FIFA 21: Elite Player Ratings, Release Date and Info on Top Modes

Gaming fans around the world will soon have a reason to celebrate thanks to the imminent release of FIFA 21.

The latest installment of EA Sports' long-running series will hit current-gen consoles Friday. Those who purchased the Champions or Ultimate editions will be able to play as early as Tuesday.

FIFA 21 will also launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S at a later date.

To build anticipation for the game, the developer revealed the ratings for the top 1,000 players. Not surprisingly, Barcelona star Lionel Messi is No. 1 at 93 overall, while Stade de Reims right-back Thomas Foket (77 overall) earned the distinction of being No. 1,000.

Here are the five highest-rated players in each of Europe's top five leagues:

Bundesliga

• 1. Robert Lewandowski, ST, Bayern Munich (91 OVR)
• 2. Manuel Neuer, GK, Bayern Munich (89 OVR)
• 3. Joshua Kimmich, CDM, Bayern Munich (88 OVR)
• 4. Jadon Sancho, RM, Borussia Dortmund (87 OVR) 
• T5. Thomas Muller, CAM, Bayern Munich (86 OVR)
• T5. Mats Hummels, CB, Borussia Dortmund (86 OVR)
• T5. Yann Sommer, GK, Borussia Monchengladbach (86 OVR)

La Liga

• 1. Lionel Messi, RW, Barcelona (93 OVR)
• 2. Jan Oblak, GK, Atletico Madrid (91 OVR)
• 3. Marc-Andre ter Stegen, GK, Barcelona (90 OVR)
• T4. Sergio Ramos, CB, Real Madrid (89 OVR)
• T4. Karim Benzema, CF, Real Madrid (89 OVR)
• T4. Casemiro, CDM, Real Madrid (89 OVR)
• T4. Thibaut Courtois, GK, Real Madrid (89 OVR)

Ligue 1

• 1. Neymar, LW, Paris Saint-Germain (91 OVR)
• 2. Kylian Mbappe, ST, Paris Saint-Germain (90 OVR)
• T3. Angel Di Maria, RW, Paris Saint-Germain (87 OVR)
• T3. Keylor Navas, GK, Paris Saint-Germain (87 OVR)
• 5. Marco Verratti, CM, Paris Saint-Germain (86 OVR)

Premier League

• 1. Kevin De Bruyne, CAM, Manchester City (91 OVR)
• T2. Virgil van Dijk, CB, Liverpool (90 OVR)
• T2. Mohamed Salah, RW, Liverpool (90 OVR)
• T2. Sadio Mane, LW, Liverpool (90 OVR)
• T2. Alisson, GK, Liverpool (90 OVR)

Serie A

• 1. Cristiano Ronaldo, ST, Juventus (92 OVR)
• T2. Paulo Dybala, CF, Juventus (88 OVR)
• T2. Samir Handanovic, GK, Inter Milan (88 OVR)
• 4. Kalidou Koulibaly, CB, Napoli (88 OVR)
• T5. Ciro Immobile (87 OVR)
• T5. Wojciech Szczesny, GK, Juventus (87 OVR)
• T5. Giorgio Chiellini, CB, Juventus (87 OVR)

FIFA 20 saw the debut of Volta Football, which puts players in a street setting for smaller games that put an emphasis on flair over traditional pass-and-move tactics. Volta is returning and adding Featured Battles, through which players can recruit special Groundbreakers.

The list of Groundbreakers extends beyond the world of football.

Throughout the season, EA Sports will also unveil special gears players can use in Volta mode.

While not getting a complete overhaul, Career Mode will have some new features.

A new interactive match sim will allow users to see a match play out and give them the option to insert themselves at the most pivotal moments—great news for those who want to watch their sides fall behind so they can mount heroic comebacks.

Career Mode will also delve into some of the finer details of management through the inclusions of Match Sharpness and Active Training. Those who have played Football Manager know how important it can be to keep a squad match fit and set up a detailed training regimen.

Kevin De Bruyne might be one of the most dynamic midfielders in the world, but he may not be effective in his first match back from a long-term injury. In that situation, easing him into the lineup would be the prudent approach.

For obvious reasons, a lot of the focus from the gaming and development sides is on the new consoles that will hit the market later this year. Konami opted to merely update the squads from eFootball PES 2020 so that it could devote its time to PES' next-gen arrival.

Still, FIFA 21 should be a solid addition to the franchise.