The evolution of Kylian Mbappe seen through his FIFA rating over the years
- Harrison Discombe
- 29 March 2023
Kylian Mbappe's meteoric rise from Monaco unknown to football's premier talent is unlike anything seen in the sport before and it can be seen in how quickly his FIFA ranking shot into the 90s.
The Frenchman has won Ligue 1 Player of the Year three times, finished as the league's top goalscorer four times and earned the Golden Boot in a World Cup triumph, all while earning around £200 million in wages before reaching the age of 25.
The bona fide superstar is unsurprisingly one of five players with the highest rating in FIFA 23, but it wasn't too long ago that he didn't even feature in the game.
Here, we take a look at how Mbappe's year-on-year successes have been reflected by football's most popular video game.
FIFA 17 - 71
A fresh-faced Mbappe would have escaped the attention of the majority of players when he was released as a non-rare silver card in FIFA 17.
His first card revealed the pace and potential that was to come but pales in comparison to the player he would very quickly turn into.
It wouldn't take long for the teenager to find his way into the minds of football fans far and wide, however, as the former AS Bondy prospect struck 15 goals and added 11 assists to help fire Monaco to their first league title in 17 years.
Mbappe's fine form would earn him his first special card in the game, an 89-rated Team of the Season edition.
FIFA 18 - 83
Having bounced onto the footballing scene with aplomb the season before and agreed to join French powerhouses PSG on loan, EA had no choice but to seriously upgrade the ratings of Mbappe, who was still only 18 when the game was released.
The teenager was able to back up his 12-point rating bump with another stellar season on the pitch, earning 13 goals and seven assists en route to a second consecutive Ligue 1 title while becoming the youngest-ever player to reach 10 Champions League goals.
Four goals in a World Cup-winning campaign with France helped him earn a 93-rated Team of the Season card and a 97-rated international special card.
FIFA 19 - 87
FIFA 19 saw Mbappe enter the game as a right-winger for the first time and big bumps to his pace and dribbling meant he had become a legitimate weapon for any player who could afford to bring him in.
The Frenchman's continued goalscoring exploits meant he was upgraded to 88 in the game's Winter Update but fans were spoiled with another seven special cards hitting the game's market, ranging in rating from 89 to 97.
A season featuring 39 goals and 17 assists from just 43 PSG appearances meant Mbappe was now firmly in the conversation for best player in the world and surely set for another big rating increase.
FIFA 20 - 89
A two-point upgrade over his '19 edition meant Mbappe was now well and truly in the elite class of FIFA cards, especially with his position returned to striker, where it has stayed ever since.
The biggest upgrade came in shooting, with an 84 rating combined with 90+ in both pace and dribbling to become nightmare fuel for any player trying to defend against him.
Success on the pitch continued to reach new levels for the Frenchman, earning him his first Team of the Year card (his highest-ever rated card at 98), before picking up another Team of the Season nod that featured the same overall rating but slightly better stats.
FIFA 21 - 90
Having continued to stack both personal and team accolades, FIFA 21 saw Mbappe join the 90 club for the first time.
Boosts to his shooting and passing meant he was a better all-round player to use on the game than ever before, with his elite pace and dribbling meaning he could slip by defenders with ease, just as he did practically every week for club and country.
Another pair of Team of the Year and Team of the Season cards, together with a whole host of special upgrades throughout the game's cycle, meant Mbappe was one of FIFA's biggest stars and surely was set to become the highest-rated player in the game in the near future.
FIFA 22 - 91
More successes on the pitch meant Mbappe continued his trend of being upgraded every year, earning another +1 boost to become the third-highest-rated player in the game.
Messi's status as the GOAT was still undisputed with a 93 rating and PSG teammate Neymar sat alongside Mbappe at 91, but the former Monaco player was the only one of the three still trending upwards, surely meaning a seat at the top of FIFA's Ultimate Team rankings was just around the corner.
FIFA 23 - 91
In the latest edition, Mbappe failed to receive an upgrade for the first time in his career. However, his 91 is enough to earn him the title of highest-rated player, although he has to share it with four others.
His base card received a +1 boost to shooting while taking -1 from his physical rating, but his exploits at the World Cup mean he is surely in line for another bump in FIFA 24.
Mbappe took home the Golden Boot after netting eight times in Qatar, earning him sixth place in the tournament's all-time goalscoring charts with 12 overall. He also became just the second-ever player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final and was named by Didier Deschamps as captain of the team going forward.
Still, only 24, if Mbappe's rise continues at the frightening pace it's been locked at since he burst onto the scene, FIFA will have a hard time not making him the highest-rated base card ever.
