Smaller squads
With 14 or 16 places, draft towards a formation you have already chosen, because there is little room to fix a gap later.
FM 27 Shuffle Draft
Shuffle Draft is the FM27 multiplayer mode that replaces Fantasy Draft. Between 2 and 32 managers pick at the same time from sets of 20 players, then take those squads into a cup, group or league tournament. Set your format below to see the pool size, draft rounds and fixtures.
Calculation result
Player pool 80 4 sets × 20 players
Draft rounds 16 One for each squad place
Total picks 64 4 managers × 16 players
Left undrafted 16 80 in the pool − 64 picked
Groups
Group matches per team
Total group matches
League matches per team
Total league matches
Knockout Cup
Manager range 2–32 Knockout rounds from the first match.
Between matches Injuries and fatigue clear, so every squad starts the next match fully fit.
2–32 Managers
20 Players in each set
14–20 Squad size
3 Tournament formats
5 Re-Drafts at most
Tournament formats
The host picks one of three structures. The format also limits how many managers can join, and AI managers can round out the numbers.
| Format | Managers | How it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Knockout Cup | 2–32 | Knockout rounds from the first match. |
| Group Stage & Knockouts | 8, 16 or 32 | 2, 4 or 8 groups whose teams meet once or twice, then knockout rounds. |
| League | 2–20 | A league table in which teams meet 1 to 5 times. |
Squad sizes and rounds
You draft one player a round, so the squad size sets the number of rounds. Four sizes are on offer, and each leaves a different share of every set undrafted.
| Squad size | Draft rounds | Places beyond your XI | Left in each set |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 14 | 3 | 6 |
| 16 | 16 | 5 | 4 |
| 18 | 18 | 7 | 2 |
| 20 | 20 | 9 | 0 |
Larger squads
With 18 or 20 places you have the freedom to take the best player on the board, regardless of position.
Full sets
At 20 places every player in every set is drafted, which means the last pick from each set is forced.
How a draft runs
Picks happen at the same time, so nobody waits for a turn to come round.
The host sets it up
They choose the player pool, the time allowed for each pick and the Re-Draft rules.
Sets are dealt
The pool splits into one set of 20 players per team, so 10 managers draft from 10 sets.
Everyone picks
Each manager takes one player from the set in front of them before time runs out.
Sets move on
Each set passes to another manager. All squads stay visible, and you can bookmark players for later rounds.
The tournament starts
With squads complete, matches begin. Games in the same round can run simultaneously, with results and statistics in between.
Player pools
The host decides who can be drafted, either from a preset or from a custom pool. These setup screens come from a development build, so the menus may change before release on 10 November.
- Presets
- World's Best, Europe Big 5, Wonderkids, Veterans and Lower League Legends.
- Strengths
- Technical, Creative, Physical and Intelligent sit in the setup menu, and Leadership is also named as a strength set.
- Quality
- Mixed gives teams clear strengths and weaknesses, while Higher and Highest fill the pool with elite players.
- Custom pools
- Filter by nationality, player reputation and club division.
- Game
- An event uses men's or women's players, never both.
Re-Drafts
After matchdays, a Re-Draft lets you reshape a squad that is not working. The host sets the rules during setup.
- Limit
- Up to five in one event, or none if the host turns them off.
- Return
- Send a player back to the draft pool.
- Remove
- Take a player out of the tournament entirely and draft a replacement.
- Moves
- Returns and removals share a cap of 20 per Re-Draft, so 12 returned leaves room for 8 removed.
Lobbies, AI and match days
Shuffle Draft works with friends, strangers or no other humans at all, and matches play out as they do in Career mode.
- Online
- Run a private lobby for friends or a public one that anyone can join.
- Offline
- Create an event alone and AI teams fill every slot.
- AI managers
- Empty online slots can go to AI managers.
- Match engine
- Squad selection, tactics and the match engine are the same as in Career mode.
- Launch Preview
- All modes, Shuffle Draft included, are open during free play.
Frequently asked questions
What is Shuffle Draft in FM27?
A new online mode made with FIFAe that reimagines Fantasy Draft. You draft a squad alongside other managers, then play it through a tournament.
How big is a Shuffle Draft player pool?
Multiply the number of teams by 20. Eight managers draft from 160 players, and 32 managers draft from 640.
Can I play Shuffle Draft offline?
Yes. An offline event works with any format, because AI teams take the slots you need filled.
Can men's and women's players appear in the same draft?
No. Shuffle Draft supports both, but a single event draws on one or the other.
Sources
Last updated: 30 October 2026