FIFA 22: Best Headers of the Ball

Speed has been at the forefront of FIFA gameplay over the last ten years, but there’s little doubt that there is still a place for forwards and defenders who can dominate aerially. Whether it be from set pieces, goal kicks, or crosses, these big men can turn any game in your favour if you play to their considerable strengths in-game.

This article focuses upon the best headers of the ball in the game with Luuk de Jong, Leonardo Pavoletti, and Sergio Ramos being amongst the best in FIFA 22.

We have ranked these aerially gifted players based on their heading accuracy rating, their jumping rating, and the fact that they possess the aerial threat trait in this year’s game.

At the bottom of the article, you’ll find a full list of all the best headers of the ball in FIFA 22.

Leonardo Pavoletti (75 OVR – 75 POT)

Team: Cagliari
Age: 32
Wage: £28,000 p/w
Value: £4 million
Height: 6’2”
Best Attributes: 93 Heading Accuracy, 90 Jumping, 81 Strength

A name very familiar to fans of Italian football, Leonardo Pavoletti has the highest heading accuracy rating of anyone in FIFA 22, a fair reflection of his reputation as a tremendous aerial threat.

Blessed with good height and an even more impressive leap, the target man has been attributed 93 heading accuracy and 90 jumping – the prototypical physical and technical profile for a game-changing and clinical target man in-game.

The Italian international scored the sixth goal in his only international appearance, a 6-0 drubbing versus Liechtenstein. Pavoletti has played for ten different Italian teams in his storied career but more recently he’s settled in Cagliari where he’s netted 33 goals, more than he’s scored at any other club. He’s 32 years old so there are better long-term striker options out there, but there’s no doubt Pavoletti has the capability to decimate defences in the air if the supply is good enough.

Luuk de Jong (79 OVR – 79 POT)

Team: FC Barcelona
Age: 30
Wage: £29,000 p/w
Value: £14.6 million
Height: 6’2”
Best Attributes: 93 Heading Accuracy, 88 Jumping, 84 Strength

A surprise signing for the Catalan giants, Luuk de Jong left Sevilla on loan in the summer of 2021, to help his compatriot Ronald Koeman spark a revival at the Nou Camp by using his undoubted heading ability to fire Barcelona to silverware.

Koeman is clearly not the only one who rates Luuk de Jong in the air. FIFA 22 has given him 93 heading accuracy and 88 jumping which makes the 38-time Holland international the second-best header of the ball in the game, with his slightly inferior jumping rating compared to Pavoletti the only thing keeping him from top spot.

The 30-year-old has an excellent goalscoring record domestically in the Eredivisie for PSV Eindhoven and FC Twente, which boosted his profile on the continent – although his scoring exploits have been less impressive away from the Dutch top tier. If you’re attempting to buck that trend in Career Mode, you’ll have to wait a season, by which time de Jong will be 31, so you might want to prioritise signing other target men in your save.

Sergio Ramos (88 OVR – 88 POT)

Team: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 35
Wage: £99,000 p/w
Value: £20.6 million
Height: 6’0”
Best Attributes: 93 Jumping, 92 Heading Accuracy, 92 Penalties

A legend of European football, Sergio Ramos finds himself away from La Liga for the first time in his entire career after making 508 appearances during a 17-year stint with Sevilla and, more famously, Real Madrid.

Not only is Ramos known as a supremely talented defender and an aggressive competitor at centre half, but the Spaniard will also be remembered for his prolific goalscoring from the heart of defence. The constant threat that he provides from set pieces, where he has scored the majority of his goals, is underlined by his 93 jumping and 92 heading accuracy.

Scorer of 78 domestic goals, most of which were headers, and a further 23 in his sensational 180-game career for his national side, Sergio Ramos will go down as one of the most iconic footballers of his generation. He may not be a viable signing in Career Mode but if you can secure his signature, Ramos will undoubtedly be a key member of your side.

