These 10 smaller clubs have the money, the ambition, and the resources to shock the world in FM26.
You can keep hopping between the same handful of Champions League clubs if you like. Or you can load up FM26, pick a so called smaller side with a suspiciously fat bank account, and go and upset the world.
This list is all about rich underdogs in FM26 – clubs that are not global superpowers, but have serious money, solid infrastructure, or a powerful owner in the background. Every single team below is fully playable in the default FM26 database. No editor files, no megapacks, no excuses.
If you enjoy “moneyball but with actual money”, if you like bullying traditional giants with a so called small club, this is your playground.
Let us dive into 10 rich underdog clubs to manage in FM26.
1. Wrexham AFC - Hollywood dreams meet Welsh determination
Wrexham’s story has gone way beyond the meme at this point. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took a sleeping historic club, threw global marketing rocket fuel on it, and backed it up with smart recruitment and proper football people behind the scenes. The result in real life is three straight promotions and a return to the Championship, with huge commercial income and even public money going into upgrading the Racecourse Ground.
In FM26, Wrexham sit in the English pyramid as that annoying club with a bigger sponsor list and larger crowds than half the division. You are still not one of the big six, but you have way more pulling power than a normal promoted side.
Why Wrexham are a rich underdog in FM26
You start with respectable finances for a non traditional giant, growing reputation, and a stadium project that can snowball your matchday income over time. You are still fighting up a brutal English ladder, but you have budget, buzz and a board that clearly wants to keep climbing.
Perfect if you want a long term FM26 save where you can justify signing bigger names than your badge really deserves, while still pretending you are an underdog sticking it to the establishment.
READ ALSO: Full FM26 transfer budgets for every major league
2. Salford City - the Class of 92 project on steroids
Salford City were already the ultimate Football Manager bait club. Ex Manchester United legends, a tiny ground, ambitious talk about the Premier League, and a long climb ahead. Then in 2025 a new consortium led by Gary Neville and David Beckham took full control, with public statements about “significant investment” and Premier League ambitions.
In FM26, Salford are not just a nice romantic story. They are an EFL club with serious off pitch backing, a clear growth plan and enough money sloshing around to punch above their weight.
Why Salford are a rich underdog in FM26
You get that perfect mix of money and misery. You are richer than most clubs at your level, but you are still miles away from the Premier League. The board want progress, the Class of 92 aura means expectations are sky high, and you have to make sure this does not turn into “rich but stuck in League One” merchant.
If you want a modern take on a classic lower league climb, backed by famous owners and a growing brand, Salford in FM26 is brutally tempting.
READ ALSO: FM26 wonderkids sorted by price, position and potential
3. Queen’s Park - the rebranded Scottish experiment
Queen’s Park went from proud amateur oddity playing at Hampden to a fully professional club with major backing from billionaire Willie Haughey and a redeveloped home ground with naming rights money.
By the time you load FM26, Queen’s Park are an ambitious Scottish Championship club with better facilities, commercial deals and stadium potential than most of their peers. They are not Celtic or Rangers. They are not even Hearts or Aberdeen. But they are quietly building something serious.
Why Queen’s Park are a rich underdog in FM26
Scotland is normally a two club playground. Queen’s Park give you a third way. You have enough financial muscle and infrastructure to rise through the divisions, but you still feel like a weird football lab experiment: historic badge, smaller fanbase, modern money.
Your long term FM26 challenge is simple. Turn Queen’s Park into a genuine third force in Scotland, then do the unthinkable and bully the Old Firm. Do it with smart recruitment, youth development and by turning that City Stadium project into a proper fortress.
READ ALSO: 430 FM26 free agents you can sign for free
4. Estrela da Amadora - Lisbon’s scrappy moneyball project
Estrela da Amadora are back in the Portuguese Primeira Liga and have quietly become one of the more interesting “project clubs” in the country. A club that historically yo yoed between divisions is now trying to stabilise in the top tier, backed by modern ownership and the attractiveness of Portugal as a talent exporting machine.
Portugal is full of bargain players and undervalued South American imports. Estrela sit right in that sweet spot. You are in the top flight of a major scouting nation, but you are not one of the big three. That means pressure without insanity and space to build your own identity.
Why Estrela are a rich underdog in FM26
Compared to most smaller clubs in Europe, your combination of league reputation, transfer market access and realistic investor interest is miles better. You can flip players for profit, attract loanees from Benfica, Porto and Sporting, and, with a bit of success, convince your board to pump money into facilities.
If you love discovering wonderkids and selling them for 20 times the price two seasons later, Estrela is a textbook FM26 destination.
READ ALSO: Best FM26 bargain players you can steal for under £10m
5. Portimonense SC - sun, scouting and silent money
Portimonense from the Algarve have been flirting with the “hipster FM save” label for a while. A nice location, a reputation for being involved in interesting transfer moves, and a steady presence in the Primeira Liga make them ideal for a long term project.
You are not poor in FM26. You are not loaded like a Premier League side either. You are that club everyone uses as a stepping stone for their wonderkid loans and fringe Brazilians. Which, if you know what you are doing, is exactly what you want.
Why Portimonense are a rich underdog in FM26
The money is not “oil state rich”, but in relative terms you are in a comfortable spot. Your real advantage is in the network. Portugal is cheap to scout, the foreign player rules are manageable, and you can turn Portimão into an ugly little talent factory that annoys the giants every single year.
If your favourite part of FM26 is turning loan deals and cheap options into massive capital gains, Portimonense should be on your shortlist.
