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FIFA 18's immense popularity does not seem to plummet, even at the end of the footballing season. In fact, it is at this point that the game starts to offer a chance to football fans to revisit their team, whether via career mode or ultimate team.
With the World Cup coming our way this year, EA Sports have taken this opportunity to announce a free patch to the beloved FIFA 18. The aforementioned patch will bring to our consoles and computers, all 32 national sides, fully updated and kitted in their World Cup uniforms. The patch will also bring to the game all the new arenas which will be used in this edition of the World Cup.
Fans around the world are eagerly waiting for the patch to go live. EA is doing their bit to fuel the hype around the game, by indulging in one of the most debated aspects of FIFA- Player Ratings. The people over at EA are counting down for the World Cup by revealing each of the 32 nations' ratings. So far they have revealed the overalls of players from Belgium, Mexico, France, Argentina, and Germany.
Next up, is England. Gareth Southgate's squad announcement on May 16 was met with a range of emotions. England fans and pundits displayed the full emotional spectrum after learning of the names of the players headed to Russia. However inexperienced the squad may be, we take a look at how they will be rated in the virtual edition of the game.
#1 GK - Jordan Pickford (79)
Jordan Pickford jumped Sunderland's sinking ship earlier this season when he switched to Everton. The switch from Tyneside to Merseyside brought with it a lot of expectations. It's fair to say that Pickford was able to match those expectations with his performances, keeping his goal safe behind a shaky defense.
Everton failed to provide enough protection to Pickford and his goal, conceding a total of fifty-eight goals in the Premier League this season.
However, the Toffees' defensive failures won't harm Pickford's chances to start in goal ahead of Jack Butland and Nick Pope. Butland had a terrible campaign as his side, Stoke City, were finally relegated from the league. Nick Pope did the best, out of the three, but his relative inexperience at an international level means that Pickford is the likeliest to be chosen in goal.
Jordan Pickford is currently rated 80 in FIFA 18, a rating which will fall once the World Cup mode is live. Pickford is one in the long line of players who EA has decided to downgrade.
#2 CB - Phil Jones (81)
Gareth Southgate will look towards the experience of Phil Jones to provide some cover at the back in the summer tournament.
Jones has been around the national side for a while now and is named in the squad for an international tournament for the third time, after Euro 2012 and FIFA World Cup 2014.
Currently playing for Jose Mourinho's Machester Unites, Jones helped his side to the most clean sheets in the top division, conceding just twenty-eight goals in the process. Jones was picked for the starting line-up twenty-four times by Mourinho.
Southgate likes to play with a back three and Jones will most likely slot into the Left Center Back position. Jones will be receiving an upgrade in the newest mode of the game, becoming one of the few players to do so. He's rated 81.
#3 CB - John Stones (80)
John Stones rise at Everton caught the attention of many clubs. Soon teams like Chelsea, Manchester City, and Tottenham were circling around the young defender like sharks. Stones eventually would sign with City, shunning the advances of Chelsea.
Stones took time to settle into the City side and was finally able to show his capabilities this season when he helped push the blue side of Manchester towards their third Premier League title in six years.
However, the 23-year-old was not able to sustain his place in Pep Guardiola's side for the entirety of the season. Vincent Kompany's return from injury and Aymeric Laporte's switch to Manchester pushed Stones down the pecking order.
England manager Gareth Southgate, however, looked beyond and picked Stones due to his natural ability. Stones has previously played in the centre of the three for Southgate, a position he is expected to maintain during the World Cup.
His form with City will also most likely see an increase in his overall rating. Stones was rated 80 in the normal edition of the game, an overall which will be carried over to the new game mode.
#4 CB - Gary Cahill (81)
Gary Cahill's inclusion in the England Squad divided fans throughout. It's fair to say that the veteran endured a tough season domestically for his side Chelsea. Cahill's fall from grace was so evident that at one point he was being benched by 22-year-old Andreas Christensen.
Cahill's end of season form and his leadership skills, however, caught the attention of Gareth Southgate. Cahill's presence in the England Squad also makes up for the lack of leaders in the Squad. Southgate, amongst much debate, has opted to take a youthful squad to Russia and players like Gary Cahill and Kyle Walker will look to provide much-needed experience to the squad.
