This may cause some controversy, but here are our five best online football games.

In 1982, when Kevin Toms launched the original Football Manager simulation game, it was a seismic event that allowed football supporters, for the first time, to experience what it was like to be in the manager’s hot seat.The role of a manager and football simulation games have changed a lot since then, but at the heart of all of the games, they’re still incredibly addictive. Like a drug dealer hooking his customers on illegal substances, here are five free samples of the best football simulation games available online.

Five best online football games

Soccer Manager.

Their owners call their site “The world’s best free online soccer manager game,” and they may be right. This highly addictive game allows you to pick your favorite club and play against fellow fans from around the world. The concept of the game is pretty straightforward so it’s easy to get started. The design and navigation could be improved to make the experience more intuitive, but overall this is definitely a winner.

Hattrick.

The granddaddy of online football simulation games is celebrating 10 years in existence and is nearing the one million mark in the number of registered players. It’s been a while since I’ve played this one, but it was easy to use and the type of game you could easily spend tons of quality time on. Hattrick has an international flavor about it, which isn’t surprising considering that it was developed in Sweden and has 44 different language versions.

Power Soccer.

This Java-based game works best on a Windows machine with a broadband connection. I’m running Leopard on a Macbook so I had difficulty getting the game to work, but from what I saw, this looks like it could keep soccer fans up through the night — not only from the constant loading of files, but also from hours of playing the game.

Football Superstars.

Football Superstars is the first and only Virtual Football World. An entire online football game designed by football fans exclusively for football fans, where you can enjoy a FREE to play massively multiplayer experience on your PC.

I AM PLAYR.

The game allows users to witness first hand exactly what it’s like to be a young, up and coming footballer working your way up through the ranks at River Park F.C. Training, match day and extra-curricular activities are all interspersed with real life live footage provided by professional actors who make you feel as if you’re actually in the changing room getting the hair dryer treatment at halftime. But beware, when brash playmaker Billy Laidlaw asks you to join him at the club after your first match, you better be ready to make a quick decision to accept his invitation or head home for some much needed recovery.

What’s been your experience with online football simulation games and are you addicted to any of the ones mentioned above? Share your opinion by clicking the comments link below.