READ ALSO: FM26 best players shortlist with live search, EU and age filters
6. Pyramids FC - the new money kings of Egypt
With Egypt added as a new playable nation in FM26, you finally get to dive into one of Africa’s most passionate football cultures in the base game. Sitting right there is Pyramids FC, a club backed by Gulf money and already labelled by many as the “Man City of Egyptian football” thanks to heavy investment and big name signings.
FM26 reflects that status. Pyramids have one of the strongest financial positions in Africa. Their balance, wage budget and facilities put them right near the top of the continent. You are not the traditional giant like Al Ahly or Zamalek, but you absolutely have the resources to bully them.
Why Pyramids are a rich underdog in FM26
This is a perfect save if you want a fresh league and serious money. You start with millions in the bank, a big transfer budget and strong training and youth facilities compared to the rest of the division. Your challenge is to turn that cash into dominance, then chase CAF Champions League glory.
If you are bored of the same European circuits, FM26 Pyramids is a filthy rich, high ceiling alternative that still feels like an underdog story on the world stage.
READ ALSO: Every sugar daddy club you can manage in FM26
7. Al Ain (UAE) - the Middle Eastern powerhouse
UAE football goes fully playable in FM26, and that alone makes Al Ain a massive temptation. They are by far the most successful club in the country, serial league winners and multiple time Asian Champions League victors. Owned and backed at state level, their brand strength and regional influence are huge.
In FM terms, this translates into strong finances, competitive wages for the region, and the ability to attract big name foreigners who fancy tax free sunshine and an easy life.
Why Al Ain are a rich underdog in FM26
Globally, you are still an underdog. Nobody outside the region cares if you win the UAE Pro League for the fifteenth time. Your real test is to become the dominant Asian superclub, regularly winning the AFC Champions League and turning Al Ain into a destination for frustrated European stars and elite South American attackers.
If you want a rich save that is not Saudi, and you like the idea of building an Asian monster, Al Ain in FM26 is exactly that.
READ ALSO: Best youth academies to build around in FM26
8. Dinamo Moscow - state backed sleeping giant
Dinamo Moscow are one of Russia’s historic names, now operating with backing from major state linked sponsors like VTB Bank and big commercial partners. That combination has allowed periods of heavy spending and stadium redevelopment in recent years.
In FM26, Russia is back as a fully playable league, and Dinamo sit in a weird position. They are not Zenit’s commercial juggernaut, but they are miles richer than the average Eastern European club. You have the chance to reshape Russian football from one of its most iconic badges.
Why Dinamo are a rich underdog in FM26
You get resources, reputation and a huge city behind you. You can attract good foreigners, develop Russian talent and realistically aim to dominate domestically. The twist is what you do when European competition comes into play in your FM universe.
If you enjoy big political backstories with your saves and want a club that should be doing better than it has in recent years, Dinamo Moscow is an intriguing FM26 project.
READ ALSO: FM26 best free agents – build a title winning squad for £0
9. FC Krasnodar - billionaire project with a monster academy
FC Krasnodar are the definition of “created in the Football Manager era”. Founded in 2008 by retail billionaire Sergey Galitsky, the club built one of the most expensive private stadiums in Russia and an elite academy complex, with the explicit aim of producing their own stars while still competing at the top level.
On the pitch, Krasnodar have just won the Russian Premier League title in real life, beating out Zenit and the Moscow clubs, confirming that the project is not just about shiny architecture. In FM26, that translates into a strong squad, top tier facilities and serious budget.
Why Krasnodar are a rich underdog in FM26
You are rich, but you are not a classic global brand. Your power in FM26 comes from the combination of money and youth development. The academy can churn out elite regens, the stadium gives you big matchday income, and you can choose between becoming a selling club or trying to keep everyone and attack Europe.
For managers who love building dynasties based on their own academy products, Krasnodar is one of the most exciting rich underdog saves in the game.
READ ALSO: FM26 “Messi regens” – real life wonderkids who actually play like Leo
10. Botev Plovdiv - Bulgarian chaos with a rich owner
Botev Plovdiv are one of Bulgaria’s oldest clubs, reborn yet again under the ownership of Anton Zingarevich, the son of a Russian billionaire who previously owned Reading. The club have moved back into a renovated Hristo Botev Stadium and are openly talking about using modern investment and even Bitcoin sponsorship as part of their long term strategy.
In FM26, that background usually means better finances and facilities than most Bulgarian clubs, plus the ability to outspend the majority of your domestic rivals if you manage things properly.
Why Botev Plovdiv are a rich underdog in FM26
You are not Ludogorets, you are not a safe powerhouse. You are a proud historic club with a rich but volatile owner, a shiny stadium and the potential to either explode or collapse. Classic FM material.
If you enjoy drama, if you love turning “this will end badly” into “we just reached the Champions League knockouts”, then Botev Plovdiv is a beautiful disaster waiting for a competent FM26 manager.
READ ALSO: FM26 wonderkids under £100k – ridiculous bargains you must sign early
Final thoughts - pick your poison
All ten of these clubs give you one thing in common: you are richer than you should be.
Whether it is Hollywood money in Wales, billionaire pet projects in Russia, Gulf backing in the UAE and Egypt, or ambitious investors in Portugal and Bulgaria, each save lets you bend the rules of the underdog story without simply starting at a superclub.
So, if you are bored of the same Champions League cycle, pick one of these rich underdogs in FM26, hit continue, and see just how far that extra money can really take you.
And if you want more inspiration, do not forget to check out our full FM26 Save Ideas Hub packed with challenges, rebuilds and long term projects.
