International Management has arrived in Football Manager 26 as the world’s greatest football tournament kicks off across USA, Mexico and Canada. Take charge of your nation on football’s biggest stage and chase glory at FIFA World Cup 2026™.

From previous tournament winners to first-time qualifiers, here are 9 nations to consider taking charge of and leading to success.

There’s only one place to start, the reigning champions…

Argentina's squad is packed with talent and experience, led by captain Lionel Messi and supported by the likes of Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez and Enzo Fernández. Emerging talents Nico Paz and Matías Soulé also add creativity and excitement to the group.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez remains a key figure, with his penalty-saving heroics in 2022 helped Argentina lift the World Cup serving as a reminder of his ability to deliver in the biggest moments.

Can you lead Argentina to become the first men's national team in over 60 years to successfully claim back-to-back FIFA World Cup™ victories and cement their place in football history?

For the first time in Football Manager history, the German national team is licensed in FM26[www.footballmanager.com]. The four-time world champions have underwhelmed at the last couple of tournaments, exiting at the group stage on both occasions.

The Germans boast a star-studded squad with the likes of Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Leroy Sané as well World Cup debutants Lennart Karl and Aleksandar Pavlović.

The biggest question will be who will provide the goals? Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade are competing for the main forward role, who would you choose?

One of three host nations at FIFA World Cup 2026™, The Canucks will fancy their chances of qualifying from Group B as they face Bosnia & Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland.

2026 is their second consecutive FIFA World Cup™ appearance and only their third ever at the tournament. With star players such as Stephen Eustáquio, Jonathan David, Tajon Buchanan, Ismaël Koné and captain Alphonso Davies, this latest generation of Canadian stars give them an additional edge. And that’s before considering that all three of their group fixtures will be played on home soil in Toronto and Vancouver.

Can you make it a World Cup to remember for Canada and help them emerge from the group stage for the first time in their history?

The Scandinavian side stormed through qualification to reach their fourth FIFA World Cup™ finals, their first since 1998 when they finished second in the group stages before exiting at the hands of Italy.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland will be their main star with the forward scoring sixteen goals in 8 matches during qualification.

Alongside Haaland, eyes will certainly fall on captain Martin Ødegaard who lifted the Premier League trophy with Arsenal in May. Add to this the flair and technical ability of players like Oscar Bobb, Antonio Nusa and Jens Petter Hauge, not to mention the added goal threat of Alexander Sørloth and Norway are a force to be reckoned with this summer.

The Netherlands have come close to football’s ultimate prize, finishing as runners-up on three occasions without lifting the trophy.

Built around a rock-solid spine, the Netherlands boast a defence led by Virgil van Dijk and Micky van de Ven, while Frenkie de Jong, Ryan Gravenberch and Teun Koopmeiners provide quality, control and intelligence in midfield. Looking further up the pitch, much of their attacking threat is likely to come from the in-form duo of Donyell Malen and Cody Gakpo.

Can you be the manager that gets the Netherlands over the line to make history lifting the trophy?

Morocco will be a team to watch this summer as a side on the up who are now ranked eighth in the FIFA World Rankings.

The Lions head into their seventh FIFA World Cup™ finals appearance encouraged by their best-ever finish at the previous tournament, reaching the semi-final stage and finishing fourth place.

They are led by captain Achraf Hakimi, widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in world football. The attacking firepower of Brahim Diaz and Bilal El Khannouss will be key along with World Cup debutants Ayyoub Bouaddi and Neil El Aynaoui.

Only five nations have qualified for every FIFA World Cup finals since 1986. One of those is South Korea, playing in their 11th consecutive tournament this summer.

The Reds sent shockwaves around the globe when they finished 4th at the World Cup on home soil in 2002, beating several European giants along the way before their exit at the semi-final stage.

Their squad boasts numerous players who achieved title success with their club side this season including Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in and Yang Hyun-jun. National team veterans Hwang Hee-chan and Son Heung-Min provide excellent leadership. Meanwhile, Jens Castrop adds a fresh dynamic to the team, offering energy and technical quality in midfield.

No Asian side has ever reached the final, can you change this and write your name into the football history books?

Having qualified for their first ever World Cup, Curaçao arrive as the smallest nation ever to reach football’s biggest stage.

This small Caribbean island nation has assembled a squad packed with eligible dual nationals, many of them Dutch-born or of Curaçaoan heritage, including Jürgen Locadia, Leandro Bacuna, Sontje Hansen and Tahith Chong.

To celebrate, we’ve partnered with FIFAe to bring you the Curaçao Challenge. Take your place in the dugout and lead the Caribbean nation on a journey to glory. At the end of the challenge, the player with the best save will win a once‑in‑a‑lifetime trip to Curaçao[www.footballmanager.com].

Can you guide the Caribbean underdogs to the greatest upset football has ever seen and lift the World Cup trophy?

The Three Lions have been on an upwards trajectory in international football over the last decade. They got to semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and finished runners-up twice in their continental competition.

They boast one of the strongest teams in terms of quality and depth. A world-class midfield in Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, the creativity and threat of Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford, plus rising stars like Nico O’Reilly, Morgan Rogers and Elliot Anderson. Their main star and all-time leading goalscorer, Harry Kane, is looking to take home his third international Golden Boot.

Are you the manager that can finally stop the years of hurt and lift a trophy for the first time since 1966?

There you have it, nine nations to manage at FIFA World Cup 2026™. There's no better time to step into the dugout and take charge of a national team.

Let us know which nation you chose to take over and lead to glory on our socials @FootballManager

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