The Yorkshire born defender wasn't able to repeat the heroics of the 2016-17 campaign when he won the Premier League. EA recognized that and gave him an overall of 82, a rating which will fall in the World Cup mode of the game. Cahill has been given an overall of 81.
#5 RWB - Kyle Walker (83)
Kyle Walker will be one of the most experienced players in Gareth Southgate's young squad this summer. At 27, Walker brings with him a seven-year international experience and will represent the three lions in his second international tournament, after Euro 2016.
Earlier in the 2017-18 campaign, Walker chose to switch allegiances from Tottenham to Manchester City in a controversial move. Needless to say, The Lily Whites were furious with Walker for his betrayal.
The 27-year-old has more than justified his decision after he won the Premier League title with Machester City, breaking several records in the process. Walker was a stalwart in the Right Back position for the entirety of the season, mustering forty-eight appearances for The Citizens.
Walker helped City's defence concede the least number of goals in the 2017/18 Premier League season, while also contributing to the attack with seven assists.
Currently holding an overall rating of 84, Walker is one of the best Right Backs of the game. However, EA has decided to drop his rating by one point, bringing his overall down to 83 for the World Cup mode.
#6 CM - Eric Dier (80)
Unlike most English players, Dier had quite a different path to the top. Although he was born in England, Dier moved to Portugal when he was just seven years old. Over in Portugal, DIer was enrolled in the Sporting Lisbon academy, known for producing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Dier's performances with Sporting drew the attention of both domestic and international sides. At one point, even Portugal were pushing to cap Dier at a youth level.
Eric Dier, however, chose to return to England and has been with Tottenham since. Now a regular with both Spurs and England, Dier will be heading to his second international tournament.
Dier enjoyed a good campaign with Tottenham, slotting in either defence or midfield, as per requirement. He appeared a total of forty-three times for Spurs. Gareth Southgate will employ Dier in the midfield, to provide extra cover to a shaky defence.
EA rated Dier 82 with 87 potential at the start of the campaign. However, both those ratings have since fallen, with his overall currently standing at 81. EA Sports has now decided to further reduce Dier's overall. He takes the virtual plane to Russia with a total rating of 80.
#7 CM - Jordan Henderson (80)
Jordan Henderson was viewed by Liverpool as the successor to Steven Gerrard. Three years after Gerrard's departure, Henderson has still not been able to fulfil what was expected of him.
Nevertheless, Henderson still has proven to be an important cog in the machine run by Jurgen Klopp. Slotting in just ahead of the defence, Henderson plays an important role, controlling the tempo of the game.
Henderson played for Liverpool thirty-nine times in totality, this season. He had a hand in one goal and one assist. His distribution and passing, however, helped Liverpool attack seamlessly. Henderson played over 2000 passes and 152 accurate long balls while lying deep in the Reds' midfield.
EA rates Henderson 81 in FIFA 18 currently and when the World Cup edition comes out, he will be downgraded, as per EA sports. Jordan Henderson will be rated 80 in the new game mode.
#8 LWB - Danny Rose (82)
Danny Rose burst onto the scene in quite spectacular fashion when he hammered in a 30-yard volley against fierce rivals Arsenal. For Rose, the only way from his derby heroics was up. He did not disappoint, as well, occupying the Left Back slot for Tottenham ever since.
In the summer of 2017, Rose became a wanted man. Approached by the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, Rose would stay out of the team to force a move through. However, Tottenham refused to cave into Rose's requests, refusing to sell the Left Back.
The whole transfer fiasco along with injury troubles meant that Rose was kept out of the squad for most of the season by Ben Davies.
As a result, Southgate's selection of Rose in the World Cup squad as the only natural Left Back came as a surprise. The only other option England have in that position is Fabian Delph, who has been occupying the same spot for Manchester City this season.
Rose is currently rated 81 in FIFA 18. However, EA has come to a decision that Rose deserves to be rated higher, thereby increasing his overall to 82 for the World Cup mode.
#9 RAM - Raheem Sterling (84)
Raheem Sterling was one of the first names on Gareth Southgate's squad list after the winger enjoyed a stunning 2017-18 campaign.
Sterling's switch from Liverpool to Manchester, two seasons ago, was met with a lot of outrage from the fans. The transfer, which cost around 50 million pounds was also under immense scrutiny from fans and pundits alike.
