90min
·18 September 2024
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Yahoo sports90min
·18 September 2024
For the most part, 2024 has been the year of Lamine Yamal, Barcelona's fleet-footed teenage sensation.
The 17-year-old winger's ascent to the elite level has been swift but he has already earned the right to be named among the world's most dynamic forwards. Winning the Young Player and Goal of the Tournament en route to Euro 2024 glory with Spain only cemented his spot among the stars.
Having missed out on a spot in the biggest football video game in the world last year, Yamal will be in this year's release - EA FC 25. With ratings yet to be finalised for a number of players, many have been anticipating where Barcelona's wonderkid will rank among the game's best and brightest.
Well, we may have the answer, and it's not what many expected.
EA FC 25 will be Yamal's first entry / Pedro Salado/GettyImages
Few could have predicted Yamal's sensational rise to stardom and EA certainly didn't. However, despite his incredible form for Barcelona, the youngster was omitted from last year's EA FC 24 due to the fact that he was just 16 years of age.
EA generally don't put players under the age of 17 into their games - although that's not a rule that's always strictly applied - meaning Yamal missed out on a place in last year's iteration. However, now he has turned 17, he will feature prominently in EA FC 25.
Yamal's rating will cause a stir / Denis Doyle/GettyImages
With Barca fans eagerly anticipating Yamal's presence in EA FC 25, they may be left slightly disappointed with his leaked rating. According to FGZNews, the Euro 2024 winner will only be given an overall rating of 80 for his first appearance in the game.
Whether or not Yamal's rating should be higher is up for debate - as are most of EA's ratings in their flagship sports game - but what is surprising is that, if leaks are accurate, the Spain star will only have an overall pace stat of 82 despite his blistering speed.
Yamal's Ultimate Team card also boasts 82 dribbling, 75 passing, 74 shooting, 48 physical and 23 defending - several of which appear on the low side.
Of course, an 80 overall rating is pretty impressive for his debut but there will understandably be those frustrated with Yamal's rating compared to other attackers in the game. Still, for those who play Ultimate Team, he's likely to feature in a number of promos that will see his rating and stats increase throughout the game's life cycle.