The First FIFA 18 Sporting KC Ratings are Out

With the release of EA Sports FIFA 18 just around the corner (September 29th!) the player ratings are starting to be released. It’s always a hotly debated subject. Last year ESPN ran a piece that shed some light on the process. Basically, since Major League Soccer (MLS) is a lower rated league, the player ratings suffer a bit. Which explains why Diego Rubio was a 73 when he initially signed with the club in 2016 but when FIFA 17 came out, he had adjusted down to a 68 (ouch). The piece is worth a read for a greater understanding of the system.

Courtesy of FUThead.com

So far for FIFA 18, only four Sporting Kansas City players have had their ratings released and it’s guys you’d probably expect. They are Ike Opara (74), Matt Besler (74), Benny Feilhaber (75) and Roger Espinoza (71). Outside of maybe Graham Zusi, the four guys you’d expect first. Most of them stay the same, but Ike Opara got a deserved two point bump. He had a couple special edition cards in FIFA 17 that were rated 74, but now his base rating will be 74 so if he makes a FIFA Ultimate Team of the Week then he’ll be rated even higher.

Courtesy of FUThead.com

If you want to stay up to date as more ratings are released FUThead.com is a good source. Here are their 2018, 2017 and 2016 ratings for Sporting KC. The 2017 ratings noticeably are lacking the players who joined the club in the middle of the games cycle but the beginning of the 2017 MLS season. SoFIFA.com has you covered if you are looking for more than a pretty picture of cards and ratings from the last game for players like Gerso, Ilie, or Latif Blessing.

SoFIFA also has ratings as they updated. Opara actually reached a 74 last year, but wasn’t rated that way when the season started. Tim Melia went from a 68 to 72. Even players like James Musa, who just joined Sporting KC recently has a rating, though it’s only a 61. You can also see a players potential. For example, Saad Abdul-Salaam, who’s having a rough year, had his potential drop from a 71 to a 69.

Courtesy of SoFIFA.com

The highest potential player, sadly, is the soon to depart Erik Palmer-Brown. Who if you play him right in FIF 17 can develop into an 82. By far making him the highest possible Sporting KC player. The next closest is Jimmy Medranda you can play up to a 76 (and I did in my FIFA 17 career mode). I, at the suggestion of fellow TBT writer Eric Atcheson, moved Sporting KC to the English Championship (swapping out some club I’ve long since forgotten), and then got them promoted into the English Premier League. I’m thinking of doing 3.Bundesliga this year since it’s a new league in the game and it’ll help me learn more German teams beyond just the super clubs.

Courtesy of SoFIFA.com

It’s likely the ratings from SoFIFA, since they were updated just days ago in FIFA 17, will be accurate in FIFA 18. The only things in question will be how players like Gianluca Busio, Jaylin Lindsey, Kevin Oliveira and Kharlton Belmar will be rated, since they’ve signed so recently. My guess is very low, but lets at least hope Busio and Lindsey get really high potential.

MLSsoccer.com also released the Top 25 MLS players in FIFA 18. Unsurprisingly there are no Sporting KC players represented. No huge individual stars, but a team that works together really well to earn results.

FIFA 18 will also have an MLS alternate cover released and it’s not to late to go vote for Graham Zusi to get him on the cover.

Who are you guys going to play as in FIFA 18 (if you play it at all)? Will you just play MLS seasons or will you move Sporting KC to another league like Eric and I do? Or do you have a better suggestion I’m not even thinking of?