Ronaldinho, Zidane, Henry: The highest-rated FIFA XI of all-time - no Ronaldo or Messi

In recent years FIFA has gone card crazy.

EA Sports’ obsession with frequent card promotion schemes has meant that the modern day FIFA games are full to the brim with different types of ‘special cards’.

From ‘Shapeshifters’ to ‘Winter Wildcards’ there really is no limit on what kind of unique spin you can acquire across some of the world’s best players.

But what about the good old days? When packing an 87-rated Manuel Neuer card in FIFA 13 was cause for elation rather than just a, ‘meh’, as you toss the controller to one side.

Before the promotions, we still had many top tier FIFA cards that were rated right up to near the 100 mark and were guaranteed to cause an absolute scene when you unleashed them on an opponent.

Who, though, were the very highest-rated?

And no, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo do not make the XI.

For clarification, ‘special cards’ are not taken into account, instead the focus is on the base rating for any FIFA player since the game’s inception.

Enjoy a lovely trip down memory lane.

Isn’t it incredible to think Buffon is still going and is present on the most recent FIFA? Albeit with a rating of 80 rather than a staggering 97.

Nevertheless, his longevity is miraculous and it’s worth remembering that he was still rated an impressive 88 overall on FIFA 19 when at Paris-Saint Germain.

The French World Cup winner is the lowest rated player in this team but still provides exceptional value at right-back.

He was certainly some player in his day, especially when at Juventus and Barcelona.

If we’d told you before that a member of the AC Milan defence from the noughties had made the cut you would probably have thought we were talking about Paolo Maldini.

We certainly would…

However, it is in