FC Barcelona players set to receive a downgrade in FIFA 18

Coming off a La Liga winning season, Barcelona were one of the elite teams of FIFA 17, boasting the cream of the players in the game. The much vaunted MSN trio had fired them to domestic glory and saw each of them rated at levels above the 90 mark. Everything seemed to be going right for them, in the FIFA world and in reality until Real Madrid turned up in the 2016-17 season.

Coinciding with a collective drop in Barcelona’s form and some substandard signings, Real Madrid walked away with domestic and continental glory in 2016-17, leaving the Catalans licking their wounds. A number of substandard performances from new and established stars let the club down and will result in a subsequent drop in ratings for the players in FIFA 18. Read on to find out who these players could be.

1) Lionel Messi

Despie Lionel Messi’s efforts, Barcelona could not win much of note in 2017

A year ago, it would have been criminal to even suggest that Lionel Messi was due a rating downgrade in a FIFA release; but such have been the events of the past season, that even Lionel Messi, often referred to as one of the greatest footballers of all time, is due a rating downgrade in FIFA 18. The Argentine has often dragged the Catalans to glory in previous seasons but was unable to do so this season.

Rated at 93 in FIFA 17, Messi was already the second best player behind Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo who was given a 94 rating. The Portuguese went on to defend the Champions League with Real Madrid and will retain his rating while the Messi, on the other hand, suffered a rare season of less-than-stellar results with Barcelona, winning only the Copa Del Rey as the Los Blancos walked away with the La Liga and Champions League titles.

La Pulga suffered a dip in output this season and this will show in his ratings when FIFA 18 is released later this year. It may be surprising and even infuriating for some, but performances indicate that Messi could be rated at a level of 90-92 next season.

2) Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez had a considerably reduced goal output in 2017

After a season where the Uruguayan scored 40 goals in 35 games to lead Barcelona to the La Liga title, Luis Suarez was given a rating of 92 on FIFA 17, making him the best out and out striker on FIFA 17. Scoring goals at will, Suarez looked every bit a world beater and justified the sizeable fee Barcelona paid Liverpool for his services.

In the 2017 season, however, Suarez suffered a huge dip in form by his own high standards. The 40 goals in 35 games now became an output of just 29 goals in 34 games, a shortfall of 6 goals which became evident in the abnormal number of draws Barcelona had to endure this season. The goals just didn’t arrive with the same consistency this season as Suarez and Barcelona struggled to scale the heights of the previous season.

Suarez’s tally of 29 league goals is no mean feat; a striker would give up an arm for such a tally every season. In spite of this, 29 goals is an under-par tally for Suarez and as a result, he is looking at a rating downgrade in FIFA 18. The best striker in FIFA 17 will likely be downgraded to a level of around 90 and be overtaken by Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski who will overtake the Uruguayan as the best striker in the game.

3) Sergio Busquets

Sergio Busquets looked like a shadow of the player who dictated Barcelona’s play in earlier seasons

The often underrated Sergio Busquets has been a part of all-conquering Barcelona and Spain sides for the better part of a decade now. One of the best midfielders in the game and on the FIFA platform, the central defensive midfielder was the best specialist CDM in the game. Like the rest of the Catalan squad, Busquets too came off a brilliant 2015-16 season where they won the La Liga but performances tapered off in the last season.

The Spaniard looked a shadow of himself in a season where the Barcelona midfield failed to impose itself on opposing teams like it once used to. The range of passing and vision that characterised Busquets’ gameplay went missing last season and saw him hardly justify his FIFA rating of 87.

Barcelona, especially in the past few years have been known for their possession and dominance of the ball but haven’t been able to show the same in the last two years under Luis Enrique. Busquets’ languid gameplay has been somewhat hampered by the direct style Luis Enrique is trying to establish at the Nou Camp. With such style constraints and a subdued season in midfield, Busquets’ rating is expected to go down to a level of around 84-85.

4) Andre Gomes

Andre Gomes did little to justify his 30 million euro fee

The Portuguese midfielder was brought to the Nou Camp in the hope that he would be able to fill part of the Xavi Hernandez shaped void in the Barcelona midfield. The youngster ably ran the Portuguese midfield at Euro 2016 and was scouted by Barcelona to play a part in what was hopefully a new era of domination in the La Liga.

Unfortunately, that was not to be, and Andre Gomes has fallen way short of the expectations Barcelona had of him at the beginning of the season. Paying a sum upwards of 30 million euros for the 23-year old, Barcelona were expecting a lot more than what the Portuguese had to offer.

Rated at 84 after his impressive Euro exploits, Gomes was expected to be much better than what he put on in the Barcelona shirt. After underperforming to such an extent, expect his rating to go down to around 80 in FIFA 18

5)Andres Iniesta

Age finally seems to be catching up with Andres Iniesta

Iniesta made his Barcelona debut way back in 2003 and at 33 years old, age was always going to catch up with the Spanish maestro. Unfortunately, it had to happen sooner rather than later once he crossed over to the wrong side of 30 and Iniesta looked like a creakier, slower version of himself in the past season.

Once forming a deadly triumvirate with Xavi Hernandez and Sergio Busquets, Iniesta was a shadow if himself last season and although this could be attributed to Luis Enrique’s direct tactics, there is no doubt that age has had an effect on Iniesta’s abilities. FIFA 17 saw Iniesta rated at 88 and after a subdued season, we expect the midfielder to be downgraded to a level of around 85.