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There are no other sports games in the market that can challenge FIFA 22 in the realm of football or soccer. Football is one of the most followed sports on the planet, and FIFA 22 feeds and contributes to that popularity. With hundreds of real-life football clubs and thousands of real-life footballers, FIFA 22 is the most authentic sports simulation in modern times.
Despite the vast number of footballers freely available to every FIFA 22 gamer across the different modes, some of the most sought-after items are the biggest names in the footballing world.
However, like every video game, FIFA 22 has its own match engine and its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Consequently, some of the player items in FIFA 22 that represent football superstars do not match their actual life abilities.
Some of the best footballers have really poor cards in FIFA 22
FIFA 22 has a relatively simple meta, where items with pace have a clear advantage. Apart from the goalkeeper, every position has an added benefit if the pace of the item is good.
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On one end of the spectrum, there are players like Fred and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whose real-life poor performances aren't reflected in the game. On the other end lies these following five players who are world-class in every right but fall behind in the FIFA 22 meta. They're not unusable but require a lot of expertise to work around their potential weaknesses within FIFA 22.
Let's take a look at five players whose FIFA 22 items do not reflect how good they are in reality:
#5 Thomas Muller
Thomas Muller is an 87-rated CAM card in FIFA 22 who can be played as CM and CF. While Muller's player item has excellent shooting and passing, the card struggles due to a lack of pace. Muller has an in-game pace of only 67, which makes him virtually unusable. Muller is mainly used as fodder in FIFA 22, which are essentially player items used to complete an SBC to get other rewards.
In real life, Muller is an important figure at Bayern Munich. Many have claimed that his pace in FIFA 22 isn't an accurate representation as Muller is not that slow in real life. Over the years, the German footballer has won plenty of titles with Bayern Munich and Germany and has achieved incredible feats.
Muller is not only deadly in front of goal for the Bavarian club but also excels as a playmaker. With his technical abilities, vision, and passes, Muller can open up even the best defenses with pin-point passes.
#4 Harry Kane
Harry Kane has established himself as one of the world's best strikers as he has been phenomenal for both England and Tottenham. Kane has won the Golden Boot in the Premier League, which many consider one of the most challenging leagues.
There are very few strikers in the world today who are as clinical as the Englishman in front of goal. Kane is good at holding the ball, shooting with both feet, setting up his teammates, and poses and aerial threat as well.
However, one major weakness in Harry Kane's game has been his relatively slower pace. It's also the exact reason why Kane's base player item is not used extensively in FIFA 22. Harry Kane has a high-rated card of 90, but the striker has only 70 pace. Despite Kane's superior 91 shooting, he struggles in the FIFA 22 meta and is not used in the higher ELO.
#3 Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos has a 88-rated card in FIFA 22 that may look valuable in the game but is not used as much. The card has a mere 53 pace which makes it practically impossible to deploy even in low-tier matches.
Kroos has 91 passing and 81 shot, but the card is nowhere good enough to be a top one in FIFA 22. This peculiar aspect of the FIFA 22 match engine often makes great footballers receive terrible items within the game.
However, there's no FIFA 22 meta in real life, and Toni Kroos has been an excellent footballer for Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Germany. The 31-year old 'sniper' is a passing maestro who can provide unthinkable passes. He is a dead ball specialist and can send the ball into the back of the net from the toughest of angles.
Unlike in FIFA 22, Kroos doesn't have to rely on his pace as his intelligence and sense on the ball are enough to send shivers down the spines of any defense. Over the years, Kroos has won several trophies with Real Madrid. This includes multiple La Liga and Champions League trophies, as well as a World Cup winner's medal with Germany in 2014.
#2 Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez has been one of the best forwards in the current era. The Uruguayan has been a standout performer for both Liverpool and Barcelona, establishing himself as one of Europe's top marksmen. Suarez is renowned for his silky dribbling and precise finishing. For Liverpool, Suarez was a dominant figure before making the switch to Camp Nou.
Suarez won several major trophies and formed an infamous attacking trio with Neymar and Lionel Messi. In reality, his excellent ball control and accurate finishing were the main reasons why Suarez earned the nickname of El Pistolero.
Suarez currently plays for Atletico Madrid, and it was the Uruguayan who landed the La Liga title at Atletico last season. However, age has caught up with him, and in reality, he has slowed down as well, reflecting on his player item in FIFA 22. Suarez has an excellent finishing of 93, and his ability in front of the goal hasn't taken a hit. However, the 89 rated item has a mere pace of 72, which makes it very tricky to use in FIFA 22.
#1 Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski has a 92 rated card—one of the highest-rated in FIFA 22. The card's 92 shooting and 95 finishing are up there with the very best, and it's interesting that even with those stats, Robert Lewandowski is not the best striker in the game. Lewandowski may not be a tortoise, but with a pace of 78, he is no cheetah either. The rating is realistic, but it restricts Lewandowski from being the best striker in FIFA 22.
But the reality can't be any different as for many, Lewandowski should have won the Ballon D'Or in 2021. Unlike FIFA 22, footballers also need game sense and intelligence in real life, which is pre-coded in the game itself.
Lewandowski, as written before, is not slow, and his superior goal-scoring abilities bypass the few shortcomings in his game. Lewandowski is terrific with both feet, as he is good in the air. The Polish striker scores as efficiently from outside the box as he does from inside it.
Should Lewandowski deserve a pace upgrade FIFA 22 is debatable, since there is no doubt that those weaknesses do not exist in real life. However, Lewandowski is the most in-form forward in the footballing world at the moment.
