The two-year wait for a new Football Manager video game is finally over thanks to the arrival of FM26. It hasn’t officially hit store shelves yet, but you can play it in early access right now.
As with every iteration of Sports Interactive’s beloved franchise, there are a host of hidden gems waiting to be signed. They come from all four corners of the globe, from every continent, and have the potential to reach global superstardom. All you have to do is find them. Lucky for you, the Daily Express has the lowdown on these footballing Wonderkids. So get your notepads out, because it’s time to find the next Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
What is a wonderkid?
Well lets start first by defining exactly what a wonderkid is. If you’re not an FM fan, and Football Manager 26 is your entry into the football strategy franchise, then this is a must know.
Wonderkids are classified as players with high potential ability who are typically no older than 20-years-old by July 3, 2025 (before the start of pre-season in England) in-game.
They are normally your first port of call in the transfer window. Bring them in, grow them, and then they can either fire you to the sports’ most prestigious of honours, or you sell them on for a hefty profit.
With this in mind, check out our picks for the ultimate XI Wonderkids in FM26 below…
Best wonderkids in Football Manager 26 XI
Here’s a full starting XI of the best young stars to sign on FM26. Be warned, they are not all cheap to buy, and of course there’s the risk they never reach their potential in your save.
- GK: Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro — 21-years-old, AZ Alkmaar (Dutch Eredivisie), Netherlands
- LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly — 18-years-old, Arsenal (Premier League), England
- CB: Dean Huijsen — 20-years-old, Real Madrid (La Liga), Spain
- CB: Matteo Palma — 17-years-old, Udinese (Serie A), Italy
- RB: Hector Fort — 18-years-old, Barcelona (La Liga), Spain
- DM: Andres Chema — 20-years-old, Stuttgart (Bundesliga), Spain
- CM: Ayyoub Bouaddi — 17-years-old, Lille OSC (Ligue 1), France
- AM: Nico Paz — 20-years-old, Como (Serie A), Argentina
- LW: Jamie Gittens — 20-years-old, Chelsea (Premier League), England
- ST: Endrick — 19-years-old, Real Madrid (La Liga), Brazil or Francesco Camarda — 17-years-old, AC Milan (Serie A), Italy
- RW: Estêvão — 18-years-old, Chelsea (Premier League), Brazil
