Football Manager 2023: The 25 best teams to play as in FM23
Playing Football Manager 2023? Looking for a save? Well, these are the FM23 careers you need to start
You know the drill: you load up Football Manager 2023 and then spend an hour or two just picking a team. Don't worry, we're here to help.
There are all kinds of careers to follow in FM, from keeping an established giant at the top of the tree to starting out unemployed and latching onto which club offers you work. But have you considered taking charge of these teams?
Looking for the best teams to manage in Football Manager 2024? We've got your back – find them in our piece, here.
The 25 best teams to play as in Football Manager 2023
1. Brighton & Hove Albion
Manchester City have the biggest budget on Football Manager 2023. Second on the list? Brighton & Hove Albion.
It seems nonsensical, yet Marc Cucurella's sale can give you the funds to totally revolutionise the Seagulls. With good facilities, too – plus being one of two Premier League teams with licensed kits – there aren't many better English clubs from an FM standpoint. Getting them into the Europa League is a genuine challenge in your first couple of seasons.
2. Aston Villa
Aston Villa are a genuine giant of English football with a European Cup in the cupboard, a huge fanbase and massive players across the team right now. OK, so they don't have Brighton funds but who does?
The Villans' players were far better than their start to the season under Steven Gerrard suggested: there are two quality strikers to choose from and a raft of youth players coming through, too. With £30m in the bank to start with, there's scope to make two or three transformational signings in your first season and get the Midlands outfit back where they belong.
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3. Leeds United
Leeds United were in a strange place at the start of FM23, having not quite fully transitioned to Jesse Marsch's ways after Marcelo Bielsa and only brought in a handful of new recruits in the summer. Some clubs brought in almost two dozen, after all.
The Whites still have £25m left to spend at the start of FM23, with the likes of Luis Sinisterra, Marc Roca, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson already added to the squad. They're all young enough to develop, too, as you can start to level the squad and continue Marsch's renovation.
4. Blackburn Rovers
There are a few decent academy prospects at Blackburn Rovers at the start of Football Manager 2023, while the real star of the show is refusing to sign a new deal. Decide on whether to stick or twist with Ben Brereton Diaz and go from there.
Either you have a top striker to help you out of the Championship or £10m to reinvest in the squad. Blackburn are the only Premier League champion outside the top flight – and it's not too hard to get them back up.
5. West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion are another massive club that currently sit outside football's top tier. Don't believe us on how big they are? Just wait to see where the regens come from.
Every year on your FM save, West Brom are going to produce decent youngsters and once you get them promoted, establishing the Baggies as a top-flight regular isn't too hard. The challenge is to take them further: they're considered "rich" by FM, too.
6. Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth is the biggest city in the United Kingdom to have never had a football club in the top flight. That needs to change one of these days.
Argyle are flying in League One on FM23 with their three best players on loan. When those deals come to an end and the Championship money comes in though (touch wood), the team is all yours to build and take to the promised land. The Premier League needs to come to Devon, right?
7. Borussia Monchengladbach
Borussia Monchengladbach are steeped in history, followed by thousands and most importantly for Football Manager, have a fair few decent players at their disposal, including Marcus Thuram. The question is, do you sell him or build around him?
£4m to spend isn't too big a budget but that can be bolstered with a couple of sales. The wage budget is fair though, meaning that Gladbach aren't far off competing for the Champions League places, should you buy shrewdly.
8. RB Leipzig
They're the most despised club in all of Germany… but don't let that put you off.
Not only are you backed by a board who will actively encourage you on a quest to sign every wonderkid under the sun, you have a number of affiliate clubs to send your starlets to. RB Leipzig are maybe the biggest club on this list but still underdogs – and let's face it, we're all trying to turn our FM saves into something resembling this lot.
9. Hoffenheim
A few years ago, Hoffenheim were competing in the Champions League under the fresh-faced Julian Nagelsmann – whatever happened to him? – now, they've sunk back to midtable obscurity.
The German side are considered "rich" in FM23, with around £8m to spend at the start of your save and almost £60k a week to spend on wages. As with any Bundesliga save, the grail is to topple Bayern.
10. Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern were finally promoted from the third tier after years in the wilderness – but they only finished third in the league.
The mission remains the same as it always was: take them back to the summit that they briefly conquered in the 90s. Leading Die roten Teufel is by no means an easy job but they have the fanbase and the ambition to get back to the Bundesliga at least. How long before you can take them to the top?
11. Monaco
Even the forward options alone at Monaco in FM23 are outstanding. Wissam Ben Yedder, Kevin Volland, Breel Embolo, Myron Boadu and Takumi Minamino can all play up front, while Willem Geubbels has plenty of potential behind them.
There's £17.24m to spend, while Monaco have one of the biggest wage budgets in all of France, too. Taking this principality back to the glory days should be a doddle – and you don't have to sell too many players to make it happen, either.
12. Saint-Etienne
PSG could last year overtake Saint-Etienne as the most successful club in France's history. Les Verts have a rich background, too, having won title after title in the 1970s and even reached a European Cup final.
