Football Manager is a game of challenges, and most of its existing fan base will be excited to do club challenges once they purchase the game.
However, many forget about the enjoyment of managing international teams and guiding them to glory.
There will always be the prestige of winning the World Cup, and FM 24 will allow players to bring glory to the country of their choice, while virtually investing in the nation’s youth to take them to the very top.
Read on for our recommendations…
Football Manager international management: Our top 10 national teams to take on
Uruguay
The first country to consider is the two-time World Cup winners, who scooped the ultimate prize in 1930 (when they hosted the inaugural tournament), and then stunningly did likewise 20 years later in the backyard of their bitter rivals Brazil, against whom nobody had given them the remotest of chances in the grand final.
Though they've not hit the same heights since, Uruguay have looked reasonably strong since a fourth-place finish in 2010. However, it's still believed that La Celeste wasted a golden generation in Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, and Diego Godín, as they won only one Copa America with these world-class talents.
However, aspiring managers can continue the positive work started by Marcelo Bielsa. Since the legendary (and eccentric) Argentinian legend took over in 2023, La Celeste have beaten Brazil twice, as well as an unprecedented win away to Argentina.
The challenge for any Football Manager international management aficionado is to go all the way and win a Copa America and World Cup with Uruguay's current crop, including Darwin Nunez, Manuel Ugarte, and Federico Valverde.
Italy
The Italians are always mentioned in the conversation when discussing potential tournament winners, due to their proud history of winning four World Cups and two European Championships.
However, Italy have struggled recently to qualify for and perform in tournaments, with their Euro 2020 triumph being an anomaly. Due mainly to successive qualification failures (for Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022), the Azzurri have not reached a World Cup knockout stage since lifting the coveted trophy in 2006. Even at Euro 2024, the Azzurri flattered to deceive, and were well-beaten in the last 16 by Switzerland.
Italy have a talented young team and a reputation that needs protecting, so the challenge with taking charge of Italy is to guide the country back to being the most formidable nation in Europe, then the world.
Netherlands
The Dutch ‘Total Football' sides of the 70s are widely considered the greatest ever national team to never win the World Cup. It is remarkable that a nation as small as the Netherlands has punched above its weight on the international stage.
Oranje have produced some of the finest ever players to grace the pitch, from Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten to Dennis Bergkamp and Arjen Robben, but still have just a single European Championships to their name.
Aspiring FM coaches can try and put that right with the latest crop of talent from the Netherlands. The Clockwork Orange have usually been known for their attacking stars, but it is the defenders who steal the show these days.
Skipper Virgil van Dijk is one of the finest defenders this century, and Stefan de Vrij, Nathan Ake, Denzel Dumfries, Micky van de Ven, Jurrien Timber and Jeremie Frimpong support him.
Attacking riches are a little harder to come by in the Netherlands these days, with a choice between Wout Weghorst and Bryan Brobbey up top hardly comparable to Klaas-Jan Huntelaar or Robin van Persie.
But as they say, attack wins you games, and defence wins you titles.
Brazil
The Selecao are arguably the definitive international football team. The swaggering Samba stars of the 60s and 70s inspired millions, and the teams of the 90s and 2000s, led by Ronaldo were some of the most dominant sides the international stage has ever witnessed.
But the Brazilians have struggled to reach such heights in recent times. Since their 2002 World Cup win, they have won just one Copa America, far below their high standards. In the same period, arch-rivals Argentina have won two Copa America and the 2022 World Cup.
A satisfying challenge for any aspiring manager could be to help the Brazilians reassert their superiority on world football.
There is (as ever) an exciting generation of young Brazilians coming through, with the likes of Endrick, Willian Estevao, Pedro Lima and Savinho looking set to become stars.
Vinicius Junior is one of the world's best, and despite his advancing years, record goalscorer Neymar still has plenty to give. Restoring the Selecao is one of the most tantalising propositions on this list.
Turkey
Football feels like a religion in Turkey, given the passion of their fans – especially when Galatasaray take on Fenerbahce.
But until a rousing Euro 2024 campaign saw them reach the quarter-finals, Turkey struggled on the international stage, either failing to qualify or to exit at the group stage since their semi-final finish at Euro 2008.
A bright young generation of Turkish players is emerging, too, led by Real Madrid's Arda Guler. The attacker is joined by Orkun Kokcu, Ferdi Kadioglu, Kerem Akturkoglu, and Kenan Yildiz in their best crop of talent in generations.
This makes it a tantalising job for any FM24 player, as you look to lead a sleeping giant of European football to their first international trophy, more than two decades after claiming bronze in Japan/Korea.
USA
For decades now, the United States of America have been spoken about as a sleeping giant – a sporting goliath that just needs to turn its attention to the beautiful game.
The Americans have the population, wealth and vast experience of success in other sports.
But at the 2024 Copa America, the Stars and Stripes struggled yet again after some green shoots appeared at the 2022 World Cup, exiting at the group stage. Even more embarrassingly, the tournament was on home turf, and a defeat to lowly Panama was behind their shock exit.
With the 2026 World Cup in North America fast approaching, the Americans need to get their act together quickly to avoid further embarrassment.
Football Manager players could take on the challenge of making the USA competitive in time for their home tournament, employing the talents of Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and Flo Balogun along the way.
Mexico
Despite dominating the Gold Cup, Mexico are in something of a malaise in recent years.
Unlike their neighbours to the north, however, El Tri do have footballing pedigree, reaching the knockout stage of eight consecutive World Cups and five podium finishes at the Copa America.
After failing to escape the group in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup, Mexico also lost out to Ecuador and Venezuela in Group B of the 2024 Copa America.
Mexico do, however, have some talented players, with Santiago Gimenez catching the eye in particular. An exciting challenge for Football Manager aficionados could be to return El Tri to their best.
Japan
Football came relatively late to Japan, and the Samurai Blue did not qualify for their first World Cup until 1998.
But since then, Japan has gradually improved its performance. At the 2022 World Cup, it defeated previous champions Spain and Germany, only losing a heartbreaking penalty shootout to Croatia.
Japan have produced very good players in the past, from Shunsuke Nakamura and Hidetoshi Nakata in the past, to Takehiro Tomiyasu, Wataru Endo and Takefusa Kubo in the present.
Japan have won the Asia Cup on four occasions, but a great target to aim for could be to help the Samurai Blue to win their first knockout games at a World Cup.
Norway
For a long time, Norway could be excused for their poor record of just four appearances at major tournaments. The Scandinavians produced some solid players such as John Arne Riise and Henning Berg, but that was about it.
However, the 2020s have seen quite the turnaround for Norwegian talent.
Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland are of course the world-class headliners, but behind them are good players like Kristoffer Ajer and Julian Ryerson, as well as exciting young players like Antonio Nusa, Leo Ostigard and Oscar Bobb.
But Løvene failed to qualify for Euro 2024, making it 24 years since their last major tournament appearance. Aspiring Football Managers could have a great time ensuring Norway don't squander their golden generation.
England
Finally, we have England, who have just reached the Euro 2024 final – and a second Euro final in succession – despite playing poorly for much of the tournament.
Gareth Southgate has reached the last four of all but one of England's major tournament appearances since the 2018 Russia World Cup, but there is a nagging feeling the former defender is not getting the best out of a ludicrously talented group.
Thomas Tuchel will try his hand at getting the best out of arguably the world's best international squad next.
He has the challenge of fitting an embarrassment of attacking riches that includes Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer and of course Jude Bellingham into a cohesive side.
Football Manager fans will surely love letting the handbrake off with this group of players and ending 58 years of hurt in their own virtual world.
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