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What's the story?
Ever since FIFA 18 has launched, the popular console game has been making news for quite a number of reasons. One major reason has been the FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), which lets you assemble a team of your own by hand-picking your favourite players.
As we all know, Lionel Messi is without a doubt one of the best, both on the field and in-game. Although Messi is rated 93 in the game, has a 94-rated card in FUT 18 and there are very few who could outdo him on the field, it turns out that David Silva, the Manchester City midfielder, has surpassed the Barcelona man in passing.
In case you didn't know
Messi has been given an overall rating of 93 in the new edition of FIFA 18, and he is even higher than the top-rated Ronaldo in some aspects, making the Argentinian more dominant than the rest. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that nobody can better the Argentine legend's attributes. Messi has a high speed rating of 90, his shooting stands at 92, and his passing and dribbling are what inspire the world, as 88 and 97 ratings take a lifetime to take shape.
Heart of the matter
The FUT 18 ratings have seen a twist when it was revealed that Manchester City star, David Silva has been rated higher than Messi. Silva's overall ratings stand at 88, which is lower than Messi, but his passing ratings of 90 is why he has made the news this time. In the field of passing, David Silva seems to be more gifted than the Barcelona's gifted striker. Silva has a higher vision, rated 95 when it comes to distributing the ball, compared to Messi who is rated 92. Silva's crossing is also higher at 85, compared to Messi's 78. Although Messi is a better dead-ball specialist and a long passer, Silva's short passes outclass Messi.
While David Silva is the #1 passer in the current crop of players, Messi ranks at #4, with two more players above him, who are gifted at passing. The other two players which have fared above Messi in the 'Top Passers' list are Miralem Pjanic and Andrea Pirlo.
Pirlo has been given a rating of 79, but that's not what has gotten him in the headlines. The Italian has fared above Messi with his passing at 89. Pirlo has left Messi far behind when it comes to crossing, and although he is still not where Messi is in terms of vision, the veteran still has higher points to his curve.
Pjanic, who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Juventus, has outclassed Messi in terms of free-kicks, crossing, and short passing. In other aspects of vision and long passing, Pjanic is just behind Messi.
What's next?
This development is clearly significant as it could be a game-changer. There is obviously just one Messi and not every team can have him in the line-up. This, however, won't be a problem as long as people have Pjanic, Pirlo, and last but not the least, David Silva. These players are sure to perform better than Messi when it comes to feeding the ball.
Author's take
EA Sports have done an interesting job by revealing the new FUT ratings, as it has become quite important to assemble a dangerous squad to battle with online players. So, if you have Messi against you in squad battles or otherwise, you better get acquainted with the top passers in the league like David Silva.
