Learn how to manage top Brazilian clubs in Football Manager 2024. Navigate Brazil's unique football season and discover the best clubs to lead.
Navigate the Unique Challenges and Rich Heritage of Brazilian Football in FM24
For managers stepping outside of European football for the first time, it can be a little daunting where to start. South America has a plethora of fascinating clubs, and national sides steeped in football heritage, and the choice of where to take your talents can be overwhelming. However, for managers who do choose to broaden their horizons, you’ll be rewarded with a fun and challenging save, as you take on the challenges of new competitions and unfamiliar calendars to go along with clubs and players you might not be familiar with.
This article is part of a series on managing in South America, a quick guide to how the domestic season works in different countries, and top clubs to manage based on your wishes. For the purposes of this article, we’ll be looking at Brazil.
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The domestic season in Brazil is famously divided between the national leagues and the state championships. In practice, your FM save will begin in late December, with competitive action beginning in mid-January with your state championships. You’ll play 11 or 12 fixtures in the group stage - depending on which state your club is in - followed by a knockout tournament to determine the state champion. You’ll be drawn against lower league minnows, but also top division rivals. The state championships are important to fans, as they give the smaller clubs a chance to go up against local rivals who they wouldn’t normally see in league action; and also the chance for bigger clubs to assert their dominance over their local area.
Once the state championships wrap up in March, you’re straight into league business. This is your national division, and the main way to qualify for continental competition. The top 13 sides in Serie A qualify for at least the Copa Sudamericana, with the top 5 all qualifying for the Copa Libertadores group stage automatically. With so many opportunities for continental football, the league can be incredibly competitive as sides battle to prove themselves worthy of a seat at the top competition. Throughout the national league season, you’ll also have Copa do Brasil matches. If you’re adding continental competition to this, it's not uncommon to hear of players reaching 60 or even 70 competitive matches in a season. The question is, which clubs make for the most interesting saves in Brazil in FM24?
If you’re just dipping your toes into managing in Brazil, I’d recommend an easier side like Palmeiras to start with. This is a stacked first team, with the kind of squad depth you need to compete on so many fronts. They’re also experiencing something of a golden generation coming through their youth ranks, with lauded wonderkids such as Endrick and Estevao emerging from their academy. Keeping your talent in Brazil is the tricky part of this save - at least at first - but with the talent factory relentlessly turning out top-quality youngsters, you won’t miss your players for long. This is a side who are built to compete now, but also well placed to develop youngsters and rake in cold hard cash for years to come.
READ ALSO: Best Brazilian Wonderkids on FM24
One quirk of managing in Brazil is choosing your start date. Managers can choose to start their saves either at the beginning of the 2023 season, or - since the data update - at the beginning of the 2024 season. For those who choose the latter, you have one of the most intriguing possibilities in recent Brazilian football history. Santos - former club of legends such as Pele, Neymar, Ganso, Rodrygo and Gabriel Barbosa - has dropped into Serie B. One of the most decorated clubs in Brazil, it’s almost unthinkable that such a giant of the Brazilian football landscape will be outwith the top tier. Your job is to guide this uniquely historic club back to the top table in Brazil, and challenge for the honours your reputation craves.
The Domestic Calendar
Once the state championships wrap up in March, you’re straight into league business. This is your national division, and the main way to qualify for continental competition. The top 13 sides in Serie A qualify for at least the Copa Sudamericana, with the top 5 all qualifying for the Copa Libertadores group stage automatically. With so many opportunities for continental football, the league can be incredibly competitive as sides battle to prove themselves worthy of a seat at the top competition. Throughout the national league season, you’ll also have Copa do Brasil matches. If you’re adding continental competition to this, it's not uncommon to hear of players reaching 60 or even 70 competitive matches in a season. The question is, which clubs make for the most interesting saves in Brazil in FM24?
Palmeiras
READ ALSO: Best Brazilian Wonderkids on FM24
Santos
Chapecoense
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Conclusion
Managing in Brazil is a fun but remarkably challenging save on FM. With the unique challenges of the packed calendar, the expectations of one of the most proud football nations on earth, and seemingly endless talented youngsters to entertain your adoring crowds, Brazil is not for the fainthearted. But for those who dare, glory awaits.
