The newest entry in EA's exceedingly popular football game series is only days away, with FIFA 17 set to launch on 29 September (27 September – North America) for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The game is set to come in two editions – standard edition and deluxe edition. The pricier deluxe edition boasts the official EFL license.
FIFA 17 boasts significant changes, with improved set pieces, a dynamic real-time physics engine and overall AI enhancements. This is the first FIFA game to incorporate the Frostbite engine (yes, this is the same physics engine used in the Battlefield series).
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We also see the inclusion of the much-anticipated story mode called The Journey. Premier League fans, rejoice. This year, you will get to see all the 20 Premier League manager’s likenesses in the game.
Based on the real-life performance of the players in the previous season in both league and club competitions, EA has released the player ratings ahead of the game’s launch.
Here’s the list of the top ten strikers of FIFA 17 that are set to dominate the next calendar year both in career mode and online on The Ultimate Team.
#10 Edinson Cavani – Overall 85
Edinson Cavani takes the no. 10 spot on our list edging Chelsea’s striker Diego Costa. The 29-year old striker from Uruguay had a great season with PSG netting 25 goals in all competitions and was the third highest goal-scorer in France.
There’s been no increase to his overall rating from FIFA 16. He has excellent stamina and is lethal aerially making him deadly in front of goal during set pieces. He is physical, agile and his excellent positioning makes him dangerous in and around the box.
Cavani is flexible and can we even play as a winger. Allow a second striker to make wide runs and instruct Cavani to take the central route during your counter attacks; this should result in a whole lot of chances in FIFA 17.
Overall – 85
Pace – 81
Shooting – 84
Passing – 77
Dribbling – 82
Defending – 22
Physical – 74
Edinson Cavani loves to run past the defensive line. Play him a central striker or as a winger and you will start creating more chances than usual with this fantastic striker.
Buy FIFA 17 here
#9 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Overall 86
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Dortmund had a great 15/16 season, scoring 25 goals in the Bundesliga. He was the second highest goal-scorer in the league, next only to FC Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski.
With that terrific season, there has been a rise in his market value.
His overall rating has increased from 82 to 86 in FIFA 17. This striker from Gabon is all about pace and is one of the fastest players in the game.
He is excellent at running past the defensive line with brilliant dribbling skills to further make him a lethal player. His high work rate is an additional bonus to any team. More importantly, he is an excellent finisher and is lethal inside the box.
Overall – 86
Pace – 96
Shooting – 84
Passing – 75
Dribbling – 80
Defending – 37
Physical – 71
Aubameyang is only 27 years old and shows good promise. He will be a valuable player to any team, both in the manager mode and in the Ultimate Team.
Buy FIFA 17 here
#8 Karim Benzema – Overall 87
The French striker takes the eight spot on our list. He had a decent 15/16 season, netting 24 goals in La Liga. Benzema’s overall ranking has seen improvement, increasing to an overall of 87 from an overall of 86. This 28-year old striker shows good pace and is a wonderful player to make runs past defences.
Like many other players on this list, Benzema is also a brilliant poacher. His finishing is spectacular, add to that his brilliant ball control and he is an indispensable player to any team in FIFA 17. He displays good vision and is great with his short passing as well.
Overall – 87
Pace – 81
Shooting – 84
Passing – 77
Dribbling – 82
Defending – 22
Physical – 74
Karim Benzema is a beast in front of goal. Play him as a lone striker and give him the freedom to run past the defensive line. With his current attributes, he will be a terror to most defenders and goalkeepers in FIFA 17.
Buy FIFA 17 here
#7 Thomas Müller – Overall 87
Thomas Müller of Bayern Munich is a 27-year old German footballer who is much more than a striker. He is the complete package; equally good as a winger, an attacking midfielder or striker.
Last year, Müller had an overall of 86, in this edition it improves to 87, thanks to his impressive goal tally of 20 goals in the Bundesliga. He is good in the air and shows good vision along with great reactions.
Thomas Müller is a poacher inside the box, thanks to his excellent positioning. His wonderful finesse shots combined with clinical finishing make him a must-have for any team in FIFA 17.
Overall – 87
Pace – 78
Shooting – 83
Passing – 77
Dribbling – 78
Defending – 46
Physical – 72
Thomas Müller is like the glue that holds the attack and the midfield together. With him in the team, one will always generate a lot more chances. A target man paired with Thomas Müller as the secondary striker, and goals galore!
Buy FIFA 17 here
#6 Gonzalo Higuaín – Overall 88
Just missing the top-five is Gonzalo Higuaín. The 28-year old Argentinian just made a big-money move to Juventus from Napoli. Last season, he was in tremendous form, scoring 36 goals in Serie A, making him the top goal scorer of the league.
His outstanding last season made sure that he had a huge bump in his attributes and his current overall rating is 88. His high attack work rate and brilliant positioning makes him an excellent poacher inside the box. Higuaín shows good strength and is good even in the air.
