Choose Soccer Manager 2021
Choose Soccer Manager 2021 if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Soccer Manager 2021 launched in 2020.
Soccer Manager 2021 vs Football Manager 2022
Soccer Manager 2021 and Football Manager 2022 both land in Sports on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Sports games on Steam. Soccer Manager 2021 (2020) is 1 year older than Football Manager 2022 (2021). Football Manager 2022 scores higher on Steam reviews (93.9% positive) than Soccer Manager 2021 (74% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Football Manager 2022
Choose Football Manager 2022 if you want a Simulation game with Multi-player. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 93.9% positive across 6,063 reviews.
Both Soccer Manager 2021 and Football Manager 2022 sit in Sports on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Soccer Manager 2021 |  Football Manager 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Genres | Sports, Free To Play | Sports, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 74% positive (354 reviews) | 93.9% positive (6,063 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player |
| Developers | Invincibles Studio Ltd | Sports Interactive |
Side by side
- Both are Sports games on Steam.
- Soccer Manager 2021 (2020) is 1 year older than Football Manager 2022 (2021).
- Football Manager 2022 scores higher on Steam reviews (93.9% positive) than Soccer Manager 2021 (74% positive).
- Soccer Manager 2021 is free; Football Manager 2022 is paid (Price unknown).
- Football Manager 2022 is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Soccer Manager 2021 has no Deck rating yet.
Soccer Manager 2021 vs Football Manager 2022 — FAQ
- Which is better, Soccer Manager 2021 or Football Manager 2022?
- On Steam reviews Football Manager 2022 scores higher (93.9% positive) than Soccer Manager 2021 (74% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Football Manager 2022 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Soccer Manager 2021 or Football Manager 2022 first?
- If you want chronology, Soccer Manager 2021 (2020) came out before Football Manager 2022 (2021). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Soccer Manager 2021 and Football Manager 2022 similar?
- They overlap on Sports on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Soccer Manager 2021 have multiplayer like Football Manager 2022?
- No. Football Manager 2022 supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Soccer Manager 2021 is listed as single-player only.
- Is Soccer Manager 2021 free?
- Yes — Soccer Manager 2021 is a free-to-play Steam title. Football Manager 2022 is paid (Price unknown).