One country is not playable in Football Manager 26's World Cup update

Football Manager 26 has a new World Cup update that allows players to manage teams competing in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.

World Cup 2026 will feature 104 matches between 48 national teams and the new addition to FM26 brings a playable version of the experience to screens all over the globe.

FM26 has had a mixed reception since it launched in the autumn, a year on from Sports Interactive's bold decision to pull the plug on Football Manager 25 over concerns about the new match engine and playability.

"Following extensive internal discussion and careful consideration with SEGA, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Football Manager 25 and shift our focus to the next release," SI announced in February 2025.

With football's global showpiece on the horizon, FM26 also promised the addition of a World Cup mode.

Players can manage 47 of the 48 international squads in the update, which aims to eventually feature all their official kits and branding thanks to Football Manager's new licensing agreement with FIFA World Cup, FIFA Women's World Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, signed and sealed last year.

But, while FIFA has a deal with J.League, which administers J1, J2 and J3 in men's football in Japan, national team head coach Hajime Moriyasu will remain in charge of Samurai Blue throughout your World Cup save.

"At the time of the initial release of this feature, 47 of the 48 participating countries in FIFA World Cup 2026 will be playable," FM confirmed. "Due to licensing restrictions, the Japanese national team will not be playable at this initial stage."

Why you can't play as Japan in Football Manager's World Cup update

The Japanese FA (JFA) has a long-standing licensing arrangement with Konami, the Japanese developer and publisher behind the eFootball series that was preceded by International Superstar Soccer and Pro Evolution Soccer.

Japan's exclusivity deal with Konami means they won't be part of it for now, but the agreement between Football Manager and FIFA means is a multi-year hook-up that will boost the all-new international management mode.

Managers are missing out. Japan are a quickly improving team capable of having a good run at World Cup 2026 and the JFA, with the support of J.League, is doing everything in its power to make Samurai Blue a serious challenger.

As part of a suite of changes all designed to enhance the standard of the national team by developing young players, ensuring they have the playing time they need and making J1 more competitive in the global transfer market, domestic men's football in Japan is moving to an autumn-to-spring calendar from this year.