EA Sports have released the official demo version of the much anticipated, FIFA 17 and the game is already generating some buzz. The latest edition has the frostbite engine which gained fame through the battlefield series. In addition, the game has a new feature called 'The Journey' and football fans will be eager to try this out. Before the official release of the game, EA Sports have done everything they can to get the fans talking about the game. They started with the countdown of the Top 50 highest rated players in the game, followed by the Top 20 highest rated players in the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1. Finally, they’ve also released the official player ratings of some selected clubs and with these, we finally have enough data to create the best XI from Europe’s top 5 leagues based purely on the FIFA 17 ratings.
Different formations have been picked for each league depending on the best players available for that league and the final outcome for some of these leagues will surprise you. So here is the best XI from each of Europe’s Top 5 leagues.
Premier League XI
Goalkeeper:
David De Gea – 90
De Gea is the second highest rated goalkeeper in the game with a rating of 90 and is one of the highest rated players in the game. With such ratings, scoring against the Spaniard will be as difficult as it is in real life.
Defenders
Bacary Sagna – 82
Sagna is the highest rated right back in the Premier League along with teammate Pablo Zabaleta and Everton’s Seamus Coleman. His 82 defending and 80 physicality will make it very difficult to get past the Manchester City man.
Laurent Koscielny – 85
Laurent Koscielny has been a rock at the back for Arsenal for many years and he finally gets a FIFA rating that is closer to what he deserves. The Frenchman has received a rating boost of +2 from FIFA 16.
Vincent Kompany – 86
Surprise! Surprise! The Manchester City captain has received a rating boost of +1 from FIFA 16 despite missing most of last season. He is the highest-rated defender in the Premier League and his current rating in FIFA 17 is very surprising considering his situation.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 84
Cesar Azpilicueta was one of the best players for Chelsea during what was a forgetful season for them. The Spaniard was one of the very few players in that team who could find some consistency and his excellent showing has been rewarded with a rating of 84.
Midfielders:
Paul Pogba – 88
Manchester United’s record signing Paul Pogba’s constant improvement has seen him get an upgrade of +2 from his FIFA 16 rating of 86. His transfer to United has now made them a formidable force in the game.
Cesc Fabregas – 86
The FIFA 17 rating given to Cesc Fabregas is nothing short of amusing! The Spaniard had a terrible season for club and country and is still rewarded with a generous 86! This makes him the second highest rated central midfielder in the Premier League behind Paul Pogba
Mesut Ozil – 89
Mesut Ozil’s brilliant start to last season and then his performance for Germany have ensured that the he gets a good rating. He is the highest rated attacking midfielder in the game ahead of the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva of Manchester City.
Eden Hazard – 88
Yet another player who doesn’t deserve the rating they’ve got. Hazard had a terrible season last time around and still gets a rating of 88 which puts him on par with the likes of Marco Reus and thus he makes this list ahead of Dimitri Payet who has a FIFA 17 rating of 86.
Riyad Mahrez – 85
Riyad Mahrez’s excellent performance for Leicester which won them the league has seen his rating shoot up from 73 in FIFA 16 to 85 in FIFA 17! His 88 dribbling and five-star skills will make him a dream player for FIFA addicts.
Striker
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 90
Age is not limit for Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his excellent season with PSG has helped him get a rating of 90 on FIFA 17. His rating sees him edge out Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, who has a rating of 89.
Buy FIFA 17 here
Bundesliga XI
Goalkeeper
Manuel Neuer – 92
Manuel Neuer is the highest rated goalkeeper in the game and the third highest rated player in the game after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The German’s consistent performance have earned him such a good rating and now it will be very difficult to score past Bayern in the game.
Defenders
Philipp Lahm – 88
Lahm is the highest rated right-back in the game with a rating of 88 which is an upgrade of +1 from his rating of 87 in FIFA 16. His 84 dribbling and 86 defending makes him a dream full-back.
Mats Hummels – 87
With Hummels also moving to Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga XI now has 10 Bayern Munich players. The former Borussia Dortmund captain is given a rating of 87 which is one more than his rating in FIFA 16.
Jerome Boateng – 90
Meet the highest rated defender in FIFA 17 – Jerome Boateng. The rise of his ratings in FIFA has been phenomenal as he was rated 79 in FIFA 13 compared to 90 in FIFA 17. Boateng has 79 pace and 90 defending and this basically spells doom for any forward who is up against him in the game.
