EA Sports has released the first batch of its player ratings for FIFA 22, announcing the top 22 ranked players in this year’s edition of the game.
As is usually the case, some of the ratings that have been meted out by EA have sent ripples through the gaming community as favourite stars climb, drop and swap rungs on the ladder.
The biggest name among the movers and shakers is undoubtedly Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been handed a demotion, which is certain to make waves among the FIFA-playing community.
The ratings are produced by The Ratings Collective, which serves as a talent scouting network for the FIFA games, assessing more than 17,000 players worldwide and assigned numerical values to more than 30 of their attributes to define their in-game skill levels.
FIFA 22: Messi still at the top.
The explosion caused by Messi’s real-world decampment from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain hasn’t affected the Argentina superstar’s FIFA rating, which remains at 93. Messi has been a constant fixture in the top two of the FIFA ratings ever since he missed out by a single point in FIFA 09 (behind Iker Casillas and Ronaldo).
Robert Lewandowski second
Robert Lewandowski has seen his overall rating bumped up from 91 last year to 92 in FIFA 22, thus seeing the Bayern Munich goal machine become the first new name to break the top two in over a decade. Few could argue that the prolific Poland striker deserves his place in the very upper echelons, having skyrocketed up from 15th place overall in the FIFA 20 ratings list.
Ronaldo slides to third spot.
On that subject, a grand dynasty has come to an end with the news that Ronaldo is not one of the two highest-rated players in FIFA 22. EA has risked ructions among fans by downgrading Ronaldo by a point, from 92 to 91, therefore dropping the Manchester United forward to joint-third in the overall ratings. This is the first time since FIFA 10 that Ronaldo hasn’t occupied at least a joint-level placing inside the top two when he was narrowly beaten out by Casillas and Messi in the edition of the game released in 2009.
A lot of competition in the third spot.
Along with Ronaldo, the third-place berth is shared by no fewer than four other players. Manchester City’s midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne also boasts an overall rating of 91, along with Paris Saint-Germain pair Kylian Mbappe and Neymar as well as Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak. In fact, just two rating points separate Ronaldo (91) in third and Sadio Mane (89) in 22nd. It’s tighter at the top than it’s ever been.
EA robs Liverpool with no players in FIFA 22 Top 10.
Liverpool’s comparative slump in 2020-21 has had a negative effect on their player ratings, with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk both sliding out of the Top 10. Both Salah and Van Dijk found themselves riding high in the FIFA 21 ratings, in ninth and seventh place respectively. However, having both been docked a point from 90 to 89, the Anfield duo tumbles down to 12th and 15th place in the overall ratings this year.
Kante is at the perfect spot in the Top 10.
Of the ratings revealed thus far, Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante has seen significant year-on-year ratings climb. Kante was given an 88 rating last year, which placed him 26th overall. This has been increased to 90 in FIFA 22, putting the France international in ninth place to reach the Top 10 for the very first time. Given that we’re talking about a player who was named Man of the Match in both the Champions League semifinal second leg and the final in 2021-22, the plaudits are well deserved.
FIFA 22 TOP 10 has been released:
