theScore’s Gianluca Nesci takes a deep dive into the ratings from the newly released FIFA 18 video game.
F | MF | D | GK | FUT Icons
Defender
Club
Rating
Sergio Ramos
Real Madrid
90
Giorgio Chiellini
Juventus
89
Leonardo Bonucci
AC Milan
88
Thiago Silva
Paris Saint-Germain
88
Mats Hummels
Bayern Munich
88
Diego Godin
Atletico Madrid
88
Jerome Boateng
Bayern Munich
88
Marcelo
Real Madrid
87
Gerard Pique
Barcelona
87
Alex Sandro
Juventus
86
“Sergio Ramos? He’s the best defender in the world.”
Leonardo Bonucci clearly isn’t the only one who thinks so.
The AC Milan centre-back anointed his Spanish peer as the world’s premier player in his position this past summer, and the FIFA 18 ratings reflect that claim; Ramos stands atop the heap, barely edging Bonucci’s compatriot and former Juventus teammate, Giorgio Chiellini.
An injury-plagued 2017 sees Jerome Boateng take the biggest hit from last year’s edition, though the imposing defender’s well-rounded skill set, alongside that of countryman Mats Hummels, still makes Bayern Munich’s backline a daunting unit to break down.
Further down the list, the retirement of longtime kingpin Philipp Lahm makes room for Real Madrid’s afro-clad star to assume the mantle as the game’s best full-back; Marcelo, who plays with the attacking flair of a No. 10, is well worth his rating, while fellow Brazilian left-back Alex Sandro isn’t far behind after a marvellous season dominating the flank for Juventus.
theScore’s Gianluca Nesci takes a deep dive into the ratings from the newly released FIFA 18 video game.
F | MF | D | GK | FUT Icons
Midfielder
Club
Rating
Toni Kroos
Real Madrid
90
Luka Modric
Real Madrid
89
Kevin De Bruyne
Manchester City
89
Thiago Alcantara
Bayern Munich
88
Mesut Ozil
Arsenal
88
Marco Verratti
Paris Saint-Germain
87
N’Golo Kante
Chelsea
87
Paul Pogba
Manchester United
87
Arturo Vidal
Bayern Munich
87
Christian Eriksen
Tottenham
87
Marek Hamsik
Napoli
87
David Silva
Manchester City
87
Ivan Rakitic
Barcelona
87
Andres Iniesta
Barcelona
87
Radja Nainggolan
AS Roma
86
Isco
Real Madrid
86
Cesc Fabregas
Chelsea
86
James Rodriguez
Bayern Munich
86
Sergio Busquets
Barcelona
86
Franck Ribery
Bayern Munich
86
Marco Reus
Borussia Dortmund
86
Casemiro
Real Madrid
85
Blaise Matuidi
Juventus
85
Miralem Pjanic
Juventus
85
Ilkay Gundogan
Manchester City
85
Real Madrid’s dominance in last season’s Champions League was largely the product of the Spanish club’s otherworldly midfield being vastly superior to its competition, so it’s no surprise that Los Blancos boast the two highest-rated midfielders in FIFA 18.
Toni Kroos‘ sumptuous passing skills are unmatched, while Luka Modric is the greatest all-around, box-to-box midfielder in world football today.
Given that the ability to unlock a backline with inch-perfect passes from anywhere on the pitch is arguably the most coveted midfield talent, it’s no surprise that the four superstars who follow Kroos and Modric on this list are all renowned for their slick passing. Kevin De Bruyne, Thiago Alcantara, Mesut Ozil, and Marco Verratti all combine superlative vision with splendid playmaking traits.
Marek Hamsik, Christian Eriksen, and Isco earned significant ratings boosts. The three creative wizards were long among the most underrated players in the world, and are finally getting their due in the game (both real and video).
Meanwhile, Dele Alli just misses out on the top 25. At just 21 years old and already boasting an 84 overall rating, though, he is well positioned to continue climbing up the ranks, and quickly.
