EA Sports’ football-based gaming franchise, FIFA, is one of the longest running and most successful video game franchises of all time. What works in the game’s favour is that it is a direct extension of real-life to the virtual realm.
That we are able to play and score goals with digitally recreated versions of our favourite footballers is one of the main reasons for the game’s popularity. One important aspect of the digital recreation is rating the players according to their capabilities in real-life. And, more often than not, EA gets it right.
Also read: All-time highest-rated XI in FIFA
Now, we have often seen players having a couple of incredible seasons and then fading away due to injuries or age. As a result, in the game as well, there are a few players who enjoyed high ratings in previous instalments but have earned low ratings in FIFA 17. Here, we list five of them.
#1 Matteo Brighi (FIFA 03 Rating: 97, FIFA 17 Rating: 71)
It has been almost 15 years and we still do not know why Matteo Brighi was rated so highly back in FIFA 03. In that particular game, he was an absolute legend. His overall rating read an astounding 97 (something that players of the modern generation can only dream of).
The Italian midfielder even edged out several of the world’s best football stars at that time to be the highest rated player in the game. However, with the course of time, his ratings have seen a drastic downfall. From 97, his ratings have dropped down to a lowly 71 in the latest instalment.
Back in the days, he was one of the most promising talents in Europe. Brighi even won the Serie A Young Player of the Year in 2002 after an incredible season. However, since then his career has only gone downhill and now, at the fag end of his career, he plays for the Serie B side, Perugia.
#2 Michael Essien (FIFA 06 Rating: 91, FIFA 17 Rating: 74)
Before N’Golo Kante showed the world how a central midfielder should play, Michael Essien was doing it back in the mid-2000s. After helping his club Lyon win back-to-back Ligue 1 titles, he moved to Chelsea in 2005. His performances saw him earn a rating of 91 in FIFA 06.
The Ghanaian midfielder was known for his boisterous energy and hard tackling style. He enjoyed a very successful stint at Chelsea in which he won the Premier League twice and the Champions League once.
After leaving the Stamford Bridge outfit, Essien spent a couple of seasons at AC Milan before joining Greek side Panathinaikos on a two-year deal in 2015. However, injuries marred his stint in Greece and the club left him out of the squad for this season. However, the 34-year-old is still listed as a Panathinaikos player in FIFA 17 and has an overall rating of 74.
#3 Ashley Cole (FIFA 05 Rating: 88, FIFA 17 Rating: 73)
Considered one of the best left-backs of his generation, Ashley Cole enjoyed successful stints in London for Arsenal and then Chelsea. At Arsenal, he won two Premier League titles and was an integral member of ‘the Invincibles’ squad of the 2003-04 season.
Following the incredible season in which Arsenal remained unbeaten in the league, Cole earned a rating of 88 in FIFA 05 and was one of the highest rated defenders in the game. In the years to come, he achieved more success as he joined Chelsea and went on to win a Premier League title and a Champions League crown.
However, he was released by the Blues in 2014 following which he spent two seasons in Roma. With age, his performances have gone down significantly. Currently, Cole plies his trade for MLS side, LA Galaxy, and has earned a rating of 73 in FIFA 17.
#4 Rafael van der Vaart (FIFA 12 Rating: 87, FIFA 17 Rating: 75)
Rafael van der Vaart has seen a lot of ups and downs in his career. At Ajax, where he started out, the Dutchman impressed one and all with his talent and even drew comparisons with the legendary Johann Cruyff. Later on, he would go on to find success at Hamburg, Real Madrid and Tottenham.
Arguably, his best performances came at Tottenham, where he scored 13 league goals in his debut season in 2010-11. This, in turn, saw him earn an overall rating of 87 in FIFA 12.
After another commendable season in the North London club, he returned to Hamburg. However, age began taking its toll on his performances.
The former Dutch star currently plays for Danish side, Midtjylland FC, and has been rated a lowly 75 in FIFA 17.
#5 Shaun Wright-Phillips (FIFA 06 Rating: 86, FIFA 17 Rating: 68)
At one time, Shaun Wright-Phillips was one of the brightest prospects in England. He won the Young Player of the Year award at Manchester City four times in a row and built a reputation for himself. In 2005, after a brilliant season in which he scored 10 league goals, he was signed by Chelsea.
His performances saw him getting a place in the PFA Team of the Year in 2004-05 as well as earning a career high in-game rating of 86 in FIFA 06. At Chelsea, though, he was reduced to a bench player by Jose Mourinho. Since then, his career has been on the wane.
The winger tried to re-establish himself by moving to City in 2008 but never quite got going. Wright-Phillips would then spend four seasons at Queen Park Rangers before moving to MLS side, New York Red Bulls. In FIFA 17, the Englishman is rated a lowly 68.
