Having a huge selection of the world’s best players is great, but it starts getting tricky when you get into career mode. After all, you want the best of the best for your team. But who exactly is the best? We’ve taken the guesswork out for you and organized a list of the 20 best players in the game.
Lionel Messi
Overall Rating: 98 Position: Right Wing (RW) Nation: Argentina League: LaLiga Santander Club: FC Barcelona Preferred Foot: Left Weak Foot: 4 out of 5 This Argentinian superstar may be familiar to you from previous games. Messi is a powerhouse when attacking, with insanely good stats in almost every category. High acceleration and sprint speed make him incredibly fast on the field, while his shot power, positioning, and finishing stats make him a guaranteed goal. You’ll have to mortgage your entire team’s houses to afford him, but we assure you, he’s worth it.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Overall Rating: 98 Position: Striker (ST) Nation: Portugal League: Serie A Club: Piemonte Calcio Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 4 out of 5 While his real-life home club of Juventus is not included in the game, you don’t have to miss out on having this powerhouse striker on your team. Cristiano Ronaldo is a must-have player in FIFA 21, and his stats make it easy to see why. He has a mind-blowing Pace stat of 96, making him one of the fastest players in the game. His almost perfect set of shooting stats will make you wonder how any opposing team ever thought they had a chance.
Robert Lewandowski
Overall Rating: 98 Position: Striker (ST) Nation: Poland League: Bundesliga Club: FC Bayern München Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 4 out of 5 Yet another amazing striker on our list, Robert Lewandowski should not be underestimated. The Polish-born striker has an incredible set of stats - he’s strong, he’s fast, and he’ll be unstoppable on the field. His Shooting stats are especially good - he’s second only to Ronaldo in his ability to score goal after goal.
Kylian Mbappé
Overall Rating: 97 Position: Striker (ST) Nation: France League: Ligue 1 Conforama Club: Paris Saint-Germain Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 4 out of 5 Mbappé is a football superstar in real life - he’s won a World Cup and taken Paris Saint-Germain to their first Champions League final. In FIFA 21, he’s no different. He has a Potential of 95, which is incredibly high, and his stats for sprint speed and acceleration both sit at 96, making him one of the fastest strikers in the game.
Kevin De Bruyne
Overall Rating: 96 Position: Central Attacking Midfielder (CAM) Nation: Belgium League: Premier League Club: Manchester City Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 5 out of 5 You can have all the great strikers that you want, but your team will still be weak without good central attacking midfielders - and Kevin De Bruyne might just be the best. A Belgian national now playing for Manchester City, De Bruyne’s stats are incredibly balanced - both his attacking and defending abilities are exceptional. Of course, his highest skills are Passing and Shooting, making him an excellent player whether he’s passing the ball up the field or going for the goal.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Overall Rating: 94 Position: Right Back (RB) Nation: England League: Premier League Club: Liverpool Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 4 out of 5 This incredibly promising right back from Liverpool has incredible stats - his high sprint speed and acceleration will make him lightning on the field, while incredible stats in dribbling and passing will make him invaluable in getting the ball to your top strikers. Alexander-Arnold is one of the most exciting young players in FIFA 21, and it’s easy to see why.
Alphonso Davies
Overall Rating: 93 Position: Left Back (LB) Nation: Canada League: Bundesliga Club: FC Bayern München Preferred Foot: Left Weak Foot: 4 out of 5 Getting this player from the Allianz Arena will cost you a pretty penny, but he’s totally worth it. The Canadian left-back is lightning on the field thanks to his high acceleration and sprint speed and will be absolutely unstoppable if you pair him with a similarly fleet-footed left-winger.
Neymar da Silva Santos Jr.
Overall Rating: 92 Position: Left Midfielder (LM) Nation: Brazil League: Ligue 1 Conforama Club: Paris Saint-Germain Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 5 out of 5 This Brazilian-born midfielder might only be 28 years old, but he is a well-known star in FIFA 21. While his Physical stats are a bit lower than what we usually see with top-rated players, he makes up for them with exceptional Dribbling, Pace, and Shooting categories. Neymar is a very well-rounded player who would make a great addition to your roster.
Ansu Fati
Overall Rating: 92 Position: Striker (ST) Nation: Spain League: LaLiga Santander Club: FC Barcelona Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 4 out of 5 This incredible player might only be 17, but it’s easy to forget that when you see him on the field. He’ll cost you over $13 million to sign, but consider it an investment - he will quickly improve from his decent 76 rating at the start to his superstar 92 ratings.
