Football Manager Early Bird: Club América signs with SEGA in a historic partnership
The CONCACAF giant becomes the first official partner of the series in Latin America; the Águilas will arrive fully licensed and with real faces in Football Manager 26.
For veterans of PC sports management, Latin America has always been fertile ground for discovering “hidden gems,” but often lacking the visual appeal enjoyed by European leagues. That is about to change dramatically. Sports Interactive and SEGA have confirmed a strategic move that shakes up the board: a multi-year partnership with Club América, Mexico’s most successful team.
This agreement is not just another sponsorship deal; it marks a milestone for the franchise, making América the first Latin American club to establish a direct partnership of this level with the British studio. The news confirms that the region is no longer a secondary market, but has become a priority for the developers of one of the most in-depth and addictive simulators on the market.
What does this mean for your game in Football Manager 26?
We will feel the direct impact in the next installment of the series: Football Manager 26. Immersion is key in this genre, and thanks to this agreement, users will be able to say goodbye to generic names or the need to install community patches to see the club’s real assets.
Club América will be fully licensed. This means that when you take charge of the team at Estadio Azteca, you’ll see the official uniforms for the season, updated logos, and, crucially, official photographs of the players on the roster. Managing the team with the most Liga MX and CONCACAF titles will now have the visual realism that an institution of this caliber demands in the digital environment.
How does the video game data intersect with reality?
The most interesting thing for lovers of technology and Big Data is that the relationship is bidirectional. Not only does the game receive the club’s image, but Club América will also integrate the video game technology into its real sports management.
Las Águilas will have access to FMDB Pro, Sports Interactive’s official database. For those who don’t know, this database is so extensive and accurate that Premier League teams already use it for real scouting. Now, América will be able to use this tool to optimize the signing of international stars and the development of its youth academy, based on the same statistics that we analyze on our PC monitors.
In addition, the collaboration includes key points for the game’s development:
- Professional feedback: The development team will have access to América’s coaching staff for the internal series “FootTalks,” helping to refine the game’s AI and tactics.
- Cross-content: Joint social media campaigns are expected to bring together real soccer fans and the gaming community.
Why is SEGA investing in Liga MX?
Richard Trafford, Director of Business Development at Sports Interactive, made it clear: Latin America’s passion is a driving force that cannot be ignored. To expand their presence, they needed a partner with a strong foothold in the region, and with 16 league titles and a massive fan base, América was the logical choice.
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For his part, Héctor González Iñárritu, club director, celebrates this union as a step toward technological innovation. With this move, Football Manager not only gains a team, but also opens the door for more clubs in the region to seek to professionalize their presence in the world of video games. A new era is coming for virtual managers in Mexico.
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