Play him as a target man and the opposition will have a tough time handling this fine striker. Gonzalo Higuaín is a clinical finisher, with him in the team, expect goals in almost every game.
Overall – 88
Pace – 80
Shooting – 87
Passing – 68
Dribbling – 82
Defending – 24
Physical – 74
With those stats, he is a great addition to any team even if he is in his late twenties. On the downside, his passing attributes are just ordinary.
Buy FIFA 17 here
#5 Antoine Griezmann – Overall 88
Antoine Griezmann had a great season at Atletico Madrid, scoring 22 times in La Liga, 7 times in the Champions League. Moreover, he even had a great Euro 2016. Last year, he had an overall of 83, but this year it received a huge bump to 88.
This 25-year old French footballer still has a lot of room to grow and is a great buy even for the manager mode. Great pace, high attack work rate combined with deadly technical skills, makes him deadly in front of the goal.
With his exceptional dribbling skills (one of the highest in FIFA 17), Griezmann is equally good as a winger. Being a clinical finisher and an acrobat, expect some mind-blogging goals from Antoine Griezmann in FIFA 17.
Overall – 88
Pace – 86
Shooting – 85
Passing – 78
Dribbling – 87
Defending – 30
Physical – 67
Griezmann being only 25 years of age is a great addition to any team in FIFA 17. Looking to buy him in manager mode? He will not come cheap as his market value is over €50 million.
Buy FIFA 17 here
#4 Sergio Agüero – Overall 89
At number four, we have Sergio Agüero from Manchester City. The Argentinian striker had a decent outing with Manchester City last season under Manuel Pellegrini, scoring 24 goals in 30 games in the Premier League. He has a rating of 89 compared to his rating 87 in FIFA 16.
The 28-year old striker shows tremendous pace along with incredible shooting and dribbling skills. He is one of the best all-round strikers in FIFA 17, if not the best.
With his extraordinary pace, he can go past defenders with ease. Ask him to get in behind the opposition in FIFA 17 and he will be a goal machine. High agility combined with great positioning allows him to pop in the box and score goals at any time. The only downside to Aguero, an average rating for stamina and strength.
Overall – 89
Pace – 89
Shooting – 88
Passing – 75
Dribbling – 89
Defending – 23
Physical – 70
He is a must-have in any team, but be prepared to spend huge amounts of money in the career mode if you are planning to get him.
Buy FIFA 17 here
#3 Robert Lewandowski – Overall 90
The 28-year old Polish striker from Bayern Munich scored 30 goals in the Bundesliga last season and increases to an overall of 90 in FIFA 17, making a big jump from 87. His shooting and dribbling attributes have also improved over FIFA 16 attributes.
Just like in FIFA, he is justifying his 90 overall with a fantastic start to the 16/17 Bundesliga season netting three goals in his opening game. He is an excellent finisher, both with his feet and his head. In one-on-one situations, bet on Lewandowski to score almost every time because he is that good in front of the goal.
The Bayern hitman is truly a nightmare for defences in FIFA 17.
Overall – 90
Pace – 81
Shooting – 87
Passing – 74
Dribbling – 85
Defending – 38
Physical – 82
With his exceptional shooting and dribbling skills combined with a good physical rating, he is a must-have for any team in FIFA 17. Buying him in manager mode will not be easy as his market value is around €75 million.
Buy FIFA 17 here
#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Overall 90
The 34-year old striker from Sweden joined the Red Devils from PSG and has already made an impact at his new home. He is the second highest rated striker on FIFA 17.
He scored 38 goals in Ligue 1 last season and netted 50 goals in all competitions with 19 assists. Zlatan gets better with age and has an improved player rating this year. He is an excellent dribbler and a great target man.
Exceptional volleys combined with tremendous ball control make him an outstanding player outside the box too. Ibrahimovic is excellent inside the box, converting a large number of chances into goals.
Overall – 90
Pace – 72
Shooting – 90
Passing – 81
Dribbling – 85
Defending – 31
Physical – 86
Tremendous shooting skills combined with excellent physical make him the player to watch out in FIFA 17. Even if he is in his mid-thirties, he will not come cheap in the manager mode.
Buy FIFA 17 here
Luis Suarez – Overall 92
The 29-year old Uruguayan striker is the highest rated striker on FIFA 17, and is the fourth highest rated player in the game. He had a terrific season last time around, netting 40 goals in the La Liga with 19 assists giving his rating a bump.
Suarez has continued his good form this season in this season as well.
With a superb rating for finishing, consider him to score on most opportunities. His amazing dribbling skills coupled with a high work rate makes him deadly in front of goal.
Overall – 92
Pace – 82
Shooting – 90
Passing – 79
Dribbling – 87
Defending – 42
Physical – 79
Buying Luis Suarez will not be easy in the manager mode as his current market value stands around €90 million. One thing is certain, though, with Luis Suarez, you will score many goals in FIFA 17.
Buy FIFA 17 here
