Football Manager 2024 offers players countless opportunities to test their mettle as a manager for a wide variety of clubs. From wealthy powerhouses to lower-league strugglers, every club comes with their own unique problems to solve and glory to seek.
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For some players, though, this gameplay loop might be second nature to them, considering the franchise has been around for decades. Luckily, there are plenty of challenges that confident players can undertake to hopefully meet their match and be pushed to their managerial limits.
10 Over 30's Challenge
The Golden Oldies
- Rules: Cannot sign players under 30 years old
- Aim: Maintain a successful squad and win silverware
Players will have to go against every instinct of theirs to sign the world's best wonderkids with this challenge, as they're now limited to only signing players over the age of 30. Any club can be chosen, as it's only the transfer strategy that's affected.
A balance must be found between short-term success and smart squad rotation, all while managers monitor the inevitable decline of the aging players' physical attributes. Hopefully, the greater leadership from these experienced players can help the player find success with this demanding challenge.
9 Director Of Football Challenge
Taking A Step Back
- Rules: Only control transfers and staff
- Aim: Build a successful squad for the assistant manager to win with
Assuming the role of the Director of Football, all players will have control over is building a competitive squad (and backroom staff). Everything else, such as the match instructions, training, and squad management, will be left to the assistant manager.
It'll be down to the players to make sure a trustworthy, high-quality assistant is hired, as they'll be the ones leading the team out on match days. The priority will be providing the manager with a capable squad that fits their preferred tactical style, all while aiming to improve the club's finances through smart and decisive player transfers.
8 Bottom At Christmas Challenge
The Big Sam Special
- Rules: Take over whichever team is bottom of the league on Christmas Day
- Aim: Avoid relegation, and eventually make them league winners
This challenge requires players to step into a high-pressure scenario, as they take over a club that's bottom of their league during the Christmas period. That'll mean inheriting a struggling squad that's low on morale with an incredibly tight window to avoid relegation.
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If players are to avoid the drop, the January transfer window will have to be used wisely — assuming the funds are there to begin with. If not, it'll all boil down to squad management as managers try to get the best out of a league's weakest team.
7 Red Bull Challenge
Wings Not Included
- Rules: Only manage Red Bull owned clubs
- Aim: Win each club's domestic trophies
The famous energy drink company has been investing in football for decades now, and they currently own four clubs: RB Leipzig (Germany), RB Salzburg (Austria), RB Bragantino (Brazil), and New York Red Bulls (USA). The challenge here will have players traveling to each club and winning their respective domestic league and cups.
Though simple in nature, the challenge requires adaptability as players move across continents and manage in leagues with unique rules and standings. Finances shouldn't be a serious issue, but high expectations from the board might leave managers with little room for errors.
6 Head Coach Challenge
Over To The AI
- Rules: Only manage the team. Transfers and staff are left to the Director of Football
- Aim: Use the available team to meet the board's expectations
Perhaps the most realistic interpretation of a football manager's job, the Head Coach challenge strips down the players' responsibilities dramatically. Their sole responsibility will be the team and how they perform; transfers and squad management will instead be left to the director of football.
The AI's handling of transfers in Football Manager is notoriously poor, so the likelihood of it building a squad capable enough to compete with is slim. Managers will have to rely on clever training schedules and adapt their tactics to whatever players they're assigned if they want to find success under these restrictions.
5 No Transfer Budget Challenge
No Money, More Problems
- Rules: No money can be spent on the transfer market
- Aim: Make the club rich and successful by spending no money
A key skill for anyone playing Football Manager is to master the transfer market, as they can make or break your season. With this challenge, though, these skills will be put to the ultimate test, as players are limited to only signing players on a free transfer (or on loan).
Suddenly, the usual cycle of signing players for cheap and selling them for profit isn't as appealing, as any money made goes directly into the club. The better the club, the harder the challenge becomes, as lower leagues tend to rely on free transfers anyway. That won't be the same for a Premier League club, though, but at least they'd have a higher wage budget.
4 Rags To Riches Challenge
Slow Road To Glory
- Rules: Must only manage a single lower division club
- Aim: Transform one of the game's worst teams into one of the best teams
While this may be a common challenge that players naturally undertake, it's still incredibly difficult. Managing one of the worst teams in a chosen nation and guiding them to unseen glory is among the most rewarding experiences the game has to offer, but that's not to say it's smooth sailing.
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Dealing with increasing finances and keeping the squad fresh with league-appropriate players are at the heart of this challenge. Naturally, it also requires commitment and dedication, as only naive players would expect to climb the divisions in a timely fashion.
3 Youth Only Challenge
Wonderkid Factory
- Rules: Can only sign players through the youth system
- Aim: Build one of the best youth facilities in the world, and use them to dominate their respective league
The core principle of this challenge is that players can only be signed through the youth academy. That means no transfers or loan deals, so managers need to get familiar with their youth setup. Ideally, a club with strong youth facilities would be chosen, as the youth intakes would be much more likely to yield useful additions to the team.
The first seasons will be especially tough, as a youth team is slowly accrued and facilities are upgraded. However, once the club has been set up properly, players will eventually be churning out a steady stream of wonderkids ready to guide the club to success — just give it some patience.
2 Build A Nation Challenge
Put Them On The Map
- Rules: Pick a lower-ranked nation, and manage one of their respective clubs
- Aim: Make the chosen nation number one based on FM's national coefficients
Not many players engage with international management in Football Manager, but those who do will be well aware of this challenge. It entails players managing a club in a lower-rated nation (while also managing their national team) to make them the number one nation according to FM's national coefficients.
To bump up the coefficient rankings, players will need to not only improve their club but also their rivals. Some clever loan farming and strong youth facilities are crucial to success. Depending on which country is chosen drastically shifts the difficulty, with the likes of San Marino making the challenge nigh impossible.
1 The Pentagon Challenge
Worldwide Glory
- Rules: Start unemployed with zero coaching badges
- Aim: Win every continental club trophy in one save
The Pentagon challenge is Football Manager's most notorious challenge, and for good reason too. Players will have to win the biggest continental club trophies across Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Africa — all in one save.
As if that wasn't difficult enough, players typically start the game unemployed with zero coaching badges, so there's a level of strategy with which trophy players win and in which order too. With the variety of leagues, the difficulty of winning each trophy, and the longevity of the save game, the Pentagon Challenge is widely regarded as the most difficult challenge in Football Manager.
Football Manager 2024
- Released
- November 6, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Sega
- Franchise
- Football Manager
- Genre(s)
- Management, Simulation, Sports
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
