5 relatively unknown players who were rated higher than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

EA Sports FIFA is the go-to game for football enthusiasts wanting to play with, or as their favourite superstars on a virtual platform. The brand is only growing stronger, with FIFA 17 becoming EA’s highest selling edition of the game ever.

The FIFA games feature all the major leagues of the footballing world and allow gamers to play with any team of their choosing. Players are rated out of a theoretically possible 99 as per their particular attributes and the player with the highest rating is accepted to be the best player in the game.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, arguably two of the finest players who have played the game have dominated the FIFA best player position since FIFA 09 when the former overtook Ronaldinho to become the highest rated player in that instalment of the game.

Lionel Messi was the best in the game for six straight years, from FIFA 10 to FIFA 16, after which Ronaldo took over the mantle with a solid 94 rating.

A few years back, world football was not being dominated by a duopoly, as both of them were in the process of reaching the elite levels they are now on. There used to be a time when they were not the best or one of the best players in the game.

We list a few relatively unknown players who were rated higher than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

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#5 Ze Roberto (FIFA 06 Rating-92)

Ze Roberto is now the captain of Brazilian side Palmeiras

The Brazilian left back was an imposing presence in Bayern Munich’s midfield when FIFA 06 was released back in 2005. Rated an overall of 92, Ze Roberto was also the best left-winger in the game. The veteran Brazilian has since had a journeyman career which has taken him to the Middle East and then led him back to Brazil.

He now plays as a left-back or a defensive midfielder for Brazilian club Palmeiras.

FIFA 06 had Cristiano Ronaldo rated at 91 for his performances at Manchester United while Lionel Messi was rated only at 78, just another La Masia youngster trying to make his mark at Barcelona. The Brazilian outscored both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on ball skills as well as passing attributes, which in retrospect look a little skewed in the Brazilian’s favour.

While Ronaldo and Messi have taken over the competition for being the best player in the game, the Brazilian veteran has relatively slowed down with advancing age. Ze Roberto was winding down his career in Brazil and last appeared in FIFA 16 with an overall of 74 when the two current generation superstars were rated 93 and 94, in favour of Cristiano Ronaldo.

#4 Gregory Coupet (FIFA 07 RATING- 91)

Gregory Coupet was France’s first choice shot-stopper in the 2006 World Cup

The Lyon-based French goalkeeper was one of the best players in FIFA 07 with a sky-high rating of 91. He helped France to the 2006 World Cup final in Germany which the French narrowly lost to Italy. Coupet was considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world then.

FIFA 07 had Lionel Messi with a rating of 84 while his Portuguese rival still had the beating of him with an overall rating of 87. The French shot-stopper was at the peak of his career then and was enjoying the best form of his life. The then 33-year-old was a stalwart for Lyon in goal and key to their repeated Champions League appearances.

Coupet last appeared in FIFA 11 where he was given a 78 rating while he was seeing out his career at PSG.

#3 Roy Makaay (FIFA 06 RATING- 90)

Roy Makaay played for Bavarian giants Bayern Munich

Roy Makaay was a Dutch international footballer who played for Deportivo la Coruna, Bayern Munich and Feyenoord. He also holds the record for the quickest goal in Champions League history, in just 10.2 seconds against Real Madrid.

The Dutch striker was given a 90 rating on FIFA 06 for his outstanding finishing and goal scoring skills while Ronaldo and Messi were still rated in the 80s and 70s respectively. With attributes of shooting, finishing and power rated above 95 points, the Dutchman was one of the best strikers in the game, comfortably ahead of Messi and Ronaldo who were just beginning their careers.

The Dutch striker last appeared in FIFA 10, playing for Dutch club Feyenoord and had a rating of 73.

#2 Marcos (FIFA 05 RATING- 93)

Marcos was Brazil’s starting goalkeeper in the 2002 World Cup

Another goalkeeper on the list, the Brazilian shot-stopper was rated a mammoth 93 in the FIFA 05 instalment of the series. EA also gave him the potential to reach a rating of 98 on the game.

Marcos’ best statistics include his reflexes, handling and positioning, which are all higher than the 90 point. Lionel Messi, arguably the best player in the world today, did not even feature on that instalment of FIFA while current Ballon d’Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo was given a rating of 88.

The FIFA game roster included Marcos until he retired in 2012 after one final season with Brazilian club Palmeiras when he had an overall of 76.

#1 Matteo Brighi (FIFA 03 RATING- 97)

Matteo Brighi was a very highly rated youngster during his youth days at Bologna

Thirty-three year old Matteo Brighi currently plays for Italian Seria B team Perugia as a midfielder and is rated a lowly 71 in the latest update of the FIFA series, FIFA 17. So highly rated was he as a young prospect for Bologna in the 2002 season, that EA decided to bestow on him an out of this world rating of 97 in FIFA 03, making him one of the best players ever in the FIFA series.

The central midfielder was rated better than the 2003 Ballon d’Or winner Pavel Nedved and legendary midfielders like Zinedine Zidane, while also being better than cover stars Ryan Giggs, Roberto Carlos and Thierry Henry.

The ongoing duopoly of world football have dominated the best player rankings in the real and virtual football worlds but neither has managed to get to the rating of 97 as the Seria A Young Footballer of the Year 2002 managed back in FIFA 03.