Barcelona fans who play video games are not going to like this bit of news whatsoever. After many years of rating Lionel Messi as the best player in their soccer video game franchise, EA Sports have lifted Cristiano Ronaldo over the defending Ballon d’Or winner as the top player in FIFA 17.
The top three rated players in FIFA 17 were revealed today. As expected, Neymar, Ronaldo, and Messi were the final three. However, the shocking news is that Real Madrid’s superstar is now rated 94 with Messi being a 93. (Neymar is rated 92, the same as Luis Suarez)
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No doubt, winning the Champions League and Euro 2016 was a big factor in ranking Ronaldo higher than Messi, you probably don’t have to look too far at the main reason why EA Sports have jilted the Barcelona mega star.
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Back in 2012, Lionel Messi signed a four-year contract with EA Sports to be the face of their video game. That has since expired and apparently the two sides decided to part ways. That left a void on the cover of the game that was since filled by Marco Reus winning a fan vote.
Could Messi not having an affiliation with EA be the reason he’s lost his top spot? It wouldn’t be surprising at all. These companies value their business relationships and aren’t afraid to reflect them in their final product.