We’re two weeks away from FIFA 15’s U.S. release, and EA Sports has been teasing us with information about the game as the anticipation builds. A few days ago, they finished counting down the top 50 players in the game, using stats that covered a whole range of stuff, including:
- Player dribbling, shooting, and passing
- Defensive ability
- Physical skills like endurance, stamina, and strength,
- Player’s recent form leading into the year
- Player work rate, skill with their weak foot and their ability to perform skill moves.
Not included in these EA’s KPIs but for sure included in my personal KPIs: player overall attractiveness and shirtless posing ability. But that’s neither here nor there. ANYWAY, we used EA Sports’ rankings to compile a list of the top Latin American players, all of whom play for Europe’s top leagues. Without further ado:
10. Arturo Vidal (Overall Ranking 35)
Arturo Vidal of Juventus comes in at number 35 in this year’s FIFA rankings. He is a well-rounded box-to-box midfielder who has high ratings in many key categories. He is a very good passer and tackler of the ball who can cover lots of ground in the game without getting too tired.
9. Edinson Cavani (Overall Ranking 33)
Cavani comes in at 33 overall in this year’s FIFA rankings. Cavani is a big, strong striker who can also operate on the right wing. He is a good finisher of the ball and a physical player that defenders have a tough time playing against.
8. James Rodriguez (Overall Number 32)
Real Madrid’s new Colombian signing James Rodriguez comes in at 32 overall in this year’s FIFA rankings. James is a versatile player who can play on the wing or as an attacking midfielder. He has great vision and passing ability in addition to good dribbling skills.
7. Neymar (Overall Number 30)
FC Barcelona’s Neymar is ranked 30 overall in this year’s FIFA. Neymar is an exciting player to play with, as he is a great dribbler with a strong repertoire of skill moves. He is a good finisher of the ball who is also good at setting teammates up with goal-scoring opportunities.
6. Angel Di Maria (Overall Number 25)
Manchester United’s new addition Angel Di Maria comes in at number 25 overall. Di Maria is mainly a left footed player who excels at taking on players in one on one situations and is great at setting up teammates for goal scoring opportunities.
5. Sergio Aguero (Overall Number 24)
Aguero comes in as the 24th best player overall in this year’s FIFA. Aguero is a good two-footed player with good ability to beat players off the dribble and has great finishing skills.
4. Thiago Silva (Overall Number 16)
Thiago Silva is ranked number 16 in this year’s overall FIFA rankings. Silva works very hard on the defensive end and is physically a very strong player that attackers have a hard time getting the better of. He is good in the air and he is a strong tackler of the ball.
3. Radamel Falcao (Overall Number 12)
Falcao is the 12th best player overall in this year’s FIFA. Falcao is a very physically imposing player with a strong work rate who excels at finishing in a variety of ways and using his superior athleticism to get in scoring positions.
2. Luis Suarez (Overall Number 7)
Suarez is the 7th best player overall in this year’s FIFA and second among Hispanic players. He excels in crucial categories for a striker as he is good with both feet and is strong at shooting and dribbling.
1. Lionel Messi (Overall Number 1)
Messi is again the highest rated player in this year’s FIFA as he ranks highly in all attacking phases of the game. He excels in categories crucial for a Center Forward, like dribbling, shooting and passing.