In FM23, they've been relegated to the second tier and had to sell the likes of Wahbi Khazri, Lucas Gourna-Douath and Adil Aouchiche. Re-establishing this side is a tough task considering how long they were languishing in the lower reaches of Ligue 1 but the youth production at Saint-Etienne is impressive… as is English wonderkid keeper (and aptly-named) Etienne Green between the sticks.
13. Ajax
Ajax may be the biggest club in the Netherlands but they're still an underdog on the continental stage. Can you change that in FM23?
The Dutch champions have received quite the windfall, having sold both Antony and Lisandro Martinez to Manchester United for a combined total of around £135m (not to mention Ryan Gravenberch to Bayern, too). Not all of that will be available to you to make signings but with a top academy and the pick of Dutch talents from across the nation, Total Football pt. II isn't too grand a plan.
14. Athletic Bilbao
One of these days, you're going to have to do a Bielsa.
No, you can't sign anyone who isn't Basque – but with the likes of Unai Vencedor and Nico Serrano coming through in FM23, this could be a vintage Athletic Bilbao generation. All they need is some guidance, a killer tactic and a couple more golden intakes on your save…
15. Almeria
Almeria have a secure financial future in FM23, a little to spend and a good wage budget. The minnows are in La Liga, too, making it a good challenge to keep them there.
The second division in Spain comes with a wage cap so it's always less fiddly to take a tiny top-tier team and build them up instead. Almeria have all the resources to become an established midtable La Liga side.
16. Cartagena
Cartagena is a city of over 200,000 people. That's twice as big as Girona – who have a team in La Liga.
Cartagena's club have never been there though and are in the Segunda Division, where they slum it out with bigger clubs like Malaga, Granada and Alaves. Taking on fallen giants in Spain such as Deportivo La Coruna can be fun… but what about a side who have never been to the top?
17. Sassuolo
Sassuolo have one of the biggest budgets in Serie A in FM23 – yeah, little Sassuolo who seemingly flog all their best players yearly.
Not only are there plenty of good youngsters coming through every year at Sassuolo, Italians are dominating the wonderkid list this year with so many top starlets in every position. It's possible to build a decent team of stars mainly under 23 with the money that you have and be challenging for the Europa League spots – the big question is whether you can hack that horrible green and black shirt.
18. Torino
Wilfried Singo, Perr Schuurs and captain Ricardo Rodriguez make up three of your back four in FM23, with wonderkid Samuele Ricci at holding midfield. Now add some forwards.
The goal with Torino is to shoot up the Serie A table but also to challenge neighbours Juventus in the long run. There are certainly stars to do that at Il Toro this season, with around £8m to invest in the squad.
19. Como
If you take the job at Como in FM23, Dennis Wise will be your boss. Sold yet?
If that's not enough, Cesc Fabregas is in your squad. The northern Italian Serie B side situated in idyllic scenery are launching a push towards the top this season and as one of the favourites to go up, they should just need a little tweaking before taking Italian football by storm. Plus, Dennis Wise as your boss.
20. Pacos de Ferreira
Pacos de Ferreira are a tiny club who have made European competition just a couple of times in their history. They have an ace card in FM23, however, with Manchester City loanee Kayky in their ranks.
The wonderkid is worth building around in the first season before you look to build on last year's good finish to challenge the establishment. Aside from two freak seasons, only Sporting, Benfica and Porto have ever won the Portuguese title…
21. Belenenses
Those weird two campaigns in which the big three didn't win the title in Portugal? One of those titles went to Boavista about 20 years ago – the other went to Belenenses.
There are two Belenenseses (…Belenensii?). There's BSAD (above), who took their name and their club – or the original. Why not do an AFC Wimbledon and take the proper team back to the top? Portugal are always developing top wonderkids…
22. Albirex Niigata Singapore
Here's an odd one – Albirex Niigata Singapore is a satellite club of J-League side Albirex Niigata, who play in the Singapore Premier League.
So far so normal, until you see that Albirex are required to register at least eight U-21 players of Japanese nationality for a squad size of up to 24 players. That increases to nine with a 25-player squad. Up for the challenge? Imagine winning a continental title for this team, or better yet, combining this job with the Japanese national gig and winning a World Cup.
23. Charlotte FC
One of the newer franchises in Major League Soccer, Charlotte FC finished ninth in their conference in their first season – 19th overall.
Establishing them as a giant of US football could be fun in FM23, especially as this is a club with exactly zero backstory. Want to sign big names? Sure. Establish a dynasty of wonderkids? Why not. Get a senior afflilate to send you players? Go for it. The sky's the limit.
24. Vaduz
Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, is so tiny that their club can't get into the Champions League if they win their domestic league. There's only one way to do it.
You know exactly where we're going with this. Can you win the Europa League with the smallest club to ever lift the trophy, just to get into the Champions League? What a feat that would be…
25. Colo Colo
Every year we consider taking a team in Brazil or Argentina. But why manage a Santos, Sao Paolo, River or Boca when Colo Colo are right there?
Chile's finest have only ever won the Copa Libertadores once in their history. That needs to change – and with a plethora of South American wonderkids in FM every year, why not give it a go?
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Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
