Football Manager 2023 has almost arrived at the point of ignition. Unless you are stuck on a PlayStation 5, you should be able to play Sports Interactive’s latest release on Nov. 8. In fact, you can play the beta version right now on PC. That’s how we were able to simulate 20 in-game seasons, which delivered curious results, to say the least.
Copa América is an interesting tournament. It’s meant to crown the international soccer champion of South America, yet countries from outside the continent have been invited to participate for many years. Despite this open format, a non-South American country has never won the event.
Football Manager is all about rewriting soccer history, and that’s what we were hoping to see in our 20-year simulation in FM23. Lady luck blessed our hopes with a wide smile.
Argentina and Brazil, the finalists at the most recent real-life iteration of Copa América, continue to perform well in our simulated world. Brazil took their revenge on the Argentines in the first in-game Copa, but it was Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona’s nation that enjoyed the biggest success.
Argentina was the only team to win Copa America more than once in our 20-year run, beating both of their bitter rivals, Brazil and Uruguay, in the finals on their way to back-to-back trophies in 2032 and 2036.
Brazil and Argentina winning Copa América is a theme in the history of the tournament, so where is that rewriting aspect we promised? It’s in North America. Brazil and Argentina were the only South American nations to lift the famous cup in our Football Manager 2023 world. The other two winners hail from up north.
The USMNT pulled off the unthinkable in-game and took the Copa América trophy out of South America. The Americans beat Brazil in 2028 for the most meaningful victory in U.S. soccer history. Brazil conceding Copa América to North American nations was somewhat of a theme as Mexico also celebrated at the expense of the five-time world champions at Copa América 2040.
Non-South American countries have played in the Copa América for decades and have never won it. Within a single 20-year simulation, not one but two such counties earned the right to call themselves Copa América champions. USMNT and Mexico fans just experienced the magic of Football Manager.
