Xbox and Sky Sports, alongside Football Manager, have unveiled Missing Managers—a new nationwide initiative designed to discover and support the next generation of female football coaches. Launched in celebration of Football Manager 26 arriving on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the campaign tackles the significant gender imbalance in professional coaching, where women currently represent only 9% of managers in England*.
Although women’s football continues to grow in popularity, the number of women in top-tier coaching roles remains strikingly low. To help change this, Xbox, Football Manager, and Sky Sports have teamed up with Emma Hayes, head coach of the US Women’s National Team, to inspire and guide aspiring female coaches.
Emma Hayes, Campaign Ambassador, said:
“I’ve often spoken about the importance of finding creative ways to address the lack of female coaches in football. This campaign is a brilliant example of how we can reach more women—giving them the knowledge and confidence to follow their ambitions. With the right opportunities, women’s coaching will thrive at the highest level.”
Female FM26 players are encouraged to complete the new ‘First Victory’ in-game achievement, introduced to celebrate the first-ever integration of women’s football into the Football Manager series.
Up to eleven winners who complete the qualification will receive scholarships to earn their UEFA coaching licences. They will also gain hands-on experience at a professional club through a programme delivered by The Powerhouse Project, an organisation dedicated to empowering women and girls in sport.
Miles Jacobson, Studio Director at Sports Interactive, added:
“Authentically representing the women’s game in FM was only the beginning. We’re thrilled that Football Manager can now help drive real-world change by supporting a new generation of women on their coaching journey.”
For the first time in the series, each scholarship winner will also appear as a coach in the next edition of Football Manager, with stats based on their real-world performance—allowing players everywhere to hire them in-game and celebrate greater representation.
Mohan Gehlot, Senior Marketing Manager at Xbox, said:
“There’s no better way to mark the long-awaited arrival of the women’s game in Football Manager than by helping players turn their passion into a real coaching pathway. We’re excited to meet our Missing Managers.”
How to apply:
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Complete the “First Victory” achievement in Football Manager 26 on Xbox Game Pass.
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Visit the campaign webpage and enter the competition.
Competition T&Cs apply. Full details are available on the campaign webpage..
*Correct as of 06/11/2025, future percentage may vary. Includes all managers, interim managers and head coaches throughout the Premier League, Championship, League One, League Two, WSL and WSL2.