Look out for Marco Asensio, too. The future is bright.
theScore’s Gianluca Nesci takes a deep dive into the ratings from the newly released FIFA 18 video game.
F | MF | D | GK | FUT Icons
Forward
Club
Rating
Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid
94
Lionel Messi
Barcelona
93
Neymar
Paris Saint-Germain
92
Luis Suarez
Barcelona
92
Robert Lewandowski
Bayern Munich
91
Eden Hazard
Chelsea
90
Gonzalo Higuain
Juventus
90
Alexis Sanchez
Arsenal
89
Gareth Bale
Real Madrid
89
Sergio Aguero
Manchester City
89
Antoine Griezmann
Atletico Madrid
88
Paulo Dybala
Juventus
88
Arjen Robben
Bayern Munich
88
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Borussia Dortmund
88
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Manchester United
88
Edinson Cavani
Paris Saint-Germain
87
Thomas Muller
Bayern Munich
86
Romelu Lukaku
Manchester United
86
Dries Mertens
Napoli
86
Philippe Coutinho
Liverpool
86
Harry Kane
Tottenham
86
Karim Benzema
Real Madrid
86
Franck Ribery
Bayern Munich
86
Diego Costa
Atletico Madrid
86
Alexandre Lacazette
Arsenal
85
The king stay the king.
After a year in which he led Real Madrid to Champions League and La Liga glory, scoring 37 goals in the process across the two competitions – including a brace in the final against Juventus’ otherwise stout defence – Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be the top-rated player in the FIFA universe.
Perennial rival Lionel Messi is, once again, right on his tail, while Neymar rounds out a top three that mirrors the real world; the three attacking masterminds are the finalists for FIFA’s player of the year award, which will be bestowed next month.
Despite his sluggish start to the new campaign, Luis Suarez edges Robert Lewandowski as the best No. 9 in the game. The debate over which striker is superior is a fluid one, and though Lewandowski is off to the better start in 2017-18, the difference in rating is negligible. If anything, scoring machine Edinson Cavani might feel aggrieved he isn’t closer to his two peers.
Paulo Dybala, on fire to begin the new season, sees his rating get a significant jolt; the left-footed Argentine is one of the most exciting players in world football thanks to his combination of silky dribbling and deft shooting.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, despite a downgrade brought on by his serious knee injury, remains one of the Premier League’s best strikers (he’s topped only by Sergio Aguero). However, Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane, on the back of their own respective upgrades, are right in the mix.
At 83 overall, Kylian Mbappe, who shredded Bayern Munich earlier this week in the Champions League, is likely to continue soaring up the ladder when the winter upgrade is released.
theScore’s Gianluca Nesci takes a deep dive into the ratings from the newly released FIFA 18 video game.
F | MF | D | GK | FUT Icons
Note: Three versions of each FUT Icon will be available in FIFA 18, with ratings reflecting their skills at various points in their careers.
