Games
The FIFA 19 ratings have been revealed, but who should you pick in your FUT?
FIFA 19's top 100 players are ranked by their OVR ratings, which bring together everything from pace to passing and defending to dribbling. However, given that players with pace and power have tended to be more effective in FIFA than technical, tidy passers, you shouldn't always aim to pick the players with the highest overall ratings.
Now, Cristiano Ronaldo – the best player in the game – should be your first choice in FIFA Ultimate Team as he has 90 pace, 90 dribbling and 93 shooting, but should you pick Luka Modrić, the top midfielder in the game? He may be a great dribbler who is able to execute great passes, but he only has 76 pace and 76 shooting. Likewise, Tony Kroos is one of the top 10 players in the game, but not many top FIFA players will have him in their team.
Here's our top team, playing in a 4-4-1-1 formation (essentially to get Messi and Ronaldo in the same team). We haven't taken into account chemistry, and you also might want to add to it with an Icon or two.
Goalkeeper: David De Gea
With goalkeepers, you should just pick the highest rated. With 94 reflexes, 88 positioning, 90 diving and 85 handling, Man Utd's De Gea is the best keeper in the game. 87 kicking means he is very good with his feet, too.
Squad player: Manuel Neuer
Right-back: Joshua Kimmich
There are loads of left-backs in the FIFA 19 top 100, but only one right-back – the 85-rated Bayern Munich player Joshua Kimmich. Easy pick, this one.
Squad player: Kyle Walker
Left-back: Marcelo
It's a close call between Marcelo and Jordi Alba for the left-back spot. The Barcelona full-back has ridiculous pace (93), meaning he'll be able to sprint up the pitch to get a cross over and keep up with opposition wingers. However, Alba's defensive stats are below 80 (79 def and 72 phy).
Marcelo isn't as quick, but he's not slow (82 pace) and although his main defensive stat is only a couple of points higher than Alba's at 81, his physical stats (82) are so much better. Throw in 90 dribbling, five-star skill moves, and a four-star weak foot, and you can see that not only is the Brazilian the better defender, but he will also be effective going forward.
Squad player: Jordi Alba
Centre-backs: Raphaël Varane and Sergio Ramos
Not many of the centre-backs in the FIFA top 100 are blessed with pace. For example, Manchester City's brilliant Vincent Kompany makes the top 100, but only has 56 pace – that's no use when coming up against forwards like Ronaldo and Neymar. That's why we've got France's World Cup winner Raphaël Varane at the back – he is back at 58 in the top 100, but with 84 pace, he'll be able to sprint back into position.
Alongside Varane is the highest-rated defender in the game – Real Madrid's serial Champions League winner Sergio Ramos. He has 76 pace, which, compared to other centre-backs in the top 100, isn't bad, and he also has 91 defending. He can bring it out from the back and pass, too. A great all-round defender.
Squad players: Samuel Umtiti and Thiago Silva
Defensive midfield: N'Golo Kanté
Every team needs a player to protect the back four, especially if you're only playing two in the middle. There is no CDM in the world better than N'Golo Kanté. Signed for Leicester, won the league; moved to Chelsea, won the league; selected for France, won the World Cup. That's the effect he can have on any team.
He's never going to score lots of goals for your team, but with 80 pace, combined with 87 defensive and 84 physical stats, he can get around the pitch and stop opposition attacks. When he's intercepted the ball or put in a good tackle, he can bring the ball forward using his 81 dribbling, before playing a short pass (only 77 passing so play it safe) to someone better!
Squad player: Blaise Matuidi
Centre midfield: Kevin De Bruyne
Luka Modrić is the highest-rated midfielder in the game, but De Bruyne has more attributes that will make a difference in FIFA 19. Sure Modrić has much better defensive stats (70), but we don't need to worry about that with Kanté in the team. It's the passing (92) and shooting (86), combined with a five-star weak foot that makes De Bruyne an essential pick.
The Manchester City player sees things that you can't even see on the telly, and then has the skill to execute the pass perfectly for his forwards. And, when a pass isn't on, he can belt one in from the edge of the box. If you want someone with a bit more pace, Dybala would be a good pick.
Squad player: Paulo Dybala
Left wing: Neymar Jr
It's a bit easier to select forward players as the top wingers in the game all have insane pace. For a winger, Neymar Jr has the lot, with 92 pace, 95 dribbling and both five-star weak foot and skill moves. This means he'll either be able to beat his full-back before whipping a cross in, cutting inside and shoot, or playing a through ball to Ronaldo.
Squad player: Eden Hazard
Right wing: Gareth Bale
After scoring over 40 goals last season, Mohamed Salah shot up to 27 in the FIFA 19 ratings, but Bale's better pace and shooting stats earn him a spot in our team ahead of the Liverpool ace. With 95 pace, he's the joint second-quickest player in the top 100 behind Mbappé, but he also has very good shooting stats (88), while his passing (84) and dribbling (85) are also decent. He doesn't have as much skill as Neymar, but he'll be able to beat his man for pace, put a cross in for Ronaldo or annoy his former Real team-mate by cutting inside for a shot. If FIFA 19 had a 'raise your arms in despair' stat, CR7's would be 96.
