Dear Players, Dear Developers

I am a long-time FIFA / EA SPORTS FC player, and Career Mode is the part of the game I enjoy the most.

First of all, I want to say that I think the current Career Mode has a good foundation. I do not think it needs to be completely replaced. Instead, I believe it needs to become deeper, more realistic and much more focused on long-term club development.

My biggest wish is simple:

I don't want to feel like I am just managing a team. I want to feel like I am building a football club.

I would love to see a Career Mode where a save can last 30, 40 or even 50+ seasons, where clubs can rise and fall, stadiums can grow, fanbases can develop, finances can succeed or fail, young players can become legends and the entire football world continues to evolve.

1. Long-Term Careers – 30, 40 or 50+ Seasons

One of the biggest changes I would like to see is a much longer Career Mode.

A career should not feel like it has a fixed ending after a limited number of seasons.

I would love to be able to start in 2026 and still be playing in:

• 2035
• 2045
• 2055
• 2065

The football world should continue evolving throughout the entire save.

New generations of players should appear.

Older players should retire.

New managers should emerge.

Clubs should rise and decline.

New rivalries should develop.

A small club should potentially become a European giant.

A traditional giant should potentially fall into financial problems and decline.

The player should be able to create a football history that spans generations.

2. Career Mode Should Be Much Slower

This is probably my biggest gameplay-related criticism of the current Career Mode.

If you are good at the game, it is possible to take a mid-table club and turn it into one of the best clubs in the world within approximately four or five seasons.

I don't think this should be possible so easily.

Imagine taking a club like Augsburg or Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Realistically, the journey should look more like:

Years 1–3

• Survive or finish mid-table
• Improve the squad
• Develop young players
• Improve finances

Years 4–7

• Fight for European qualification
• Improve facilities
• Increase reputation
• Build the fanbase

Years 8–12

• Regular European football
• Potential Champions League qualification
• Attract better players

Years 12–20+

• Become a genuine title contender
• Build a strong club identity
• Potentially compete for European trophies

Even if the player is extremely good, becoming one of the biggest clubs in the world should take many years.

Winning matches should help, but success alone should not instantly transform a club's reputation, finances, stadium and attractiveness.

3. Club Reputation Should Be Dynamic

A club should have a much deeper reputation system.

Players should consider:

• Club history
• Current league
• European competition
• Recent results
• Stadium
• Fanbase
• Salary
• Playing time
• Facilities
• Manager reputation
• Club prestige

For example, if I take a small club into the Champions League, an 88-rated superstar should not automatically want to join.

The club may have qualified for the Champions League, but it might still have:

• a small stadium
• limited facilities
• low commercial revenue
• a small fanbase
• low historical reputation

The club should need time to establish itself.

4. A Real Financial System

I would love to see a proper football club financial system.

Instead of mainly having a transfer budget, the club should have real income and expenses.

Income

• Matchday revenue
• Ticket sales
• Season tickets
• TV rights
• Sponsorships
• Shirt sales
• Merchandise
• European competitions
• Domestic competitions
• Player transfers
• Hospitality
• Catering
• Stadium revenue

Expenses

• Player transfers
• Player wages
• Staff wages
• Youth academy
• Scouting
• Training facilities
• Stadium construction
• Stadium maintenance
• Medical facilities
• Security
• Travel
• Other club costs

This would make financial management a genuine part of Career Mode.

5. Clubs Should Be Able to Go Into Debt

This would make decisions much more meaningful.

For example:

I have €80 million available.

I decide to build a €150 million stadium.

The club could finance the project with a loan.

Now I have:

• €150 million stadium investment
• Long-term debt
• Interest payments
• Regular financial obligations

I would then have to generate enough revenue to pay for the stadium.

This would create actual risk and reward.

6. Financial Problems Should Have Real Consequences

If I manage a club badly, the game should allow me to genuinely damage it.

Possible consequences could include:

Stage 1

Board warning

Stage 2

Reduced transfer budget

Stage 3

Transfer restrictions

Stage 4

Forced player sales

Stage 5

Debt restructuring

Stage 6

Points deductions

Stage 7

Licensing problems

Stage 8

Potential forced relegation

Stage 9

Potential insolvency

This would make financial responsibility important.

7. Build Your Own Stadium

For Create-a-Club, I would love to see a completely customizable stadium system.

Players should be able to design:

• Stadium size
• Stand layout
• Number of tiers
• Roof
• Floodlights
• Big screens
• VIP areas
• Executive boxes
• Press areas
• Fan shops
• Restaurants
• Catering
• Parking
• Away section
• Home end
• Family areas
• Hospitality areas

Ideally, the stadium could have different architectural styles and shapes.

Every created club could therefore have a truly unique home.

