diff --git a/scripts/sold-staging-up.py b/scripts/sold-staging-up.py
index b90653e..160f688 100755
--- a/scripts/sold-staging-up.py
+++ b/scripts/sold-staging-up.py
@@ -748,6 +748,78 @@ def verify_blaze_patch(lay: Layout) -> None:
 
 
 # --- seeding ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# FIFA refuses to kick off unless the squad has 11 starters AND 7 substitutes:
+# "your squad must have at least 11 players and 7 subs … currently below the
+# minimum number of players (18)". The imported club's squad has only its 11
+# starters, so a freshly installed real club is UNPLAYABLE until the bench is
+# filled. The 23 slots are 0..10 pitch, 11..22 bench/reserves, derived from the
+# index alone.
+CLIENT_MIN_SQUAD = 18
+SQUAD_SLOTS = 23
+
+
+def fill_bench_to_minimum(conn, club_id: str, squad_id: str, lay: Layout) -> int:
+    """Top the squad up to the client's minimum with the club's best spare
+    players, filling empty bench slots from index 11 upward.
+
+    Only EMPTY slots are written, so the starting XI — and any bench the
+    operator has already chosen — is never touched, and a re-run is a no-op.
+    Only real PLAYER definitions are eligible: a kit, a manager or a consumable
+    in a squad slot would be nonsense, and the client would drop it anyway.
+    """
+    taken = {
+        row[0]
+        for row in conn.execute(
+            "SELECT owned_card_id FROM squad_players WHERE squad_id = ?", (squad_id,)
+        )
+    }
+    used_slots = {
+        row[0]
+        for row in conn.execute(
+            "SELECT position_index FROM squad_players WHERE squad_id = ?", (squad_id,)
+        )
+    }
+    if len(taken) >= CLIENT_MIN_SQUAD:
+        return 0
+
+    with open(safe_path(lay.catalog)) as fh:
+        catalog = json.load(fh)["cards"]
+    with open(safe_path(lay.cards)) as fh:
+        overall = {c["id"]: c.get("overall", 0) for c in json.load(fh)}
+
+    # Best first, then a stable id tiebreak so a re-run picks the same bench.
+    candidates = [
+        (overall.get(card_id, 0), owned_id, card_id)
+        for owned_id, card_id in conn.execute(
+            "SELECT id, card_id FROM owned_cards WHERE club_id = ? AND is_loan = 0",
+            (club_id,),
+        )
+        if owned_id not in taken
+        and catalog.get(card_id, {}).get("kind", "player") == "player"
+    ]
+    candidates.sort(key=lambda c: (-c[0], c[1]))
+
+    free_slots = [i for i in range(11, SQUAD_SLOTS) if i not in used_slots]
+    need = CLIENT_MIN_SQUAD - len(taken)
+    if need > len(free_slots) or need > len(candidates):
+        raise Fatal(
+            f"cannot reach the client's {CLIENT_MIN_SQUAD}-player minimum: need "
+            f"{need} more, but {len(free_slots)} free bench slots and "
+            f"{len(candidates)} eligible spare players"
+        )
+
+    rows = [
+        (f"sp-bench-{slot}", squad_id, owned_id, slot, 0, 1)
+        for slot, (_ovr, owned_id, _card) in zip(free_slots, candidates[:need])
+    ]
+    conn.executemany(
+        "INSERT INTO squad_players (id, squad_id, owned_card_id, position_index, "
+        "is_captain, is_on_bench) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)",
+        rows,
+    )
+    return len(rows)
+
+
 
 
 def seed_core_db(lay: Layout, real_club: dict | None) -> None:
@@ -847,6 +919,15 @@ def seed_core_db(lay: Layout, real_club: dict | None) -> None:
                 "updated_at) VALUES (?, ?, ?)",
                 (squad_row[0], STAGING_MANAGER["owned_id"], TS),
             )
+
+            # Only the REAL club is meant to be played. The 14-item fixture is a
+            # market test bed with a single spare player, so demanding 18 there
+            # would abort a bring-up that never needed to kick off.
+            filled = (
+                fill_bench_to_minimum(conn, seller_club, squad_row[0], lay)
+                if real_club is not None
+                else 0
+            )
     finally:
         conn.close()
     if real_club is None:
@@ -863,6 +944,12 @@ def seed_core_db(lay: Layout, real_club: dict | None) -> None:
             f"{len(STAGING_KITS)} active kits, the manager "
             f"{STAGING_MANAGER['label']} and Buyer B ({BUYER_COINS} coins)"
         )
+    if filled:
+        ok(
+            f"filled {filled} empty bench slot(s) with the club's best spare "
+            f"players: FIFA refuses to kick off below {CLIENT_MIN_SQUAD} "
+            "(11 starters + 7 subs), and the imported squad carries only its XI"
+        )
 
 
 def db_summary(lay: Layout) -> str: