As in the previous two seasons, Porto did not begin their campaign by playing the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, as they failed to qualify for the 2016 edition by not winning either the 2015–16 Primeira Liga title (retained by Benfica) or the 2015–16 Taça de Portugal (final lost to Braga).

Their 2016–17 Primeira Liga debut match was a 3–1 away win against Rio Ave, with Mexican winger Jesús Corona scoring the team's first league goal.

In the 2016–17 Taça de Portugal, they were eliminated in the fourth round by Chaves, losing 3–2 after a penalty shootout.

[6] The team also participated in the 2016–17 Taça da Liga, but were eliminated in the starting round for the second consecutive season after finishing last in their third-round group.

[7] In UEFA competitions, Porto secured their sixth consecutive and 21st overall participation in the UEFA Champions League group stage – a record shared with Barcelona and Real Madrid – after overcoming the play-off round.