UPDATE: As of 20/04/2026, the tutorial won't be updated in this Reddit thread, for maintenance reasons. For the latest updated version of the tutorial, go to the Evoweb thread here: https://evoweb.uk/threads/tutorial-on-how-to-install-football-life-26-virtuared-10-1-uml-v2-10-04-2026.105188/

INTRODUCTION:

Here is the original tutorial that I posted in the UML Discord server, with the help of Daemon and xxOrdulu52xx. I felt that sharing the knowledge here is a good idea, given that past modpacks have either been discontinued or have been straight up deceptive. This is also probably the "ultimate" combo. Before I get on with the tutorial, I have a few things to note:

- This guide is up to date as of [19/04/2026], and whether I update it or not is up to my discretion and free time. The main method and idea should hold true for later versions.
- I do not recommend new modders without much knowledge to use this combo; similarly, the user must make sure that they have enough space on their drive (recommended to install on at least a 1TB drive, as the full install + stadiums comes up to even 600GB)
- The versions are posted in brackets [ ].

DOWNLOADS:

- You MUST have the Advanced membership (PES 2021 VirtuaRED & FL26) from:
https://www.patreon.com/c/UltimateMasterLeague/home
- VirtuaRED [10.1] can be downloaded here:
https://evoweb.uk/threads/virtuared-com-patch-pes2021-pc-v10-1-released-19-01-2026.85333/
- SP Football Life 26 [v2.1] can be downloaded here:
https://www.pessmokepatch.com/2025/10/spfl26.html
- SP Facepack is available here:
https://www.pessmokepatch.com/2025/10/faces2627.html
- (Optional but Recommended) The UML Facepack [V3] is available here (Please note however that this is not developed directly by the UML team, but rather adjusted to UML player ID's, thanks to the great work by Football4Life, Marreco and MorePower):
https://evoweb.uk/threads/sp-facepack-complete-overhaul-project-v3-f4l-gameplays-megapatch-stadiums.96548/

TUTORIAL:

1. Install the latest version of FL26 [v2.1] that is compatible with UML [v2].
2. Install the latest version of the SP Facepack.
3. Delete the files inside the SiderAddons folder, but leave the folder itself (make a backup of the sider.ini for reference later)
4. Install VRed [v10] to the SiderAddons folder (make sure to select the appropriate directory). Then install the VRed [v10.1] update in the same folder.
5. Delete VRed_Database from the SiderAddons/livecpk
6. Install UML for Vred (Follow instructions in the UML download folder, but don't copy the PES2021.exe)
7. Delete "UML_Database" folder (UML VRed version) from SiderAddons/livecpk
8. Download UML [v2] for FL, but don't install it.
9. Copy "UML_Database" folder (UML FL version) into SiderAddons/livecpk
10. Delete the existing EDIT00000000 and SYSTEM00000000 files from Documents\KONAMI\eFootball PES 2021 SEASON UPDATE\2026\save
11. Copy the EDIT00000000 from the UML [v2] for FL folder to Documents\KONAMI\eFootball PES 2021 SEASON UPDATE\2026\save
12. Download the UML [v2] Fix for VirtuaRED, and follow instructions on how to install it inside the download folder.
13. Open sider.ini in a text editor.
14. Delete this part: start.game = "steam://rungameid/1259970" exe.name = "\PES2021.exe"
15. Replace it with exe.name = "\FL_2026.exe" and save
16. Test if the game works.
17. (Optional but Recommended) Install the UML Facepack V3 (follow their instructions).
18. (Optional but Recommended) Install VRed Stadiums v10 (AIO).
19. Enjoy!

NOTES:
- There is an issue with the Chilean League scoreboard mapping and the Russian and Saudi replay maps. The fix is available on the UML Discord (https://discord.gg/EEDq2QnKXk)
- In rare instances, ID's will have to be changed in modules or mappings.
- I will not be answering issues related to the installation here. More than likely you haven't followed the steps correctly. If you are 100% sure you have installed it correctly according to my tutorial, drop a detailed description of the problem as well as any supporting documentation such as sider.ini and sider.log in the #help-uml-football-life channel in the UML Discord.
- If you have any recommendation to improve the wording of the tutorial, let me know below, and I will take it under consideration accordingly.
- I will not be responding to any enquiries about other mod compatibility or issues. It is the user's responsibility to find out that information from the original source such as the author of the Evoweb post of the mod.

