FourFourTwo has been shamelessly binging on Pro Evo – especially the excellent Master League – so we’ve acquired a pretty good idea of who the leading lights are in this year’s instalment
In this table-heavy feature, we’ve put together a guide to the highest-rated forwards, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers in PES 2017. However, as listing players with the best overall ratings in each category probably won’t tell you anything that you don’t already know, we’ve also researched best-in-class player lists in various useful categories – such as tenacious midfielders, fast centre-backs and powerful targetmen.
We’ve also used our Master League experience to document young players with high growth potential. If you have yet to make meaningful progress in the Pro Evo management mode, these are targets that should eventually earn a place in almost any squad – and some will step right into your first team as if they belong there. (If, of course, you can afford them.)
Players always tend to perform best in their primary designated position in PES
Before we get to the tables, a few notes:
The majority of players in the 85+ “world class” tier in PES are great if you’re playing straight online head-to-heads, MyClub, or other game modes, but aren’t the players you should (or even can) acquire in Master League careers. They tend to be prohibitively expensive and, moreover, are usually at the wrong point in their development to represent a sound long-term investment (unless you’re lucky enough to bag them one of them on a Bosman).
As most people with an interest in these kinds of lists will be scouting for potential Master League recruits, our tables covering individuals who excel in a particular role focus on players between the ages of 16-26.
Players always tend to perform best in their primary designated position in PES (indicated as a position marked in bold in the tables below). Even if a player is ostensibly capable of playing in several positions, most will experience an overall rating drop when outside their specialist role. While there are exceptions (some individuals actually get a marginally higher rating), this is worth bearing in mind before you make a late-night Master League signing for a player who can also fill in as a RWF… only to find that he drops eight points when played there.
In Master League careers, note that all retired players are resurrected as 16-year-olds within a season or two of hanging up their boots. These youngsters are not cheap to buy (unless you’re lucky enough to have them land in your youth squad), and make unusually high wage demands, but the right ones can be phenomenal purchases. Be sure to check your team’s academy when new intakes arrive at the start and middle of each season. If a player has rating from 68-73, he could be a solid prospect or even better – but anything above that usually means that he’s a potential world-beater.
Players listed in the “Hot Prospects” sections are all below the age of 24 when you start a Master League career, but will all experience growth over several seasons. If you prefer to develop your own superstars, these are all sound investments. Should you have the squad space and the funds to acquire them, you can buy more than you really need and farm the surplus signings out on loan. If they don’t have a role at your club, you can later sell them on for a profit.
All player data within this feature is correct as of the most recent live update.
Top Attackers
Best Overall Ratings
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Name
Rating
Positions
Messi
94
RWF, SS, AMF
Ronaldo
93
LWF, CF, SS, RWF, LMF, RMF
Suarez
92
CF, RWF, LWF, SS
Aguero
90
CF, SS
Ibrahimovic
90
CF, SS, AMF
Neymar
90
LWF, SS, LMF
Bale
90
RWF, LWF, RMF, LMF
Stegers*
90
CF, SS, AMF
Higuain
89
CF, SS, RMF
Tevez
88
SS, CF, LWF, RWF
Muller**
88
SS, RWF, AMF, RMF
Robben**
88
RWF, LWF, SS, AMF, RMF, LMF
Sanchez
87
RWF, LWF, CF, AMF, LMF, RMF
Griezmann
87
SS, RWF, LWF, AMF, RMF
Benzema
87
CF, RWF, LWF, SS
Di Maria
87
RWF, LWF, AMF, RMF, CMF, LMF
Reus
87
LWF, RWF, CF, SS, AMF, RMF, LMF
*PES 2017 version of Lewandowski, not registered to a club.
**Not registered to a club
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Agile Forwards (16-26)
Search criteria: Attacking Prowess 80+, Ball Control 75, Finishing 75, Speed 85 and Explosive Power 85
Players who have the ability to unlock defences with great footwork and world-class acceleration, but can also deliver a respectable standard of finishing.
Many forwards of this archetype obviously lack pace, but more than compensate for that with their physical presence and aerial prowess.
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Name
Rating
Height
Positions
Kane
84
188
CF
Lukaku
83
193
CF, SS
L. De Jong
83
188
CF, SS, RWF, LWF, AMF
Klaassen
82
185
AMF, CMF, SS
Benteke
80
190
CF, SS
Pure Finishing (16-26)
Search Criteria: Attacking Prowess 75+, Finishing 85+, Kicking Power 75+
With the peak-level superstars taken out of the equation, this is the next generation of potential Golden Boot winners in PES 2017.
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Name
Rating
Positions
Neymar
90
LWF, SS, LMF
Griezmann
87
SS, RWF, LWF, AMF, RMF
Kane
84
CF
Lacazette
84
CF, SS, RWF
Icardi
83
CF, SS
Hot Prospects
Deulofeu (RWF): Slight but very skilful; excellent pace and technical stats.
Berardi (RWF): Good technique, strength and a wand of a left foot, but a mediocre Form stat of 3 will limit his starts per season.
Gabriel (SS): Fast, consistent, two-footed poacher; may cost over 20m to acquire.
Sterling (LWF): Versatile but slight. His pace and footwork can make an impression immediately, but you’ll need to wait a year or two for his shooting stats to rise to respectable levels.
Martial (CF): Physical, fast and great with the ball at his feet. Can become a complete forward within a few years.
El Ghazi (RWF): Taller than most wingers, and good in the air, so an excellent buy if you favour a 4-3-3 with an onus on crossing.
