Best teams to manage in FIFA 22 Career Mode

Looking for some FIFA 22 Career Mode inspiration? Want to spice up your managerial life? We’ve compiled a list of squads you should look at managing in FIFA 22, including some historic greats and rags-to-riches stories.

In FIFA 22 Career Mode, you can become the manager of your childhood club, or the biggest team on the planet. The world is your oyster, and you can make the decisions to see your side reach new heights.

It’s one thing to manage the same club each year. But if you want to spice things up, we’ve got a list of clubs at various different levels that can bring new challenges to your next Manager Career save.

Top-level clubs

Manchester United

• League: Premier League (ENG 1)
• Transfer Budget: $224,506,960
• Board Expectations: High at home and in Europe

After a busy transfer window signing Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, and Raphael Varane, if you want to play with one of the best midfields in Europe, you’ll have to start as Manchester United in your FIFA 22 Career Mode save.

Their squad is one of the most solid in the Premier League, and you have a hefty $224 million transfer budget to play with in your first window. It’s good to put that to use in getting scouting and starting up youth academies, but it frees you up to contest for Kylian Mbappe too.

On the bench, there’s some very solid young players to develop too. Hannibal Mejbri (CAM) and Shola Shoretire (RM) both have 20+ Growth, making them great future prospects. Mason Greenwood (RM) has a pretty insane potential of 89 still, and Dean Henderson (GK) at 87 can step into De Gea’s boots very quickly.

Paris Saint-Germain

• League: Ligue 1 Uber Eats (FRA 1)
• Transfer Budget: $188,814,336
• Board Expectations: The absolute highest

If there’s one club who made bigger moves than United in the Summer, it’s PSG. They signed Lionel Messi, for God’s sake, and plenty more. Not only that, but with Angel Di Maria, Neymar Jr, and Kylian Mbappe fighting for a start, there’s plenty of choices.

• Read More: FIFA 22 Create-A-Club explained

It doesn’t stop there for PSG though. Donnarumma is a bright star for the future in net, while Achraf Hakimi is one of the best RBs on FIFA 22.

As for future prospects though, PSG don’t have many. Xavi Simons (CM) and Edouard Michut (CM) will both reach potentials above 80, and Nuno Mendes (LWB) will climb from 78 to 88. However, you might want to look at investing into youth academies with your transfer budget to really bolster this squad, which is aging out in some roles.

FC Barcelona

• League: LaLiga Santander (SPA 1)
• Transfer Budget: $153,444,960
• Board Expectations: The absolute highest

Ignoring the irony of Barcelona’s financial priorities being low, after losing franchise star Lionel Messi, the Catalans will be fighting back this year. They picked up Sergio Aguero on a free transfer, as well as Memphis Depay, but there’s a few holes in the squad now.

Antoine Griezmann has been loaned away and Emerson Royal is now in Spurs’ books. With $153 million in the bank, there’s some room to make some big signings in FIFA 22 to help out the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Ter Stegen, and Ousmane Dembele.

The young duo of Pedri (CM) and Ansu Fati (LW) will become beasts in a year’s time too with over 90 Potential, so the future is bright for Barcelona ⁠— at least in FIFA.

Borussia Dortmund

• League: Bundesliga (GER 1)
• Transfer Budget: $74,502,712
• Board Expectations: High at home and in Europe

With Haaland to build around, Dortmund has a lot of potential for a FIFA 22 Career Mode save. Sure, he isn’t the only player on the squad, but he is the star in a team that has almost aged out.

Dortmund’s budget is a fair chunk lower than their rivals; enough for one big signing and that’s it. It might be worth running with the current (yet somewhat aging) squad for a season or two to get the most out of the likes of Hummels, Reus, and Witsel. Then, with the right investment in youth picks, they can start fleshing out the first 11 once they depart.

Alongside pre-existing signings like Jude Bellingham (CM), Giovanni Reyna (CAM), and Reinier (CF), there’s some future prospects ⁠— including two 20+ Growth players. However, an early youth academy to find some winger and full-back replacements are a must.

Mid-table sides

Sassuolo

• League: Serie A (ITA 1)
• Transfer Budget: $15,944,750
• Board Expectations: Relatively low

Sassuolo might not have the biggest reputation in Italian football, but their squad in FIFA 22 is an absolute gem to build around.

Giacomo Raspadori (ST) and Gianluca Scamacca (ST) are a pair you can build franchises around. Both growing to 84+ Potential and only at the ages of 21 and 22 respectively, you should aim to keep them for as long as possible.

