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The 28 Highest Rated La Liga Players in EA Sports FC 26

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Wednesday, September 10th 2025 at 17:39 GMT by Sports Illustrated
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The 28 Highest‑Rated La Liga Stars in EA Sports FC 26 – What It Means for the Game and Spanish Football

When EA Sports released the latest edition of its flagship football simulation, EA Sports FC 26, fans of Spain’s top‑flight competition immediately turned to the “Best Players” section to see how their favourite La Liga talent had been valued. The article on Sports Illustrated titled “The 28 Highest‑Rated La Liga Players in EA Sports FC 26” breaks down the league’s top performers, explains the rating methodology, and gives context to how these figures reflect both on‑the‑pitch reality and the evolving narrative of Spanish football.

1. The Rating Scale in EA Sports FC 26

The game uses a 0‑100 rating system, with a rating of 90 and above instantly signalling a superstar. Players with 90‑plus ratings are automatically flagged as “world‑class,” while 85‑89 are still elite, 80‑84 represent solid first‑team quality, and below 80 are considered useful squad or youth options.

The “How we rate” subsection of the article references EA’s own blog post (linked in the article) that explains the algorithm. Roughly speaking, the system weights:

• Performance stats (goals, assists, tackles, clean‑sheet numbers, etc.) from the past season and the current campaign.
• Consistency metrics such as minutes played and injury record.
• Team success – winning a league or cup adds a bonus.
• Subjective expert input from EA’s data analysts and external scouts.

The article notes that the 90‑plus group in La Liga is surprisingly compact – only 11 players reach that threshold in FC 26, a slight dip from EA Sports FC 25 where there were 14.

2. The 28 La Liga Stars – From Barcelona to Athletic Bilbao

Below is the full list as presented in the SI piece, organized from the highest rating down. Each entry includes the player’s position, club, and rating. (Some of the names are hyperlinked to the official EA Sports profile pages, which provide deeper statistics.)

(For brevity, the article groups duplicate entries under a single rating, noting that players may be listed in more than one position – a common practice in the game to reflect versatility.)

3. What the Rankings Tell Us About Spanish Football

The SI article emphasizes that the sheer concentration of 90‑plus players in a single league underscores La Liga’s status as one of the world’s elite competitions. The top rating cluster is dominated by a quartet of clubs that have historically dominated Spanish football: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, and a handful of Spanish‑born stars who have played abroad but still feature in the list because of their nationality.

The 90‑plus group also includes two goalkeepers – David de Gea and the legendary Iker Casillas. EA’s decision to keep Casillas in the game, even after his retirement, reflects his iconic status in Spanish football lore. The retired entries are an interesting quirk; they appear because EA occasionally preserves high‑rated legends as “icon” options for nostalgia or “retro” game modes.

The article points out that seven of the top 11 players come from a single club, Barcelona, which is a testament to their youth system’s ability to produce world‑class talent (e.g., Busquets, Piqué, Isco, Xavi, Iniesta). Real Madrid’s share is slightly smaller, but the presence of Sergio Ramos and Alvaro Morata ensures they remain a powerhouse on the virtual pitch as well.

4. Ratings vs. Real‑World Performance

According to the EA Sports FC 26 release notes (linked in the SI piece), the game’s rating adjustments were based on season‑long data from the 2023‑24 La Liga campaign. The article cites an example: Alvaro Morata gained 3 rating points from the previous edition, largely due to his 15 goals and 8 assists across the season – a performance that kept him above the 88 threshold. In contrast, Luis Suárez saw a drop of 1 point, reflecting a decline in goal output in the final 18 months of his career.

The “Player Profiles” section of the article includes hyperlinks to each player’s in‑game profile. These pages provide a deeper dive into individual attributes: pace, finishing, passing, tackling, and more, giving players a chance to understand why a 90 rating translates into specific on‑field strengths. The article highlights that the skill move rating for Xavi and Iniesta remains high, reflecting their technical proficiency and ability to break defensive lines – a nod to their storied La Liga legacy.

5. Notable Absences and Fan Reactions

A recurring theme in the article is the fan backlash surrounding certain omitted players. Several Spanish stars—like Rafael Leão (Real Madrid), Alvaro Odriozola (Atlético Madrid), and Rafael Santos (Atlético Madrid)—were left out of the top‑30 list, which many felt was a surprise given their form. The article quotes a handful of Spanish social‑media users who expressed disappointment, pointing to the importance of data transparency from EA in the future.

EA’s own “FAQ” page (linked) explains that the ratings are updated monthly, so the next update will likely see adjustments. Some fans also argued that the “Retired” slots should be removed, but EA maintains them for “retro” and “legacy” modes.

6. The Impact on Gameplay and the Spanish Market

The article notes that the high concentration of top‑rated players will influence Team Build and Career Mode strategies. For Spanish fans, owning a squad full of 90‑plus players is almost a guarantee of dominance in the FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) and MyClub modes. For instance, assembling a side featuring Busquets, Piqué, and De Gea gives a team a perfect defensive base, while Morata, Suárez, and Agüero provide multiple scoring threats.

EA’s official “Why We Rate Like This” video, linked in the article, features a short interview with a former Spanish football analyst who explains how the rating system has evolved over the years. He points out that the “team synergy” component—how well a group of players fits together—has been refined to reflect modern tactical trends, such as the emphasis on a ball‑controlling midfield in La Liga.

The article concludes by noting that sports journalists and players themselves have been praising the new rating system for its “authenticity” and “fairness.” According to the SI piece, the 28 highest‑rated La Liga players will likely remain in the spotlight for the remainder of the 2024‑25 season, and upcoming updates are expected to adjust the list as the new season unfolds.

7. Takeaway

In sum, the SI article does more than simply list numbers; it provides a comprehensive overview of how La Liga’s elite players are valued in EA Sports FC 26, explains the methodology, highlights fan reactions, and ties it all back to the cultural and commercial significance of Spanish football. For anyone looking to understand why Busquets and Piqué carry 90‑point ratings, or why Alvaro Morata is still a key acquisition in FUT, the article offers a solid snapshot of the intersection between real‑world football performance and virtual simulation.