8. Stadium Development Over Time

A new club should not start with a modern 50,000-seat stadium.

It could start with:

5,000–8,000 seats

or even rent a local stadium.

Then, over many years:

8,000 → 12,000 → 18,000 → 25,000 → 35,000 → 50,000

Every expansion should:

• Cost money
• Take time
• Affect finances
• Increase potential revenue
• Increase club prestige

The stadium should become part of the club's history.

9. Build the Entire Club Infrastructure

The stadium should only be one part of the development system.

I would love to see a complete club campus.

For example:

Training Centre

• Training pitches
• Gym
• Recovery facilities
• Medical centre

Youth Academy

• Youth pitches
• Academy buildings
• Boarding facilities
• Youth medical facilities

Club Facilities

• Club offices
• Fan shop
• Museum
• Hospitality
• Restaurants
• Parking

Each facility could have multiple upgrade levels.

10. Create-a-Club Should Actually Feel Like Starting a Club

When creating a new club, you should not simply receive a transfer budget.

You should have a complete starting situation.

For example:

Club finances

€5 million

Stadium

6,000-seat rented stadium

Training facilities

Basic

Youth academy

Level 1

Scouting

Limited

Fanbase

Small

Reputation

Low

You then have to build the club.

This would make Create-a-Club much more satisfying.

11. Sponsors

Sponsors should become an important part of the club.

You could negotiate sponsorships based on:

• Club reputation
• League
• Fanbase
• Stadium
• European football
• Success
• Market size

Sponsors could also grow with the club.

A small club might have a local sponsor.

Twenty years later, the same club might have a major international sponsor.

For Create-a-Club, I would love the ability to place sponsors on:

• Front of shirt
• Sleeves
• Shorts
• Training kits

12. Custom Kits and Club Crests

Create-a-Club should offer much more customization.

I would love:

• Home kit
• Away kit
• Third kit
• Goalkeeper kits
• Training kits
• Warm-up kits

And ideally the possibility to import custom kits and club crests, subject to the appropriate platform and content rules.

This would allow players to create genuinely unique clubs.

13. Goalkeeper Kits

Goalkeepers should have much more kit variety.

For example:

• More designs
• More colors
• Long sleeves
• Short sleeves
• Different shorts
• Different socks
• More unique goalkeeper designs

It is a small feature compared to stadiums and finances, but it would improve customization.

14. Dynamic Attendance

One of my favorite ideas is a dynamic attendance system.

Stadiums should not always be full.

If I manage a club with low popularity, the stadium should reflect that.

For example:

Newly created club

Capacity: 6,000

Average attendance: 1,800

After several successful seasons:

Average attendance: 3,500

After promotion:

Average attendance: 5,000

After European qualification:

Average attendance: 6,000+

Eventually:

The stadium becomes consistently sold out.

This would make the growth of the fanbase feel real.

15. Fans Should Develop With the Club

The fanbase should not just be an animation in the stadium.

Over time, a club could develop:

• Fan clubs
• Ultras
• Rivalries
• Chants
• Traditions
• Banners
• Matchday culture

The club's fan culture should become part of its identity.

16. Derby Matches Should Feel Special

Not every match should have the same atmosphere.

A normal league match should feel normal.

But:

• Derby
• Cup final
• Champions League knockout
• Title-deciding match
• Relegation battle
• Promotion playoff

should feel completely different.

I would love to see:

• Choreographies
• Pyrotechnics
• Flags
• Banners
• Smoke
• Special chants
• More intense reactions
• Special stadium presentations
• Larger away support

A derby should feel like a derby.

17. A Much Bigger Youth Academy

The Youth Academy should become a major part of Career Mode.

Instead of essentially having one youth structure, I would love multiple age groups:

• U9
• U10
• U11
• U12
• U13
• U14
• U15
• U16
• U17
• U18
• U19

You could invest in:

• Youth coaches
• Scouts
• Training facilities
• Medical staff
• Nutrition
• Boarding facilities
• International scouting

The academy could eventually become one of the best in Europe.

18. Youth Development Should Be Less Predictable

Not every player with high potential should automatically become a superstar.

A player could:

• Develop quickly
• Develop slowly
• Stagnate
• Break through unexpectedly
• Suffer injuries
• Change position
• Become much better than expected

This would make youth development much more exciting.

19. Realistic Reserve Teams

Second teams should follow real-world restrictions.

For example:

If Bayern's first team is in the Bundesliga, Bayern II should never be able to get promoted into the Bundesliga.

The same rules should apply across the relevant competitions.

This should be handled automatically by the game.

20. Much More Intelligent AI Transfers

AI clubs should have their own transfer philosophies.

