football. Build 'Japanese Leipzig' - recruit young…
- RCD MallorcaSegunda División
Mallorca knocked Chelsea out on the way to the last Cup Winners' Cup final in 1999, then lost to Lazio. They later won the Copa del Rey but never La Liga. Win the…
- RFSLatvian Virslīga
RFS beat Ajax 1-0 in the 2024/25 Europa League, one of Latvian football's greatest results. They've also become regular domestic champions. Turn the occasional European…
- Racing Club de FerrolPrimera Federación
Racing de Ferrol have spent decades in Spain's second division but have never reached La Liga. They even made the Copa del Rey final in 1939. Get this Galician naval…
- ReadingLeague One
Reading set a Championship record with 106 points in 2005/06, then finished eighth in their first Premier League season. Financial problems, transfer embargoes and…
- Real JaénPrimera Federación
Jaén spent years stuck in Spain's fifth tier before consecutive promotions revived the club. They haven't played in La Liga since the 1950s. Complete the comeback and…
- Real UniónPrimera Federación
Real Unión were founding members of La Liga and won four Copa del Rey titles during Spanish football's early years. They now represent tiny Irún in the third tier, right…
- Recreativo de HuelvaSegunda Federación
Founded in 1889, Recreativo are generally recognised as Spain's oldest football club. They now sit in the fourth tier, miles from the La Liga stage they once knew. Take…
- SKN St. PöltenAustrian 2. Liga
St. Pölten reached the 2014 Austrian Cup final while playing in the second division and earned a European tie with PSV. They're back in the second tier again. Win…
- SM CaenLigue 3
Kylian Mbappé bought Caen in 2024 and they promptly ended up in the third tier. The obvious challenge is to rescue his investment, build a proper youth setup and…
- SSC BariSerie C
Bari were seconds from Serie A in the 2023 promotion play-off final before Cagliari scored late. They ended up in Serie C instead, with supporters also frustrated by the…
- SambenedetteseSerie C
Sambenedettese have spent more than 20 seasons in Serie B without ever reaching Serie A, despite support that regularly looks too big for the divisions they inhabit…
- Seoul E-LandK-League 2
Seoul E-Land, founded in 2014, are the second team in Seoul. Their city rivals, FC Seoul, are one of the most successful clubs in Korean and Asian football, with 6…
- Sheffield WednesdayLeague One
Four-time English champions who entered administration in October 2025 and finished the 2025/26 Championship season on zero points after an 18-point deduction. New…
- Skeid2. divisjon
Skeid won the Norwegian league in 1966 and have lifted the Norwegian Cup eight times, but modern football has left the Oslo club far behind. They are now in the third…
- Spezia CalcioSerie C
Spezia's 1944 wartime championship was won by a team of local firefighters, but it doesn't count as an official Scudetto. They're back in Serie C. Win the title outright…
- UC SampdoriaSerie B
Sampdoria won Serie A in 1991 and lost the 1992 European Cup final to Barcelona. They later came dangerously close to Serie C. Put a proper team back together in Genoa…
- Union BresciaSerie C
Brescia's old club, once home to Baggio, Pirlo and Guardiola, went bankrupt after more than a century. Union Brescia have taken over the city's football future. Build…
- Unionistas de SalamancaPrimera Federación
When historic UD Salamanca disappeared in 2013, supporters created Unionistas as a fan-owned successor. They have climbed into Spain's third tier but have never reached…
- University College Dublin AFCLeague of Ireland First Division
UCD's students drew 0-0 with Everton in 1984, then lost narrowly at Goodison Park to a side that went on to win the Cup Winners' Cup. Take the university club to the…
- Vado FCSerie C
Vado won the very first Coppa Italia in 1922 but have never played in Serie A. More than a century later they're back in the professional leagues. Get them into the top…
- Arsenal de SarandíPrimera B Metropolitana
Copa Sudamericana winners in 2007, Argentine champions in 2012 and Supercopa winners later that year. They are now down in the third-tier Primera B Metropolitana. Take a…
- Carlisle UnitedNational League
Carlisle were top of the English First Division in August 1974 after winning their opening three games. They finished bottom that same season and have never returned to…
- ChesterfieldLeague Two
Chesterfield were denied a place in the 1997 FA Cup final after Jonathan Howard's shot against Middlesbrough crossed the line but wasn't given. They lost the semi-final…
- Queen of the SouthScottish League One
Queen of the South reached the 2008 Scottish Cup final after an absurd 4-3 semi-final win, then played European football despite losing to Rangers. They're now in the…
- SC BastiaLigue 3