Squad player: Kylian Mbappé
Centre forward: Lionel Messi
Messi wasn't on the shortlist for the 2018 FIFA Best Awards' best men's player. Despite scoring 45 goals as Barcelona won La Liga, the amazing Argentinian didn't make the three-man shortlist for the first time since 2006. However, his achievements are recognised in FIFA 19 as he shares the same OVR rating as Ronaldo.
One good thing about this year's FIFA is that the positions of the game's top three players have changed. Last year, Messi was a right-winger, while Ronaldo and Neymar Jr were both left-wingers, meaning you couldn't get all three in the same side in their best positions. Now, with Messi classified as a CF, you can play him just behind Ronaldo – and with 95 dribbling, 89 pace and 86 passing, he can either beat packed defences or play through balls to the Juve man. Or just shoot – he's got 90 for that, too. What a player!
Squad player: Dries Mertens
Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo has the same 94 rating as Messi, but his five-star skill moves make him the number one player in FIFA 19. The 33-year-old still has great pace (90) and can dribble (90), so he'll be able to create chances on his own, and with 93 shooting, he'll put them away. However, with De Bruyne, Neymar, Bale and Messi in the team, he'll have plenty of players creating chances for him, too. That's if they don't shoot themselves.
Squad player: Sergio Agüero
The FIFA 19 top 100
- Cristiano Ronaldo (ST, 94)
- Lionel Messi: (CF, 94)
- Neymar Jr (LW, 92)
- Luka Modrić (CM, 91)
- Kevin De Bruyne (CAM, 91)
- Eden Hazard (LW, 91)
- Sergio Ramos (CB, 91)
- Luis Suárez (ST, 91)
- David De Gea (GK, 91)
- Toni Kroos (CM, 90)
- Robert Lewandowski (ST, 90)
- Manuel Neuer (GK, 90)
- Diego Godín (CB, 90)
- Thibaut Courtois (GK, 90)
- Jan Oblak (GK, 90)
- N'Golo Kanté (CDM, 89)
- Harry Kane (ST, 89)
- Antoine Griezmann (ST, 89)
- Giorgio Chiellini (CB, 89)
- Sergio Agüero (ST, 89)
- Paulo Dybala (CAM, 89)
- Edinson Cavani (ST, 89)
- Mats Hummels (CB, 89)
- David Silva (CAM, 89)
- Marc-André ter Stegen (GK, 89)
- Isco (CAM, 89)
- Mohamed Salah (RW, 88)
- Marcelo (LB, 88)
- Hugo Lloris (GK, 88)
- Philippe Coutinho (LW, 88)
- Gareth Bale (RW, 88)
- Sergio Busquets (CDM, 88)
- Paul Pogba (CM, 88)
- Cristian Eriksen (CAM, 88)
- Gianluigi Buffon (GK, 88)
- James Rodríguez (CAM, 88)
- Casemiro (CDM, 88)
- Gonzalo Higuaín (ST, 88)
- Sami Handanovič (GK, 88)
- Lorenzo Insigne (LW, 88)
- Thiago Silva (CB, 88)
- Kylian Mbappé (RW, 87)
- Gerard Piqué (CB, 87)
- Ivan Rakitić (CM, 87)
- Romelu Lukaku (ST, 87)
- Marek Hamšík (CM, 87)
- Samuel Umtiti (CB, 87)
- Jan Vertonghen (CB, 87)
- Jordi Alba (LB, 87)
- Andrés Iniesta (CM, 87)
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ST, 87)
- Keylor Navas (GK, 87)
- Mauro Icardi (ST, 87)
- Dries Mertens (CF, 87)
- Kalidou Koulibaly (CB, 87)
- Alexis Sánchez (LW, 87)
- Ciro Immobile (ST, 87)
- Raphaël Varane (CB, 87)
- Ivan Perišić (LM, 86)
- Sadio Mané (LW, 86)
- Mesut Özil (CAM, 86)
- Thiago (CM, 86)
- Nicolás Otamendi (CB, 86)
- Marco Verratti (CM, 86)
- Roberto Firmino (CF, 86)
- Ederson (GK, 86)
- Thomas Müller (CF, 86)
- Jérôme Boateng (CB, 86)
- Leonardo Bonucci (CB, 86)
- Leroy Sané (CB, 86)
- Miralem Pjanić (CM, 86)
- Fernandinho (CDM, 86)
- Naldo (CB, 86)
- César Azpilacueta (CB, 86)
- Douglas Costa (LM, 86)
- Nemanja Matić (CDM, 86)
- Parejo (CM, 86)
- Medhi Benatia (CB, 86)
- Alex Sandro (LB, 86)
- Radja Nainggolan (CM, 85)
- Diego Costa (ST, 85)
- Virgil van Dijk (CB, 85)
- Arturo Vidal (CDM, 85)
- Fabinho (CDM, 85)
- David Alaba (LB, 85)
- Alisson (GK, 85)
- Arjen Robben (RM, 85)
- Vincent Kompany (CB, 85)
- Filipe Luís (LB, 85)
- Marco Reus (LM, 85)
- Koke (LM, 85)
- Edin Džeko (ST, 85)
- Joshua Kimmich (RB, 85)
- Sergej Milinković-Savić (CM, 85)
- Marco Asensio (LW, 85)
- Blaise Matuidi (CDM, 85)
- Raheem Sterling (RW, 85)
- Zlatan Ibrahimović (ST, 85)
- Riyad Mahrez (RW, 85)
- Kostas Manolas (CB, 85)