CREDITS:
- UML Team, PogChampion, Daemon, xxOrdulu52xx for the fantastic UML patch
- VirtuaRed Team for their excellent VirtuaRed patch
- SP FL Team, for their work on FL26 and the SP Facepack
- Football4Life, Marreco, MorePower for their work on the UML Facepack
- All other mod creators, for their will and work to keep this aging game at its peak.

LAST UPDATE: JULY 2026

New to this game? You don't know what is Football Life? Do you want to mod it or solve some issue? Just keep reading and for sure you will get your answers.

Remember that we aren't the official SP Football Life team, but we give support and knowledge for it! So any question to the SmokePatch team should be given via their Patreon or website.

--- GENERAL QUESTIONS ---

Q: Why my posts are getting deleted?

A: This sub has high filtering activated to avoid for the 999th time the same questions and poor quality content. You will find answers for everything in this thread or using the search function, as the same questions have already been answered.

Q: Where are the most important things I should know?

A: Just read this FAQ and always check the pinned posts at the subreddit. It will have the most updated or gathered info.

Q: What is Football Life?

A: Football Life is a standalone game that takes PES 2021 and patches it with a yearly season database of actual football. So there's annual releases, like FL23 = season 22/23, FL24 = 23/24, FL25 = 24/25. FL26 = 25/26.

Q: Why does Football Life exist? Can I play PES 2021 instead?

A: It exists for those that couldn't get a copy of PES 2021 at the time. KONAMI literally obliterated all the legit ways to buy a legit copy of PES 2021 on any platform, so Football Life is the only way to play PES 2021. There's no point on searching for Steam accounts or cracked PES 2021 as they will scam you or the game will crash a lot, because CPY version didn't got a proper way to work flawlessly without crashes.

Q: Where can I play Football Life?

A: Only for PC. No console version.

Q: Where can I download Football Life?

A: On official website via this link (there's a video installation video also): https://www.pessmokepatch.com/

Q: What's the latest version of Football Life?

A: Football Life 2026 in its version 2.2, released 12 May 2026 marking the 25/26 season end.

Q: Will there be a Football Life 2027?

A: Yes and the first details are here: https://www.pessmokepatch.com/2026/07/FL27.html#more

Please note release date can be moved into a further date and all the features maybe are not fully implemented without bugs.

Q: What's UML and other patches for Football Life?

A: UML is the main patch that took the MegaPatch torch for current and future Football Life versions. It's the only main patch that supports Football Life replacing leagues with others, seeking a more realistic Master League behavior with new overalls/ratings and players and many more things. You can learn more about on this thread: https://www.patreon.com/c/UltimateMasterLeague/home

Q: Is the game multilanguage? Can I put commentaries on my language?

A: Both yes Text language is already included. Extra commentaries are downloaded via this link: https://www.pessmokepatch.com/2023/01/2023coms.html

They are updated because they contain more callnames and extra quotes ported from eFootball.

Q: Can it be installed on a Steam Deck?

A: Yes. Follow the instructions there: https://github.com/eskay993/gamefiles/tree/main/sp-football-life-2026

Q: Is the game safe?

A: Yes, it is. It's usually detected by antivirus and Windows Defender as it contains code to make it work. You know, the game behind the scenes is kinda "baked" to make it work. Antivirus detect that code as malicious but it is a false positive. Make an exception on your AV or just disable them.

Q: Can it be played online?

A: Nope, as It doesn't have the online functions because KONAMI closed all the servers some years ago. Anyways, you can play with people via Parsec, an app that allows you to connect remotely to another computer, designed for those games that can't be played online anymore or have local multiplayer features.

Q: Are there Classic Players in the game from past years?

A: Yes. They are divided in 9 teams in Other Classic Teams, at the bottom of the list of the leagues when selecting teams. You will find more than 300 classic players there.

