The Top La Liga Santander Players in FIFA 21

Every new release of the FIFA series has always brought plenty of debate, especially regarding the ratings given to players. We all have our favourite teams and players, which means any arguments are bound to be somewhat skewed, although a look at real-life statistics can usually settle matters pretty quickly.

We take a look at the current FIFA 21 player ratings database, then compare those ratings with how the top players are actually performing, with the 2020-21 La Liga Santander campaign having reached the midway point in Spain.

Goalkeepers

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⛔ @oblakjan ⛔

⚪ #AúpaAtlet pic.twitter.com/Miu755W4NS

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) December 30, 2020

According to the FIFA 21 database, the best goalkeeper in La Liga is Jan Oblak of Atlético Madrid, with a 91 rating that actually makes him the best in the game. 

Oblak has conceded just 6 goals in 15 games this season, while his team have the best defensive record by far, which undoubtedly explains why Atlético Madrid are now the outright favorites to win La Liga, aided by such a safe pair of hands.  

Defenders

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has a FIFA 21 rating of 89, making him the best central defender in La Liga and second-best in the game.

Currently rated at 79 in FIFA 21, Sevilla defender Jules Koundé is actually performing better in real-life, according to WhoScored.com average performance stats. Koundé has an average rating of 7.12 after 13 games, while Ramos has a 7.01 rating from 14 appearances.

Midfielders

German international Tony Kroos at 89 clocks in with the best La Liga central midfield rating, just one point ahead of his Real Madrid colleague Luka Modric.

Interestingly, neither feature in the top 5 La Liga ratings for passing this season. Despite having a slightly lower 85 rating in FIFA 21, Barcelona midfield maestro Frenkie De Jong takes that accolade, with 1174 passes completed from 1297 total passing attempts.

Attackers

Lionel Messi beats Cristiano Ronaldo to be the highest-rated player in FIFA 21 pic.twitter.com/X6PrEVTXjD

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) September 10, 2020

When it comes to the best player in FIFA 21, there’s no prizes for guessing which Argentine ace rates higher than anyone else in the game. Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi at 93, of course.

While there’s no doubting this has been a tough campaign for Barcelona, nobody is higher than Messi in the scoring charts, with 11 La Liga goals in 17 games. The only player to come close is Gerard Moreno at Villarreal, rated at just 83 in FIFA, yet with 10 goals in 16 games.

Are some players underrated?

For the most part, certainly when looking at the most famous players at the biggest clubs, FIFA 21 ratings are fairly accurate, especially if we consider high-profile status and ability. Nevertheless, it’s hard to shake the impression that many players can often appear to be underrated, looking at their real-life form.

Sometimes this is corrected with game updates, as players in FIFA 21 get a slight boost or reduction to their ratings, although the biggest changes are usually reserved for each new game release. In the meantime, player ratings will probably remain the most hotly debated topic associated with the game itself.