Matheus Bardeira (78 OVR – 78 POT)

Team: Fortaleza
Age: 21
Wage: £12,000 p/w
Value: £14.6 million
Height: 6’2”
Best Attributes: 92 Heading Accuracy, 89 Jumping, 87 Shot Power

A generated player in FIFA 22 that does not exist outside of the game, Matheus Bardeira has been tailored by to represent the ultimate target man prospect in Career Mode.

The 21-year-old who features for Fortaleza has been given 92 heading accuracy, 89 jumping, and a 6’2” frame that makes him a nightmare for defences to man mark in and around the penalty area, where Bardeira will score most of his goals.

His potential is supposedly capped at 78, but Bardeira would still be a great signing as he is still young, he has the complete forward trait, and his release clause of only £27.8 million would be easy enough to trigger if you’re managing one of Europe’s bigger clubs.

Raúl García (80 OVR – 80 POT)

Team: Athletic Bilbao
Age: 34
Wage: £31,000 p/w
Value: £9 million
Height: 6’0”
Best Attributes: 92 Jumping, 90 Heading Accuracy, 86 Long Shots

He may have played as more of a playmaker during the earlier stage of his career when he was an out-and-out attacking midfielder for Atlético Madrid and Osasuna, but since he signed for current club Athletic Bilbao in 2015, Raùl García has often been deployed as a target man due to his aerial gifts.

Since arriving at the Basque club, the twice-capped Spanish international has regularly showcased his remarkable jumping and his deadly heading accuracy, which FIFA rates at 92 and 90 respectively. The 34-year-old’s unique profile makes him an interesting attacking option to use in-game.

The aging forward is retiring in Career Mode after the 2021/22 season, so you won’t be able to sign him in your save. Nonetheless, if you manage Athletic Bilbao, you’ll have a brilliant header of the ball and a smart playmaker at your disposal.

Cristiano Ronaldo (91 OVR – 91 POT)

Team: Manchester United
Age: 36
Wage: £232,000 p/w
Value: £38.7 million
Height: 6’2”
Best Attributes: 95 Jumping, 95 Finishing, 95 Attacking Positioning

Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever play the game, and depending on who you ask, perhaps the best footballer to ever lace a pair of boots due to his imperious goalscoring exploits and his revolutionary, one-of-a-kind skill on the ball.

Although he began his career at Sporting as a slight winger, Ronaldo evolved into a fiercely strong and explosive striker with a leap that no defender in world football could compete with. FIFA 22 has given the Portuguese legend 95 jumping and 90 heading accuracy – these represent two of the eight 90+ attributes Ronaldo has this year.

After romantically returning to English football with his former side Manchester United, Ronaldo remains one of the best footballers in the world despite being 36 years old at the beginning of Career Mode saves. Prising him away from the red side of Manchester will be tough, but if you can do it, you’ll have one of the all-time greats on your hands.

Robert Lewandowski (92 OVR – 92 POT)

Team: Bayern München
Age: 32
Wage: £232,000 p/w
Value: £102.8 million
Height: 6’1”
Best Attributes: 95 Finishing, 95 Attacking Positioning, 93 Reactions

Robert Lewandowski’s name will live on in footballing folklore forever. He is one of the most clinical strikers of the 21^st century after decimating modern goalscoring records in the Bundesliga with his unmatched poacher’s attacking play.

The Polish poacher is no goal hanger, though, and can be considered one of the biggest aerial threats in world football. FIFA 22 also believes Bayern’s goal machine to be a master of heading with 90 heading accuracy, which is certainly compatible with 95 attacking positioning as it allows Lewandowski to occupy great positions in the box before competing aerially for crosses and lofted passes.

He was initially recognised as a hot striking prospect in his native Poland, and Lewandowski realised his phenomenal potential by becoming the second all-time goal scorer in the German top tier with 284 goals in 357 outings for German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. He may not be attainable for you in Career Mode given his ridiculously high value and wages, but as far as headers of the ball go, it doesn’t get much better than Lewandowski.

All of the best headers of the ball in FIFA 22 Career Mode

In the table below you’ll find all the most effective headers of the ball in FIFA 22, sorted by their heading accuracy rating and their jumping rating.

If you want the most aerially accomplished footballers in FIFA 22 Career Mode save look no further than the table provided above.