• Read More: FIFA 22 Board Expectations explained

There’s plenty of other 80+ Potential picks on the squad as well, including Domenico Berardi (RW), Jeremie Boga (LW), and Hamed Junior Traore (CAM). If you can find a couple of young replacements in defense, you can build a champion outfit at Sassuolo.

AFC Bournemouth

• League: EFL Championship (ENG 2)
• Transfer Budget: $13,888,600
• Board Expectations: Aiming for promotion

After just missing out on a re-entry in the Premier League to Brentford, Bournemouth is undergoing a rebuilding phase in the Championship. That means as a manager in FIFA 22 Career Mode you can waltz in and make some big calls to help them up.

The remarkably young squad will have a handful of great picks both in the starting 11 and on the bench you’ll find great use for across a save. Morgan Rogers (LW) is the one to look out for though, with an 84 Potential making him a star of the future and one to sell on for plenty of cash.

You won’t need to make too much investment into Bournemouth in your first season ⁠— the squad should continue growing thanks to its average age in the mid-20s. However, come a few years in, you can sell those players on for some great prospects with higher potentials, and cement a place in the Premier League for the years to come.

UD Almeria

• League: LaLiga Smartbank (SPA 2)
• Transfer Budget: $12,797,700
• Board Expectations: Aiming for promotion

Almeria have been close to promotion in the last two LaLiga Smartbank seasons, and it could be third time’s a charm if you choose them for a FIFA 22 Career Mode save.

Their pre-existing squad is already full of great talent that you can take into the top flight, including Alex Centelles (LB), Lucas Robertone (CAM), Largie Ramazani (RM), and Samuel Costa (CDM) all with 82+ Potential.

The squad does suffer from a depth problem up front in and in net ⁠— and with goalkeepers being a key part of FIFA 22, it’ll be worth investing in that first so you can earn promotion with easy.

Toulouse FC

• League: Ligue 2 BKT (FRA 2)
• Transfer Budget: $7,901,280
• Board Expectations: Relatively low

With a low budget and low expectations on Toulouse FC, you can spend a season or two in Ligue 2 really building up this squad to bring glory back to the region.

There’s some decent players to grow, including Anthony Rouault (CB), Isak Pettersson (GK), Moussa Diarra (LWB), and Yanis Bergraoui (RM). However, you’ll need to make significant investments up front with a new striker and sets of wingers. You can tap into the free agent market for this if you want, or scout around for a bargain.

There’s also a fair number of players you can offload after developing them with decent growth stats, which can up the transfer budget slightly for some big moves once promoting to Ligue 1.

Rags to riches

Ipswich Town

• League: EFL League One (ENG 3)
• Transfer Budget: $3,106,426
• Board Expectations: Aiming for promotion

Ipswich Town have a surprising amount of potential for a third-division side. Louie Barry (ST) is a franchise player to build around with a maximum potential of 84. However, it’s not just him, with George Edmundson (CB) and Rekeem Harper (CM) also getting to 75 and higher.

• Read More: FIFA 22 Career Mode Training explained

There’s a decent level of depth and growth across all roles at Ipswich Town, but if you can find a cheap RB to sign in your first season (Wolfsberger AC’s Amar Dedic is a good option) and invest the rest of the transfer budget into youth, you’ve got a great chance of climbing to the Premier League quickly.

TSV 1860 Munchen

• League: 3. Liga (GER 3)
• Transfer Budget: $1,849,011
• Board Expectations: Aiming for promotion

Speaking of third-division sides with great potential, if you want to climb the German ladder, then TSV 1860 Munchen is your side. With plenty of young stars with 70+ Potential, you have a team waiting for you to promote to Division 2, sell on, refresh, and push back into the Bundesliga.

Players like Fabial Greilinger (LM) and Dennis Dressel (CM) will become great rotation players once you reach the heights of German football, but you need to make sure you’re turning over a few of the younger prospects in the first 2-3 years to get your transfer budget up.

Swindon Town

• League: EFL League Two (ENG 4)
• Transfer Budget: $1,804,245
• Board Expectations: Relatively high

Under new management in real life, Swindon Town could be the biggest rags to riches story if you pick them up in FIFA 22. There’s not a lot going for them currently on the list, although Alex Gilbert (LW) and Kaine Kesler (RB) will eventually develop into Championship-level players.

A heavy focus will be on promoting into League One and building the squad from there with a fresh batch of youth players with a couple of free agent signings to bolster the glaring holes (mostly in GK and full back positions).