In-game feel & playstyle
Rivaldo is a flair-first Icon LW with 91 dribbling, 92 ball control and a genuinely cannon-like 88 shooting backed by 86 finishing. On the ball he feels silky, the 92 ball control means tight touches in the box and the 87 passing lets him pick out a runner. The catch is how he gets there: his acceleration is CONTROLLED, so he builds speed gradually rather than bursting away, and at 6-star-less agility profiles he leans on skill and timing instead of raw explosiveness. He is a left-footed playmaker-winger, not a touchline burner.
Strengths
- ✅ 92 dribbling / 92 ball control, elite close control for skill moves and tight-space play
- ✅ 88 shooting, 86 finishing, a real long-range and cut-inside goal threat from the left
- ✅ 87 passing, doubles as a creator who can drop into CAM or LM
- ✅ 87 pace, respectable top speed once he is up to stride
- ✅ Icon links, easy chemistry as a Brazil and Icon node in almost any squad
Weaknesses
- ❌ 2-star weak foot, his right foot is unreliable, so finishing and passing angles funnel hard onto the left
- ❌ CONTROLLED acceleration, no instant burst; he loses the first yard to Explosive metas
- ❌ 42 defending, offers nothing tracking back, pure attacker
- ❌ Avoid meta tier (76.9 score), better-rated and cheaper meta wingers exist at this price
- ❌ 4-star skills only, good not great for a flair-leaning Icon
Best position, chemistry style & squads
Play him at LW where he can cut inside onto that 88-rated left foot, with LM and CAM as solid alternates. His biggest need is the first step, so a Hunter chem style is the best fit: it pushes pace toward 99 and lifts shooting to mask the CONTROLLED accel and feed the finishing. If you would rather lean into the playmaker role, an Engine boosts pace, dribbling and passing for a more all-round creator. As an Icon he links cleanly to any Brazil nation core and slots into every league as a chemistry-friendly Icon node, so squad building around him is painless.
Final verdict & ratings
Buy Rivaldo if you want a nostalgia Icon who is genuinely fun to dribble and shoot with, and you are happy to babysit the weak foot by getting him onto his left. Skip him if you are chasing meta efficiency: the CONTROLLED acceleration, 2-star weak foot and Avoid tier mean there are faster, more explosive wingers for similar or fewer coins. At 74K he is a fair-value flair pick, not a competitive Weekend League upgrade.
Conclusion
A joy to use in casual games and a clean chemistry link, but the 2-star weak foot and slow first step keep this Icon firmly in the fun-over-meta category.
