Player Review
98 - TOTY
Well, this card was an unexpected pull. I had given up on packing anything good from TOTY (apart from one Immobile in about 300 packs). One hour before cards came out of packs I completed an objective for loan Messi and in the one gold rare 75+ player pack I received... I got TOTY Ronaldo. I genuinely couldn't believe it - I'd already done Dybala so he slotted straight into my team, which has been bolstered by other mad pack pulls (untradeable prime Gullit and baby Puskas from the Icon Pack). This year is the first time I've ever got an incredible team in 5 years of playing, all my luck came at once it seems!
Anyway, enough backstory, how did Ronaldo affect my team? I'm gonna be as critical as possible here, no point just saying "he is God" as that doesn't help anyone. Also please note - I have played more games than are currently on the card, just in Squad Battles and Live Friendly as well so they aren't counted.
Pace - 9/10
Don't get me wrong, he's pretty fast, but I still found him outpaced by Kante on occasion. Very quick and usually holds off opposition as well, but I have used players (Recordbreaker Mbappe in draft) who feel quicker this year. Still more than fast enough for almost every situation.
Shooting - 10/10
I know I said I'd be harsh, but I think he's missed one shot for me so far, and even that hit the post and I scored the rebound. Everything he touches turns to goals, weak foot is barely a consideration. As usual FIFA works by making keepers worse when you shoot with better players, so the shots won't always go top corner, but it won't matter, keepers just move out of the way. Literally a clear line of sight within 30 yards of the goal is a corner at worst, so if you are a player who is good at sidestepping opposition defenders.... he'll do one heck of a job.
Passing - 10/10
Again, FIFA seems to respond to his passing by making whoever receives the ball twice as likely to score. Klaiber twats the ball in when you lay it off to him - his passing just makes everyone else better. The only players I've used this FIFA whose passing feels better are Gullit and Record Breaker Fabregas.
Dribbling - 10/10
I'm not great at dribbling in general in FIFA, but even I can work a yard of space with Ronaldo, and he breezes through defences with ease. You could utilise him as a CAM easily, he's just a cut above with his movement. Defenders seem to shirk away from him, and I even had one skill move put Varane flat on his arse, which felt SATISFYING.
Defending - 7/10
Obviously he doesn't need to defend much, but his physicals make him a useful defender from corners, and he forces opponents off the ball a lot with his meaty shoulders.
Physical - 9.5/10
Another fantastic part of the card, lesser defenders just seem to bounce off him and fall behind - if he gets his shoulder in front of the defender he's away and you've got a shot. The only reason it isn't 10/10 is the fact he's been outmuscled by the immovable object Kante on a couple of occasions, other than that he's been the unstoppable force my team needed.
Overall, the best player I've used alongside Gullit - probably not as good for me as his stats and price would suggest, but then again I'm far from the best player and am still getting used to him. So far my SR has gone up by 140 since I got him so... he's almost worth a rank for me alone.
- Literally everything from an in-game perspective
- Very linkable, especially if you did certain SBCs
- Price - for 12m on PC he probably isn't worth it - he's insane and I didn't have to pay it so I'm happy, but I can't help but think that if you can buy Vieira, Eusebio and Fernandes TOTY for the same price, that would have a greater impact on your team