REVEALED: Cristiano Ronaldo drops to his LOWEST rating in 16 years for EA Sports FC 24 but Lionel Messi clings on to a top five spot despite downgrade… as rankings are ‘leaked’

Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have seen their ratings downgraded ahead of EA Sports FC 24’s official release later this month, a leak has suggested.

The latest edition of the popular franchise will be released on September 29 on consoles and PC, though it has undergone a drastic overhaul in appearance.

That is because EA Sports no longer holds a partnership with FIFA, meaning the governing body’s name has been dropped fully from the video game.

Rechristened using the developer’s title instead, the series remains effectively the same, with gamers able to buy and sell virtual cards of the world’s best players.

But after several high-profile moves over the past season or so, there have been numerous changes in ratings, with four players again tied for the top spot.

Lionel Messi has been awarded a 90 overall, though he remains inside the top five players

Kylian Mbappe, Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland and Alexia Putellas have all been awarded a rating of 91, pushing Messi out of first place in a surprise move.

Indeed, the superstar, now with Inter Miami in the United States after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, is one of eight players handed a 90 overall rating.

Joining him on the same number are Sam Kerr, Robert Lewandowski, Harry Kane, Karim Benzema, Aitana Bonmati, Thibaut Courtois and Caroline Graham Hansen.

It has been over a decade since Messi was rated 90 or below, a run stretching back to FIFA 11, but regardless, he remains one of the best cards to pull in the game.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, has been hit with his lowest rating in 16 years. The Al-Nassr frontman, despite his success in Saudi Arabia, will start off with an 86 overall.

Paris Saint-Germain ace Kylian Mbappe is the joint-highest card after being given a 91 rating

The latest edition of the popular franchise will be the first without FIFA’s official branding

In comparison to FIFA 23, that is a downgrade of four.

The last time Ronaldo was stuck with a similar rating was FIFA 07, in fact, when he received a substantial downturn due to a harsher rating system.

Also featuring in the top 20 for EA FC 24 are Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Neymar, Casemiro, Virgil van Dijk, Ruben Dias, Alex Morgan, Alisson and Ada Hegerberg.

EA, however, are yet to officially announce the final ratings and stat distributions. 

The rollout has already begun, though, with the release preceded once again by the announcement of the ratings for a select number of teams worldwide.