The FIFA 22 year is still in full swing, but the popular discussions about upcoming overall ratings are already starting. If fans have their way, FIFA 22 could be the last installment with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the helm.
Waves ran high after the Champions League exit for football’s two dominant world stars. Not only Paris Saint-Germain were on edge, Manchester United also heard harsh tones.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were in the middle of the turmoil. After last season’s first CL quarter-final without the two greats in 16 years, this year the superstars and their teams were once again eliminated in the last 16. And both found themselves at the centre of criticism after their performances.
For Messi, it was the end of that streak after 13 straight round of 16 matches with at least one scoring point. Ronaldo went without scoring for only the third time ever in a Champions League match against Atletico. While PSG and the Red Devils cannot be blamed for their elimination, Messi and Ronaldo’s lacklustre performances are undoubtedly more in the spotlight than they would be for other players.
Fans start rating discussion for FIFA 23
The virtual images and their strength points are also diligently discussed by fans. Since FIFA 09 Messi and Ronaldo are among the best rated players of the series. Between FIFA 11 and FIFA 21, they fought out the first two places between them. In the current instalment, Robert Lewandowski made it with a 92 behind Messi (93) and ahead of Ronaldo (91).
A heated discussion about the overall ranking of the superstars sparked on Reddit. Not only is the increasing age – Ronaldo has been 37 since February, Messi will be 35 in June – thrown into the balance, but also those missing moments of spectacle. “They are still world class. But they no longer decide the games single-handedly,” it reads.
The FIFA fan scene is thus speculating on a devaluation of the superstars. Some users write that Mohamed Salah, Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappé should be ranked at least the same, if not higher, than the multiple world footballers.
The rest of the season will show how the EA experts will rate Ronaldo and Messi. CR7 lost two points in overall strength from FIFA 20 (93) to FIFA 22 (91). Messi, on the other hand, only lost one point in the last three parts. For FIFA 23 at least another point loss is expected in the community. Then Messi and Ronaldo could slip out of the FIFA top for the first time in over ten years.
