Football Manager 2020 Tier List: Current Rankings

Q: Can I still buy Football Manager 2020?

No. Sega and Sports Interactive sign club, league and player licensing agreements that only permit each edition to be sold for a limited period, so older versions including FM20 are removed from sale. If you bought it before delisting it stays in your Steam library and remains playable. The Stadia version is gone entirely, since Google shut Stadia down in January 2023.

Q: Why play FM20 instead of a newer edition?

The database. FM20 is built on the 2019/20 season, so Erling Haaland is still at Red Bull Salzburg, Sandro Tonali is at Brescia, and the transfer market has not yet been reshaped by the pandemic. That snapshot is the whole appeal, since the newer editions are better in almost every mechanical respect.

Q: What did FM20 actually add?

Four things worth knowing: Club Vision, which turns board expectations into a five-year plan plus club culture objectives; the Development Centre, a single hub for youth players and loanees; the Playing Time Pathway in contract talks; and two new staff roles, Technical Director and Loan Manager. The match graphics also received an update.

Q: Is Football Manager 2020 Touch the same game?

No. Touch is the streamlined version built for Nintendo Switch and tablets, with press conferences and some staff interaction removed. Football Manager 2020 Mobile is a further-cut phone version. All three are separate products and all three have been delisted alongside the main edition.

Q: How many leagues does FM20 have?

Over 100 playable leagues across more than 50 countries, with 26 leagues in 14 countries fully licensed. FM20 added Welsh second-tier divisions and brought Gibraltar into the series for the first time, and it also restored the German national team.

Football Manager 2020 tier list ranking every role and equipment option. Updated rankings with detailed reasoning.

EarlyGuides Editorial Team

Researched and editorially reviewed. Updated August 12, 2026.

This Football Manager 2020 tier list ranks every major option by overall effectiveness. Rankings factor in damage output, survivability, versatility, gear requirements, and how well each option scales.

Tier definitions: S = best in class, always a strong pick. A = strong and competitive, minor weaknesses. B = solid but clearly outperformed in most situations. C = viable only for players who enjoy the playstyle.

Builds Rankings

Tier	Role	Rating	Playstyle
A	Segundo Volante	8.5/10	Balanced approach
A	Mezzala	8.5/10	Balanced approach
A	Inverted Wing-Back	8.5/10	Balanced approach
A	Ball-Playing Defender	8.5/10	Balanced approach
A	Pressing Forward	8.5/10	Balanced approach

Detailed Builds Analysis

Segundo Volante (A-Tier)

Segundo Volante is a competitive option in the current meta.

Best with: Club Vision board objectives. See our builds guide for full setup. Stat focus: Balanced stats

Mezzala (A-Tier)

Mezzala is a competitive option in the current meta.

Best with: Development Centre hub. See our builds guide for full setup. Stat focus: Balanced stats

Inverted Wing-Back (A-Tier)

Inverted Wing-Back is a competitive option in the current meta.

Best with: Playing Time Pathway brackets. See our builds guide for full setup. Stat focus: Balanced stats

Ball-Playing Defender (A-Tier)

Ball-Playing Defender is a competitive option in the current meta.

Best with: Technical Director. See our builds guide for full setup. Stat focus: Balanced stats

Pressing Forward (A-Tier)

Pressing Forward is a competitive option in the current meta.

Best with: Loan Manager. See our builds guide for full setup. Stat focus: Balanced stats

Equipment Rankings

Equipment	Best With	Notes
Club Vision board objectives	Long saves at one club, where the five-year structure gives the save a spine.	The FM20 system that gives your board an actual identity: a five-year plan with season-by-season financial, infrastructure and competition targets, plus culture objectives around transfer policy and playing style.
Development Centre hub	Youth-focused saves and anyone running more than four loanees.	One screen covering youth players, their development advice, ones to watch, and loanees with their ratings and minutes.
Playing Time Pathway brackets	Signing young players cheaply, at the cost of a commitment you must honour.	Contract negotiation covering both the playing time bracket a player expects now and where he expects to sit in future.
Technical Director	Managers who want to focus on tactics rather than the staff market.	A staff role new in FM20 covering hiring and firing of first-team staff and involvement in coaching development.
Loan Manager	Big clubs running large loan armies.	The other FM20 staff addition, handling loan administration for players sent out.

Check our weapons guide for in-depth stats and comparisons.

Equipment Analysis

Club Vision board objectives: The FM20 system that gives your board an actual identity: a five-year plan with season-by-season financial, infrastructure and competition targets, plus culture objectives around transfer policy and playing style. Ignoring these costs you the job even when results are fine.

Development Centre hub: One screen covering youth players, their development advice, ones to watch, and loanees with their ratings and minutes. Before FM20 this information was spread across half a dozen screens, and the consolidation is the edition's most quietly useful change.

Playing Time Pathway brackets: Contract negotiation covering both the playing time bracket a player expects now and where he expects to sit in future. It is a promise mechanic, so agreeing to make an 18-year-old a Regular Starter in two seasons creates a deadline you will be held to.

Technical Director: A staff role new in FM20 covering hiring and firing of first-team staff and involvement in coaching development. Delegating this removes one of the more tedious recurring jobs from a long save.

Loan Manager: The other FM20 staff addition, handling loan administration for players sent out. Paired with the Development Centre's loan tracking, it turns a twenty-loanee academy from a chore into something you can actually monitor.

Meta Analysis

The current meta in Football Manager 2020 centers on Club Vision and the five-year plan and The Development Centre. Builds that leverage both systems outperform those that focus on only one. Our combat guide explains these interactions in depth.

What's strong right now:

Segundo Volante with Club Vision board objectives is the benchmark. Everything else is measured against it.
Playing Time Pathway builds are gaining ground as players find new combinations.
Inverted Wing-Back remains essential for learning hard content. See the boss guide.

What's underrated:

Mezzala is consistently overlooked despite being the most flexible option.
Playing Time Pathway brackets offers excellent performance for its investment level.

What's overhyped:

Pure Pressing Forward builds. High ceiling but the consistency isn't there for most players.

Quick Picks by Situation

Situation	Best Role	Best Gear	Why
Overall best	Segundo Volante	Club Vision board objectives	Highest consistent performance
New player	Mezzala	Development Centre hub	Most forgiving, teaches mechanics
Hard content	Inverted Wing-Back	Playing Time Pathway brackets	Survivability when you need it
Group play	Ball-Playing Defender	Technical Director	Utility and team support
Experienced player	Pressing Forward	Loan Manager	Unique challenge and high ceiling

More Football Manager 2020 Guides

Similar Games

If you enjoy Football Manager 2020, check out these related guides:

Beat the Champions Tier List: sports game with similar mechanics
Rocket League Tier List: sports game with similar mechanics
Football Manager 2024 Tier List: sports game with similar mechanics

More Game Guides

Beat the Champions

EA SPORTS FC 24

EA SPORTS FC 25

EA SPORTS FIFA 23