Fix Football Manager 26 Save File Corrupted or Not Loading on PC (2025 Guide)

If your Football Manager 26 save file is corrupted or not loading, don’t worry — you’re not alone. Many FM players face this frustrating problem after crashes, forced shutdowns, or game updates. The error often appears when trying to load a save, only to see messages like “The save file could not be loaded” or “The file is corrupted.”

This issue can occur due to file corruption, mod conflicts, or cloud sync interruptions, but most cases are fixable with a few simple steps.

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⚙️ Common Causes of Corrupted or Unloadable Save Files

Before fixing it, let’s understand why this happens:

• Interrupted autosave or system crash during saving
• Mods or custom databases not matching the current game version
• Game update changing database structure
• Cloud sync (Steam Cloud or OneDrive) causing version conflicts
• Corruption in cache or preferences folder
• Antivirus deleting or blocking save files

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🧩 Fix 1: Restore from Automatic Backup Saves

Football Manager automatically creates backup save files in case your main one becomes corrupted.

Steps:

1. Open your Documents folder and go to: Documents\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 26\games
2. Look for a file named something like: MyCareer.fm MyCareer - Backup1.fm MyCareer - Backup2.fm
3. Try loading each backup save in the game.

✅ Result: Most players can recover progress by loading the most recent uncorrupted backup.

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🧠 Fix 2: Check for Mod or Database Conflicts

If you use custom leagues, databases, or editor data, they may no longer be compatible with the latest patch.

Steps:

1. Go to: Documents\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 26\editor data
2. Move all custom .fmf or .xml files to a temporary folder outside the directory.
3. Relaunch Football Manager 26.
4. Try loading the save again.

✅ Result: Confirms whether a mod or database conflict is corrupting the save.

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🔧 Fix 3: Disable Steam Cloud or OneDrive Sync

Syncing software sometimes overwrites or locks save files while you’re saving or loading.

Steps:

1. In Steam, right-click Football Manager 26 → Properties → General.
2. Turn off Keep games saves in the Steam Cloud.
3. For OneDrive, open settings → Sync and Backup, and pause sync for Documents.
4. Restart your PC and try again.

✅ Result: Prevents further corruption from cloud version mismatches.

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💾 Fix 4: Clear Cache and Preferences

Clearing temporary files can solve loading errors caused by corrupted configs.

Steps:

1. Press Windows + R, then type: %AppData%\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 26
2. Delete the folders named Cache and Preferences.
3. Relaunch the game and try loading your save.

✅ Result: Rebuilds clean configuration data, eliminating old file conflicts.

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🪄 Fix 5: Verify Integrity of Game Files

If your save won’t load due to missing or altered core files, verifying the installation may help.

Steam:

1. Go to Steam → Library → Football Manager 26.
2. Right-click → Properties → Installed Files → Verify Integrity of Game Files.

Epic Games:

1. Open Library → Football Manager 26.
2. Click ⋯ → Manage → Verify Files.

✅ Result: Repairs corrupted files and restores stability for save loading.

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🧭 Fix 6: Change Save Location and Try Loading Again

If your file path includes synced folders (like OneDrive), FM might fail to read it properly.

Steps:

1. Move your .fm save files to a new folder, e.g.: C:\FM26Saves
2. In-game, go to Load Game → Browse, then open the new path.

✅ Result: Forces FM to access the save directly without cloud interference.

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⚡ Fix 7: Reinstall Football Manager 26 (Last Resort)

If the save files still refuse to load, reinstalling may be the only option left.

Steps:

1. Backup all your saves from the games folder.
2. Uninstall Football Manager 26 from Steam or Epic.
3. Delete leftover folders in: Documents\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 26
4. Reinstall the game and move your saves back.

✅ Result: Restores a fresh, stable environment for your files to load correctly.

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💡 Additional Tips

• Save manually every few sessions to reduce corruption risk.
• Enable Rolling Autosave (weekly or bi-weekly) to keep backups.
• Avoid force-closing or alt-tabbing during saving.
• Keep mods and the game updated to matching versions.

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❓ FAQs

Q1: Can I recover a completely corrupted save file?
A: Not always, but you may recover partial progress using backup saves or older versions.

Q2: Does verifying game files delete my saves?
A: No — your saves are stored separately in the Documents folder.

Q3: How can I prevent future corruption?
A: Use autosaves, avoid cloud sync, and keep your mods and patches up to date.

Q4: My backups are also corrupted. What can I do?
A: Try older backups or move to a clean reinstall; severe corruption may be irreversible.

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🎯 Conclusion

The “Save File Corrupted or Not Loading” issue in Football Manager 26 is frustrating, but it’s usually fixable. By restoring from backups, clearing cache, disabling sync, and verifying files, you can often rescue your progress and get back to managing your club.

Always keep multiple backups and avoid force-quitting the game while saving to prevent this from happening again.