Giovanni Reyna
Overall Rating: 91 Position: Right Midfielder (RM) Nation: United States League: Bundesliga Club: Borussia Dortmund Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 3 out of 5 Yet another incredible 17-year-old on the roster! In real life, the young star is already a starter in the Bundesliga club. He’s a club manager’s dream - he starts with an average 68 rating, but he will quickly rise to 91 with the right training. And all you have to do is spend $1.7 million on signing him, which, considering the cost of some of the other players on this list, is an outright bargain.
Erling Haaland
Overall Rating: 90 Position: Striker (ST) Nation: Norway League: Bundesliga Club: Borussia Dortmund Preferred Foot: Left Weak Foot: 3 out of 5 If you’re even a little bit familiar with FIFA 21, then you will have heard this prominent striker’s name before. Haaland is an incredibly well-rounded player in terms of stats - his acceleration and sprint speed are phenomenal, and none of his Dribbling, Shooting or Physical skills dips below a score of 80, which is, frankly, insane. Your opponent’s defence will never see him coming.
Jadon Sancho
Overall Rating: 90 Position: Right Midfielder (RM) Nation: England League: Bundesliga Club: Borussia Dortmund Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 3 out of 5 This young, exciting player has caught the attention of the iconic Manchester United club, and for good reason. He’s an excellent attacking player, with high stats in both shooting and passing. However, you’ll need to pay a king’s ransom if you want him on your team.
João Félix Sequeira
Overall Rating: 87 Position: Centre Forward (CF) Nation: Portugal League: LaLiga Santander Club: Atlético Madrid Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 4 out of 5 This young star from Portugal has a fantastic set of stats. His Shooting stats are particularly impressive, with a Positioning score of 92 and Finishing and Shot Power scores of 90. Though his acceleration and sprint speed is a bit lower than some of the other attacking players on our list, Sequeira should not be overlooked.
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Overall Rating: 87 Position: Goalkeeper (GK) Nation: Italy League: Serie A Club: Milan Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 3 out of 5 An incredible young player, Gianluigi Donnarumma has been named the most valuable goalkeeper in FIFA 21. He has a very high Potential at 92, and if you put the right resources and development into him he can soon turn into a world-class goalie. His jumping and reaction stats are also very high, at 72 and 79 respectively, so he’s a great player to have on your team if you’re struggling with a weak defence.
Sandro Tonali
Overall Rating: 87 Position: Central Defensive Midfielder (CDM) Nation: Italy League: Serie A Club: Milan Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 4 out of 5 This young, eager defensive midfielder is an excellent choice for anyone who would rather make plays from the back than just shunt the ball towards your striker. Tonali’s acceleration and short-passing abilities make him a must for a strategically planned defence.
Matthijs de Ligt
Overall Rating: 85 Position: Centre Back (CB) Nation: Holland League: Serie A Club: Piemonte Calcio Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 4 out of 5 If you’re looking for a level-headed, aggressive defender, then Matthijs de Ligt is your man. His scores for Composure, Reactions, and Accuracy are all in the mid-80s, making him dominate on the field. You’ll need a big budget if you want to snatch him up from his home club, though.
Kai Havertz
Overall Rating: 85 Position: Central Attacking Midfielder (CAM) Nation: Germany League: Premier League Club: Chelsea Preferred Foot: Left Weak Foot: 4 out of 5 Havertz is definitely a young player to keep an eye on in the future of football. His even spread of stats and high Potential make him an excellent young investment for any self-respecting team manager. He’s an especially good dribbler, making him a great candidate to get the ball up the field towards your strikers.
Dayot Upamecano
Overall Rating: 84 Position: Centre Back (CB) Nation: France League: Bundesliga Club: RB Leipzig Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 3 out of 5 This excellent defender is a must-have for any good defence. Upamecano has excellent defensive stats, but he’s also pretty fast, making him a good accompaniment to a team focused on running circles around their opponents. His Standing Tackle is very high, so no attacking players from the opposing team even have a chance.
Rodrygo Silva de Goes
Overall Rating: 83 Position: Right Winger (RW) Nation: France League: LaLiga Santander Club: Real Madrid Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 3 out of 5 It’s easy to forget that this record-breaking right-winger is only 19 years old. De Goes is a particularly pacey player, with an acceleration and sprint speed that are both over 90. While speed is his main asset, his dribbling and shooting skills should not be ignored.
Ferrán Torres
Overall Rating: 81 Position: Right Midfielder (RM) Nation: Spain League: Premier League Club: Manchester City Preferred Foot: Right Weak Foot: 4 out of 5 Despite a weak balance stat, this midfielder is a valuable addition to any team. His attacking skills are very balanced, other than his relatively average penalties stat. He is a little lacking in the aggression department, but he makes up for that with high vision and reaction stats.
