Cristiano Ronaldo fails to make top 25 highest-rated players on EAFC 25; Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe’s ratings also come to light

Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to make the list of the top 25 highest-rated players on popular football video game EA Sports FC. The EAFC 25's highest-rated players were revealed by EA Sports via their official X handle (formerly Twitter), and the Portuguese star was not among the stars listed.

The 25-man list comprises players with ratings from 88 to 91. The Manchester City duo of Erling Haaland and Rodri alongside Kylian Mbappe occupy the first three positions on the list. The trio boasts a rating of 91, making them the highest-rated players on EAFC 25.

Kevin De Bruyne, Harry Kane, Vinicius Jr, and Jude Bellingham are next in line on the list with a rating of 90 each. While Ronaldo was excluded from the list, his rival Lionel Messi made the top 25. The Argentine star is ranked 17th with a rating of 88.

Cristiano Ronaldo's omission from the top 25 is quite contentious and likely to spur reactions from fans of the game. Despite not winning any honors in the last campaign, the 39-year-old showcased no signs of slowing down and was proficient in front of goal. He registered an impressive 44 goals and 13 assists in 45 games for Al-Nassr.

Other notable mentions in EA FC 25 include Martin Odegaard (89), Mohamed Salah (89), Phil Foden (89), Virgil Van Dijk (89), Federico Valverde (88), and Antonio Rudiger (88).

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were omitted from Ballon d'Or nominees for the first time in 21 years

The football space is gradually witnessing the end of an era as both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi failed to make the final cut of the 2024 Ballon d'Or. The award organizers, France Football, revealed the 30-man nominee list for the award last Wednesday (September 4) and both players missed out.

It is the first time since 2003 that both Ronaldo and Messi were absent from the list, as the Portuguese and Argentine won a combined 13 Ballon d'Or awards.

Since Ronaldo won his first, only two players were able to sneak the award from the two stars - Luka Modric (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022). Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for most Ballon d'Or nominations (18) while Lionel Messi has 16.