Football Manager 2023: Will Russia feature in this year's game?

Football Manager 2023 is just around the corner, with fans getting the chance to embark on another rollercoaster season of managerial ups and downs.

In this article, we'll take a look at whether the Russian national team/Russian leagues will feature in FM23.

Russia included in FM23?

With the ongoing conflict in Ukraine still present, it's looking incredibly unlikely that Russia will feature in any capacity in Football Manager 2023.

Sports Interactive made its stance known following the beginning of the conflict, with Russia immediately removed from Football Manager 2022.

Whilst some fans may bemoan the reflection of real-world events into a game, it's clear to see why SI have taken this action.

Russia Removed from FM22

As ever, Football Manager has made adjustments to reflect the state of the world, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine having a massive impact on this final update.

The update was delayed following the initial invasion, with Jacobson taking to Twitter to confirm.

Now, with the arrival of the Final Content Update, we now know the extent to which Russian clubs/national sides will be affected.

Russian clubs will now no longer be eligible to compete in European competitions, nor will the Russian national team be able to compete in international football of any kind, including tournaments such as the World Cup.

Ukrainian players will also be treated as EU nationals for the first three seasons of any new save you being in Football Manager 2022, reflecting the real-life situation of Ukrainian refugees being granted eligibility to work freely in the EU for up to three years without the need of a visa or work permit.

You can read Miles' full blog post here.