However, this season, Sterling has finally proven his doubters wrong. The winger enjoyed a stellar campaign, scoring career-best 18 goals while also providing 11 assists. Moreover, Sterling scored some important last-minute winners for the Citizens as well, most notably against Bournemouth and Southampton.
Sterling's great form has been rewarded as Southgate picks him to be a part of his squad for Russia. He will look to replicate the same kind of form which earned him various plaudits, over the course of the season.
Raheem Sterling has been rewarded by EA as well, as he currently sits with an overall of 85, a ranking which will drop when the new patch is released. EA has wielded the axe on yet another English player as Raheem's ratings are down by one.
#10 LAM - Dele Alli (83)
Dele Alli's rise is nothing short of a fairytale. Playing for MK Dons in the League One, Alli was spotted by several clubs. Tottenham won the race for the youngster in the end, beating the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United.
Alli was brought in by Spurs for the 2015-16 campaign and has been playing for them ever since. The youngster shone in his debut campaign and was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.
From then on, Dele Alli's career has been turbulent. Despite being astonishing on the football pitch, a number of off-pitch incidents coupled with regular diving have diverted the attention of football fans to his antics.
Still, Dele Alli continues to be one of the most remarkable players in the current England team. As a result, he finds himself in the twenty-three man shortlist that will represent England in the FIFA World Cup.
Dele Alli is rated 84 by EA in FIFA 18 currently. Once again though, Alli becomes a victim of a downgrade. He will be rated 83 in the upcoming World Cup mode.
#11 ST- Harry Kane (87)
Hurricane 'Harry' was once again the bane of many Premier League clubs. The lethal striker managed to score thirty times in this campaign, finishing second behind top scorer Mohamed Salah.
Since his breakthrough season, Kane has been a goal-machine, both domestically and internationally. Kane appeared forty-three times for Tottenham across all competitions during the 2017-18 season, scoring thirty-seven goals. Kane's goalscoring exploits have caught the attention of heavyweights, such as Real Madrid.
Kane made his England debut in 2015 and has, so far, represented The Three Lions twenty-three times, scoring twelve goals in the process. Kane was also on the plane to France two years ago, when England took part in the 2016 edition of UEFA Euro.
Gareth Southgate will be happy to have Kane in his arsenal in Russia, who is undoubtedly one of the most prolific strikers in the World. EA, however, decided to downgrade Kane's overall, giving him a rating of 88. This move will no doubt baffle the fans of the game as most had expected his overall to go up.
#12 Substitutes
Gareth Southgate has opted for a youthful side to take to the World Cup. Loftus-Cheek, Nick Pope, and Alexandre-Arnold have all been called up by the national team. However, they currently do not feature in EA Sports FIFA's ratings reveal. Nevertheless, we take a look at the possibilities.
The addition of Trent Alexandre-Arnold came as a surprise, due to the fact that he is currently uncapped for England at the senior level. His form will surely see an increase in his current overall rating of 75. An increase by 2 points to 77 is likely.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is another one of the young guns picked by Southgate. Loftus-Cheek also had a great season on loan at Crystal Palace, earning a senior international cap in the process. An overall of 78 is a possibility.
Manchester United's Marcus Rashford and Ashley Young are also in the squad for the World Cup. Rashford's switch to left wing could help Gareth Southgate if he wished to add pace to his attack. Ashley Young's versatility will also come in handy to the England team. A total rating of 81 for Rashford has been decided for Rashford. Ashley Young hasn't made the reveal list but will feature in the game. Fans can expect him to be rated around 80.
Statistically, Nick Pope should be England's first choice between the posts. However, his inexperience at an international stage might stop that from happening. Nevertheless, EA should and probably will reward him with an increased rating of 80.
Other revealed ratings: Jack Butland (81), Harry Maguire (78), Kieren Trippier (80), Jessie Lingard (80), Danny Welbeck (79), Jamie Vardy (81), Ross Barkley (80), Phil Jagielka (79), Danny Drinkwater (79), Ryan Bertrand (80), Chris Smalling (81), Daniel Sturridge (81), Michael Antonio (79), Jermaine Defoe (80), Nathaniel Clyne (80), Adam Lallana (81), Michael Keane (79).
Disclaimer: Players who have not been selected for the FIFA World Cup might not feature in the new game mode.
