There are a select number of players that have cemented themselves in the history books of FIFA. Those who transcend their "rating" and brought great joy to their owners, and sheer rage to their opponents. The kings of the broken controller. The kind of players that create a primal sense of fear when seen on the squad preview screen before a key divisions match. The players the streets will never forget. Here are the most overpowered players in FIFA history.
Before I get started, I wanted to list a few honorable mentions, as I couldn't fit everyone on this list:
Alexander Esswein (75 rated striker, FIFA 13, pace God.)
Chris Smalling aka Smalldini (84 rated center back, FIFA 17, players called him cancer.)
Jackson Martinez (81 rated striker, FIFA 14, heading powerhouse with skills)
Welliton (81 rated striker, FIFA 13, sweaty and clinical)
10 Seydou Doumbia - FIFA 15
When someone looks up the term pace merchant, a picture of Doumbia pops up. He simply tormented players with his 94 sprint speed and is as clinical as they come with 86 finishing. He could even break your ankles with his 86 dribbling.
One underrated but deadly aspect of Doumbia's is his energy. His 94 stamina ensured he stayed rapid, even when the opposition is sucking wind in the 90th minute. As a Russian league player, he could link up with fellow CSKA Moscow speedster Ahmed Musa but everything changed when he signed for Roma. He, Gervinho, and another certain player ruled Italy.
9 Stephan El Shaarawy - FIFA 12
Skillers ruled FIFA 12, and one pharaoh ruled them all. Stephan El Shaarawy. He started to emerge for AC Milan as a 19-year-old, so FIFA gave him a card fit for a wonderkid. He's a silver yet he put gold players to shame in-game. He possessed the rare 5-star weak foot, 5-star skill moves combo. This alongside his solid dribbling stats allowed him to razzle and dazzle like you wouldn't believe.
Even though his stats show his shooting to be bang average, he could belt both power and finesse shots like nobodies business. El Shaarawy made people fear the silver team in FIFA 12.
8 Kevin De Bruyne and Julian Draxler - FIFA 14
This spot is reserved for both the German and Belgian respectively, as they had pretty much the same card and impact in-game. They were non-rare center attacking mids with 4-star skills, 5-star weak foots, and amazing long shots. They served as absolute bargain pieces due to their non-rare status and amazing stats.
Not much separated the two as you can see, just some minor differences. Draxler has slightly better dribbling and long shots while De Bryune is everso faster and has more complete passing. You couldn't go wrong with either but together in a 4-2-2-2 Bundesliga, Premier League hybrid, they could rip opponents to shreds on a budget.
7 Fabrizio Miccoli - FIFA 13
Before I start, yes, the man is currently in jail because of his relations to the mafia but he was an icon alongside Antonio Di Natale (he was too highly rated to put on this list). Miccoli's versatility made him so beloved, as he could play as a striker, CAM, or as a center forward in a false 9. His booming shots, good passing, solid speed, and exquisite dribbling made him a threat in all areas.
He had the best free-kicks in the game and was sold for peanuts compared to Di Natale. But why separate the two dominant Italians? Many used both of them together. To make things worse, Di Natale had a Team Of The Season and Miccoli had an IF that were both flat out disgusting. Anyone who used Miccoli in FIFA 13 felt like a wiseguy.
6 Jack Butland - FIFA 17
Goalkeepers are always tough to judge in FIFA. Some goalkeepers can have the best stats in the world yet play like a drunk semi-pro in-game. Then there's Jack Butland, an average English goalkeeper for Stoke City who was, by far, the best goalkeeper in FIFA 17.
His ability in-game dumbfounded opponents to the point that he became the most hated player in the game alongside Chris Smalling. Butland was even used in full legend teams, that's how ridiculous he was. He saved literally everything.
5 Victor Ibrabo - FIFA 14
When it comes to defying in-game stats, Victor Ibarbo broke the controllers of those who doubted him. While his shooting stats looked sub-par, he served as one of the highest goalscorers in all of FIFA 14 for a ridiculously cheap price. The Columbian torched and left defenders for dead with his 93 pace and 87 dribbling.
While he lacked the coveted 4-star skills, he could still pull off deadly roulettes and heel to heel flicks. And due to FIFA 14 being a header's dream, Ibarbo could knock em down thanks to his 82 jumping and 6'2 stature. Heading accuracy (nice by the way) didn't even matter. For those who he left traumatized, he remained one of the best players in FIFA 15 as a right-winger next to Doumbia. And to pour salt in the wound, he even got 4-star skills.
4 Nilmar - FIFA 12
If you asked any die-hard FIFA fan who their favorite player of all time was, most will say it was Nilmar. The Brazilian has everything a FIFA fan craves. Blistering pace, cosmic shooting, and ankle obliterating skills. He led the way for many Brazilian teams in FIFA 12 alongside the likes of Hulk and a young Neymar. He became a thorn in many players' sides but also scored his way into many hearts.
He transferred to Qatar side Al-Rayyan after the 2012 season from Villarreal, so he never made it to FIFA 13, or any other FIFAs for that matter. That's why so many FIFA players hold Nilmar near and dear to their nostalgic hearts.
3 Tiémoué Bakayoko - FIFA 18
Sometimes the least sexy player can be overpowered. Bakayoko served as the lynchpin for pretty much every Premier League or French team in the heart of the midfield. The Frenchman is a tank through and through, with his high physical stats and 6'1 stature. He offered premium defending stats for the price of a ham sandwich.
He didn't have the skills, dribbling, nor the shooting that garners headlines but he tossed weaker strikers around like rag dolls. With the more agile N'Golo Kante (who offered a hyperlink for easy hybrids) next to him, FUT Champions players had an impenetrable defense that could last all game long.
2 Emmanual Emineke - FIFA 13
While some players bedazzle opponents into submission with skills, Emmanuel Emineke instilled dread through sheer power and speed. 90 pace, 89 balance, and 94 strength meant that Emineke turned into a runaway freight train when he entered stride. The Nigerian was clinical with his 85 finishing and he could boot it from a distance too. Not many defenders could stop him. Together with the more skillful Welliton, they were nigh unstoppable.
He would miss FIFA 14 due to a late move to Turkish club Fenerbahçe, but when he returned in FIFA 15, he picked up right where he left off. I personally made a starter hybrid with him and Lukaku, and boy, that team proved lethal all year long.
1 Manolo Gabbiadini - FIFA 15
Now, this is a personal pick right from my heart. Manolo Gabbiadini was a diamond in the rough that many simply overlooked. He has perplexing stats for a CAM. He has 78 shooting and decent short passing but has abhorrent long passing and not the best dribbling. Why would anyone try him at CAM? That's why you move him to striker. His rating masked his true potential. When I did this, Gabbiadini turned into a demon.
With his Barrett 50. Caliber esque left foot, he landed the most jaw-dropping long shots and chip shots, the likes of which I'll never see again. Due to his reliable speed and high/low work rates, he played like Filippo Inzaghi, always making the best runs humanly possible. Despite what his dribbling stats said, he could weave in and out of defenders and finish them off with a fake shot. Gabbiadini represented arguably the last fun FIFA (16-20 is a far cry from 12-15).