When a new EA Sports game rolls out, the first thing that crosses fans’ minds are the ratings of our favorite players. What did the great developer gods decide to deem our players as, from 1-100? Fifa 19 is no different. We’ve had the excitement of the World Cup, and now club football and domestic cups have started up again, we’re getting numerous hours to check out teams and squads every single week. In the past, EA has been accused of overrating their cover stars, somewhat fairly, but the meat and potatoes of people’s complaints lie within their team. They have their favorite players who, in their eyes, can do no wrong. However, EA are different: they look at stats to come up with ratings, but does that always tell the whole story? Does just seeing a goal scored on a stats sheet really carry the drama and relief of crucial goals? The answer is that no, they do not.
In this article, we’ve put together a list of 25 players who have been either overrated or underrated, based on their recent appearances and level of play. These include oldies like Wayne Rooney and up-and-comers like Kylian Mbappe. From Meunier to Kane, Aubameyang to Courtois, we’re going to take their ratings apart. Do you think these players have been rated accurately? Do you think that they should be rated higher or lower? Have you spotted any players we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments, as always!
25 Mo Salah – 88
Premier League stars don’t come much more heralded than Mo Salah these days. Hugely underpowered in Fifa 18, the Egyptian King was the top goal scorer in the premiership last season. This guy netted 32 goals in 36 matches, and proved himself massively invaluable as part of Liverpool’s dangerous front three. I know that his performance at the World Cup was substandard, but that was largely due to Sergio Ramos attempting to pull his arm off in the Champions League final. I’d have given him a rating in the low 90s.
24 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 87
What on Earth. Since Aubameyang arrived at Arsenal, he has been giving Gunners fans goal-based joy and name pronunciation problems every week without fail. A superstar forward at Borussia Dortmund (where he scored 98 goals in 144 appearances), there’s a reason Arsenal paid £56 million for him. He may be getting on a little bit at the age of 29, but he’s still sending goals crashing into the net on a very, very reliable basis, and he is easily one of the most dangerous forwards in the league. He deserved a rating of around 89/90.
23 Harry Kane – 89
Winner of the Golden Boot at this year’s world cup, England and Spurs star Harry Kane is, for my money, perhaps the best striker in the world. Despite this, the 25-year-old’s rating hasn’t cracked the 90 barrier. Long-time cover star, Christiano Ronaldo has been given a rating of 94. Neymar JR, who consistently disappoints fans by being an all-around arrogant arse who refuses to play with his team, has got 92. Why has Kane, who could hit a pinhead from about a mile away, been given just 89?
22 Luis Suarez - 91
He bites who he wants, don’t you know? Suarez is a living legend, but he is not deserving of a rating this high. Is he better than Rakitic? Coutinho? No, he most definitely is not. He used to be incredible, but nowadays he’s starting to show signs of age, and while still one of the best around, he’s getting outclassed more and more each season. He’s going to be a top player for a good few seasons yet, but he deserves a rating of about 88.
21 Mesut Ozil - 86
Mesut Ozil is a dramatically overrated player. Back in the 2010 World Cup, he performed handily, and since then, it’s all been downhill for the German. He’s been an Arsenal player for several years now, but have you seen what Arsenal have been like recently? Last season, they had their worst ever season in the Premier League era, a far cry from their unbeaten season of 2003-04. How he’s still ranked at 86, higher than a whole bunch of other midfielders who are actually better, he deserves a ranking of about 82 or 83.
20 Vincent Kompany - 85
A man of many talents, Kompany is not only a world-class defender, but he also did an MBA in his spare time. That, however, is irrelevant to my point. He is easily one of the best defenders in the world, impeccable in his role of center-back. Despite being somewhat injury prone lately, when he plays, he is a ridiculous talent, and definitely more deserving of an 87 or 88 than an 85 rating. I’d wait to downgrade him to 85 until he’s no longer starting for Manchester City.
19 Romelu Lukaku - 87
Now, Lukaku is a fantastic player, lets get that straight. When he’s on form, the Belgian giant will smash through any defense put in front of him before smashing it into the net. But that’s not as often as his rating suggests. This puts him on an even keel with people like Kylian Mbappe, which just seems faintly unrealistic. Mbappe is a speedy little devil who very rarely makes a mistake. Lukaku’s first touch is so heavy that it could put a ball on Saturn. Make him an 85.
18 David de Gea – 91
Oh boy. I think there’s a pretty widespread misconception among fans of football that de Gea is still the best keeper in the world. He blatantly is not. You don’t even have to look at how terribly Manchester United are doing right now to appreciate that. Have you seen the man’s World Cup stats? He saved the fewest saves in 52 years of the tournament. It took him 205 minutes of play to make a single save. He faced seven shots and conceded six of them. That is not the mark of a 91. Pull him down to about 85.
17 Wayne Rooney – 80
Former England star Wayne Rooney used to be on the cover of just about every Fifa released in the UK, but he’s had an exceptionally rapid fall from grace. After a mediocre season at Everton, he fled to D.C. United in the MLS. It’s safe to say that if you had to play him in a European division, he’d be second tier at best. Despite this, he’s still been given a ranking of 80, which is mid-table Premier League/La Liga quality. He’s old, he’s slow, he’s more like a 75.
