Football Manager 2023 launched on 8 November 2022 and was the first entry to carry official UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League branding, complete with the music, scoreboards and redrawn draws. Sports Interactive rebuilt recruitment around the Squad Planner and Recruitment Focus, and added Supporter Confidence, which splits your fanbase into Hardcore, Core, Family, Fair Weather, Corporate and Casual segments that judge you separately from the board. Match engine work went into goalkeeper distribution, spread blocks and aerial defending.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | UEFA Champions League | Squad Planner basics | Inverted Wing-Back | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Premier League | Recruitment Focus mastery | Inverted Wing-Back | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Bundesliga | Supporter Confidence + gear | Sweeper Keeper or Inverted Wing-Back | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | cinch Scottish Premiership | Build optimization | Sweeper Keeper | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Major League Soccer | Min-max | Sweeper Keeper or Pressing Forward | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (UEFA Champions League)
Fully branded in FM23 for the first time, with official music, scoreboards, kit badges and reworked draws, alongside the Europa League, Europa Conference League, Super Cup and Youth League.
Level/Difficulty: Elite clubs Key Rewards: Prize money, reputation, the presentation upgrade FM23 is remembered for
What to Do in UEFA Champions League
- Learn Squad Planner. Ranks every player against your tactic by choice order, folds in your shortlist, and runs plans for the current season plus the next two. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Inverted Wing-Back as your starting role. See our builds guide for why.
- Mentality is your baseline risk and roles, duties and instructions are the moderators. Stacking a much higher tempo, much more direct passing and an Attacking mentality does not produce an aggressive side, it produces an incoherent one.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Pass Into Space or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Squad Planner fundamentals
- Inverted Wing-Back selected and functional
- UEFA Champions League main content cleared
- Ready for Premier League
Phase 2: Early Game (Premier League)
Playable but not licensed as a competition. Sports Interactive has never held the Premier League licence, so it appears generically while individual clubs such as Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion are licensed.
Level/Difficulty: Top tier England Key Rewards: The deepest transfer budgets in the database
What to Do in Premier League
- Work on Recruitment Focus. Replaces FM22's assignment system. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Pass Into Space if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Individual training should match the role a player actually plays. Role familiarity climbs from that setting, and leaving it on a default caps both familiarity and attribute growth for the whole season without any warning.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Bundesliga.
- Consider whether Sweeper Keeper might suit your playstyle better than Inverted Wing-Back.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Recruitment Focus integrated into gameplay
- Pass Into Space acquired
- Premier League fully cleared
- Ready for Bundesliga
Phase 3: Mid Game (Bundesliga)
Fully licensed through 2. Bundesliga and 3. Liga, with the DFB-Pokal and Supercup included. German clubs also run on comparatively tight wage structures, which changes how a rebuild works there.
Level/Difficulty: Top tier Germany Key Rewards: Correct branding throughout, strong youth intakes
What to Do in Bundesliga
- Master Supporter Confidence. Your fanbase divides into Hardcore, Core, Family, Fair Weather, Corporate and Casual segments, each judging Match Performance, Transfer Activity, Tactics and Squad separately from board objectives. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Play Out Of Defence. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- The Squad Planner ranks your squad by choice order against your tactic and plans three seasons out. Run the Experience Matrix in pre-season to find the position where one injury leaves you with nobody, then buy for that rather than for the position you enjoy.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Mentality and team instructions for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Supporter Confidence mastered
- Play Out Of Defence acquired or in progress
- Bundesliga fully cleared
- Ready for cinch Scottish Premiership
Phase 4: Late Game (cinch Scottish Premiership)
Licensed under its sponsor name along with the Championship, League One, League Two, the Premier Sports Cup and the SPFL Trust Trophy. A common low budget save start outside England.
Level/Difficulty: Top tier Scotland Key Rewards: The full Scottish pyramid, European qualification on a small wage bill
What to Do in cinch Scottish Premiership
- Finalize your build. You should be running Sweeper Keeper or Inverted Wing-Back with optimized gear.
- Play Out Of Defence should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Recruitment Focus replaced FM22's assignments and works from filters rather than named targets. The near misses view is the most useful part of it, because a player failing a single criterion is frequently the bargain a strict filter would have hidden.
- Role and duty familiarity optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Major League Soccer.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Play Out Of Defence upgraded to max
- cinch Scottish Premiership fully cleared
- Ready for Major League Soccer
Phase 5: Endgame (Major League Soccer)
Licensed and modelled with its own rules, including salary constraints and Designated Player slots that behave nothing like a European league. Squad building there is a separate skill.
Level/Difficulty: Top tier United States Key Rewards: A distinct ruleset, Designated Player signings
What to Do in Major League Soccer
- Major League Soccer tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Supporter Confidence is tracked separately from board confidence, across Match Performance, Transfer Activity, Tactics and Squad, and split across six fan segments. At clubs where supporters influence the board heavily, losing the Hardcore segment can end a job that results alone would have saved.
- The endgame loop: run Major League Soccer, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Pressing Forward for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Role and duty familiarity mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Major League Soccer fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Piling instructions on top of an already aggressive mentality until the tactic contradicts itself
- Leaving individual training on defaults, so role familiarity never climbs and development stalls
- Watching board confidence while Supporter Confidence collapses across the Hardcore and Core segments
- Running a gegenpress with a squad that lacks the Stamina, Work Rate and Aggression to sustain it
- Starting at a small club with no tactical experience, where the learning curve and board pressure arrive together
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Mentality is your baseline risk and roles, duties and instructions are the moderators. Stacking a much higher tempo, much more direct passing and an Attacking mentality does not produce an aggressive side, it produces an incoherent one.
- Individual training should match the role a player actually plays. Role familiarity climbs from that setting, and leaving it on a default caps both familiarity and attribute growth for the whole season without any warning.
- The Squad Planner ranks your squad by choice order against your tactic and plans three seasons out. Run the Experience Matrix in pre-season to find the position where one injury leaves you with nobody, then buy for that rather than for the position you enjoy.
- Recruitment Focus replaced FM22's assignments and works from filters rather than named targets. The near misses view is the most useful part of it, because a player failing a single criterion is frequently the bargain a strict filter would have hidden.
- Supporter Confidence is tracked separately from board confidence, across Match Performance, Transfer Activity, Tactics and Squad, and split across six fan segments. At clubs where supporters influence the board heavily, losing the Hardcore segment can end a job that results alone would have saved.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Football Manager 2023 Guides
- Football Manager 2023 Football Manager 2023 Overview
- Football Manager 2023 Best Builds
- Football Manager 2023 Tier List
- Football Manager 2023 Beginner's Guide
- Football Manager 2023 Tips & Tricks
- Football Manager 2023 Weapons Guide
- Football Manager 2023 Combat Guide
- Football Manager 2023 Boss Guide
- Football Manager 2023 Maps & Locations
- Football Manager 2023 Crafting Guide
- Football Manager 2023 Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Football Manager 2023, check out these related guides:
- Beat the Champions Walkthrough: sports game with similar mechanics
- Rocket League Walkthrough: sports game with similar mechanics
- Football Manager 2024 Walkthrough: sports game with similar mechanics
