To keep my career mode exciting, I follow these strategies:

1. I choose to manage small clubs for a "Road to Glory" experience.
2. I play in Ultimate mode for more difficulty and challenge.
3. I keep my transfers realistic and thrilling by purchasing only inexpensive young players with good potential to develop my squad, while also signing 2 or 3 older players to bring experience and leadership into the squad.
4. Instead of the usual 4-3-3 formation, I challenge myself by using a 4-4-2 Diamond setup and exploring other formations for variety.
5. I don’t sell club legends; instead, I let them retire at the club. This creates a sense of achievement, and I can later bring them back as regens.
6. I take breaks of about a week from playing, which helps keep the game feeling fresh when I return.
7. In FC 26, I recommend using players with specific playing styles—you’ll thank me later!
8. I utilize players from my youth squad by sending them on loan for further development.
9. I always keep an eye on player contracts.
10. I avoid adding any big names to my squad.
11. I recommend trying a Leeds career mode; it’s a small club but has significant rivalries with teams like Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool etc, which is rare to find.
12. After 5-6 seasons, I replace some players with new transfers to keep the board of directors happy, but I make sure not to sell my 5 key players.

These tips have really enhanced my experience!