5 FIFA 18 player ratings that are hard to explain

After reviewing the recent ratings released by EA Sports for FIFA 18, one thing is pretty certain. The high-profile developers could have done a much better job of numbering some players who either deserved more or less than what they actually received. Sure we have this discussion every year and not everyone is perfect, but there are definitely some glaring issues when it comes to the FIFA 18 ratings. Players who haven't been a part of season-long campaigns find themselves in the top half of the ratings pile while workaholics remain on the outskirts of obscurity.

The usual suspects lead the way with Suarez, Neymar, Messi, and Ronaldo all making it to the very top of the list and while nobody is arguing with the inclusion of these superstars as the top brass, it's slightly lower down where the trouble begins. These ratings may be decent, but they don't tell the entire story. Here are five FIFA 18 player ratings that are hard to explain and will leave you scratching your heads:

#5 Gonzalo Higuain- 90

Gonzalo Higuain's career renaissance began following his fairly poor run at Real Madrid. His incredible return to form at Napoli forced a big money transfer to Juventus and as their fans will tell you, the rest is history. But is it necessarily as great as they say it is? Well, FIFA 18 appears to think so. Us, not so much.

Higuain's jump in ratings come following a mere 84 rating in FIFA 16, 88 in FIFA 17 and now 90 this year. With so many other viable contenders, one might argue that this was highly unnecessary when you consider that several other strikers had an equally good record last season as this Argentine. Did his on-field efforts merit such high numbers? It may indeed be hard to explain.

#4 Marek Hamsik- 87

If Hamsik was going to be rated 87 in FIFA 18 it must be for his loyalty to Napoli. A two-point jump from last year seems rather odd for a season that did not quite have the same goal return as one that would warrant such a rise in stats.

84 dribbling, 84 passing, and 80 shooting are all relatively high, and putting him firmly within the top 100 players in the game alongside the likes of Rakitic and David Silva is pretty stiff competition, and any rational person would have to admit that the Slovakian is simply punching above his weight. EA Sports, we have a problem on our hands.

#3 Hector Bellerin- 81

It could be argued that Bellerin's form mirrored Arsenal's relatively poor campaign last season, but the truth is that any Premier League defender with a rating the likes of 95 in pace, deserves a bit more credit than the Spaniard has received on this occasion. His dribbling stats actually beat his defending numbers which is rather absurd when you talk about a high-quality defender playing regular football in the top flight.

At his best, even the best struggle to catch him and it is for this reason that Bellerin deserves more than a paltry 81 in his overall rating. Hard to explain? More like dubious to imagine.

#2 Marcos Alonso- 81

If the others weren't enough to get you thinking, here is one that definitely will. The saviour of sorts for Chelsea last season, Marcos Alonso was one of the backbones behind a hugely successful campaign for the Blues. His importance cannot be stressed enough to the Londoners and it hence comes a massive shock that despite his best efforts, the Spaniard is still rated only 81!

With poor pace and defence stats, Alonso does not come close to beating some below-par players in the game and it seems like daylight robbery that he is so low on the list. Try explaining this one EA Sports.

#1 Isco- 86

A player like Isco is a manager's dream and honestly put, hard to come by. He can play in a variety of positions and his batteries never seem to run out. His work rate is incredibly high and he can do more than his bit of defending too. It begs the question then, why is he just 86 overall in FIFA 18.

The likes of James Rodriguez have the same rating as Isco even though the two played in the same team last season with the former hardly having a decent impact all year. Isco, on the other hand, continues to grow into a better player and his teammates and opponents alike can testify to that fact. The Spaniard needs to be higher, and there is no doubt that EA Sports made a massive mistake in this particular regard.