FIFA 21: The 9 Most Improved Players in Ultimate Team
By Tom Gott
We're slowly getting a good look at the player ratings for FIFA 21 Ultimate Team. We've already had the top 100, but sometimes, it's more fun to see which players have earned massive upgrades from last year.
Plenty of players enjoyed a stellar 2019/20 season and have earned themselves some tidy ratings boosts, but there are a select few whose ratings have skyrocketed after a breakout year.
Let's take a look at top nine.
9. Alphonso Davies - 81 (+9)
To think that Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies began FIFA 20 as a 72-rated left midfielder is wild.
After surprisingly being transitioned into a left-back by Hansi Flick, Davies is now widely viewed as one of the world's finest in that position, and he's been rewarded for that development with an 81-rated card.
It comes with a whopping 96 pace, which tells you everything you need to know about how Davies operates.
8. Bukayo Saka - 75 (+10)
Few people outside of Arsenal had heard of young Bukayo Saka before the 2019/20 season, but that's certainly not the case now.
Still in his natural position of left midfield, Saka has jumped up from 65 to 75, making the much-deserved transition from silver to gold in the progress.
He stands to be a core side of Mikel Arteta's team going forward, and that could lead to a huge ratings boost next year too.
7. Mason Greenwood - 77 (+10)
Even the most optimistic of Manchester United fan would have struggled to predict the kind of impact Mason Greenwood would have at Old Trafford last season.
The 18-year-old earned himself a spot on the right wing and fired home a whopping 17 goals in all competitions, earning himself a debut England call-up as a result.
He began FIFA 20 as a 67-rated striker, but has now jumped to a 77-overall right midfielder.
6. Erling Haaland - 84 (+11)
Erling Haaland's base card on FIFA 20 was 73-rated. That's mental.
The fact that he ended FIFA 20 with no less than nine special cards tells you just how well 2019/20 went for Haaland, who sealed a move to Borussia Dortmund and continued his emergence as one of the finest strikers around.
Now 84-rated, Haaland boasts a terrifying combination of 84 pace and 87 shooting. Imagine what he'd look like if he got another nine special cards!
5. Christoph Baumgartner - 75 (+12)
Hoffenheim starlet Christoph Baumgartner rose about most of the young players in the Bundesliga to establish himself as one of the league's finest.
The 21-year-old ended his breakthrough season with an impressive return of eight goals and six assists in all competitions, and he was rewarded with an Austria call-up this summer.
Baumgartner has completely bypassed silver by jumping from 63 to 75.
4. Edmond Tapsoba - 78 (+12)
Despite only joining Bayer Leverkusen in January, young centre-back Edmond Tapsoba managed to sneak his way into many fans' Bundesliga Team of the Year.
The 21-year-old was absolutely outstanding in his debut season, waltzing into the starting lineup and immediately looking like a real force to be reckoned with.
Once just a silver card, Tapsoba has now risen to an intriguing 78-overall gold.
3. Sebastián Córdova - 75 (+13)
2019 was a special year for América winger Sebastián Córdova. The 23-year-old made his breakthrough to the senior side and then carried that momentum over into the 2020 campaign.
Now seen as one of Mexico's hottest talents, Córdova's name has been linked with a whole host of European sides, and many see it as just a matter of time before he's strutting his stuff in a top league.
Jumping up from a 62 to a 75, Córdova has been handed one of the biggest upgrades in the game.
2. Dejan Kulusevski - 77 (+13)
Dejan Kulusevski joined Parma on loan from Atalanta for the 2019/20 season, and that's when his career exploded.
The 20-year-old Swede managed to bag ten goals and nine assists in Serie A last season, but that wasn't the best part of the year for Kulusevski. That honour is reserved for his €35m move to Juventus in January.
It was a season which deserved a mammoth upgrade, and that's exactly what Kulusevski has been given. He's gone all the way from 64 to 77.
1. Marash Kumbulla - 75 (+15)
Leading the way is Hellas Verona centre-back Marash Kumbulla, who has leapt all the way from 60 to 75.
The 20-year-old Albanian was outstanding last season, finishing with 26 appearances in all competitions, leading Verona up to ninth in the final standings.
If you don't know Kumbulla's name by now, it's time to take notice. He has been linked with almost every top side on the planet and could well be set to take over in 2020/21.