No one understands why EA made this footballer the best player on FIFA 2003
Matteo Brighi was an absolute legend on that year's FIFA - and had a higher overall rating than the cover stars
Ever heard of Matteo Brighi? Nope, we thought not.
But if you’d played FIFA 2003, Brighi was an absolute legend – and was the highest-rated player in the game with a whopping 97 overall score.
Only, no one understood why.
After all, the midfielder trumped the likes of Thierry Henry and cover stars Ryan Giggs and Roberto Carlos.
So, who is he?
Back in 2002, Brighi was regarded as one of Europe’s promising young players.
That year, he scooped Serie A’s Young Footballer of the Year and was called up to play for Italy in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.
Sadly, his career never quite took off.
He went on to get just four senior caps and play for the likes of Juventus, Roma and Torino, before ending up in his current club Perugia.
While his career may not reached the lofty heights expected of such a talented player, in FIFA the Italian was something else altogether.
There are even dedicated to the star discussing why he was picked as the game’s number one player.
Dream Team’s own Michael Golson, who played with Brighi in the FIFA game, said: “I remember he was great at tackling and dribbling.
"He just had amazing defensive skills – I’d pair him with Manchester United’s Roy Keane. God, I sound ancient.”
Sadly, although Brighi appears in FIFA 18, his 70-rated card is nowhere near his best.
Still, an incredible story and a true FIFA legend.