On August 31st, Lionel Messi officially announced his retirement from Argentina on social media.
During his two decades with Argentina, the 39-year-old led the team to major achievements including 2021 and 2024 Copa America titles, 2022 World Cup title, and this year's World Cup final appearance. He also holds the record for most appearances and all-time top scorer for Argentina with 207 appearances and 125 goals.
Messi has left a significant mark on FIFA, and his retirement will not only impact the real world of football. As a highly anticipated player card for FC 27, will Messi's OVR rating be affected after the game's release?

Messi
Before discussing his in-game rating, let's review Messi's representative achievements.
In fact, his path to fame was not smooth. He spent many years in the shadow of Diego Maradona, experiencing much doubt and disappointment, with the pressure even leading to a brief retirement from the national team in 2016.
His subsequent return changed everything.
Argentina won the 2021 Copa América, Messi's first major international title. A year later, he reached the pinnacle of his career: Argentina defeated France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, with Messi scoring the winning penalty in the shootout to lead Argentina to World Cup victory.
Following this, Messi helped Argentina win the 2024 Copa América, solidifying their dominance in international football.
In 2026, he made his sixth World Cup appearance, becoming the first player to reach 34 World Cup appearances and breaking his own record in the competition. He also became the all-time top scorer in World Cup group stage matches in 2026.
These achievements and statistics are crucial to his rating in FIFA 27, making him one of the most valuable players. While OVR and FUT coins alone cannot fully capture his achievements as a player who has continuously redefined top strikers over the past two decades, Messi's current rating is a testament to his talent.
EA SPORTS FC 27 currently rates Messi an overall of 89, making him one of the highest-rated players in the game and a top-tier attacking midfielder.
His speed is rated 76, and his technical attributes are equally impressive, especially Ball Control and Composure at 94, and his free-kick accuracy at 93. Compared to FC 26, his primary position has changed to CAM.
These statistics and changes reveal a key characteristic of Messi's current form.
He is no longer primarily portrayed as an explosive winger who relies on speed to break through defenses. Instead, FUT 27 emphasizes the qualities that have kept him a threat throughout his career, such as vision, passing, ball control, shooting, and the ability to control the attack.
In other words, Messi's 89 OVR rating not only affirms his brilliant achievements but also reflects that while his physical condition has declined with age, his technical level remains among the world's best, and he remains a top player in FC 27 SBCs.

Impact of Retirement
Messi has only retired from Argentina, not from professional football. He remains an Inter Miami CF player, and EA's FC 27 database will still list him as an MLS club.
EA's official explanation of player ratings states that the initial rating table represents Gold, Silver, and Bronze Player Items available at the time of Ultimate Team mode launch.
The page also specifically points out that this rating table does not reflect real-time status updates in other modes.
In other words, there is no reason for Messi's 89 overall rating to suddenly drop simply because he no longer participates in international matches.
Instead, more important factors are his performance at Inter Miami, playing time, and physical condition, all of which will affect any future database adjustments EA makes.
The only potential impact is what will happen if his role at the club changes.
At 39, Messi can no longer maintain the physical output he had at Barcelona. This is evident in FC 27, where his speed rating is 76, and his physical attributes and stamina are relatively low. As he posted, "I've given everything I had; I have nothing left to give."
If his appearances or impact in FC 27 decrease, EA may eventually adjust his individual attributes and consequently his overall rating.
Final High-scoring Basic Card
Currently, the main question for FC 27 players regarding Messi is whether his 89 OVR player card will be one of the last few high-scoring base cards.
Messi's 89 overall rating is already quite special, as it combines the physical attributes of a veteran with high-scoring technical ability. His speed is no longer as explosive as it once was, but his other attributes remain excellent.
This makes his base card in FC 27 seem like a microcosm of the final stage of his football career.
As Messi's club career nears its end, this distinction may become increasingly important. If his physical attributes continue to decline, EA may eventually have to consider the extent to which his technical advantages can compensate for the loss of speed and stamina.
For FUT players, this also means that Messi's future cards may increasingly rely on special events rather than his base rating.
Since EA now allows event player cards to upgrade in real-world performance, even if Messi's base rating eventually drops, it doesn't necessarily mean the end of high-rated Messi cards in Ultimate Team.
In fact, his status as one of the most iconic players in football history may make future special edition cards more appealing to collectors and veteran fans.
Besides completing objectives and challenges in SBCs, avid collectors will be willing to spend a significant amount of FC 27 coins to collect his cards.
What Can Fans Expect?
Currently, there's no need to worry about Messi's OVR in FUT 27; his rating will still change based on his performance in Inter Miami. If he performs well later, his rating will be adjusted accordingly.
He will never be just an ordinary Ultimate Team basic card.
Moreover, for him now, what he needs is no longer a World Cup trophy, a Ballon d'Or, or a new record. He will continue to accompany fans and players in another way.











