It’s that time of the year where the player ratings for the latest FIFA game are released and social media goes wild.On Thursday, EA Sports dropped the ratings for the top 100 players on FIFA 21, with Lionel Messi receiving the highest grade.The Barcelona and Argentina star has a 93 rating, one ahead of Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo.It’s not Messi’s place at the top that has sparked controversy, though.And this year, it feels like the frustration has been turned up a notch.They've been dubbed 'the worst ratings in FIFA history'.
From Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being downgraded to Jadon Sancho’s lowly pace, there’s a lot to talk about.
So we’ve decided to list the 11 worst rating mistakes in the new game.
Henderson and Pogba have the same rating
Sorry but there’s no way Jordan Henderson should be considered as good as Paul Pogba.
The Liverpool midfielder was a brilliant leader in the Reds’ title triumph but talent-wise, he’s not on Pogba’s level.
Aubameyang’s downgrade
Last season, Arsenal’s Aubameyang netted 22 goals in the Premier League - one shy of Jamie Vardy, and more than Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero.
He also scored a brace in the Gunners’ FA Cup final win over Chelsea.
Yet he’s been downgraded, his rating falling by one to 87.
Sancho has 83 pace
Kai Havertz has 84 pace. So too does Ciro Immobile.
But Jadon Sancho has 83 pace. Baffling.
Gnabry has 82 pace
This is just as confusing as Sancho’s 83 pace.
Thiago has been downgraded
Spanish midfielder Thiago sees his rating fall from 87 to 85.
That’s strange when he completed 91% of his passes and had a 81% take-on success rate in the Champions League last season, per Squawka.
Where’s the decline?
Alphonso Davies isn’t one of the top 20 full-backs
Bayern Munich’s Davies enjoyed a breakout season, starring in the German club’s treble triumph.
But the Canadian doesn't feature in the list of the top 20 full-backs, while Juan Bernat, Joao Cancelo and Marcos Alena (all 83 rated) all do.
Timo Werner has been downgraded
Werner was a goal-machine in 2019/20, netting 34 goals in 45 appearances.
We’re going to need an explanation as to why he’s been downgraded from 86 to 85.
Lukaku’s rating stays the same
Romelu Lukaku was downgraded from 87 to 85 last year, but he deserved a bump for FIFA 21 after scoring 34 goals in all competitions for Inter Milan.
Firmino gets an upgrade
We’re aware of Firmino’s true role in the Liverpool side. He’s not an out-and-out goalscorer and has never been asked to be.
But the Brazilian scored nine goals for the Reds last season. That’s out of the 85 Jurgen Klopp’s team scored in total.
So how’s he getting an upgrade to 87?
Muller’s rating rating stays the same
Muller assisted 21 goals in the Bundesliga last season, helping Bayern Munich win the treble.
But that wasn’t enough to see an increase to his 86 rating on FIFA 20.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Physical is too low
Players with high Physical ratings are better equipped to win physical battles and maintain their fitness throughout the match.
Ronaldo’s 77 Physical seems harsh given that he’s a freak of nature.
The Juventus forward is 35 years old now but Kevin De Bruyne and Marcus Rashford both have a higher PHY rating.
