FIFA 14: Most Important Ratings for Offensive Weapons

Everyone knows FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo are FIFA 14's best overall players, but what makes them great? There are a ton of ratings for each player in the game, and it is hard to hone in on one that leads to greatness.

In most cases, great ratings in the right combination of categories are what makes the difference. Here are a few combined ratings that make great offensive weapons on the virtual pitch.

Speed Kills

Acceleration is great; but if a player has excellent acceleration and a marginal sprint-speed rating, they still won't blow by their markers. Take a look at Messi’s ratings below:

Barcelona’s amazing star has a 96 rating in acceleration and a 90 in sprint speed. This means that Messi reaches top speed in an instant. When he reaches that top speed, he’s moving at a rapid pace because of his high sprint-speed rating.

On a dead run, it will be hard for anyone to stay with him. Want to know how Messi wound up rated two points higher than Ronaldo? The answer partially lies in those two categories. Take a look at Ronaldo’s ratings:

Messi has the edge in both acceleration and sprint speed, but Ronaldo’s 91 and 94 respectively, is better than most players in the game.

Finish What You Start

Getting in position is nothing if you don’t finish. Messi is rated a 97 in finishing, and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has a 91 in the same category. For strikers, this is the most important rating because it measures shot accuracy inside the box.

Outside of the box, this rating is irrelevant, but with strikers getting a bulk of their opportunities close to the goal, this rating is key for them.

Crossing and Controlling

Your wingers are essential in setting up teammates for opportunities. Crossing is obviously an important rating, but ball control is also important. Manchester City’s Jesus Navas is a good example of a player with solid ratings in both categories.

His crossing ability is an 85 and ball control is an 84. His skills are ideal to help set up a deadly striker like Sergio Aguero.

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