Bastia reached the 1978 UEFA Cup final before decades of financial trouble sent them down the leagues. They're back in France's third tier. Put Corsica back on the…
- SalgueirosCampeonato de Portugal
Salgueiros finished sixth in Portugal in 1990/91 and played in the UEFA Cup the following season, giving Porto a third top-flight club alongside FC Porto and Boavista…
- Scunthorpe UnitedNational League
Scunthorpe were playing in the Championship in 2011, but ownership problems and repeated relegations sent them into the National League North by 2023. They finally won…
- Southend UnitedNational League
Southend came frighteningly close to disappearing before a new ownership group finally completed its takeover in 2024. They then lost the 2025 National League play-off…
- Stade de ReimsLigue 2
Reims lost European Cup finals to Real Madrid in both 1956 and 1959. Six French titles, Raymond Kopa and Just Fontaine are quite a history to live up to. Get them out of…
- UD IbizaPrimera Federación
Ibiza's club raced from regional football into the second division before slipping back down. Take the island into La Liga for the first time and turn a place famous for…
- US Thionville LusitanosLigue 3
Thionville Lusitanos have climbed four divisions in five years and their Portuguese roots make for a decent squad-building rule. Keep the rise going, try recruiting only…
- WorthingNational League
Former player George Dowell bought Worthing in 2015 using compensation from the accident that left him paralysed. He paid off debts, improved the club's facilities and…
- Yeovil TownNational League
Yeovil beat Brentford at Wembley to reach the Championship in 2013. Ten years later, they'd dropped to the sixth tier after four relegations in a decade. They're back in…
- Chester FCNational League North
Chester City was wound up in 2010 and supporters immediately created Chester FC in its place. The club play in the English pyramid despite their stadium sitting just…
- DarlingtonNational League North
Darlington spent generations in the Football League before financial collapse forced a supporter-led rebuild far down the pyramid. The club is now fan-owned, with the…
- Dorking WanderersNational League South
Dorking Wanderers were founded by a group of mates in 1999 and climbed from park football all the way to the National League. They are a modern non-league phenomenon…
- FC Halifax TownNational League
Halifax Town went bust in 2008 and the successor club rebuilt from three divisions lower. They have already made it back to the National League; only one promotion now…
- Forest Green RoversNational League
Forest Green rose from non-league to League One in 2022, with their vegan menu and environmental policies attracting attention far beyond football. Back-to-back…
- HerefordNational League North
Hereford United was wound up in 2014 and its supporter-backed successor had to restart near the bottom of non-league. The club has already fought back to National League…
- MacclesfieldNational League North
The old Macclesfield Town collapsed in 2020; the phoenix club has flown through the pyramid and in 2026 became the first sixth-tier side ever to knock the reigning FA…
- MarineNational League North
In January 2021, eighth-tier Marine hosted José Mourinho's Tottenham in the FA Cup at their tiny Rossett Park ground. Fans couldn't attend because of Covid restrictions…
- TamworthNational League
Fifth-tier Tamworth held Tottenham to 0-0 after 90 minutes in the 2025 FA Cup before eventually losing 3-0 in extra time. The Lambs came painfully close to one of the…
- Truro CityNational League South
No Cornish club has ever played in the Football League. Truro became the first from the county to reach the National League in 2025, but were relegated after just one…
- Farnham TownNational League South
Three promotions in three seasons have carried Farnham Town into National League South. The EFL is now only two promotions away. Continue a real-life rocket through…
- Maidstone UnitedNational League South
In 2024, sixth-tier Maidstone beat Championship high-flyers Ipswich 2-1 away in the FA Cup, despite being 98 league places below them. They became the first club from…
- Merthyr TownNational League North
Merthyr are a Welsh, fan-owned club that deliberately chose the English pyramid over a route into the Cymru Premier because the dream is the EFL. They are now in…
- Scarborough AthleticNational League North
The original Scarborough became the first club promoted automatically into the Football League in 1987, but disappeared in 2007. Scarborough Athletic was created by…
- Walton & HershamNational League South
Seven 19-year-old students bought Walton & Hersham in 2019 using their student loans. The club has since climbed repeatedly and reached National League South for…