Salah and Mbappé top FC 26 at 91, women leaders at 91

EA Sports on Monday published its first official player ratings for EA Sports FC 26, naming Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé as the joint highest rated men at 91 overall, and Barcelona midfielders Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí as the highest rated women at 91. The reveal, shared on the companys social channels, covered the top 26 players in both the men and women lists and formed part of a wider rollout of ratings and new Icons ahead of the games September 26 release.

The lists show a congested upper tier. Five men are tied at 90 overall — Ousmane Dembélé, Rodri, Virgil van Dijk, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham — while a broader top group features several 89-rated players including Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Pedri and Joshua Kimmich. Donnarumma, Alisson and Thibaut Courtois are the highest rated goalkeepers at 89. Mbappé is listed as the fastest revealed player so far with a 97 pace rating.

The reveal included notable jumps and omissions that have already prompted debate among fans. Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal received a monumental eight-point increase to 89 overall, a rise commentators...