When the favorite club takes third place in the league, or loses the cup final at the last minute, there is always the chance that try for glory in video games. Here are three games in which sporting success is associated with good account management…
Trophy Manager: Long-Term Strategies
In this online game, with a Portuguese version, the user creates his own football club and takes on the dual role of manager and coach, competing with other real players. The long journey to the glory of trophies begins in the district divisions, always with an eye on the dream of reaching the Primeira Liga and, who knows, to the coveted position of national coach.With three games a week, there’s enough football action to keep people interested (games can be followed live or on a deferred summary that includes the main moments of the match) but, more than the choice of the eleven to enter the pitch, the big decisions in Trophy Manager are associated to financial management.Each investment must be thought of in terms the club’s sustainability. Therefore, leaders are urged to delineate long term strategies. Do we want a club that accumulates income and interest to buy stars on the market, or do we prefer to invest in academy infrastructure and training camps to train our own talents? Do we expand the stadium, club shop, hot dog stand or hire better scouts? THE financial balance is the key to success. In the “Finanças” section, there are several tables of expenses and income that you should keep an eye on so as not to bankrupt the club. Fortunately, the online community of players is very active in the forums, where guides with tips and strategies for beginners are published. 
Also read: 5 virtual games that teach children and young people to deal with money
Financial Soccer: A quiz that decides world cups
Created in partnership by Fifa and a credit card company, the Financial Soccer game has a Brazilian Portuguese version that allows the player, right from the start, to choose between two topics: small businesses or personal finance. and set the game time, the animations show guided passes, attempts to cut, dangerous crosses and goal opportunities; The result of these actions remains, however, dependent on financial-themed questions. Selecting the correct option could see our team regain possession of the ball or our superstar score the first goal. But, if we make a mistake, it will be the opposing team that charges at our goalkeeper. Don’t know what happens when you go over your credit card limit? One to zero… Didn’t you know that signing the back of the check is equivalent to endorsing it? Two to zero… If the match ends in a tie, the penalty shoot-out is again defined by the correctness or incorrectness of the answers. At the end of the match, the statistical table does not show the number of corners or shots on goal; instead of ball possession percentage, what matters is the percentage of correct answers.Even though the animations are simple, the three difficulty levels – easy, medium and hard questions – represent a sufficiently appealing and diverse challenge for various matches and tournaments to be played. If you don’t win the world championship in the first attempts, you’ll see that you will in the next one. In the decisive shot of the final, you will already know what to answer when asked what discretionary expenses are… Read more: 10 challenges to turn savings into a game
Match Attax: Use the budget down to the last million
The virtual version of Match Attax, available in an app for android and other devices, is a collectible cards with the biggest football stars, taken from the squads of clubs playing in European competitions. With luck, when you open a new card, you can also find world legends (such as Eric Cantona) or special versions of the great stars, represented with new images and even better attributes. In the playable part, each user chooses a tactical system and 14 players (11 holders and three alternates). Games are quite simple: a player chooses a card and decides whether to use the attack or defense value; the opponent responds with one of his cards. Whoever has the highest value scores a goal. The scheme is repeated for each player on the pitch. The result could either be a 10-1 rout or a vertiginous 5-5 draw. It seems simple, and it is, although there is some strategy in the way of playing the cards. But the complicated, and exciting, thing is in the mathematics needed to make the eleven, because there is a budget ceiling that cannot be exceeded.Would you like to have Ronaldo, Messi and Mbappé as starters in the same team? Here it is possible but, as they are all quite expensive, you will have to compensate in the remaining positions with cheaper players. The ideal training will therefore have to be found by balancing strengths and weaknesses, using the budget down to the last million. Another star arrived? Here we go to “take this one, put that one”, always keeping an eye on the money that still remains…Read more: 5 games that teach children to manage money 
Paulo M. Morais grew up playing street football and listening to proverbs told by his grandmothers. He graduated in Social Communication and specialized in the areas of cinema, videogames and gastronomy. He is the author of novels and non-fiction books. He collects board games and continues to watch many movies. He likes to cook, look at the sea, read.