Best Clubs For the Little Brother Challenge on FM24

Transform underdogs into legends in FM24's Little Brother Challenge. Outshine top clubs, dominate city rivalries and create football history!

Transform underdogs into legends in FM24's Little Brother Challenge. Outshine top clubs, dominate city rivalries and create football history!

The Little Brother challenge. The poor neighbour challenge. The Espanyol challenge. It goes by many names, but the basics remain the same: take over a club who lives in the shadow of a far larger neighbour, and eclipse everything the neighbour has ever achieved. It’s not easy; you’re basically battling for the football soul of a city, and in some cases, you’ll be up against some of the biggest clubs in the world. This article, however, will guide you through the best clubs to take on this challenge on FM24 with.

RCD Espanyol

The club who this challenge is sometimes named after, we have to talk about Espanyol first. Set in Barcelona, Espanyol share a city with a club who needs no introduction. If you want to catch up with Barcelona, you’ll need to match their 27 La Liga titles, 31 Copa Del Rey, 14 Supercopa de Espana, 5 Champions League, 5 European Super Cup and 3 Club World Cups. The good news is that you already have 4 Copa del Rey under your belt, so you’ve at least got a start. The bad news is that Espanyol were relegated in 2023, so you begin season 23/24 in Liga Segunda. You’ll need all of your managerial skills if you’re to take this club out of the second tier and out of the shadow of one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Queen’s Park

One of the most historically significant clubs in Scotland, Queens Park were a powerhouse in the late 19th-Century. However, their policy of remaining an amateur side meant they were unable to compete with growing clubs such as Celtic and Rangers, who quickly overtook the Spiders’ achievements. If you want to reclaim your position among the elite of Scottish football, you’ll need to beat Rangers’ 55 league titles, Celtic’s 41 Scottish Cups and Rangers 28 League Cups. You’ll also need a Champions League title, and 8 trebles to truly beat Celtic’s achievements. No small feat for any Scottish club, just with the sheer volume of trophies needed to catch the Old Firm, this is a long-term save and not for the faint of heart. Your existing record of 10 Scottish Cups is a reasonable start, but it’s a long journey to reclaim Glasgow from the Old Firm.

READ ALSO: Football Manager Challenge - Scottish Cities

FC Eindhoven

Eindhoven adds a different flavour to this challenge. Where RCD Espanyol maintain a fierce rivalry with Barcelona, FC Eindhoven’s rivalry with city neighbours PSV is a far more friendly rivalry, as it’s been some time since the two clubs competed against each other for trophies. Nevertheless, it’s fair to say the die-hard fans of the Blau-Witten would love to see their beloved club take back the reins of their city from PSV. With only one Eredivisie and one KNVB cup to their name, there’s a lot of work to do to catch up with PSV’s 24 titles, 11 cups, 14 Cruyff Shields, 1 Champions League and 1 Europa League. The difference in scale of these clubs embodies what this challenge is all about: bring FC Eindhoven back to prominence and bring some competitiveness back to the Lichtstadderby.

All Boys/Nueva Chicago

Leaving Europe we have one of the most interesting derbies in Argentina. All Boys and Nueva Chicago contest the Superclasico de Ascenso, regularly regarded as one of the best rivalries in Argentina outside of the top flight. What makes this rivalry particularly interesting is they share a city with Boca Juniors and River Plate, who contest the Superclasico. The little brother derby of one of the biggest derbies in the world? Sounds like the time is perfect for a new contender in Buenos Aires.

Your mission is to take over either All Boys or Nueva Chicago, maintain dominance in your derby, then charge up the divisions and take on the big boys. You’ll have a tough job eclipsing River Plate’s 38 titles, but Boca’s 4 Copas are definitely beatable. Boca’s 6 Copa Libertadores is the real challenge, as one of the most successful clubs in South America, it’s no mean feat to topple their legacy in continental competition.

Conclusion

Whatever you call this challenge, it’s one of the most fascinating ways to play FM. The chance to tackle some of the biggest clubs in the world with a city neighbour creates a fascinating dynamic, and a fun benchmark for your club’s success. I hope this has inspired you to try this challenge, whether through some of the classic clubs such as Espanyol, Paris FC or 1860 Munchen, or some less traditional options such as FC Eindhoven or All Boys.