If you are an avid football fan, you're likely well aware that Cristiano Ronaldo recently joined Al-Nassr football club in Saudi Arabia, but you might be unaware of the transfer's impact on the player's overall rating in FIFA 23, which recently dropped to 88.
Cristiano Ronaldo now has a rating of 88 in FIFA 23, which is 2 points less than his original rating in FIFA 23 when the game launched back in September last year. The change was made after Ronaldo officially joined Al-Nassr, though the player has not even played with his new club's jersey yet.
It is believed that Ronaldo's poor performance in the 2022 World Cup has also contributed to his recent rating drop in FIFA 23, though leaving the top-level leagues of Europe for playing in the Saudi Pro League could be another factor for the downgrade. The two-point decrease in overall rating comes as a result of losing multiple specific stats such as Dribbling and Stamina. His Stamina is now 70, dropping by 4 points, and his Dribbling is now 81, dropping by 3 points.
This is the first time since 2007 that Ronaldo has received a rating of 88. Regarding the fact that the Portugal star is already 37 years old, this might be the beginning of a downfall for the player in the FIFA (EA Sports FC) series. Of course, it depends on his performance in Al-Nassr, and we shouldn't really think of this as the end of his career as he could still return to European football. Zlatan Ibrahimović also left the European leagues for MLS in 2018, but then he returned to AC Milan in 2020 and won a league title with the Italian club last year.
It's worth noting that the drop in rating only affects the Kick-Off and Career modes of FIFA 23 for now. So, if you have CR7 in your squad in the Ultimate Team, you shouldn't be worried just yet. However, you might need to think of a new replacement soon, before the player's new Al-Nassr card arrives reflecting the recent rating changes.