Getty compositeLionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar are the three best players in FIFA 20 – but they weren't always as highly rated in the game.
The trio started at the bottom but have progressed over the years to become the most brutal weapons used by gamers today.
Goal analyses the base cards of the top five-rated players in FIFA 20 from their first appearances in the franchise up until today...
Getty| Game edition | Overall rating |
|---|---|
| FIFA 06 | 78 |
| FIFA 07 | 84 |
| FIFA 08 | 86 |
| FIFA 09 | 90 |
| FIFA 10 | 90 |
| FIFA 11 | 90 |
| FIFA 12 | 94 |
| FIFA 13 | 94 |
| FIFA 14 | 94 |
| FIFA 15 | 93 |
| FIFA 16 | 94 |
| FIFA 17 | 93 |
| FIFA 18 | 93 |
| FIFA 19 | 94 |
| FIFA 20 | 94 |
Lionel Messi is once again the king, with the highest rating of 94 in the upcoming FIFA 20 game – the first time he has been the outright best player since FIFA 15.
He was once ranked a lowly 78 as he began to establish himself at Barcelona before hitting his highest ever rating of 94 in FIFA 12 – a score he has now received in six editions of the game.
Getty Images| Game edition | Overall rating |
|---|---|
| FIFA 04 | 77 |
| FIFA 05 | 88 |
| FIFA 06 | 91 |
| FIFA 07 | 87 |
| FIFA 08 | 91 |
| FIFA 09 | 91 |
| FIFA 10 | 89 |
| FIFA 11 | 87 |
| FIFA 12 | 92 |
| FIFA 13 | 92 |
| FIFA 14 | 92 |
| FIFA 15 | 92 |
| FIFA 16 | 93 |
| FIFA 17 | 94 |
| FIFA 18 | 94 |
| FIFA 19 | 94 |
| FIFA 20 | 93 |
Cristiano Ronaldo has seen his overall rating drop from 94 to 93 in FIFA 20 after his first season at Juventus failed to hit the heights of his previous campaigns at Real Madrid.
The Portuguese star has been in FIFA for 17 editions – since he first joined Manchester United from Sporting in 2003 – with his first card rated at 77.
He incredibly hit 91 in only his third season at the Red Devils before a move to the Spanish capital saw his rating soar to 94 in FIFA 17 and remain there for three years as Madrid won three consecutive Champions League titles.
RHONA WISE/AFP| Game edition | Overall rating |
|---|---|
| FIFA 10 | 73 |
| FIFA 11 | 78 |
| FIFA 12 | 84 |
| FIFA 13 | 85 |
| FIFA 14 | 84 |
| FIFA 15 | 86 |
| FIFA 16 | 88 |
| FIFA 17 | 92 |
| FIFA 18 | 92 |
| FIFA 19 | 92 |
| FIFA 20 | 92 |
Neymar reached a rating of 92 in his final season at Barcelona, in 2016-17, and has retained that score throughout his seasons at Paris Saint-Germain.
He was a lowly 73 when he first entered the game for Santos in FIFA 10 but hit a high of 85 in his last season at the Brazilian club.
After declining to 84 in his first campaign at Camp Nou, the Brazilian attacker has gradually grown to his present rating.
Getty Images| Game edition | Overall rating |
|---|---|
| FIFA 09 | 51 |
| FIFA 10 | 77 |
| FIFA 11 | 81 |
| FIFA 12 | 85 |
| FIFA 13 | 87 |
| FIFA 14 | 85 |
| FIFA 15 | 88 |
| FIFA 16 | 89 |
| FIFA 17 | 88 |
| FIFA 18 | 90 |
| FIFA 19 | 91 |
| FIFA 20 | 91 |
It's hard to believe that Eden Hazard once had a base card rated at just 51, back when was just starting to break into the first team at Ligue 1 club Lille.
However, as he developed as a player in France, his rating had skyrocketed to 85 just prior to joining Chelsea.
He achieved a career-high rating of 91 in FIFA 19 during his last season with the Blues and the new Real Madrid man has retained that figure in the upcoming edition of the game.
Getty Images| Game edition | Overall rating |
|---|---|
| FIFA 10 | 62 |
| FIFA 11 | 70 |
| FIFA 12 | 75 |
| FIFA 13 | 78 |
| FIFA 14 | 80 |
| FIFA 15 | 81 |
| FIFA 16 | 86 |
| FIFA 17 | 88 |
| FIFA 18 | 89 |
| FIFA 19 | 91 |
| FIFA 20 | 91 |
Kevin De Bruyne has notably had a slow-burn with his FIFA rating over the years compared to other great players in the game.
After starting at 62 in FIFA 10, it wasn't until his fifth base card in the game that he cracked 80, while he was in his second season at Chelsea.
A breakout campaign in the Bundesliga for Wolfsburg saw De Bruyne's rating climb to 86 before his move to Manchester City.
Since arriving in the Premier League, the Belgian playmaker has steadily grown his rating to 91, where it has remained the past two editions.