After the usual year of waiting and complaining about the gameplay quality of the franchise's previous iteration, fans finally can get their hands on FIFA 22. The game looks to have much improved this year, and as always, players are excited to use some of their favorite footballers, many of whom have incredibly high ratings.
Of course, there is controversy surrounding many players. The likes of Mohamed Salah somehow got downgraded from a 90 to an 89 and is not in the top 10, while other players near the top got ratings some feel are undeserved.
Marc-André Ter Stegen (Barcelona - GK) & Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich - GK) - 90
Thus far in FIFA 22's life, the goalkeepers appear to be severely overpowered. That is good news for those owning either of the 90 rated goalkeepers in the game Marc-André Ter Stegen and Manuel Neuer. Both players have been at the top of their games for years now, with Neuer arguably the most outstanding goalkeeper of the generation. Ter Stegen's general stats have him with 88 diving, 85 handling, 88 kicking, 90 reflexes, 43 speed, and 88 positioning at 28 years old, standing at 6'2 with 1* skills and 4* weak-foot.
On the other hand, the World Cup winner Neuer has this year secured 88 diving, 88 handling, 91 kicking, 88 reflexes, 56 speed, and 89 positioning, with the German being 34 at 6'4, having 1* skills 4* weak-foot.
N'Golo Kanté (CDM - Chelsea) - 90
Anyone who was to see N'Golo Kanté pop up in their preview packs in Ultimate Team would rejoice. Not only is Kanté a wonderful footballer, but also one of the nicest and humblest athletes on the planet.
Kanté gets an upgrade of two points this year, jumping from an 88 to a 90, and given the fact that Kanté just added a Champions League trophy to his vast collection, nobody can complain. With medium/high work rates, 2* skills, and 3* weak-foot, the Frenchman's general stats are 78 pace, 66 shooting, 75 passing, 82 dribbling, 87 defending, and 83 physical. Once again, Kanté is the best CDM in the game and will be a joy to use for many players.
Harry Kane (ST - Tottenham Hotspur F.C.) - 90
Despite Tottenham's relatively lackluster Premier League season in 20/21, Harry Kane managed not only to pick up the Golden Boot - beating Mo Salah to the trophy by one goal - but also most assists in the league, a phenomenal feat.
The prolific England striker has had an overall rating upgrade of two, going from 88 in FIFA 21 to 90 in this year's game. Kane only has 3* skills but makes up for that with a 5* weak-foot and his high/high work rates. His stats this year have him with 70 pace, 90 shooting, 83 passing, 83 dribbling, 47 defending, and 83 physical.
Jan Oblak (GK - Atlético Madrid) - 91
Jan Oblak has been one of the most consistent and brilliant goalkeepers in Europe over the past few years and has helped Atletí to numerous trophies, including last year's La Liga title.
The Slovenian goalkeeper stands at 6'2, with the typical 1* skills for goalkeepers and 3* weak-foot. He is once again the highest-rated goalkeeper in the game, helped by his 87 diving, 92 handling, 78 kicking, 90 reflexes, 50 speed, and 90 positioning, an exceptional choice of goalkeeper for any player.
Neymar Júnior (LW - Paris Saint-Germain) - 91
A truly generational talent and one of the best football players of the 21st century, despite any criticisms about his attitude, Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is undoubtedly one of FIFA's best players, particularly for Ultimate Team.
Even with all the changes to FIFA 22's Ultimate Team mode, Neymar terrorizing defenses with his 5* skills and 5* weak-foot will be the same as in FIFA 21, just like his overall rating. Along with high/medium work rates, the Brazillian winger has 91 pace, 83 shooting, 86 passing, 94 dribbling, 37 defending, and 63 physical. He will be one of the most in-demand Ultimate Team players all year and someone fans will enjoy using in other game-modes.
Kyllian Mbappé (ST - Paris Saint-Germain) - 91
With the careers of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi winding down, there is a lot of talk about who will sit atop the football world after they are gone. At the heart of that conversation for the past couple of years now has been Kyllian Mbappé.
At 22, the Frenchman has already lifted a World Cup, multiple Ligue 1 titles, and numerous individual accolades. This year the striker got a plus-1 overall rating from 90 to 91, with 5* skills, 4* weak foot, and high/low work rates. His 97 pace makes him the fastest non-special player in Ultimate Team, which goes alongside his 88 shooting, 80 passing, 92 dribbling, 36 defending, and 77 physical.
Kevin De Bruyne (CM - Manchester City ) - 91
Kevin De Bruyne has gotten heralded as the best midfielder in the Premier League for the past few years now, and it is hard to argue with that. The Belgian is a special footballer who has helped Manchester City to many trophies and helped Belgium become the number one ranked international team in the FIFA official rankings.
De Bruyne retains his 91 rating from last FIFA but has slightly switched natural positions from CAM to CM. His 4* skills and 5* weak foot are excellent, especially with his high/high work rates. The game's fourth-ranked player has 76 pace, 86 shooting, 93 passing, 88 dribbling, 64 defending, and 78 physical, overall making him the highest-rated midfielder in FIFA 22.
Cristiano Ronaldo (ST - Manchester United) - 91
To many fans, it was shocking to see that Cristiano Ronaldo, the world-renowned, second-best player on the planet, had gotten bumped down in ratings and had fallen to third place in the FIFA rankings, especially after his return home to Manchester United.
Alas, the devastating goalscorer has only gone from a 92 rating to a 91, so he's still an undoubtedly exceptional player in FIFA. At 35 years of age, Ronaldo has retained 5* skills and 4* weak foot in the game, with high/low work rates. The Portuguese striker's general stats have him with 87 pace, 93 shooting, 82 passing, 88 dribbling, 34 defending, and 75 physical.
Robert Lewandowski (ST - Bayern Munich) - 92
Robert Lewandowski is the man who has taken second place from Cristiano, and it is hard to argue with the Bayern player's upgrade. Many believe he has deserved a Balon D'or for what he has done in the past couple of seasons.
He scores goals for fun, and in doing so, has earned himself a plus-1 overall rating, going from 91 to 92. Lewa may fit well into FIFA 22's new slower and improved gameplay, with 4* skill moves and 4* weak-foot and a high/medium work rate; he is not the flashiest player, but a great one nonetheless. The striker has 78 pace, 92 shooting, 79 passing, 86 dribbling, 44 defending, and 82 physical.
Lionel Messi (RW - Paris Saint-Germain) - 93
It will forever be strange to see Lionel Messi donning the navy of Paris Saint-Germain instead of the iconic colors of FC Barcelona. Still, even in this new era of football and this new era of Messi, he remains the world's best and FIFA's best player.
The Argentinian magician retains his 93 rating and looks well on his way to winning another Balon D'or, given the incredible year he is having. Messi may 'only' have 4* skill moves, 4* weak-foot, and medium/low work rates (the latter of which may be unjust to some), but he is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with in Ultimate Team and other game-modes. The recent Copa América winner has 85 pace, 92 shooting, 91 passing, 95 dribbling, 34 defending, and 65 physical.