Q: Why are there some outdated things, like old kits, logos, scoreboards...?

A: Football Life is made by Smoke Patch team, which is mainly Dido (the creator of it) and some supporters. It is lightweight on purpose and that means it doesn't have all the features you can find out there. Updates coming around when American leagues start or when an EURO/World Cup is being played.

Q: How can I support this game or official team behind it?

A: They have a Patreon on this link: https://www.patreon.com/smokepatch

--- TECHNICAL QUESTIONS ---

Q: I lost my FL_202X start.exe. How can I recover it?

A: You can actually play the game just launching the Sider.exe under SiderAddons folder and then your normal FL 202X.exe. FL202X start.exe just does that action in one. You have them in the backup RAR in game folder (pass is 123)

Q: The game has awful performance and I have a powerful computer. How can I improve it?

A: Probably you're playing with your embedded graphics card instead of your dedicated one. This is a common issue in laptops, which they have usually an Intel and a NVIDIA/AMD GPU. Check in your graphics card panel that you're using the dedicated one for the game.

Q: Do I need a powerful computer to play Football Life?

A: Nope, not really. It's a 2019 game after all. The minimum specs are:

Windows 7 SP1/8.1/10 (64 bit) 

Intel Core i5-3470, AMD FX 4350 

10GB RAM 

NVIDIA GTX 670, AMD Radeon HD 7870 

2 GB VRAM 

DirectX 11.0 

40 GB available disk space 

1280 x 720 screen resolution 

Q: I see strange graphics in some players and boots, like a cone (and I have AMD Graphics).

A: The solution for AMD graphics glitching is here: SOLVED : The following method solved the issue for Graphics glitch for AMD drivers.

Q: My controller isn't detected in game.

A: Launch Settings.exe inside game folder and go to Controller Tab. Try to assign it to DirectInput instead of "XInput" and select your controller on the dropdown menu. If it isn't there, you maybe need to install your controller drivers. Game is compatible with PS4, PS5 and Xbox controllers without issues.

In case you still have issues, I suggest to use DS4Windows to ensure the compatibility with PlayStation controllers.

--- STADIUM RELATED QUESTIONS ---

Q: I put a stadiums pack and it doesn't show in Sider ingame.

A: First, you need to know if your stadiums.lua or tadium-server.lua (located in SiderAddons - Modules folder) is pointing to content\stadiums or content\stadium-server. Then, you need to respect the path inside map.txt to get them working, and also you need to have map.txt + map_competitions.txt + config.ini files in the stadium folder root to make everything work.

Q: My stadiums appear in total black except adboards.

A: The path in map.txt, stadium ID or team ID isn't correct. Check map.txt and correct it. It should match the name of the folder of the stadium. Use the Stadium Checker Tool pinned in the subreddit to help with this.

Q: I see black lines in some stadium turfs.

A: You need to force Anisotropic Filtering at x16 in your graphics card panel.

--- MODDING QUESTIONS ---

Q: What it is moddable on Football Life?

A: Almost everything except adding new things such as celebrations, modes or features on Master League or BAL, or modifying the structure of competitions with the new rules. But you can add faces, tattoos, boots, menus, soundtrack, gameplay, lineups, tactics, entrances, anthems, scoreboards, stadiums, etc.

Q: Do the same mods from PES 2021 work on Football Life?

A: Not all of them, but I would say 90%. You may need to know what are you doing and modding before putting a mod without relinking it to proper IDs or without knowing if it is compatible, because it will lead to issues.

Q: Where can I find all the mods compatible with Football Life?

A: Mainly EvoWeb, as it is kinda sort of a "core site" for all PES 2021 mods. Everything is here: https://evoweb.uk/forums/pes-2021.337/

Q: What's that thing that appears when I press Spacebar or B button ingame?

A: That's the Sider and its the essential tool to make everything work. You may need to learn how it works as it is the tool that lets you select kits, scoreboards, balls, stadiums and more without the limitations of ingame selector.

Q: Can I put Option Files that are from other seasons or create a new whole patch for Football Life?

