FIFA 17 is set to release in a just a few weeks and expectations are sky high. With the new Frostbite engine, the game is set to get even more lifelike and intense and fans are counting down the days until its release.
The official ratings were released a few days ago(Messi fans look away for a bit) with Cristiano Ronaldo finally pipping Messi to the top spot. As expected, Barcelona and Real Madrid both rule the roost with over 6 players each in the top 20 roster released by EA on Monday. There are however a few surprising entries as well.
Also read: Top 20 Premier League players in FIFA 17
#20. Marcelo: 86
Marcelo had another great season at Real Madrid last time around claiming the UEFA Champions League title. Not the paciest player around, Marcelo makes up for it with his great defensive ability as well as his dribbling talent. One of the few defenders with a 4-star skill rating the Brazilian will be a great pick at left back for any team out there.
#19 Jordi Alba: 86
Like Marcelo, Alba too had a standout season last time around and played a major part in Barcelona's La Liga success.The Spanish left back made 6 assists last season which contributed massively to his 2 point boost from FIFA 16.
#18. Pique: 86
Another Barcelona defender on the list, Pique had a very solid season last time around and played a key role in their Copa Del Ray success after the sending off of Javier Mascherano. Probably one of the best out and out defenders on the planet, the Spaniard also possesses great aerial ability and with a one point boost from FIFA 16, he sits pretty with a rating of 86
#17. James Rodriguez: 87
James has been overlooked by Zidane this campaign and was linked with a move away from the club before finally deciding to stay and fight for his place. The Colombian was extremely effective in the few appearances he did make for Los Blancos last campaign. In 17 La Liga appearances, James scored 7 goals and provided 8 assists. With high shooting and dribbling skills, James is the ideal attacking midfielder to have.
#16 Karim Benzema: 87
Back to back Real Madrid players on the list sees Benzema occupying the 16th spot with a rating of 87. The striker was overlooked for the French squad that reached the EURO 2016 finals but he played a huge role at club level scoring 24 goals in 26 league games.
#15 Sergio Busquets:87
Many will be surprised by the Spaniard’s high rating but boy has he earned it. The only defensive midfielder on this list , Busquets’ incredibly high defensive abilities mean he will be a hard player to try and get past as he shields the back four.
#14 Ivan Rakitic: 87
Yet another Barcelona midfielder makes his presence on the list, this time in the form of Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic. Rakitic too was linked with a move away from the club but after a successful season running the midfield for the La Liga champions, he sits pretty on a rating of 87.
#13 Jan Oblak: 87
The only goalkeeper on the list, Oblak came into his own last season at Atletico and has been rewarded with an 87 rating. Oblak boasts 90 handling and 87 positioning making him one of the top keepers in the game.
#12 Toni Kroos: 88
Kroos did not have a great 2015/16 La Liga season but did just enough to maintain an 88 rating. The midfield maestro has a pass rating of 88 which is easily the highest among the La Liga players. With a 5 star rating on his weaker foot as well, Kroos would be ideally suited to players who play a quick passing game.
#11 Pepe: 88
Pepe was a part of the Real Madrid squad that won the Champions League. He was also one of Portugal’s best players in their EURO 2016 campaign and has seen one of the biggest ratings’ rise in the game. From just 84 in the previous edition, Pepe is now an 88 rated defender and is well worth every point.
#10 Iniesta: 88
Like Toni Kroos, Iniesta is a master passer but unlike Kroos he is also a magician with the ball at feet. Iniesta has had a reduced role to play at Barcelona with the emergence of their front three of Messi, Suarez and Neymar but he has managed to maintain his 88 rating mainly due to his La Liga triumph.
#9 Diego Godin: 88
Godin was, as usual, a rock in Atletico’s back 4 and featured in almost all of their games. The Uruguayan centre-back has been one of their best players since his arrival from Villarreal in 2010 and is one of the best defenders in the La Liga, both in reality and in the game.
#8 Antoine Griezmann: 88
Another player who experienced a significant jump in his rating was Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann. Rated at 84 in the previous edition, Griezmann enjoyed the season of his life at both club and international level and sees his stock rise to 88. The Frenchman bagged a whopping 51 goals for Atletico in all competitions and led them to the UCL finals. He was also voted best player of the Euro 2016 after bagging 6 goals for France.
#7 Luka Modric: 89
Although many feel that it was all about Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo last season, it really was actually the midfield wizard Modric who controlled proceedings from the centre of the park. The Croatian was at his best last term and generally when he was off, the whole side was off.
#6 Sergio Ramos: 89
The highest rated defender on this list and the second highest overall, Ramos is the ideal defender to have. The Spaniard is physical and extremely strong albeit slightly on the slower side. He is still very hard to beat and possesses a great aerial threat from set pieces as well.
#5 Gareth Bale: 90
The Welshman just about scrapes into the top 5 this time around. A 94 pace rating coupled with 86 pace and 84 shot will cause him to be a nightmare for opposition defences. In an injury-plagued season, Bale still amassed 19 goals and 15 assists and led Wales to the semi-finals of the Euros which has seen his rating skyrocket by 3 points and he joins the elite list of 90 rated players.
#4 Luis Suarez: 92
A part of the fearsome MSN trio, Suarez established himself as one of the best players in the world last season. A serious contender for the Ballon D’Or, the Uruguayan managed 59 goals in all competitions last time around and completely merits a 92 rating.
#3 Neymar: 92
Tricky, skilful, and incredibly pacy, Neymar is the perfect player to have on your team. His dribbling ability of 95 is second only to Lionel Messi’s. Although he does lack a bit of physical strength, defenders will still have a hard time catching up to him before being able to throw him off the ball. Apart from helping Barcelona win the La Liga last season, Neymar also led Brazil to the Olympic trophy and is rapidly closing the gap on Messi and Ronaldo at the pinnacle of the sport.
#2 Lionel Messi: 93
The little magician was finally surpassed by Ronaldo this season after his rating dropped by a point. With the highest dribbling ability in the game coupled with fantastic shooting, Messi will still be truly mouthwatering prospect in the game. With Suarez and Neymar also making the top 5, Barcelona are going to be one hell of a team.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo: 94
With 35 goals in 36 games last term, Ronaldo had another great season and has finally overtaken Messi in the official rankings. The Portuguese skipper also led his side to victory in the Euro 2016 and bagged the best player in Europe award just months later. With fabulous all round abilities, the Real Madrid ace will be the first player gamers will want to try out after the game is in their hands.
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