The Premier League may be regarded as the best league in the world, but La Liga has the best players. With the Ronaldos, Messis and Griezmanns battling it out in Spain, football fans could not wait to see what ratings they achieved for FIFA 18.
After Real Madrid finally managed to clinch the La Liga crown for the first time in five years, they were everyone’s favourites to lift the trophy again this season, especially after Barcelona lost the breath-taking Neymar. But, a stumbling start to the season means that Barca are already four points ahead of their arch-rivals, with Real down in fourth place.
Could there be a surprise from the rest of the table? Outside of Real Madrid and Barcelona, who have to look at Atletico Madrid. Los Colchoneros claimed an incredible league success in 2014, and have reached the Champions League final twice since then. Judging by their FIFA 18 Ratings, they do have a legitimate shot at the title, with three players featuring in the La Liga Top 10, more than Barcelona.
Without further ado, we bring you the top 10 players on FIFA 18 from the Spanish top flight as the players lock horns in La Liga.
Cristiano Ronaldo – OVR 94
Overall: 94
Potential: 94
Positions: LW, ST
Age: 32
Club: Real Madrid
Country: Portugal
Best stats: 96 Reactions, 95 Jumping, 95 Positioning
Well, what can you say about Cristiano Ronaldo? The Real Madrid star seems to add silverware season upon season, and you do wonder what is next for the Portugal captain. The left winger scored 42 goals in 46 appearances last season, which by his terms is a poor return, only the third season in Madrid that he has notched up more appearances than goals.
In terms of his glittering trophy haul, he has four Premier Leagues, an FA Cup, two League Cups, two La Ligas, two Copa del Reys, three Club World Cups, four Champions Leagues and a European Championship with Portugal. Keeping it short, on a personal note he has bagged the FIFA Player of the Year (or equivalent) four times.
On FIFA 18, there are some slight tweaks for the 32-year-old, with his pace dropping by two (92) and his dribbling by one (91), but his shooting improves by one to 83 and passing by one to 81.
Lionel Messi – OVR 93
Overall: 93
Positions: RW
Age: 30
Club: Barcelona
Country: Argentina
Lionel Messi falls behind rival Cristiano Ronaldo once again this season, and the fact the Argentine could only muster a Copa del Rey over 2016/17 perhaps sealed his fate as the second best player in the world.
That said, Barcelona star Messi picked up a record-breaking European Golden Shoe, becoming the first man to be the top goal scorer in Europe four times outright. Now aged 30, it is time for Messi to prove he has the longevity that Ronaldo has shown, and with Neymar (OVR 92) leaving for Paris, Messi will need to be at his best if Barca are to win back the La Liga crown.
The only change in Messi’s FIFA stats is his dribbling dropping from 96 to 95, his 93-overall remains the same.
Luis Suarez – OVR 92
Overall: 92
Positions: ST
Age: 30
Club: Barcelona
Country: Uruguay
Despite Neymar departing the Nou Camp, Barcelona are in good hands with Luis Suarez partnering Lionel Messi. Suarez is perhaps the most clinical goal scorer in Europe, with the Uruguayan bagging 122 goals since moving to Spain back in 2014.
The 30-year-old will never achieve the same amount of praise of Ronaldo and Messi due to his on-the-pitch antics, with three incidents of biting and using racist slurs against Patrice Evra. The former Liverpool star has won it all at Barca, so with a mini-crisis underway in Catalonia, you wonder if he would be tempted to return to the Premier League can claim the title he never lifted.
Suarez’s dribbling drops by one to 86 on FIFA 18, with his physicality up two to 81.
Toni Kroos – OVR 90
Overall: 90
Potential: 90
Positions: CM, CDM
Age: 27
Club: Real Madrid
Country: Germany
Best stats: 93 Long Passing, 90 Long Shots, 90 Short Passing
Perhaps the most-rounded midfielder in the world, is there anything Toni Kroos can't do? The Real Madrid man was the key to Germany lifting the World Cup in 2014, and he must thoroughly enjoy picking the ball up at the Bernabeu, looking up and seeing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale making runs for him.
Aged just 27, there is still plenty to come from the central midfielder, who is a prime example of a player doing the basics incredibly well.
The former Bayern man improves by two to reach the 90s on FIFA 18, with his pace up five to 50, shooting up one (81), dribbling up two to 81 and defending up four to 73.
Sergio Ramos – OVR 90
Overall: 90
Potential: 90
Positions: CB
Age: 31
Club: Real Madrid
Country: Spain
Best stats: 92 Jumping, 91 Heading Accuracy, 90 Sliding Tackle
If you asked who was the best centre back in the world, perhaps most would say Sergio Ramos. The Spain and Real Madrid skipper is useful in both boxes however, picking up a reputation for scoring big goals when it matters.
The former Sevilla man gets the balance between playing with the ball and knowing when to clear his lines perfectly, and he can be incredibly proud that it is ‘his’ Real Madrid side that has brought sustained success back to the Bernabeu. At the age of 31, there is still plenty to come from the defender, and it would perhaps be a return as World Champions with Spain that would be the crowning moment of his career.
