February 5 marks the birthday of Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest footballers in history. His career is nothing short of legendary, packed with individual awards, team trophies, and countless records that cement his place among the sport’s elite.
Beyond the real pitch, Ronaldo has also been a dominant force in the EA FC franchise, striking fear into defenders with his lethal finishing and athleticism. But what if we rewound time and placed a young Ronaldo in EA FC 25? Would he still be one of the best cards in the game, or would he start as a raw talent with potential to grow?
A Cristiano Ronaldo's Card That Would Suprise You
Cristiano Ronaldo made his professional debut at 17 for Sporting Portugal in a game versus European giants Inter Milan. You can say debuting against such a historic team was a sign of how great Cristiano Ronaldo's career would be.
In his first 90-minute senior appearance, against Moreirense, Ronaldo scored his first two professional goals, two of the 923 and counting.
During that 2002 season, Cristiano Ronaldo scored three more goals before making his historic move to Manchester United, a move which cemented him as a true icon of the game.
So, taking all of that into account, what would his card look like? Well, the answer is probably a silver rare card seeing as it was his first year as a pro.
When it comes to its attributes, Ronaldo was still pretty quick in his debut season, so a pace rating of 88 seems appropriate. However, shooting would likely be in the mid-70s, maybe 75 shooting, as Cristiano was nowhere near the lethal finisher he became back then.
Ronaldo's passing wasn't bad but it also wasn't phenomenal. A 70 passing rating seems fair, especially since he had three assists in that season - a decent tally considering it was his first year as a pro, and that wasn't his main strength.
The dribbling rating is quite tricky, as Ronaldo was already a very gifted dribbler, but it's unlikely EA FC would give him a high rating in the category as a silver card. Personally, an 80 rating seems the most realistic, but who knows what EA would have actually done at the time.
Ronaldo's defending rating would likely be around 45 or 50. And as for his physicality, a 68 rating seems realistic, as it's well-known Ronaldo worked hard to become the athlete he is today.
So there we have it, Cristiano Ronaldo's debut card in EA FC 25 would have 88 pace, 75 shooting, 70 passing, 80 dribbling, 45 defending, and 68 physicality. It doesn't compare to any of his iconic EA FC cards, but it would be a solid card for a player who had his first year of professional football.