For example:

Bayern

Established stars and elite talent

Dortmund

Young talent, development and future sales

Freiburg

Financially responsible recruitment

Smaller clubs

Loans, free agents and inexpensive players

Wealthy clubs

More aggressive spending

Transfers should make sense for the individual club.

21. AI Clubs Should Plan Years Ahead

AI clubs should identify future squad problems.

For example:

If a left-back is 32 years old, the club should start looking for a replacement before he declines.

AI clubs should:

• Plan succession
• Renew contracts
• Develop youth
• Sell players
• Replace aging players
• Build squad depth
• Plan around European competitions

The AI should behave more like a real sporting director.

22. Clubs Should Be Able to Rise and Fall

The football world should never be static.

A huge club could decline.

A small club could become a giant.

For example:

Big club

Champions League
↓
Europa League
↓
Mid-table
↓
Relegation
↓
Financial problems

While another club could go:

Small club

Lower league
↓
Promotion
↓
Top division
↓
European football
↓
Champions League

This should happen naturally throughout the simulation.

23. The Football World Should Continue Without You

The player should not be the center of the football universe.

While I manage one club:

• Other managers should be hired and fired.
• Other clubs should buy and sell players.
• Other clubs should develop.
• Clubs should go bankrupt.
• New rivalries should appear.
• New stars should emerge.
• Clubs should become dominant.
• Other clubs should decline.

The world should continue independently of the player's actions.

24. Board and Ownership

The board should have different priorities.

For example:

• Avoid relegation
• Qualify for Europe
• Win trophies
• Develop young players
• Improve finances
• Increase attendance
• Build the stadium
• Improve the academy

If I consistently fail, I could be fired.

If I massively exceed expectations, my reputation should increase.

25. Manager Legacy

After 20 or 30 seasons, the manager should have a genuine legacy.

For example:

Manager Career

30 seasons
1,500 matches
900 wins
8 league titles
3 Champions League titles
12 domestic cups

If I stay at one club for decades, I could become a true club legend.

My time at the club should become part of its history.

26. Generations of Players

With a 30–50+ year Career Mode, generations could become a huge part of the experience.

A player could join my academy at 15 or 16.

He becomes:

Academy player → First-team player → Star → Captain → Club legend → Retired

Twenty years later, another generation takes over.

The game should make these long-term stories possible.

27. Club Identity Should Develop

After 10, 20 or 30 years, my club should feel completely different from when I started.

The club could develop its own:

• Playing style
• Transfer philosophy
• Youth identity
• Fan culture
• Stadium
• Rivalries
• History
• Reputation
• Financial strength

Eventually, I should look at the club and think:

"I built this."

That feeling should be one of the main goals of Career Mode.

28. Career Mode Should Not Have a "Perfect Ending"

Even if I win the Champions League, the career should not feel finished.

There should always be something else to achieve.

For example:

• Build the biggest stadium
• Create the best youth academy
• Become financially dominant
• Build a European dynasty
• Recover from financial problems
• Rebuild after a bad period
• Develop another generation
• Take over another club
• Create a new football empire

There should always be another story.

29. The Ultimate Goal: Build a Football Institution

My ideal Career Mode would allow me to start with something like:

A small club

Small stadium
Small fanbase
Small budget
Basic facilities
Small youth academy
Low reputation

And after 30 years:

A European giant

50,000+ seat stadium
Huge fanbase
World-class facilities
One of Europe's best academies
Major sponsors
International reputation
Multiple generations of club legends
Domestic trophies
European trophies
A unique history

And I should be able to look back at everything that happened during those 30 years.

Final Thoughts

I don't believe Career Mode needs to become a completely different game.

The foundation is already there.

What I would like to see is a much deeper simulation surrounding it.

I want Career Mode to feel less like:

Play matches → buy better players → win trophies → repeat

and much more like:

Build a football club.

I want success to take time.

I want failure to have consequences.

I want finances to matter.

I want stadiums to grow.

I want fans to grow.

I want youth academies to matter.

I want AI clubs to behave intelligently.

I want clubs to rise and fall.

I want the football world to continue without me.

And most importantly, I want to be able to play for decades.

If I start with Augsburg, Mönchengladbach or a completely fictional club, becoming one of the biggest clubs in the world should be an incredible long-term achievement.

It should take 10, 15 or even 20+ years.

And when I finally win the Champions League after building the club for decades, I should be able to look at my stadium, my academy, my players, my fans and my club history and genuinely think:

"I built this club from the ground up."

That is the Career Mode I would love to play.

Thank you for listening to the community and continuing to improve EA SPORTS FC.

I hope that one day Career Mode can become not just a mode where we manage football teams, but a true long-term football club simulation.

This would be my dream Career Mode.