Revealed: Messi receives his LOWEST rating in 16 years for EA Sports FC 25

Lionel Messi has been given his lowest rating in 16 years for the latest edition of the FIFA - now EA Sports FC - series with 15 players in the game ranked above him.

The new installment of the hit franchise will be released later this month for the second year since its drastic overhaul in appearance, EA Sports no longer holding a partnership with FIFA and dropping the governing body's name from the title.

Gamers are still able to buy and sell virtual cards of the world's best footballers, however, and Messi is certain to remain one of the most hotly-anticipated pulls.

But for the second year running, the developer has officially revealed that the superstar, now playing for Inter Miami in MLS, has received another downgrade.

Indeed, Messi's rating now stands at 88, marking the first time since FIFA 08 that he has dropped below the 90 mark. Instead, the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Martin Odegaard and Harry Kane have all been placed above him in a major surprise.

Liverpool defender Van Dijk and Arsenal captain Odegaard are both rated 89, one more than Messi, while Bayern Munich ace Kane is a 90.

The highest-rated player in the game is a three-way tie between Kylian Mbappe, Rodri and Erling Haaland - the trio all holding an impressive 91.

Several others narrowly missed out on this accolade. Jude Bellingham, the cover star for EA Sports FC 25, Vinicius Junior and Kevin De Bruyne have all been awarded a 90.

Also above Messi this year are Alisson, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Thibaut Courtois, Lautaro Martinez, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Mohamed Salah.

Messi, 37, is level with the likes of Phil Foden, Antoine Griezmann, Ruben Dias and Robert Lewandowski, showcasing his very gradual drop-off.

He was first added to FIFA back in 2005 after making his explosive breakthrough at Barcelona and went on to boast an array of the best cards in the game's history.

HIs debut came in FIFA 06 with a modest 78-rated card but he quickly jumped all the way up to an 84 rating for the next installment of the franchise.

By FIFA 09 he was rated 90 and reached a remarkable peak of 94 before sliding backward, culminating in the card soon to be available to gamers in the new edition.

Incidentally, Cristiano Ronaldo, who typically rivalled Messi to become the best-rated player in FIFA games, has now dropped down to an 86 card.

The rollout for the much-anticipated game is now in full swing and, as is tradition every year, the release has been preceded by the announcement of ratings.

The game will officially drop on PC and consoles on September 27.