FIFA 18: 5 players who might be criminally overrated

FIFA provides us with an interesting perspective on the real life world of football. Based on ratings in the game, fans tend to decide what the worth of a player actually is.

While this is no sole basis of judgment, it does give a holistic view of what a player might be capable of on the pitch. It should hence come as no surprise that several players like to get in EA Sports’ faces when they think they’ve been rated wrongly.

FIFA 18 promises to be no different. As revealed by Sportskeeda recently, Dele Alli had met with EA executives to discuss his rating with the team for the upcoming video game. With others soon to join the fray, there are bound to be some head scratching numbers thrown around.

It is often baffling to see too high or too low ratings being given to players who probably deserved better or worse. The rating system is flexible of course, but the past season statistics play a major role in determining the overall rating.

So we decided to dig up some information of our own and here are the five players who might be criminally overrated in FIFA 18.

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#5 Mesut Ozil

Ozil’s rating too flattering?

The Arsenal playmaker was seen as a revelation in his first couple of seasons with the Gunners. While he was every bit as good as his manager claimed, the German International has fallen behind a little bit in recent times. His FIFA 17 rating of 89 was a bit flattering to the player and his past season was frankly nothing special.

With Alexis Sanchez sometimes single handedly saving the club’s blushes, fans would have expected more from their beloved Ozil. Reports of his frustration at the club have made matters worse but the fact is that FIFA will most likely still rate him in the high 80s due to the sheer respect that he has earned in world football.

#4 James Rodriguez

James is expected to be rated highly again

A summer transfer was most definitely on the cards for James following a lacklustre season with Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. The Colombian soon went out of favour with manager Zinedine Zidane, leading to speculation over his future.

His two-year loan deal to Bayern Munich will hopefully reignite a promising young career. FIFA 18 will, however, most likely not tweak the existing 87 rating of James much as he remains one of the most popular players on the FUT circuit and is deemed to make a triumphant comeback in world football.

That being said, his recent performances have shown that he isn’t quite deserving of big numbers just yet which unfortunately bags him a place on this list.

#3 Kyle Walker

Walker to City could spark a rating push

Kyle Walker has just “walked” out of North London and is headed straight for Manchester. The new City defender had a decent season with Spurs and even though the club finished second in the league, Walker was often injured and replaced by Kieran Trippier.

While his performances have been solid, it is likely that his arrival at the Etihad will prompt EA to bump his rating to a bigger number, one which the Englishman isn’t quite worthy of just yet. His career at City promises to be exciting though.

#2 Ivan Rakitic

Rakitic has been rated highly even last year

The revered Croat has quickly developed into one of the star midfielders in Europe. He was considered a replacement for Xavi at the time and as it seems, Rakitic has not quite fit in the role well. FIFA 17 raised a few eyebrows after they decided to rate him 87 in the game literally putting him in the same category as some of the very best in that position.

His big goals have certainly helped the Catalans but the questions still remain over his consistency. FIFA 18 will likely rate him similar to last year which would, quite frankly, make him over-rated.

#1 Manuel Neuer

No more number one?

The German goalie has cemented himself as one of the giants of the game following some terrific performances for the World Cup winning side as well as for club side Bayern Munich. So much so that Neuer continues to rule the goalkeeping roost in FIFA.

But the fact still remains that with the likes of David de Gea, Thibaut Courtois, Jan Oblak and others making a real splash on the world stage, the German keeper’s time at the top could be running out. His goalkeeping level seems to have come down a bit in the recent past with more mistakes than ever creeping into his game.

That being said, FIFA 18 will likely still rate him highly with numbers touching the 90s since he remains a big name in the sport.