TOKYO — Women’s leagues will feature in the new Football Manager video game released next month, a first in the decades-long history of the popular series that simulates team tactics and transfer drama.

“Football Manager 26” reflects the fast-rising profile of women’s football, with Euro 2025 and the last World Cup both drawing record crowds.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Tina Keech, who led the creation from scratch of a vast metrics database that gives gamers behind-the-scenes control of 14 global women’s leagues.

“Of course” some fans have made sexist complaints, she told AFP, but “the majority have been really positive”.

“It’s actually just enhancing the game and making it a good experience, and a different experience,” Keech said.

Of the millions of Football Manager gamers, 96 per cent are men, according to British developer Sports Interactive.

Keech hopes the decision will attract women to the video game while boosting ticket sales for real-life women’s teams that punters have virtually managed on their gaming console or PC.

“Football Manager 26”, which will maintain the usual staple of men’s teams, comes out on November 4 after “Football Manager 25” was delayed and eventually cancelled over problems including the upgrade of technical specs.

A major competitor—career mode in EA Sports FC—introduced women’s sides last year.

For its main on-pitch gameplay, EA Sports FC, previously called FIFA, has featured women football stars for a decade.

Back in 2015, EA Sports’ then-executive Peter Moore said he was “so sad to see the misogynistic vitriol” about the move to include women, adding: “We are better than this.”