Ramos’s overall is nudged up by one this season, with his passing (77), dribbling (72) and defending (88) all improving. His only hit is his pace dropping by two to 76.
Gareth Bale – OVR 89
Overall: 89
Potential: 89
Positions: RW
Age: 28
Club: Real Madrid
Country: Wales
Best stats: 95 Sprint Speed, 93 Acceleration, 91 Shot Power
Injury has stopped Gareth Bale from kicking on after a brilliant start to his Real Madrid career, which explains his drop in FIFA rating. The Welshman chalked up over 40 appearances in both his first two seasons in Spain, but that has slipped over the past two campaigns, and it looks more likely than not that he will head to the Premier League next summer.
With Zinedine Zidane wanting more discipline in his side, there is only room for one of Bale, Isco (OVR 86) or Marco Asensio (OVR 84) in his first-choice line-up. If the former Spurs man doesn’t solve his injury problems and perform, he will be shown the door.
Despite his fall in rating, none of the 28-year-old’s six Ultimate Team stats alter, showing how little the decrease is.
Luka Modric – OVR 89
Overall: 89
Potential: 89
Positions: CM, CDM
Age: 31
Club: Real Madrid
Country: Croatia
Best stats: 94 Balance, 93 Agility, 92 Short Passing
Another man who is delightful to watch is Real Madrid’s Luka Modric. The Croatian arrived at the Bernabeu as an attacking midfielder who would hover around the edge of the box, but his role has changed a lot in Spain. He has much more defensive responsibility, playing as a deep-lying playmaker alongside master passer Toni Kroos.
His task is to either win the ball in midfield or receive the ball from the defenders and look to set one of his flying attackers free. It sounds like an easy job in a star-studded Real Madrid side, but Modric and Kroos perform it perfectly.
Modric sustains his 89-overall rating for FIFA 18, but both his pace and physicality drop by one to 73 and 65 respectively.
Antoine Griezmann – OVR 88
Overall: 88
Potential: 91
Positions: ST, RW, LW
Age: 26
Club: Atletico Madrid
Country: France
Best stats: 91 Positioning, 90 Reactions, 90 Agility
Considering Antoine Griezmann was in the three-man shortlist for the FIFA Best Player award in 2016, he can feel hard done by that he is ranked the 20th best player in the world, and the eighth best player in Spain on FIFA 18.
The French forward set Euro 2016 alight, and it is perhaps that he is not playing in a side of superstars at Atletico Madrid that knocks his rating. With Chelsea’s Diego Costa (OVR 86) more than likely to join Atletico in January, there looks set to be a mouth-watering strike pairing of Griezmann and Costa, but it may only be for half a season. If Los Colchoneros hadn’t had a transfer ban this past summer, Griezmann would have left, and the odds will be quite short for the 26-year-old to move to Manchester United and take the number 7 shirt next season.
The only change for Griezmann on FIFA 18 is his physicality improving by one to 68.
Diego Godin – OVR 88
Overall: 88
Potential: 88
Positions: CB
Age: 31
Club: Atletico Madrid
Country: Uruguay
Best stats: 92 Heading Accuracy, 89 Sliding Tackle, 89 Jumping
One of the most undervalued centre halves in the world, it is great to see Atletico Madrid rock Diego Godin sustain his 88 rating on FIFA 18. Atletico are perhaps the most disciplined club side in the world, something that coach Diego Simeone has instilled at the club.
The Uruguayan Godin is the cornerstone of that rock-solid defence, [G1] which has only conceded an average of 25 goals a season over the past four campaigns and 51 less than Real Madrid over that period. Atletico’s defence makes them a match for any side, giving Godin and his teammates more than a chance in any competition, and after coming so close to in the Champions League over the past few seasons, maybe this year could be theirs.
Godin’s dribbling improves by one to 64 this year, with his physicality dropping by one to 78.
Jan Oblak – OVR 88
Overall: 88
Potential: 93
Age: 24
Positions: GK
Club: Atletico Madrid
Country: Slovenia
Best stats: 90 GK Handling, 87 GK Positioning, 84 GK Diving
Behind Godin is the ever-reliable Jan Oblak. The Atletico goalkeeper is now regarded as one of the best in the world, and he is ranked the sixth best ‘keeper in FIFA 18 and the best in Spain.
The Slovenian Oblak has picked up La Liga’s Zamora Trophy in the last two seasons, awarded to the goalkeeper with the least goals-to-game ratio in the division. After Thibaut Courtois’s (OVR 89) loan spell in Madrid ended in 2014, it was wondered whether he could be replaced, but many would regard the 24-year-old Oblak as an upgrade on the Belgian.
Oblak’s overall goes up by one on FIFA 18, with his diving up by one to 83 and his reflexes up by two to 84.
What do you make of the FIFA 18 Ratings? Let us know in the comments section below.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
FIFA