David Alaba – 87
The young Austrian’s phenomenal rise to stardom has seen him get many admirers from around the world. Having converted into a full back from a central midfield role, Alaba has excellent traits on the ball as well. His 87 rating in the game makes him the highest rated left-back in FIFA 17 and that also means, Bayern have the best defence in the game.
Midfielders
Arturo Vidal – 87
Arturo Vidal has seamlessly settled into the Bayern Munich side after his big move from Juventus. However, despite a very good debut season in Bavaria, he has only been given a rating boost of +1 from FIFA 16
Xabi Alonso – 84
Xabi Alonso’s FIFA 17 rating is probably the biggest injustice the developers have made. The former Liverpool man has been in scintillating form since his move to the Bavarian club and has also started the present season brightly under Ancelotti.
Marco Reus – 88
Marco Reus is the only non-Bayern player in the Bundesliga XI. The German international returned from a series of injuries to power a high scoring Borussia Dortmund side last season.
Arjen Robben – 87
Arjen Robben’s injuries and lack of playing time has resulted in a drop in his FIFA 17 ratings. The Dutchman was rated 90 in the previous edition, but his current rating is justified because of his age.
Forwards
Thomas Muller – 87
Thomas Muller continues to deliver for club and country season after season and yet he is only given a rating of 87 on FIFA 17. This is not bad, but when players like Eden Hazard gets a better rating than Muller, questions needs to be raised.
Robert Lewandowski – 90
Robert Lewandowski was the leading goalscorer in Bundesliga last season and also propelled his nation to Euro 2016. His incredible feats has been rewarded with a high rating and the only striker with a better rating than him is Luis Suarez.
Buy FIFA 17 here
Serie A XI
Goalkeeper
Gianluigi Buffon – 88
In goal is none other than the veteran star – Gianluigi Buffon. Buffon was given a massive downgrade in FIFA 16 to 84 but he has deservedly got an upgrade this time around.
Defenders
Dani Alves – 85
Dani Alves has been one of the most consistent full-backs in recent years and was instrumental in the success Barcelona had while he was there. He has given a rating upgrade of +1 in FIFA 17.
Leonardo Bonucci – 87
The Italians always have some amazing central defenders and Leonardo Bonucci of Juventus could soon walk into the long list of legends. He has been one of the first names on the team sheet for both club and country and has received a rating boost of +3
Miranda – 86
In a team dominated by Juventus players, Miranda is one of the few exceptions. The Brazilian made a name for himself at Atletico Madrid and continues to do so at Inter. He has been given a rating upgrade of +2.
Georgio Chiellini – 88
Chiellini is the highest rated defender and player in Serie A, but he is tied on rating with Buffon and Higuain. The experienced centre-back has got a rating he deserves.
Alex Sandro – 84
Alex Sandro’s rating in FIFA 17 is a little baffling considering he wasn’t even the first choice left-back at Juventus. Evra has been given a rating of 82 as compared to Sandro’s 84.
Midfielders
Claudio Marchisio – 86
The Prince of Juventus is now the main man in midfield after the departures of Pirlo, Vidal and Pogba one after the other. Marchisio is a terrific midfielder and has been given a rating he deserves.
Miralem Pjanic – 85
With Juventus buying top players from their direct rivals, one more player is added to the list of Juventus players in Serie A XI. Pjanic is also one of the best free kick takers in the game.
Marek Hamsik – 85
Last season saw the return to form of Marek Hamsik and he helped Napoli finish the season strongly. This has been rewarded with a rating of 85.
Forwards
Gonzalo Higuain – 88
Gonzalo Higuain had a season to remember forever as he racked up 36 league goals. His unbelievable season for Napoli has now made him one of the best strikers in the game.
Paulo Dybala – 85
With the acquisition of Higuain, Juventus now have last season’s highest and second highest goal scorer in the league. Dybala played a crucial role for Juventus last season and won plenty of admirers with his amazing performance.
Buy FIFA 17 here
Ligue 1 XI
Goalkeeper
Stephane Ruffier – 85
Surprisingly, the highest rated goalkeeper in Ligue 1 is not from PSG. Saint Etienne shot stopper, Stephane Ruffier, is the one in goal. Ruffier has got a +2 rating boost from FIFA 16.
