FIFA 22’s worst ratings: 10 players who need an upgrade already

FIFA 22 logo with Saint Maximin, Salah and Wirtz cardsEA Sports

FIFA ratings are always a hot topic of discussion and, with FIFA 22 now available to all fans to play, we’re running through 10 players who have every right to feel short-changed by the ratings EA has given them.

EA’s player ratings never cease to provoke discussion and FIFA 22 is no different. While the developers claim to use complicated data analysis and algorithms to determine players’ stats, there’s always a few player ratings that leave fans baffled.

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FIFA 22 is no different. Here, we’re running through 10 player ratings that just don’t seem to add up. It’s fair to say these players make some early candidates for January upgrade cards – often proof that EA’s original rating was way off.

1. Mo Salah – 89

Mo Salah's FIFA 22 Ultimate Team cardEA
Salah, at 89, kicks off this list.

It’s very rare that an 89 rated player has been hard done by but, in the case of Liverpool’s Mo Salah, he most certainly has been. A 90 OVR in FIFA 21, the Egyptian winger has been handed a downgrade of one.

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He’s maybe a victim of Liverpool’s poor Premier League title defence, but he still managed to notch up 22 league goals and 5 assists last campaign. His early season form in 21/22 is arguably his best ever, and is genuinely making him a Ballon D’or contender. 89 is harsh.

2. Allan Saint-Maximin – 79

Another Premier League winger, Newcastle’s Allan Saint-Maximin takes the second spot on our list. At 79, the super-silky Frenchman received a downgrade of one on his 80 overall from last year’s title.

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This seems just plain wrong from EA, with the pacy trickster regularly putting Newcastle on his back and carrying Bruce’s men over the line to safety. A downgrade of any kind seems unfair given the skill he continues to show against all oppositions.

3. Aaron Ramsdale – 74

Aaron Ramsdale FIFA 22 cardEA
Arsenal goalie Aaron Ramsdale has been hard done by, to say the least.

That’s right, Aaron Ramsdale is a silver in FIFA 22. While only a 75 OVR last season, Ramsdale enjoyed a decent season – even if his Sheffield United side were one of the worst Premier League outfits in a long time.

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He’s received a downgrade, however, becoming a silver in this year’s title. We’ll take this opportunity to remind you that he’s already ousted Bernd Leno as Arsenal’s number 1; the same Leno rated 83 by EA. This is one of the worst ratings we’ve seen in years.

4. Connor Gallagher – 74

Another PL player who is inexplicably silver is Connor Gallagher, the Crystal Palace midfielder who has been at the heart of Patrick Vieira’s ongoing revolution at Selhurst Park.

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He had a solid season last year at West Brom, even if they too got relegated. The fact he’s a silver and rated worse than teammates James McArthur and Will Hughes has us scratching our heads.

5. Joakim Maehle – 77

Our first pick from out of the PL is Atalanta (on FIFA 22 as Bergamo Calcio) right-wing-back Joakim Maehle. The Danish speedster put in an awesome 20/21 campaign for Genk and then Atalanta, before capping it all off with a run to the Euros semi-finals with Denmark.

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Rather bizarrely though, he’s only been afforded an upgrade of one on last year’s 76. This seems even harsher when we consider how well he’s taken to the Serie A. We’d expect a generous rating increase in any Winter Upgrades that EA has prepared.

6. Florian Wirtz – 78

Florian Wirtz' card in FIFA 22EA
Florian Wirtz is playing himself towards a big money move in the summer.

Bayer Leverkusen’s attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz has been identified as the next Kai Havertz, expected to move to a European giant in the coming year.

You wouldn’t know it by looking at his FIFA rating though, with the young German sitting at a very modest 78. If he doesn’t get a January upgrade, we expect a much-improved card in next year’s title.

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7. Bremer – 76

Torino and Brazil center-back Bremer has proven himself one of Serie A’s most consistent defenders, keeping the Turin side’s backline incredibly tight.

He is only a 76 overall though, despite regularly coming up against some of the world’s best attackers and holding his own. He was a 71 in last year’s game but, even factoring in the generous upgrade, he should still be better than scraping a gold card.

8. Luis Sinisterra – 75

Our first Eredivisie entry is Feyenoord winger Luis Sinisterra. The Colombian starlet has been in scintillating form for the Rotterdam outfit, racking up 3 goals and 6 assists in just 20 league appearances last season.

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This season so far he’s been even better, racking up 8 goals and 6 assists in all competitions – and it’s still October. A 75 overall is far too low for someone who is not far off one of the best wingers in the Dutch top flight.

9. Illan Meslier – 77

Illan Meslier FIFA 22 cardEA
Illan Meslier is one of the youngest GKs in the Premier League.

We’re returning to England for Illan Meslier – the French shot-stopper who has made a name for himself as Leeds’ number 1, despite being just 21 years old.

Any keeper in Marcelo Bielsa’s side would be expected to make plenty of saves, and Meslier does it week in week out for the Yorkshire side. In fact, he averages the highest number of saves in the Premier League.

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Not only does it say something about the way Leeds play, but it also says something about how inadequate a 77 OVR is. He’s bizarrely lower than Ben Foster and Dean Henderson, for example.

10. Ben Brereton Diaz – 71

We’re staying in England but dropping down to the Championship for our last pick – Blackburn’s Ben Brereton Diaz. The Chilean international has started the season in scintillating fashion, following on from a Copa America run to the quarter-finals with Chile.

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At 71 OVR, he’s lower than plenty of Championship wingers. However, he’s already been given a 78 OVR in-form by EA, going some way to show how unfair the 71 base rating is.


That rounds off our list. Let us know who you think is awfully rated on FIFA 22 by tweeting us @DexertoFC