Cristiano Ronaldo is finally, officially better than Lionel Messi… in FIFA 17, at least.
The player ratings for both the Real Madrid and Barcelona stars have been released by EA Sports, with Ronaldo now ranking ahead of Messi with a 94 rating compared to the Argentinean striker’s rating of 93. Last year Ronaldo trailed behind Messi in second place, but an underwhelming La Liga campaign for the Barcelona forward has perhaps contributed to him no longer topping the bill in this year’s edition of the sports title.
Another reason behind the sudden change in stats could be that Barcelona has now been named as the faces of PES 2017, with publisher Konami securing exclusive rights to the club’s Camp Nou stadium, along with releasing a Barcelona edition of the upcoming game. While FIFA routinely outsells the PES series there is still a rivalry between the two football franchises, and Messi’s new position on the box art of PES 2017 alongside his Barcelona teammates would undoubtedly have factored into the decision to make Ronaldo the new highest rated FIFA player.
The ratings for Ronaldo see him overtaking Messi in shooting, pace, defence and physical, while Messi remains the most skilled dribbler in the game with a rating of 96 in this particular category.
Messi’s Ultimate Team card also features his latest look, complete with the blonde haircut and unfortunately dyed beard.
FIFA 17 is set to release worldwide on September 29 and in North America on September 27 for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
