Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi ratings in FIFA 22: Why the PSG star is ranked higher in the game

EA Sports recently unveiled the top 22 ranked players in the upcoming FIFA 22, which ranked Lionel Messi as the top player, followed by Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo at the third position.

EA Sports’ FIFA is the annualized sports sim game that entertains soccer fans worldwide. The upcoming entry in the long-running franchise introduces a few interesting improvements, such as hyper motion technology, which is only achievable through the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles.

In the lead-up to the release, EA Sports officially unveiled the top 22 player rankings on Monday. Like the last three iterations, Argentinian star Lionel Messi maintained his top position. However, the Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was dethroned by Polish striker Robert Lewandowski.

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Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, and Cristiano Ronaldo are the top three ranked players of FIFA 22

Both Messi and Ronaldo recently changed teams during the transfer window. The latter returned to the Premier League with Manchester United, while the six-time Ballon d'Or winner left Barcelona and La Liga after 21 career-defining years to join Paris Saint-Germain and Ligue 1, alongside his close friend Neymar Jr.

Let the debates begin 🗣️ The #FIFA22 Top 22 are here. #FIFARatingsLearn more 👉 https://t.co/ZK0OTWbF37 pic.twitter.com/PrqHGfLJWV

— EA SPORTS FIFA (@EASPORTSFIFA) September 13, 2021

Here’s take a look at Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo’s ranking over the last few FIFA games.

Name	FIFA 22	FIFA 21	FIFA 20	FIFA 19
Lionel Messi	93	93	94	94
Cristiano Ronaldo	91	92	93	94

It is quite evident that both players have maintained a neck and neck FIFA ranking. That being said, here’s a look at the individual statical breakdown of both players.

Name	Ranking	Total	Pace (PAC)	Shooting (SHO)	Passing (PAS)	Dribbling (DRI)	Defending (DEF)	Physical (PHY)	Position	Teams
Lionel Messi	1	93	85	92	91	95	34	65	Right Wing	PSG (Argentina)
Cristiano Ronaldo	3	91	97	93	82	88	34	75	Striker	Manchester United (Portugal)

Based on the statistics, both footballers have the same score in defending. Cristiano Ronaldo takes the lead in pace, shooting, and physicality, while Lionel Messi takes the lead in passing and dribbling by a substantial margin. This, in turn, puts him two points ahead of Ronaldo and ranking the top position in FIFA 22.

Here’s take a look at the top 22 players of FIFA 22, as revealed by EA Sports,

1. Messi - 93
2. Lewandowski - 92
3. Ronaldo - 91
4. De Bruyne - 91
5. Mbappe - 91
6. Neymar Jr - 91
7. Oblak - 91
8. Kane - 90
9. Kante - 90
10. Neuer - 90
11. Ter Stegen - 90
12. Salah - 89
13. Donnarumma - 89
14. Benzema - 89
15. Van Dijk - 89
16. Kimmich - 89
17. Son - 89
18. Alisson - 89
19. Courtois - 89
20. Casemiro - 89
21. Ederson - 89
22. Mane - 89

The ranking of the rest of the players is expected to be revealed soon. FIFA 22 is set to launch on October 1st, 2021, for all major home consoles, PC, and Stadia.