Cristiano Ronaldo's slide: From FIFA legend to Al‑Nassr fall, his lowest rating in 12 years

Undoubtedly, Cristiano Ronaldo has had an impressive career. An introduction for such a prolific striker seems superfluous. Besides his real-world prowess, Ronaldo is also immensely valued in the virtual arena, particularly in the FIFA game series, where he has been counted among the most sought-after players for years, notably in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) mode.

Ronaldo’s legendary status has been reflected in his rating of over 90 points for several years. Some of his unique cards even reached 99. Shooting inaccurately separately became a notable skill due to Ronaldo's awe-inspiring performance. Although his rating has gradually receded over time, it hasn’t seen as significant a drop as it has now. Following his transfer to Al-Nassr, Ronaldo's card now bears 88 points. It still boasts a gold outline, even if its value has diminished. This change marks a 2-point decrease compared to this season's start, significantly impacting FUT gameplay.

Ronaldo hasn't been assigned such a low rating in 12 years. Only by revisiting FIFA 11 can we find an 87-point rating on his card. This pertains, of course, to standard cards, excluding those linked with specific events. For instance, a recent feature was a Flashback Cristiano Ronaldo card, which astonishingly earned an overall rating of only... 87!

Players and experts roundly criticized EA Sports for its introduction on its release. Acquisition of the card involved not just completing a series of challenging tasks but was also unreasonable to its premium price. The card cost around 500,000 coins at auction, which seemed excessive for a player with a reduced rating.