Defenders
Serge Aurier – 83
Serge Aurier spent a major chunk of last season away from PSG’s first team following a feud with then manager Laurent Blanc. Despite this, he has received an upgrade to 83 on FIFA 17.
Kamil Glik – 83
Glik was one of the standout performers for Poland in Euro 2016 and earned a move to Monaco in the summer. His terrific performance for both club and country have earned him such a good rating this time around.
Thiago Silva – 89
The former Brazilian captain continues to be a rock at the back for his club and has been rewarded with a rating of 89 which also makes him the second best defender in the game.
Laywin Kurzawa – 81
The former Monaco defender is the highest rated left-back in Ligue 1 in FIFA 17 ahead of teammate Maxwell. He has been given an upgrade of +1 in this edition.
Midfielders
Blaise Matuidi – 86
Blaise Matuidi is one of the Top 50 players in the game and also the second highest rated CDM in the game behind Sergio Busquets of Barcelona.
Marco Verratti – 85
The sensational Italian is only given a rating of 85 in FIFA 17 and that comes as a shock considering that EA has given a big rating boost for most players. Nevertheless, he will be a wonderful player to have in the game.
Javier Pastore – 85
Javier Pastore has been at PSG for a while now and is yet to nail down a regular starting spot in the side. Despite this, he has been given a rating of 85 which is on par with his teammate Marco Verratti.
Jese Rodriguez – 80
The highest rated left sided winger from Ligue 1 is former Real Madrid player, Jese Rodriguez. His rating in FIFA 17 is an upgrade on his FIFA 16 rating of 78.
Angel Di Maria – 87
After a dismal season at Manchester United, Di Maria returned to his very best at PSG and helped them to yet another league title. This reflects on his rating as it has gone up by 2.
Forward
Alexandre Lacazette – 85
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic moving to the Premier League, Alexandre Lacazette is now the highest rated striker in Ligue 1 with a rating of 85. This is a slight upgrade from his 84 rating in FIFA 16.
Buy FIFA 17 here
La Liga XI
Goalkeeper
Jan Oblak – 87
Atletico Madrid’s incredible defence last season didn’t go unnoticed and their young goalkeeper, Jan Oblak, had a big role in that. The youngster has got a rating upgrade of +6 from FIFA 16.
Defenders
Dani Carvajal – 83
Dani Carvajal has been given an upgrade from 81 to 83 in FIFA 17 and deservedly so. His 82 pace and 81 defending are very good attributes for a full-back and considering his age, he will be a popular player in the career mode.
Sergio Ramos – 89
Ramos is the highest rated defender in La Liga and the second highest defender in the game behind Jerome Boateng. He has 87 defending and 83 physicality in the game and that will make it very difficult to beat the player.
Diego Godin – 88
When Sergio Ramos, Jerome Boateng and Thiago Silva have a better rating than Diego Godin in FIFA 17, questions needs to be raised. The Uruguayan tremendous throughout the 2015-16 season and only gets an upgrade to 88 from 85.
Jordi Alba – 86
Jordi Alba is one of the best full-backs in the world right now, but after a underwhelming season last time around where he struggled for fitness and form, he still gets a rating of 86.
Midfielders
Luka Modric – 89
Luke Modric is the highest rated midfielder in the game and why not? The Croatian has been unbelievably good for both club and country for a while now and has been rewarded with a +2 upgrade.
Andres Iniesta – 88
Andres Iniesta has been one of the best players in FIFA for a while now but this time around he misses out from the top 10 players and also loses the best midfielder spot to Luka Modric. Nevertheless, a rating of 88 is still wonderful for such a wonderful player.
Toni Kroos – 88
Real Madrid’s success last season had to do a lot with the performance of both Modric and Kroos as they dictated play with ease. Like Modric, Kroos has also received an upgrade in this edition.
Forwards
Lionel Messi – 93
Lionel Messi’s FIFA 17 rating does not change from his rating in FIFA 16 and there is not much to complain over that as the rating is terrific for such a terrific player. However, this time, he has lost his place as the best player in the game.
Luis Suarez – 92
Luis Suarez was arguably the best player in Europe last season and hence his rating of 92 needs no justification. His 90 shot and 87 dribbling will make him a terrific forward to play with
Cristiano Ronaldo – 94
Meet the highest rated player in FIFA 17 – Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star was rated behind Messi in many previous FIFA editions but that has changed as soon as Messi was discontinued as the brand ambassador for the game.
Buy FIFA 17 here
