The Highest Rated Player in FIFA 2003 Has Sunk Into Obscurity

EA Sports' FIFA video game has been the 'in' thing for football fans for some time now - in fact, you probably know a few people who don't even watch football but still play FIFA.

Player ratings have always been a point of debate in the game, and FIFA 17 was no different, with Cristiano Ronaldo getting put ahead of Lionel Messi as the game's best player.

Many agree and many don't, but EA hardly ever get it that far off.

The 2003 installment however, proved that the gaming franchise are capable of making huge howlers. Back then, Ronaldo and Messi were nothing more than exciting prospects, while the likes of Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, Pavel Nedved and Ronaldinho bossed the football world.

Surely, one of these players should have been rated the highest in FIFA 03, but instead, it was someone hardly anyone remembers today, or even knew very well back then.

That player was Matteo Brighi, who was given an incredible rating of 97, higher than cover stars Henry, Ryan Giggs and Roberto Carlos.

Brighi was the 2002 Serie A Young Player of the Year, as well as a star for Italy's Under-21 side. Francesco Totti, Filippo Inzaghi, Marek Hamsik and Daniele de Rossi are among other notable players to win the award, but Brighi failed to reach the heights that they have.

The central midfielder had spells with Juventus, Parma, Roma and Torino, and was capped four times for Italy, but never lived up to the rating.

Now 36, he still plays for Serie B side Perugia, and is living proof that FIFA ratings don't always match the man.

Kavan Flavius is a regular contributor to the Official Chelsea Guest Fan Blog, find him on Twitter@KavanFlavius.