The season
The 2016/17 competition used the format we call “eight groups, then knockouts”. Eight groups of four, then two-legged knockout rounds from the last sixteen. 32 clubs from 17 countries took part, and Real Madrid won it, beating Juventus in the final.
By our squad ratings, FC Barcelona had the strongest squad in the field, with a best eleven averaging 89. Real Madrid were the third strongest squad: among the favourites, if not the clear one. Their opponents in the final, Juventus, rated 87.
England, Germany and Spain sent the most clubs, 4 each. 10 of the 17 nations in the field had a single representative.
The highest-rated player in the competition, by our estimates, was Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona, a ST rated 91.
Thirty-two clubs played eight groups of four, home and away. The top two from each group went into the round of sixteen, and from there every tie was played over two legs until the single-match final. Ties level on aggregate were decided by away goals, then extra time and penalties.
The strongest squads
Our rating for each club is the average of its best eleven players that season, on the scale the game uses.
- 1FC BarcelonaSpain89
- 2FC Bayern MunichGermany88
- 3Real MadridSpain88
- 4ArsenalEngland87
- 5JuventusItaly87
- 6Manchester CityEngland87
- 7Borussia DortmundGermany86
- 8Tottenham HotspurEngland86
The best players in the field
- 1Lionel MessiFC Barcelona · ST91
- 2Mesut ÖzilArsenal · CAM91
- 3Gareth BaleReal Madrid · CDM90
- 4Jérôme BoatengFC Bayern Munich · CB90
- 5Jordi AlbaFC Barcelona · LB90
- 6Karim BenzemaReal Madrid · ST90
- 7Luis SuárezFC Barcelona · ST90
- 8Manuel NeuerFC Bayern Munich · GK90
- 9Marcelo VieiraReal Madrid · LB90
- 10Ángel Di MaríaParis Saint-Germain · CDM89
The groups
Replay 2016/17 in Magic Nights
In Magic Nights you can take charge of any of these 32 clubs, with the squad they had that season, and play the competition in this exact format. Win it with the favourites, or try the hardest job in the game: lifting the trophy with a club from the bottom half of the field.