What FIFA 19 gets wrong

FIFA 19 will be released later this month, and the game’s player ratings have caused predictable controversy.

FIFA 19 is scheduled for release on Sept. 28. The EA title maintains its stranglehold on the market, as the preeminent simulation of the sport. That’s not to say it’s perfect. On an annual basis, fans and players of the game marvel at EA’s constant butchering of the ratings.

Gerrard vs. Lampard vs. Scholes

FIFA 19 gives fans the answer to the long-running debate between the three giant English midfielders of the Premier League era. Their answer: shrug. Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes are all included as Icons in the game, with three cards representing three different phases of their careers. Gerrard and Scholes both top out at a 91, while Lampard’s highest card is a 90. Despite Gerrard having higher stats in pace, shooting, defending, defense and physicality, he and Scholes are still level overall. At the end of the day, these three legends are by far the highest rated English midfielders in the game, far outpacing the likes of Jordan Henderson and Dele Alli. Any long-time Premier League fan must be licking their lips in excitement to build an Ultimate Team with Gerrard, Scholes and Lampard in the middle of the park.

Where are the French?

France are severely underrated in this year’s player ratings. Of the top 10 overall players, none are French. N’Golo Kante and Antoine Griezmann are 89 rated, followed by Hugo Lloris at 88. All three arguably should be bumped up a point or two and should be included in the top 10. Griezmann is rated behind forwards like Luis Suarez and Eden Hazard, while Kante sits just behind Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. Goalkeepers are finally properly rated and Lloris ranks as the sixth best in the world. The lack of World Cup winners in the top 10 is a shock, considering FIFA’s own history. Following Spain’s win in 2010, FIFA 11 listed three Spanish players in the top 10 and Germany had one player make the list.

No love for Cruyff

Johan Cruyff, the legendary Dutch forward and then manager, makes his FIFA debut. It’s too bad EA undervalued one of the world’s greatest of all time. Cruyff’s highest card peaks at a 94 rating, the same as a 31-year-old Lionel Messi and 33-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo. Cruyff also sits tied with Italian defender Paolo Maldini and the Brazilian Ronaldinho, both legendary players. The true travesty lies in the fact that Cruyff’s highest card rates behind two cards each of Pele, Maradona and Brazilian Ronaldo. We could argue all day where prime Cruyff rates alongside these players, but it’s unreasonable to say the best version of Cruyff rates behind the second highest versions of any player. Cruyff revolutionized soccer with Ajax, Barcelona and the Netherlands. Show the legend his due.

Non-rare nonsense

There are several distinct levels of players in FIFA. For current players, they are split between Gold, Silver and Bronze, mostly broken down between age, where the players play and what division they are in. FIFA then breaks the Gold level players into “rare” and “non rare” cards. For example, a player like Romelu Lukaku is classified as a “rare gold” player because he’s a star at Manchester United. In this year’s edition, that system is broken. Here’s a list of players that FIFA deemed “non rare”: Alvaro Morata, Malcolm, Jose Callejon, Olivier Giroud, Adrien Rabiot, Eric Bailly, Harry Maguire, Benjamin Mendy, Sime Vralsjko, Andrew Robertson and Dejan Lovren, among dozens of others. That list includes two World Cup winners, starters from the World Cup runners-up and the Champion’s League final runners up, proven Premier League stars and starters from some of the biggest clubs in Europe. FIFA offers these proven players as “non rare” cards in order to boost up pack weight in Ultimate Team. This purposeful reclassification is, in essence, fraudulent from the ratings team at FIFA in order to trick players into buying more packs in hopes of landing higher rated players.

Isco > Salah?

FIFA 19 rates Isco as an 89 overall. The game rates Mohamed Salah as an 88. Isco made 41 starts in all competitions last year and appeared in another 15 as a substitute, tallied nine goals and 10 assists, secured another Champion’s League medal and failed with Spain at the World Cup. Isco is, without question or debate, an excellent player. With Ronaldo moving on, he will be given more responsibility at Real and will surely succeed. But in no way should he have a higher rating than Salah. Salah broke the Premier League scoring record with 32 goals last season, scored 10 more in the Champions League to lead Liverpool to the final, scored twice in Egypt’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years and has been nominated for the UEFA and FIFA Players of the Year awards. They are only one point apart. It’s largely unimportant and easy to dismiss. Yet it’s worth noting that FIFA’s direct competitor in the soccer simulation world is Pro Evolution Sports. PES, as it’s known, has a partnership with Liverpool. For years, Liverpool fans have felt that the ratings system for FIFA undervalues their players as a direct result of the relationship between PES and the club.