FUT Icon
Country
Rating (Year)
Ronaldo Nazario
Brazil
90 (1994) – 96 (1997) – 94 (2002)
Ronaldinho
Brazil
91 (2002) – 94 (2004) – 89 (2010)
Diego Maradona
Argentina
91 (1982) – 97 (1986) – 95 (1989)
Thierry Henry
France
87 (1997) – 93 (2002) – 90 (2009)
Lev Yashin
Russia
89 (1954) – 91 (1960) – 94 (1963)
Pele
Brazil
91 (1958) – 95 (1962) – 98 (1970)
Ruud Gullit
Netherlands
90 (1979) – 93 (1987) – 86 (1998)
Roberto Carlos
Brazil
86 (1994) – 91 (1998) – 88 (2002)
Jay-Jay Okocha
Nigeria
85 (1994) – 90 (1998) – 87 (2002)
Patrick Vieira
France
88 (1997) – 91 (2002) – 86 (2004)
Peter Schmeichel
Denmark
86 (1987) – 90 (1992) – 92 (1999)
Carles Puyol
Spain
86 (2002) – 90 (2008) – 92 (2010)
Alessandro Del Piero
Italy
87 (1993) – 90 (1995) – 92 (2006)
Michael Owen
England
88 (1998) – 91 (2001) – 86 (2005)
Deco
Portugal
87 (2004) – 90 (2006) – 85 (2010)
Rio Ferdinand
England
85 (2002) – 90 (2006) – 88 (2008)
Robert Pires
France
88 (1998) – 91 (2006) – 85 (2009)
Alan Shearer
England
89 (1995) – 91 (1997) – 87 (2000)
Alessandro Nesta
Italy
90 (1998) – 92 (2003) – 88 (2006)
Andriy Shevchenko
Ukraine
86 (1995) – 91 (2004) – 88 (2006)
Edwin van der Sar
Netherlands
87 (1995) – 89 (1999) – 91 (2000)
Emmanuel Petit
France
85 (1989) – 90 (1997) – 88 (2000)
Filippo Inzaghi
Italy
87 (1997) – 90 (2003) – 85 (2007)
Frank Rijkaard
Netherlands
88 (1988) – 90 (1990) – 86 (1995)
Gheorghe Hagi
Romania
85 (1989) – 89 (1992) – 91 (1996)
Henrik Larsson
Sweden
90 (1990) – 86 (2003) – 87 (2006)
Hernan Crespo
Argentina
85 (1993) – 90 (1999) – 87 (2004)
Jari Litmanen
Finland
90 (1994) – 88 (1999) – 85 (2002)
Javier Zanetti
Argentina
87 (1998) – 92 (2005) – 88 (2010)
Laurent Blanc
France
85 (1986) – 89 (1995) – 91 (1998)
Lothar Matthaus
Germany
91 (1986) – 93 (1990) – 88 (1996)
Luis Hernandez
Mexico
85 (1994) – 90 (1998) – 87 (2001)
Marc Overmars
Netherlands
88 (1995) – 90 (1998) – 86 (2000)
Marcel Desailly
France
87 (1993) – 88 (1998) – 91 (2000)
Marco van Basten
Netherlands
89 (1985) – 93 (1988) – 91 (1992)
Michael Laudrup
Denmark
85 (1985) – 91 (1992) – 89 (1995)
Paolo Maldini
AC Milan
88 (1987) – 94 (1989) – 92 (2003)
Patrick Kluivert
Netherlands
86 (1994) – 88 (1998) – 91 (2000)
Rui Costa
Portugal
85 (1993) – 90 (1994) – 88 (2001)
Many of the greatest footballers in history will be available to FIFA Ultimate Team players in the newest edition of the game, but, as was the case during their time on the pitch, two men stand above the rest.
Brazilian legend Pele and Argentine peer DiegoMaradona, whose storied rivalry mirrored the modern-day debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, are the two top-rated Icons, and thus the two best players in FIFA 18.
Don’t look, Diego, but Pele’s 1970 edition (rated 98 overall) just edges Maradona’s 1986 version, which comes in at 97 overall.
Both behemoths of the Beautiful Game captured the World Cup in those respective years. With Pele spearheading the attack, the 1970 Brazilian side is regarded as arguably the best ever, while the 1986 quarter-final against England was the platform for Maradona to pull off two of the most iconic moments in football history, scoring both the infamous “Hand of God” goal and the marvellous “Goal of the Century.”
The rest of the list is littered with the most recognizable names the sport has ever produced, offering balance across various positions, while also representing a host of great footballing nations.
Looking to add some flair to your game? Head to Brazil, where Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho are waiting. Need a perfect defender? Italy has you covered with Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta. The Netherlands’ free-flowing attacking style is present in the form of Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, and Patrick Kluivert. France, meanwhile, brings no fewer than six icons to the table, headlined by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.
