Ex-soccer star: EA Sports video game is ‘distorting reality’ by giving women similar rankings as men

EA Sports is getting a bad rap from a former soccer star for its rankings in its video game.

Formerly known as “FIFA,” “EA Sports FC” has included both men and women for users to play.

However, Joey Barton noticed what he feels is a peculiar aspect of the game regarding the ratings of the game.

In any video game, obviously, the higher the rating, the better the players are, with 99 usually being the highest score.

But Barton takes issue with women in the game being “rated the same as men.”

“The thing for me is they’re distorting reality. Reality’s being distorted because Aaron Collins, for instance — who’s at Bolton Wanderers — is rated 62, let’s say, on FIFA; but Beth Mead, who plays at Arsenal, is at 84,” Barton said on his podcast, “Common Sense with Joey Barton.”

“So, you’re better [off] signing Beth Mead, even though in real life Beth Mead should be rated 40 on the card compared to Aaron Collins at 62 or whatever.”

Barton has been critical of women being involved in men’s soccer.

On Dec. 6, he posted on X, formerly Twitter, that “women shouldn’t be talking with any kind of authority in the men’s game” because it’s a “completely different game.”

This month, he wrote, “The same people who tell you Women’s football is good. Are the same people who still tell you the Covid vaccine is safe.”

Barton played for several Premier League teams from 2002 to 2017 and managed the Bristol Rovers from 2021 to 2023.

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