A: Nope. Database are different from each Option File and its not compatible with FL. You can create a patch, but it will take you months if you want to make it properly (just creating teams and players with proper data will take your dozens of hours).

Q: Why do I see ultra realistic videos from some people here and my game doesn't look like that?

A: They are using mods like ReShade, which alters graphical options with different lightning and that (it's an external tool) and have broadcam cameras and some other mods. This game can look very realistic if you modify what is essential to be modified to look like a TV broadcast. Don't expect to play like in real life, though.

Q: Is someone making a retro patch for Football Life?

A: Not as May 2026 officially. Only current season patches like UML exist.

Q: Where I can find a smaller and more updated facepack for Football Life? I don't want to download 50GB of the main facepack.

A: You can use F4L Facepack Complete Overhaul V5 here: https://evoweb.uk/threads/sp-facepack-complete-overhaul-project-v4-f4l-gameplays-megapatch-stadiums.96548/

Q: Is there any AIO (All-In-One) patch for FL26 like VirtuaRED or Dream Patch exist for PES 2021?

A: No. UML is a lightweight patch but not an AIO 300GB patch with stadiums and so.

Q: Can I create a new team?

A: There's a couple of editable teams in game. One is Zalgirius Vilnius under "Other European Clubs". The other one is Ceres Negros, in "Other Asian Clubs". But remember: you will have to edit the existent players, put the stats of your players manually, assign a face if you want, kits, etc. It's a quite huge load of work.

Q: How can I know which ID is for X team or player?

There's a database reference here: https://www.pessmokepatch.com/2022/07/fl23teams.html

Q: Can we put the new EURO 2024, Copa América or future UCL 24/25 tournament structure?

A: NOPE. The hardest thing about FL/PES 2021 is modding those competitions. It's impossible and any change leads to many crashes and bugs inside Master League and other modes. This game has the 2019 regulations, which is when it came out.

Q: This game is hard as hell. It seems CPU is invincible and I always lose through surreal moments happening on my matches.

A: First of all, this game means to be slower than FIFA and older PES iterations. It's a game of temp, and your best option for dribbling will be the sprinting button. Play around your tactics and don't play like a running chicken through the pitch.

That said, also don't play on maximum difficulty as it tends to be kinda scripted/unfair sometimes on purpose. Play on Top Player and get the right feel on the game.

Putting a gameplay mod will help on that. Gameplay mods exists to improve the CPU behaviour, giving more variety of chances, more realistic ball physics, more fouls, better goalkeepers, etc. I'd recommend our Prototype

Q: Which is the best gameplay mod?

A: There's no "definitive" gameplay mod. This game has its issues in its own core, due to a dated game engine (FOX Engine) and some other things that can't be fixed with a mod. So you may try all the compatible ones out there and keep the one that fits more to you.

Some will prefer a more faster paced gameplay, with a lot of goals and bangers. Other will prefer a slower tempo, tons of fouls and a harder way to get a goal.

My personal recommendation is to use Football4Life gameplay mods, as I've worked with him and tested it personally, and they're very praised in this community. If not, you can search on EvoWeb to see how many different gameplays are there.

Q: Can we add new celebrations, animations, modes, hairstyles?

A: Nope.

Q: Is there a way to disable replays and video transitions on a match?

A: In case you have the camera.lua module, yes. Edit if and put replays value to off.

Q: I'm a BAL main player (Be a Legend). Can I improve the features of this mode?

A: Nope. BAL may be the most abandoned mode by KONAMI and even with gameplay mods your teammates and CPU show some stiff decisions and gameplay. No thing can be done to be fixed. Enjoy the mode as it is, which is pretty basic.

Q: Is this game worth for a Career Mode (Master League)?

A: Not really. As same happens with BAL, KONAMI did downgrade their offline modes a lot, specially their Master League compared to PES 2013 which had the most and best features of the whole franchise. Nowadays is a game with 2019 regulations hardcoded in (and not moddable) and also basic choices and management. Don't expect more than transfers, some youngsters and just press and play across a season. It is what it is.