The 34-year-old is unquestionably one of the greatest athletes – let alone footballers – of the modern age. But let’s be honest, he’s not as prolific as he once was.

The Portuguese evolved his game from an explosive dribbler, capable of running rings around any defender, to a cunning poacher – using his speed and guile to get into the right positions when it matters most.

CR7’s cover star status may have protected his FIFA 18 / 19 ratings

Yet EA’s FIFA series has arguably not taken this evolution into account. Ronaldo, although still lightning fast, isn’t the livewire we saw 10 years ago – but his FIFA stats say otherwise.

With his top FUT card boasting 99 pace and 95 agility, this makes Ronaldo an unstoppable force with the ball at his feet. Often in Ultimate Team, CR7 can glide through even the tightest of defences – yet in real life this is much more infrequent.

Some would argue that, as the cover star of both FIFA 18 and 19, EA may have been limited when it came to Ronaldo’s rating – perhaps (and this is pure speculation) not tinkering with it too much to avoid upsetting their poster boy.

But FIFA 20’s cover will almost certainly not feature the Portuguese – with EA possibly opting for Neymar, Raheem Sterling or Jadon Sancho.

So, what does this mean for Ronaldo’s rating? Well, he’s almost certainly going to be in the 90s – but expect his pace and agility to take a big hit.

Even though he has turned himself into a number 9, he has scored less goals since moving to Juventus. His 28 goals in all competition this past season is his lowest return since leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid back in 2009. Is this the start of the decline for the Portugal captain?

Ronaldo’s possible card for FIFA 20… his pace stats have taken a hammering

FIFA 20 news and gameplay will be revealed at this year’s Gamescom expo in Cologne.

The annual gaming event, taking place between August 21-24, is often the convention of choice for EA to showcase more about their flagship football title.