FIFA 21 Ratings: How the best players compare to the stats

 

After lots of anticipation and chatter, player ratings for FIFA 21 have finally been released.

 

Will Robert Lewandowski gatecrash top spot after his remarkable season? Is Lionel Messi still the best? What about Cristiano Ronaldo? Weeks of speculation regarding the best rated players finally put to bed.

 

But how do FIFA 21 ratings compare to the stats? Are they fair representation of the world's best players? With the help of WhoScored ratings as a guide, we can do just that. Starting from the 10th best-rated player on FIFA 21 and counting down to top spot, let's dive into the numbers...

 

10) Sadio Mane (Liverpool) - 90 FIFA 21 rating

 

Kicking off the countdown is Liverpool forward Sadio Mane. The 28-year-old further reinforced suggestions he is one of the world's best attackers after finishing 2019/20 with more goal involvements than any other single league campaign in his career. Mane played a direct hand in 25 goals for Liverpool to help fire Jurgen Klopp's side to the Premier League title.

 

Mane's pace, power and precision makes him a deadly forward particularly when bearing through on goal. His conversion rate in the Premier League last season stood at a solid 23.4% but if you're a long shot merchant on FIFA 21 then perhaps Mane is not the way to go. He is rated 78/100 for long shots on FIFA 21, with only one of his 18 league goals in 2019/20 coming from outside the box.

 

9) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 90 FIFA 21 rating

 

Edging his Liverpool team-mate to ninth spot is Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool forward was one of only three players to register both double figures for goals and assists in the Premier League last season, finishing 2019/20 with 29 goal involvements in 34 games.

 

Supporters strangely feel Salah has suffered some sort of dip after scoring 32 league goals in his first season at Liverpool but the Egypt international remains one of the most consistent goal scorers and providers in Europe. Since moving to Liverpool in 2017, Salah has remarkably played a direct hand in 101 goals in 108 league games.

 

 

8) Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) - 90 FIFA 21 rating

 

Breaking up a Liverpool-dominant start to the top 10 is Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe. Who knows, maybe he will end up at Anfield one day. It's certainly a story line that is recycled a lot on social media. The French season was curtailed early due to COVID-19, preventing Mbappe from completing a final season but his numbers from last term were still remarkable.

 

The 21-year-old played a direct hand in 23 goals in 20 games in Ligue 1 and scored or assisted 10 goals in as many appearances during PSG's run to the Champions League final. Across both competitions, he was directly involved in a goal every 65.7 minutes of playing time. At only 21, his potential remains frightening.

 

7) Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) - 90 FIFA 21 rating

 

Kicking off the countdown is Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk. After helping the Reds win their first ever Premier League title, Van Dijk comes in as the best rated defender on the game, narrowly edging out team-mates Sadio Mane and Mo Salah for a place in the top 10.

 

Van Dijk finished 2019/20 as the top WhoScored rated centre-back (7.32) in Europe's top five leagues to consolidate his position as one of Europe's elite defenders. Boasting an aerial duel success rate of 76.1% and tackle success rate of 76.7% in the league, Van Dijk was dominant in all facets of his game last season and even weighed in with five goals - his best return in a single league campaign in his five years in England.

 

6) Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) - 91 FIFA 21 rating

 

Despite the fact Atletico Madrid endured a disappointing 2019/20 campaign, Jan Oblak comes in as the top rated goalkeeper on FIFA 21. While Atletico floundered, the Slovenia international remained a pillar of consistency between the sticks.

 

Oblak concluded 2019/20 with the best save success rate (more than 25 appearances) in Europe's top five leagues (78.1%). Moreover, only Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois (18) kept more clean sheets than the Atletico No.1 (17). On FIFA 21 he rates 90+ for handling, reflexes and positioning and remains the go-to goalkeeper on the game.

 

5) Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) - 91 FIFA 21 rating

 

Neymar may not be the best rated player on FIFA 21 but he is the highest rated player with 5* skill moves. The Paris Saint-Germain is the perfect FIFA player, combining dazzling flair with the ability to score all types of goals. Neymar averaged more successful dribbles per game (6) than any other player in Europe's top five leagues last season and unsurprisingly rate 94/100 for dribbling on FIFA 21.

 

Neymar played a direct hand in 19 goals in 15 league games for PSG last season and despite featuring so little still ranked third in Europe's top five leagues for most accurate through balls completed. With that, the Brazilian rates 90/100 for vision on FIFA 21 and is truly the dream player on the game.

 

FIFA 21 Ratings: How the best players compare to the stats

 

4) Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - 91 FIFA 21 rating

 

Manchester City failed in their objectives in both the league and in Europe but it was a dazzling season for Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgium international missed most of 2018/19 through injury but made up for lost time with a stunning year that culminated in being named the PFA Player of the Year and WhoScored Player of the Season in the Premier League. With a 91 rating on FIFA 21, De Bruyne is also the best rated player from the Premier League.

 

De Bruyne played a direct hand in 33 league goals in 2019/20, matching Thierry Henry's record for most assists in a single Premier League campaign (20) in the process. Morever, the 29-year-old created at least 26 more goalscoring chances than any other player in Europe's top five leagues (136). Pace, or a lack of, often holds De Bruyne back on FIFA but with vision of 94/100 he is capable of splitting defences open without having to do too much running.

 

3) Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) - 91 FIFA 21 rating

 

Robert Lewandowski kicks start the top three and deservedly so after his stunning campaign. The Bayern Munich striker helped fire Bayern to a European treble and scored 49 goals in the Bundesliga and Champions League combined, finishing as the top scorer on the continent.

 

Lewandowski was just ruthless in front of goal, finding the back of the net with just under half of his attempts on target (48%). Pace is once again something that holds Lewandowski from being one of the most used forwards on FIFA but his shooting stats cannot be ignored (91/100).

 

2) Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) - 92 FIFA 21 rating

 

Juventus feel short in their team objectives last season but it was another superb year for Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portugal international, who this week became the first male to score 100+ international goals for a European country, became the first player to score 30+ goals in three of Europe's top five leagues with a haul of 31 in 33 goals for Juventus last season.

 

Ronaldo has the highest shooting stats (93/100) out of anyone on FIFA 21, ranking 94/100 for finishing and even 93/100 for long shots. With sprint speed at 91/100, Ronaldo remains a deadly option on FIFA.

 

1) Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - 93 FIFA 21 rating

 

Rounding off the top 10 and claiming top spot in FIFA's new rating system is Barcelona's Lionel Messi. Even though many felt Messi was not at his best last season, the Barcelona star still played a direct hand in 46 goals in LaLiga in 2019/20 and for the first time in his career reached 20+ goals and assists.

 

Messi finished 2019/20 as the highest WhoScored rated player in Europe's top five leagues (8.71) with 22 WhoScored Man of the Match awards in 33 league outings for Barcelona. The 33-year-old ranked second for most successful take-ons (182) in Europe's top five leagues and has 95/100 dribbling on FIFA 21. He is, surprisingly, only 4* for skill moves. 

FIFA 21 Ratings: How the best players compare to the stats