16 Raphael Varane – 86
I understand that defenders aren’t the most glamorous position. They tend to be overlooked, until they’re needed, when suddenly the game’s entire weight is upon them. That being said, there is no excuse for Varane’s rating being so low. A member of the World Cup winning French squad, Varane is easily one of the best defenders in the world. He’s got ridiculous stamina, fantastic ball-winning abilities, and has a sound mind for tactics. Easily an 89, if not an actual 90.
15 Alexis Sanchez – 87
I would not have been so down on this rating if it weren’t for Sanchez’s substandard performances since he moved to Manchester United. There’s a reason he was a fan favorite at Arsenal, he smacked in 60 goals in 122 games. However, since he moved, he’s found himself at a club that’s rapidly backsliding into a mid-table spot, and he’s scored just twice in 17 appearances. All the arrogance that went into that awful “glory glory Man United” video seems to have bitten the club on the backside, with Sanchez just not doing it. An 85 if ever there was.
14 Kylian Mbappe – 87
The second-highest goalscorer in the World Cup at the tender age of 19, and yet he’s lumbered with an 87 rating? I know that’s hardly BAD, but I don’t believe for one minute that this truly sums up his skill. He became a regular goalscorer for Monaco when he was 16, for heaven’s sake. He’s scored 13 goals in 27 appearances for PSG, despite that team being full of world-class talent. He does at least have 96 pace, even if his shooting rating of 81 is somewhat below par. I’d have made him an 89.
13 Thibaut Courtois – 90
Courtois is absolutely one of the best keepers, if not the best keeper, in the world right now. Let me explain why. At the World Cup, this absolute Belgian boy made 27 saves in seven games, and was awarded the Golden Glove. Were this his only achievement, I would understand his rating of 90, but he’s also consistently been one of the best keepers in club football. While at Chelsea, he won the golden glove in their winning season of 2016/17, and kept 16 clean sheets. If de Gea has got a 91, then Courtois deserves a 93.
12 Thomas Meunier – 84
Another Belgian superstar, the beast of a right-back has been given a rating of just 84 in Fifa 19. Let’s take a look at the role of a right-back. They need to create assists while also blocking opponent’s wingers and strikers. Meunier can do both of those very easily indeed. While he struggled to get into the PSG squad due to stiff competition from Aurier, he’s proved himself to be an excellent player, and one of the best right-backs in the world. He deserves a rating of around 87.
11 Jordan Pickford - 83
As an English football fan, I may be somewhat biased here, but I firmly believe Pickford is better than this. Pushing his way to the goalkeeper spot in the England squad ahead of Jack Butland and Nick Pope, he performed exceptionally well in the cup, playing a crucial role in England reaching the semi-final. While he’s not anywhere near the level of Courtois, or, in club football, de Gea, he is a fantastic keeper who deserves more credit than he’s been given here. I’d rate him around 85/86.
10 Sadio Mane - 86
Okay, do EA have something against Liverpool? Are all the coders Everton fans? Sadio Mane has been putting in some ridiculously good performances as part of Liverpool’s front three alongside Salah and Firmino. The former Southampton player can always be relied on to play accurate balls into the box, and if he needs to finish, he can do that too. He’s a fantastic player who is easily one of the best wingers in the Premier League right now. He deserves an 89.
9 Mario Mandzukic - 84
Ah, Croatia. I don’t know if any nation can be said to be more consistent overperformers than Croatia. As well as reaching the World Cup final this year, they also give rise to some of the best players in the world. Mandzukic is one of these. During his time at Juventus, he’s demonstrated fantastic goalscoring ability, his utility in defense, and being a dominating presence in the air. He is 32, but I still think he deserves to be rated more highly, maybe closer to 87.
8 Ngolo Kante - 89
How do you like your players’ work rates? You like them high, right? Well, work rates don’t come much higher than that of Ngolo Kante. The 27-year-old Frenchman, whether in the Premier League for Chelsea, or internationally, for France, he always tries his absolute hardest. This isn’t a vain attempt to cover up a lack of skills, either. Kante can do the task of almost every player on the pitch, and it’s a crying shame that he’s not been boosted north of 90.
7 Neymar Jr. - 92
You didn’t think that I was going to forget about Neymar, did you? This guy is perhaps the most overrated player in the world. It cannot be denied that while at Barcelona, he was a superstar with abilities to be feared. However, I think that the overall quality of his teammates somewhat flattered the Brazilian. He’s missed a heap of games recently. When PSG play some actual competition, they get embarrassed. If he learns to play in a team, then this rating is deserved. Now, however, he deserves an 88 or 89.
6 Gianluigi Buffon - 88
I’m going to precede this by saying that I like Buffon. Old man Gigi is a legend through and through, winning just about everything that you can win, bar the Champions League. At age 40, he’s still a top-tier goalkeeper, having signed for PSG from Juventus over the summer. However, he is not an 88. He’s still a good keeper, but age will sap your agility and drain your skills. Buffon, you’re a legend, but you deserve a rating of about 85.
