FIFA 19 Player Ratings: Top 10 Ligue 1 players prediction

Ligue 1 was dominated by Paris Saint-Germain last season, with the Parisians romping to the title by a 13-point margin. Let’s not forget the French national team secured a second World Cup crown with victory in Russia this summer, making French football ‘en vogue’ once again.

Given the ease of which PSG took the title last year, predicting the Ultimate Team ratings for Ligue 1 is tricky. Now under Thomas Tuchel, the champions will look to close the gap on the European scene, as the other French clubs struggle to keep up.

Neymar took the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award last season, capping a superb campaign on paper in which he also won four domestic trophies with PSG. That being said, the Brazilian was injured for the last two months of the campaign, making his prize slightly baffling. The 26-year-old looked sluggish at the World Cup, perhaps picking up bad habits in a lesser league since making the world record £196 million switch to Paris from Barcelona.

Despite his critics, you cannot doubt Neymar’s ability. He should on to his 92 overall rating for FIFA 19 as he scored 28 goals and notched 16 assists in 30 games during his debut season in France.
The addition of Neymar to PSG was a bonus to Edinson Cavani, with the Uruguayan flourishing as the spearhead of the attack on route to the title. Cavani scored 40 times in 48 games last season as well as assisting his teammates 11 times. He took his form into the World Cup, and even looked promising even when not scoring, something we haven’t seen in the past.

Cavani’s FUT rating increased for the Ratings Refresh in the winter, so don’t expect it to be lifted again for FIFA 19. At the age of 31, it may be the highest we see Cavani for the remainder of his career.
Some may see Marco Verratti’s 87 rating on FIFA 18 and wonder why it’s so high, but after another commanding season in the PSG midfield, you can’t see it decreasing. The 25-year-old racked up 38 appearances in the campaign before a hamstring injury, but expect him to come out firing this year as he will now be the man to lift the fortunes of the Italian national team.

Verratti’s rating is expected to remain more and less the same, with the central midfielder holding multiple facets to his game.
This guy just keeps getting better. Kylian Mbappe has somehow lived up to his £166 million move from Monaco, by scoring 21 goals and adding 15 assists over 41 games for PSG. He then went up another notch at the World Cup for France, winning the biggest tournament on earth, netting four goals in Russia and taking home the Young Player of the Tournament prize.

Mbappe’s level should rise for FIFA 19, and he could also be in line for a position change. The forward lined up regularly on the right side for both club and country last season, so he could become a right winger (RW) or right forward (RF) on the game.
Predicting the level of PSG new signing Gianluigi Buffon is a tough one. The departing Juventus captain and legend is a much-loved figure, so he may not see his overall slashed too heavily for FIFA 19. The Italian hero is now 40, and it remains to be seen whether he will be the number one at the Parc des Princes, with Alphonse Areola (FIFA 18 OVR 79) showing great promise.

We think it will be a drop of three to 86 for Buffon, still keeping him as one of the best goalkeeper’s in the world. Will we be saying the same thing in 12 months’ time, or will he even be playing?
Nabil Fekir looked to be inches away from a move to Liverpool over the summer, but Lyon will be mightily relieved they have kept their star man. The attacking midfielder scored 18 goals and notched eight assists last season as OL finished third in Ligue 1.

With more eyes on him this year, can the Lyon skipper continue to improve and perhaps secure that big money move at the end of the season?
Few will throw around the name Danijel Subasic in the world’s best goalkeepers debate, but after saving Croatia twice in penalty shootouts at the World Cup, there is no denying it now. The 33-year-old kept 11 clean sheets in Ligue 1 last year as Monaco finished second, and of course had a huge hand in Croatia reaching the World Cup Final.

On FIFA 19, he should keep hold of his 85 rating with small improvement to his stats.
You can’t say Thiago Silva had a poor campaign, with PSG claiming a fifth Ligue 1 title in six seasons, but there is a sense this is not the defensive powerhouse of old. Silva was dropped for PSG’s Champions League Round of 16 tie with Real Madrid, and at the age of 33 his best days are now behind.

A decrease of three to 85 may be harsh, but with Marquinhos (see below) improving, Presnel Kimpembe (FIFA 18 OVR 78) part of France’s World Cup winning squad and Thilo Kehrer (FIFA 18 OVR 71) signed from Schalke over the summer, PSG are prepped to hand over the defensive reins.
Judging Kamil Glik’s overall for the new game is another tricky one, given the uneventfulness of Monaco’s last campaign. The defending champions did finish second in the league, but 13 points behind PSG, and failed to win any silverware along with a group stage exit from the Champions League.

Perhaps Glik’s injury at the start of the World Cup showed how important he is, with Poland struggling in Russia. The first few weeks of the new season will determine any tweaks to the centre back’s rating.
Marquinhos is now into his sixth-straight season of being a regular for PSG, and it looks to be the campaign where he becomes the defensive linchpin. He has learned off Thiago Silva, and now aged 24, he can knuckle down and become one of the best defenders on the planet.

For now, his 84 rating should remain, but expect this to be the season where that rises, especially if PSG can put their European issues behind them.