Summary
The top 25 players in EA FC 26 have been predicted.
Erling Haaland drops out of joint top spot as two Liverpool players replace him.
Jude Bellingham is expected to fall from being England's joint highest-rated player.
A new football season means lots of different things. New signings, new kits, and come the autumn, a new EA FC video game. The franchise has been going strong on consoles since the first edition in 1993 and has consistently been the most popular and played football video game for decades.
Each game brings plenty of new questions. What new game modes will be added? Will there ever be a song better than Dreaming by Smallpools? And which players will be the highest rated? In EA FC 25, that honour belonged to Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Rodri in the men's game, with the trio earning a 91 rating.
With so many different factors to consider, such as Manchester City’s and Real Madrid’s relatively poor seasons and the rise of new superstars, GIVEMESPORT has decided to predict the 25 highest-rated players in the next instalment of the game.
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91 Overall Rating
Kylian Mbappe, Rodri, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dik
Two of the three 91-rated players from the most recent game retain their rating in Mbappe and Rodri. While their clubs may not have had the best time, it wasn’t truly down to their efforts. The latter was injured for the majority of the campaign, so docking his rating would be incredibly harsh without seeing how his ACL tear has impacted his game. Meanwhile, after a slow start, Mbappe broke the record for most goals in a debut season by any Real Madrid player.
There are two new entrants joining the club, though. Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk’s roles in Liverpool’s 20th league title will see them get bumps up the ladder, with both being rated 89 last time out.
90 Overall Rating
Erling Haaland, Alisson, Harry Kane, Vinicius Junior
Having been rated 91 last season, City's struggles will impact Haaland, with the Norwegian predicted to drop down to 90. While he still found goals last campaign, it certainly wasn't to the standard fans have become used to. The same can't be said of Harry Kane, who was his usual effective self as Bayern reclaimed the Bundesliga title - hence why he retains his rating.
Vinicius Junior also stays put despite a difficult term. However, in this instance, it has been decided that he has just about done enough to avoid slipping into the eighties. There is, though, a big round of applause for his compatriot Alisson, who could overtake Thibaut Courtois and Gianluigi Donnarumma to become the highest-rated goalkeeper in the game.
89 Overall Rating
Ousmane Dembele, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Lautaro Martinez, Jude Bellingham
Some might think the favourite for the Ballon d'Or, an award designed to reward the best player in the world over a 12-month stretch, would surely be the highest-rated player in EA FC. However, given that Ousmane Dembele started last season’s game as an 86, the chances of the Frenchman jumping six whole ratings to be clear of everyone else seem unlikely.
Teammate Gianluigi Donnarumma will also stay put at 89, as will Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez after failing to win the Champions League final for the second time in three years. There is, however, a slight downgrade for Jude Bellingham - down from 90 - after Madrid’s disappointing campaign. As a result, he loses his claim to being the joint highest-rated English player.
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88 Overall Rating
Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Florian Wirtz, William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Achraf Hakimi
While we did just say that a six overall rating jump for Dembele was unrealistic, the same does not apply to Lamine Yamal. The reigning Kopa Trophy holder was a criminally low 81 last game, so a massive jump to 88 is certainly not out of the realms of possibility. It's a similar story for his Barcelona teammate Raphinha, who was an 84 but also had an outstanding campaign.
Robert Lewandowski’s return to form at Camp Nou sees him stay at 88, while Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and William Saliba also stay where they were. As does Florian Wirtz, who will become the fourth-best Liverpool player on the game following his record-breaking move to Anfield.
Achraf Hakimi is the final player in the 88 category, making him the best full-back in the game. His dominant campaign with PSG, culminating in a goal in the Champions League final, sees him climb from 84 just like Raphinha.
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87 Overall Rating
Lionel Messi, Declan Rice, Bruno Fernandes, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Thibaut Courtois, Federico Valverde
Once the face of the game, Lionel Messi is certainly not at the level where he can demand a card rated in the mid-nineties anymore. As father time settles in, the Argentine’s decline slowly continues, as the Inter Miami man falls to 87. This puts him in the same bracket as Premier League pair Declan Rice and Bruno Fernandes following their bright individual campaigns.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia joins the elite as the Georgian becomes the first player from his country to ever crack the top 25 players in a FIFA/EA FC. The winger had an incredible season with both Napoli and PSG, which saw him walk away with medals for two domestic leagues and the Champions League.
Rounding off the list are Real Madrid stars Thibaut Courtois and Federico Valverde. For Courtois in particular, it is a rather harsh downgrade from his 89 card this year, but his drop is more a result of Madrid’s standing in world football following an underwhelming campaign, as opposed to his individual errors.