Master Liga's first season: everything that changed and how it compares to other manager games

The first season of the Americas leagues in Master Liga ends today. That's 26 rounds, one a day since October 1, with more than 150 clubs run by real managers in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. Tonight brings the first champions, the first promotions and the clubs that qualify for the first Copa Campeões da América (Americas Champions Cup).

Until kickoff, this post sums up everything that changed in the game during the first month and compares the pace of Master Liga with other football manager games.

The season in numbers

• 26 rounds in every league, one a day, at the league's set time.
• More than 2,400 matches and 7,000 goals in the Americas leagues up to the day before the final round, an average of almost 3 goals per match.
• One match with 10 goals, the biggest scoreline of the season so far.
• 5 countries in the Americas. Since the 18th, the European leagues have been playing their own season, now with 5 countries.

The final round

The last round is tonight, with each league at its own time. In several divisions the title is still open: in Argentina, four clubs reached the final round separated by just three points.

At the end of the season, the top three of each division go up and the bottom three go down. The 1st division champion gets a gold star on its crest, and every title is kept in the club's trophy room.

The Copa Campeões da América

The cup brings together the best placed clubs of each country's 1st division: 5 from Brazil, 4 from Argentina, 3 from Uruguay, 2 from Paraguay and 2 from Bolivia, 16 clubs in total.

• Format: two-legged knockout, with home advantage switching for the second leg and a single-match final. A tie on aggregate goes to penalties, taken one by one and narrated live.
• Bracket: drawn at the start of the season by league position (for example, "1st in Brazil vs 1st in Paraguay"), keeping clubs from the same country apart whenever possible. The names are filled in when the leagues end.
• Calendar: starts on the 27th at 7 p.m. Brasília time, with one round a day. It runs into the first days of the next season at a different time from the league, so clubs in both competitions play both.
• Prizes: the champion takes €30 million, and every stage reached already pays a prize, starting at €2 million in the round of 16.

In Europe, the Copa Campeões da Europa (European Champions Cup) follows the same format and starts the day after the last round there, on November 13.

What changed in the game during the season

Master Liga was updated almost every day during the first month. These were the most important changes:

New countries and cups

• European leagues: England, Spain, Italy, Portugal and France, with their own calendar (from the 18th to the 12th of the following month) and evening matches in European time.
• Cups between countries, with penalties taken one by one and prize money for each stage.

Squad and matches

• Injuries: fatigue and minutes played raise the risk, and a substitute comes on automatically if someone gets hurt. See how injuries work.
• Scheduled substitutions before the match and players out of position, who always perform worse than in their natural position.
• Simulation balancing: adjustments to shot and goal chances, so matches are more balanced.

Market and finances

• Transfer market with listings between clubs, free agents and now quick sale and automatic buyout of stale listings. See how to sell players.
• Stadium levels, ticket prices per section and a fan base with a mood that reacts to results and prices. See how to make money in Master Liga.
• Training center with 5 levels, each one speeding up the squad's development. See youth academy and training.

The club and the community

• Trophy room, with a trophy cabinet, stars on the crest and a champions tab for every league and cup.
• Club ranking: every club in the game in a single table, filtered by world, continent or country.
• Home page feed, with the round summary, season records and game news.
• Kits for outfield players and goalkeepers, in the club's colors.

Easier to use

• Install it as an app on your phone's home screen, free and without an app store, with a reminder before matches.
• Shortcuts at the bottom of the home page, the lineup and the live match, and the club's cash always in view.
• Light theme, in addition to the dark one.

How Master Liga compares to other manager games

The first season showed what sets Master Liga apart from other football manager games: time.

Football Manager

Football Manager is the most complete manager game there is, with a new paid edition every year. You usually play against the computer at your own pace, and a season can take dozens of hours. In Master Liga a season lasts one calendar month but takes only a few minutes a day, and the other clubs in your league are run by real people.

Hattrick

Hattrick also puts you up against other people, but league matches are weekly, so a season takes months. In Master Liga, with one round a day, the first season ends with champions, promotions and a cup in less than four weeks.

Brasfoot and Elifoot

In the download classics, you play the rounds whenever you want, against the computer. Master Liga keeps the idea of creating your club and building your team, but each round happens at a set time for everyone, even if you're offline. If you're coming from Brasfoot, see what's similar and what changes.

For a fuller comparison, see free online football manager games.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a season in Master Liga?

About a month: 26 rounds, one a day, at the league's scheduled time. In the Americas, the season runs from the 1st to the 26th; in Europe, from the 18th to the 12th of the following month.

How many clubs are promoted and relegated?

The top three of each division go up and the bottom three go down. The 1st division champion earns a gold star on its crest.

Who plays in the Copa Campeões da América?

The top finishers of division 1 in each country: 5 from Brazil, 4 from Argentina, 3 from Uruguay, 2 from Paraguay and 2 from Bolivia, 16 clubs in total, in two-legged knockout ties with a one-match final.

Which countries have leagues in Master Liga?

In the Americas, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. In Europe, England, Spain, Italy, Portugal and France, with their own calendar.

What's next

• Tonight: final round of the Americas leagues.
• The 27th: the Copa Campeões da América begins.
• November 1: the second season of the Americas leagues begins, with promoted and relegated clubs in their new divisions.
• November 13: with the European leagues over, the Copa Campeões da Europa begins.

Want to play next season? Create your club for free and read the first season guide to get off to a good start. The full rules are in How to play.