The worst EA Sports FIFA ratings of 5 world-class footballers

We have witnessed several young footballers around the world rise to prominence lately. All the major clubs in Europe have been home to developing prodigies. A single transfer to a big club is enough for a player to turn around his fortunes. Along with game-time, they have also become notable icons on platforms like EA Sports FIFA.

A player's performances are a crucial factor in his real-world brand reputation. The journey of each player in the EA Sports FIFA series stands out from his competitors.

Players who broke into the limelight all of a sudden have often enjoyed decent ratings in the game from the very beginning. Meanwhile, others have earned their value on the platform by rising through the ranks. The best names today were once average players in EA Sports. While most of them have decent ratings these days, the case was not always the same during their initial campaigns.

In this article, we look at five world-class players in football and their worst EA Sports FIFA ratings ever.

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Worst EA Sports FIFA ratings for 5 world-class footballers

#5 Eden Hazard - 51

Eden Hazard

Real Madrid's Eden Hazard is arguably one of the top attackers in world football. Though he has had a below-par start with the Los Blancos, the Belgian was a star at Chelsea previously. After rising through the ranks of French club Lille, he moved to Stamford Bridge in 2012.

In seven seasons, Hazard crossed the 100-goal tally for the club and turned himself into a premier name in world football. FIFA recognised the contributions of the player with deserving overall ratings. FIFA 19 and FIFA 20 came out with a rating of 91 against Hazard's name which is the best in the player's career.

The 29-year-old, however, has had an ordinary start to his journey on the platform. In FIFA 09, the then Lille winger had an overall rating of 51. A breakthrough season with four Ligue 1 goals, though, skyrocketed his ratings to 77 in the next release of the FIFA ratings.

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#4 Virgil van Dijk - 71

Virgil van Dijk

There wouldn't be many disputes on picking the Premier League's best current defender. Virgil Van Dijk, an unmatched name in English football, is one of Liverpool's most vital cogs. The centre-back joined Southampton in 2015 after a stint with Celtic in Scotland. In 2018, the Reds acquired his signature in what turned out to be a defining moment in Van Dijk's career.

Virgil van Dijk came with a rating of 71 in FIFA 13. Playing for Celtic, he made gradual progress and hit 75 when he left for Southampton. With the Saints, the Dutchman kept pushing his stock and recorded a rating of 83 with Southampton in FIFA 18. The next release of the ratings saw the 28-year-old being awarded a card of 85.

You know what day it is… Happy #FIFAFriday, see you on the pitch! #FIFA20 @EASPORTSFIFA 🎉 https://t.co/SUJ28rixYj pic.twitter.com/jiicZIvheK

— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) September 27, 2019

A Champions League title and a UEFA Best Player award helped Van Dijk earn a rating of 90 in the latest release - FIFA 20.

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#3 Neymar Jr - 73

Neymar

Neymar darting around the pitch and scoring goals for Paris Saint-Germain is now a routine sight in European football. After earning a name for himself with Barcelona, the winger broke transfer-records to make a move to the French club. With goals aplenty for club and country, the Brazilian is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in world football.

However, his first inclusion by EA Sports in FIFA 10, reflected none of these future exploits. The 17-year-old forward for Santos was rated 73 in that particular edition of the game. In FIFA 13, just before his Barcelona move, Neymar had a rating of 85 which was a fair reflection of the young talent.

Since FIFA 17, the Brazilian has kept a card of 92 in the game's last four releases. His consistent goal-scoring traits even after shifting houses to PSG has helped Neymar keep up a spot in the elites.

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#2 Lionel Messi - 78

Lionel Messi

The list wouldn't be complete without taking a glance at Lionel Messi's run in the FIFA series. The Barcelona and Argentina legend, who has achieved almost everything in football, was a promising prodigy in his first game edition - FIFA 06. The then-19-year old had a rating of 78, a respectable number for someone just starting out.

Three years later, in FIFA 09, he was awarded a rating of 90 for the first time ever. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has never gone down since and has been awarded a rating of 94 in the last two releases. The 32-year-old is currently the best player in the game.

Lionel Messi is now the only player who was in every single Team of the Year. #FIFA20 https://t.co/jE7SVLb2Sd pic.twitter.com/FdTSARmVxi

— FIFAUTeam (@FIFAUTeam) January 6, 2020

With 24 goals for Barcelona this campaign, Messi is showing no signs of stopping. The forward has all traits to remain in the elite positions in the game's upcoming releases too.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - 80

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of those very few world-class players who has had a reputable start in their journey in FIFA. The Portuguese's first inclusion was in FIFA 04, with a rating of 80, while playing for Manchester United. Following his high-profile move from Sporting CP to United, he moved up the ranks in the EA Sports ratings.

Ronaldo justified his card with 15 goal contributions in his first season at Old Trafford. In FIFA 06, he shot into the nineties club with a rating of 91. Though the forward has, at times, dropped his rating, Ronaldo has never slipped out of the top names in the game. The 35-year-old had a card of 94 for three consecutive releases (17,18,19) before moving to 93 in FIFA 20.

Still, he has been a commendable figure throughout his time on the game platform. The Juventus striker has a lot of time left before calling it a day and ending his long FIFA series run.