How to qualify for the FIFA 17 Weekend League

With EA Sports canceling the Weekend League this weekend, I vowed to myself that I would take a much-needed break from the game. But, like a true addict, I was ready to play again by Saturday night. Instead of grinding through divisions and stressing myself out, I decided to have a little fun and experiment a bit.

My idea was simple. Dust off my old secondary/road-to-glory account, start from complete scratch and then see how long it would take me to qualify for next weekend’s Weekend League.

In the end, it took me nine total games from starting from nothing to clinching qualification. Here’s the proof in case you think I would lie to you:

It’s important to note that two of those matches came against the computer in single player seasons mode.

After launching up the game, I get my starter pack and get a little lucky. The game gifts me an abnormal amount of Argentine league players, enough to get me an 80 chem team right off the bat. After playing and losing my first single player match, I have enough coins to buy three more Argentine players to raise my overall chemistry to 99. Now we’re cooking with fire. One match played and I already have a playable team and can do some damage.

After that match, I remember that I have some Reward Catalog points to spend, so I unlock every coin boost and Premier League loan player (Bellerin, Alli, Mahrez, Hazard, Butland, and Martial). Spoiler Alert: Our starter squad is going to be a Premier League team.

So, I have my squad of mix-matched Argentina players and I decide it’s time to give it a shot in the daily qualification tournament. I have 10 chances, so why not? I breeze through the first two matches and get to the semifinals where I get a little too tricky and over-complicate things. I decide to buy Paulo Dybala on loan from the catalog and also use a loan Marco van Basten card that I packed in my Loan Legend pack that I received when starting the game (my only reward pack).

The additions don’t help me at all as I run into a good player and lose 2-0 in the semis. After four matches of playing and gaining coins naturally and from coin boosts, I have enough to start assembling my team.

The first player I buy is an easy choice. The most over-powered cheap beast striker in the game: Ahmed Musa. He is my lone striker in a 4-3-2-1. My next purchase is Sofiane Boufal to place on the left side. At only 850 coins and five-star skills, he’s one of the best value for coins players in the game. Finally, I make three more additions. Nampalys Mendy (the cheap N’Golo Kante), Patrick Van Aanholt, and Winston Reid. In total, they cost me around 4,000 coins. Note: Michael Keane, the Burnley centerback, came in my starter pack

After buying my players, I surround them with the loan players I purchased from the catalog and my lineup looks like this heading into the first game of the daily tournament:

After breezing through the first two matches again, I have more coins to add to my squad and get my chemistry up to snuff. My next addition is the most important as I grab Sadio Mane for the RF position for 2200 coins. Then I grab Roberto Pereyra to replace Hazard and get my team on full chemistry.

In the end, this is the team that won me qualification after dominating the last two matches:

This is a squad that is extremely cheap and easy to build with the exception of Hector Bellerin. In all honesty, the right back position is interchangeable. Find a cheap alternative with decent stats like Brice Dja Djédjé of Watford.

In total, this squad costs 11,000 coins. If you’re lucky enough to have coin boosts available to you, you should be able to assemble this in around 10 matches. If not, you’ll just have to grind a little harder.

It doesn’t take a lot of coins to win you games in FUT Champions. You just need the right players. If you’re just starting out and your goal is to qualify for the Weekend League as soon as you possibly can follow these tips:

• Use all of the resources available to you (coin boosts, loan players, etc.)
• Identify two or three main players to build your first team around
• Continuously upgrade your team as you progress

Obviously, skill level is a major factor in whether or not you qualify as well. Personally, I would classify myself as a slightly above-average player (around Gold 2-3 every weekend). If you’re confident in yourself to be able to win games, this squad should give you the best chance to do just that in the very beginning of your FUT Champions journey.