The official FIFA 22 Team of the Year (TOTY) ratings have now been revealed and many fans aren't too happy with the world-class full-back, Joao Cancelo's rating.
The Manchester City left-back turned midfielder has been simply sensational for the Blues in 2021, but EA doesn't seem to rate the defender as highly as the rest of the footballing world...
We think we know the reason behind this and why EA simply can't make Cancelo's TOTY rating any higher in Ultimate Team.
Cancelo disrespected
Joao Cancelo was arguably the best defender in the world throughout the year 2021.
Along with his Portugal international teammate and fellow FIFA 22 TOTY defender, Cancelo lifted the Premier League trophy as well as the League Cup trophy.
The Portuguese 'left-back' has re-defined what a full-back is by adding an attacking dimension that no-body thought was possible from a defender.
So, with the highest rated TOTY defender being Ruben Dias (OVR 97), Cancelo should definitely be rated alongside his City teammate, or failing this, should be rated 98 OVR.
However, we think we know the reason why EA has chosen to give Cancelo a lower-rated card than he deserves.
What could have been...
We've taken the leaked stats of Joao Cancelo's TOTY card and given each base attribute a +4 rating, to mimic what his card would look like if it was a 97 OVR.
To put it simply, this card would break the game...
Due to Cancelo's base cards having well-rounded stats already, once boosted to a 97 OVR Team of the Year version the Portuguese player become absolutely RIDICULOUS.
Cancelo would have nearly every single base stat above 90-rated, making him like Ruud Gullit on steroids!
So, EA simply cannot add a card that is this good into Ultimate Team because it would be too overpowered, even more so than the standard TOTY cards.
TOTY Defenders & Goalkeeper Release Date
As per usual, the attackers will be the first to be released into packs, followed by the midfielders, before the defenders arrive last.
The full TOTY squad, including the 12th Man, will then be released in what we expect will be a pack opening frenzy towards the end of the TOTY promo.
We expect the defenders to be released on either Wednesday, 276January or Thursday, 27 January, replacing the TOTY forwards in packs immediately, though the date is not yet officially confirmed.
The TOTY defenders will be released at approximately 1pm ET / 6pm GMT on the day of release, so set your watches for then!
The full TOTY has already been revealed, so it's not much of a surprise that the defenders will be Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Marquinhos and Achraf Hakimi, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in net.