Embolo (CF): Balanced, industrious striker with great pace.
Rashford (CF): Will take a few years to stake a claim if joining a larger club, but his pace makes him a solid understudy until then.
Cornet (LWF): World-class pace and strength for a winger within a season… but his crossing ability isn’t great due to an unusually low Lofted Pass stat.
Players with an eye for a pass, and the technique to make the space to play it. If you’re struggling to break down packed defences, these are the type of players who can make a difference.
Players who can make a contribution in all phases of play, but are mostly defined by their boundless energy.
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Name
Rating
Positions
Pogba
89
CMF, DMF
Verratti
87
CMF, DMF
Kante
84
CMF
Florenzi
82
RMF, RB, LMF, CM, AMF, RWF, LWF
Danilo Pereira
82
DMF, CMF, CB
Long Shot Wizards (16-26)
Search Criteria: Finishing 70+, Kicking Power 70+, 'Long Range Drive' player skill
Top-class midfielders who can turn a tight match on its head with a 30-yard drive are a special commodity. These aren’t necessarily the best players at taking long-shots in PES 2017, but they’re all highly skilled individuals who definitely have that ability in their repertoires.
A good anchorman in PES should sit deep on the formation grid, just in front of the centre-backs. It’s not enough to be a pure destroyer: they also function as a pivot as you build or recycle attacking moves, so a good standard of passing ability is a necessary attribute.
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Name
Rating
Positions
Kante
84
CMF
G. Xhaka
83
CMF, AMF, DMF
Strootman
83
CMF, DMF
Danilo Pereira
82
DMF, CMF, CB
William C.
82
DMF
Prospects
Renato Sanches (CMF): Can become undroppable within a year in the first team. Exceptional pace, strength and tackling ability, though it takes a season or two for his passing stats to develop. Great long shots, too.
Calhanoglu (AMF): Becomes one of the best at shooting with power from dead-ball situations, but he’s also great at cracking them in from range in open play (he has the Long Range Drive and Knuckle Shot skills).
Sane (RMF): Exceptionally fast but extremely one-footed inverted winger: you really have to pay attention and ensure that you always use his left peg. Potentially brilliant impact sub if you have money to burn.
Dier (DMF): No great pace, but otherwise develops ideal attributes for a holding role.
Bazoer (CMF): Strong and energetic box-to-box midfielder. It takes a while for his defensive attributes to develop.
Kenedy (LMF): Can play all along the left side of the pitch. Great signing for a smaller side: his club seem to be desperate to offload him when Master League begins, so he could be a real bargain.
The defenders listed here can catch any forward in PES 2017 but, perhaps more importantly, have the raw pace to recover from their mistakes. The sheer strength and pace of Manolas makes him an extraordinary buy for any Master League team that can afford him.
Wing play is often the best way to break down packed defences in PES 2017, and full-backs with all-round ability are absolutely critical.
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Name
Rating
Positions
Alaba
86
LB, CB, LMF, DMF, CMF
R. Rodriguez*
85
LB, LMF
Daniel Carvajal
84
RB, LB, RMF, LMF
Danilo
82
RB, DMF, CMF, RMF
Clyne
81
RB
Ghoulam
81
LB, LMF, LWF
Mario Rui
81
LB
Mario Gaspar
81
RB
Fabinho
81
RB
Kurzawa
81
LB
*Not registered to a club
Prospects
Bellerin (RB): Can hit 99 in both speed stats in a season or two. He’s not entirely polished until later in his career – but with pace like that, you’ll easily overlook such shortcomings.
Laporte (CB): Becomes a world-class centre-back within a season or two.
Zouma (CB): Fast and strong from the start. Surprisingly good at making driving runs from deep.
Gimenez (CB): Outstanding in the air – may hit a 90 in the Jump stat within a year.
Jose Gaya (LB): Consistent, indefatigable attacking full-back.
Top Goalkeepers
Best Overall Ratings
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Name
Rating
Neuer*
90
Buffon
88
Courtois
87
De Gea
87
Cech
86
Lloris
86
Handanovic
86
Bravo
85
Navas
85
Hart
84
*Not registered to a club
Prospects
As in real life, buying a high-class goalkeeper under the age of 28 really isn’t cheap, so most players will be unlikely to prioritise this position in the opening few seasons… by which time, any names we suggest here will probably be established first-team players. That said, if you happen to pick a top-level side with a calamitous clown minding the nets, Leno of Leverkusen might be worth a look. We saw his overall rating rocket from 83 to 89 within a single year of a Master League career. The same growth might not happen for you, but he’s a great keeper nonetheless.
Miscellany
Fastest Players
Though pace matters less in PES 2017, players with incredible acceleration and top speed can still terrify defences if supplied with the right passes.
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Name
Rating
Position
Speed
Explosive Power
Aubameyang
85
CF
97
96
Gervinho*
86
LWF
96
97
Walcott
81
RWF
96
95
Bellerin
80
RB
95
97
Bale
90
RWF
93
94
*Not registered to a club
Best Dribblers
In addition to Ball Control and Dribbling, we’ve added the essential Body Control stat (which represents tackle resistance and balance recovery after impacts) to our calculations. PES 2017 is a very physical game: mesmeric footwork alone will only get you so far.
Payet’s feats last season (and, of course, that goal at the Euros) have evidently caught the attention of the Pro Evo development team. If you’re desperate to add a quality dead-ball specialist to your Master League team, and you have 20 million or so to burn, poaching Eriksen from Spurs – sorry, North East London – would be a smart move. He grows by a few points, and maintains a high level for several seasons.
