10 Historical Football Challenges You Should Try to Recreate in Career Mode

Over the decades, football history has witnessed some extraordinary achievements by clubs around the world—records that not only impressed fans but also present fun and challenging scenarios to recreate in your favorite football game, whether it's EA FC 26, Football Manager, or even FIFA 17. In this guide, we explore 10 historical football challenges you should try to replicate in Career Mode, along with suggestions for modern clubs to use.

1. Win Five Champions Leagues in a Row like 1950s Real Madrid

Real Madrid won the European Cup five times consecutively between 1956 and 1960. Recreating this feat in Career Mode is daunting but exciting. Use clubs like:

• Arsenal – Young squad, potential for growth, never won the UCL.
• Manchester City – Already elite, but can you dominate Europe five times in a row?

This challenge will test your long-term squad building, luck, and Champions League consistency.

2. Recreate Ajax’s 1972 Total Football Dynasty

Ajax won three consecutive European Cups (1971–1973) with a largely homegrown Dutch squad. Recreate this by:

• Using clubs in smaller leagues like Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, or Turkey.
• Producing a squad primarily from your academy.
• Innovating tactically.

Try clubs like Braga, Trabzonspor, or Gent for a realistic yet difficult Ajax-style rebuild.

3. Complete a Sextuple like Barcelona (2009) or Bayern Munich (2020)

Winning six trophies in one calendar year is one of football’s rarest achievements. You’ll need to win:

• Premier League
• FA Cup
• League Cup
• Community Shield
• UEFA Super Cup
• UEFA Champions League

Try this challenge with Liverpool, as their squad has the depth and potential. Use mods on PC to add the Club World Cup for a historic seven-trophy haul.

4. Nottingham Forest’s Miracle Run: From Promotion to European Glory

In just three seasons (1977–1980), Nottingham Forest were promoted, won the English top division, and claimed back-to-back European Cups. Try recreating this by:

• Starting with clubs like West Brom, Coventry, Leeds, or Sunderland.
• Building a competitive squad on a tight timeline.

You'll need smart recruitment, tactical planning, and a bit of luck.

5. Win Six Copa Libertadores Titles like Independiente (1964–1975)

Independiente’s dominance in South America saw them lift the Libertadores trophy six times in just over a decade. Try this challenge by:

• Managing Independiente in the Argentine league.
• Competing in the Copa Libertadores.
• Overcoming South American talent imbalance and AI unpredictability.

This mode is perfect if you’ve never experienced South American football in Career Mode.

6. Recreate Celtic’s Lisbon Lions Season (1966–67)

Celtic won every single competition they entered in 1967, including the European Cup, all with local players. To match this:

• Use Celtic or a club from Scotland, Belgium, Portugal, or Netherlands.
• Win your league, domestic cup, and European competition.
• Limit your squad to players from your country or nearby.

This adds a fun layer of scouting and tactical challenges.

7. Leicester City’s 2015–16 Premier League Title

While not in the original list, this remains one of football's greatest underdog stories. Try winning the league with:

• Mid-table clubs like Wolves, Brentford, or Crystal Palace.
• No major transfers in the first season for added realism.

8. Bayern’s Domestic and European Domination (2012–2020)

Bayern Munich’s dominance included multiple doubles and a 2020 sextuple. Aim for:

• Consistently winning both your league and the Champions League.
• Using a Bundesliga club like RB Leipzig or Bayer Leverkusen.

Sustained success over many seasons makes this a perfect long-term save.

9. Invincibles Season like Arsenal (2003–04)

Replicate Arsenal’s unbeaten league season. Ideal teams for this include:

• Napoli, PSV, or Benfica – dominant domestically but with competition.
• Aim for 38 games unbeaten in the league and perhaps challenge for other trophies.

10. Create a Local-Only Team and Dominate Europe

Inspired by Celtic's local-born squad, try building a club made up entirely of players from:

• A single city (e.g., Madrid, London, Paris).
• A small region or national talent pool.

This could be done with Athletic Bilbao’s Basque-only policy or taken to new extremes with other clubs.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re using EA Sports FC 26, Football Manager, or older versions of FIFA, these historical football challenges can transform your Career Mode into an engaging and rewarding experience. Push your squad-building skills, tactical planning, and strategic vision to their limits by matching—or surpassing—some of football’s most iconic accomplishments. You should also buy FC 26 Coins to speed up your team building, which will help you progress more smoothly in the game.