After a 24-hour delay, Football Manager 2026 has finally received its next major patch today, as Update 3 is now live via the Steam Public Beta Track.
Sports Interactive confirmed that the build includes the previously announced 200+ fixes and refinements, along with several additional tweaks implemented while the team resolved yesterday’s “knock-on” issue. Players can access the Beta update now, and SI has once again published a “non-exhaustive” list of changes covering UI improvements, crash fixes, online stability, matchday logic, database behavior, and more.
Below are all of the list changes.
Football Manager 26 Update 3 – Patch Notes
- Further extensive polish and refinement done to the User Interface.
- Further extensive crash and stability fixes.
- Further fixes to freezes at Half-Time during Human vs. Human Online Matches.
- Further improvements made to in game translations.
- Fixed freeze issue in Online Games when using Large Custom Databases.
- Fixed soft lock while trying to view a past match.
- Fixed issue preventing user from accessing/making changes to the youth teams Training Calendar.
- Added preference option for user to select their desired FPS setting, or to match that of their monitor refresh rate.
- Added button to view match stats, match momentum, and xG story during highlights.
- Tweaks made to the general screen flow.
- Preference added to adjust the quality of the crowd.
- Fixed an issue where the incorrect amount of European co-efficient points would be added following a result in the 2nd leg of knockout round stage matches.
- Fixed issue where Association Coefficients weren’t being correctly allocated for the qualifying and playoff stages of European competitions.
- Fixed issue that caused current season co-efficient total to display as zero until end of season.
- Improved logic behind youth player wage demands.
- Improved logic behind player wage demands in the lower leagues.
- Fixed issue where player condition would always display full.
- Tweaked frequency of rain occurring during matches.
- Snow will now appear on the outside of stadiums, not just on the pitch.
- Fixed crash when continuing with club from United Arab Emirates (UAE) during Advanced Game Setup.
- Loading a tactic within a match now functions as intended.
- Fixed issue preventing user from assigning shirt number to players out on loan.
- Fixed issue where home shirt icon would always display in the in-match Tactics Planner, regardless of the kit worn on the day.
- Data Hub > Last Match > Summary will now display data from the correct match.
- Fixed Place of Birth functionality within Manager Creation.
- Clicking ‘Apply’ when selecting which attributes to filter between on the Player Search now takes you back to the correct landing page.
- Fixed issue where all subs would display as “S1” on team talks.
- Fixed issue where Ligue 1 trophy image would display regardless of the competition.
- Fixed an issue where the Prize Money portal message would incorrectly state that the user had drawn.
- Added a Recruitment Budgets tile to the Finance Summary.
- Fixed an issue allowing the user to create a Recruitment Focus for a Women’s competition despite managing a Men’s team, and vice versa.
- Refined AI logic of Saudi based clubs when it comes to buying players.
- Fixed functionality when making a sub via the dropdown menus within the in-match Tactics Planner.
- Match highlights should now be in sync for users playing in Online saves.
- Passing Risk player instruction will now display correctly locked as “Take More Risks” for a Midfield Playmaker role.
- Fixed issue where the sub keeper would display in an outfield kit in the in-match Tactics Planner.
- Fixed issue allowing for ineligible players to sometimes be registered.
- Fixed issue where Team Leaders meeting would include the very player the meeting is about.
- Fixed an issue allowing user to renegotiate transfer/loan fee despite contract terms already being agreed.
- Improved squad building logic of top clubs.
- Players will more appropriately decline entering contract negotiations upfront if there is a large discrepancy between the desired wage and the max wage the club can offer.
- Fixed issue where Finance Graph would always display in USD.
- Club > Finances will now display the correct data for Income and Expenditure.
- In match Opposition Instructions will now correctly reflect any substitutions that have been made.
- Fixed issue preventing the Sponsorships card in Finances from being opened.
- Fixed issue where sponsorship end date would display as 1/1/1900.
- First team players no longer wear a substitutes bib during pre-match team talk.
- Tweaks to how a player’s current reputation is processed following a match.
- Fixed issue preventing user from leading of all required team talks if they are in charge of multiple teams.
- USA – Adjust Cap Impact bar will now function correctly.
- Player Comparison polygon graph will now display the correct attribute points.
IGE:
- Fixed the functionality of editing a player that is also a staff member at the same club with the In-Game Editor (IGE).
- Corrected the functionality when editing the Stadium Condition field in the IGE.
- Editing the Foreground/Background colour of a club within the IGE will now correctly save state.
- Fixed issue causing the IGE icon/menus to appear even if user had chosen to turn feature off within save.
- Maximising Existing Familiarity within the IGE will now update instantly.
- Fixed crash in the IGE when editing the contract expiry date of a non-player.
