Best games
Best Sports games of 2021
The 10 best Sports games released in 2021, ranked from 688 critic and player ratings.
The best Sports game of 2021 is Football Manager 2022, with a critic score of 90/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 2021.
- 10 games are listed on this page, carrying 688 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 29 September 2026.
Top 10
01
Football Manager 2022
The closest thing to real football management. FM22 brings new, progressive ways to find your winning edge, instill your footballing style and earn it on the pitch.
90
/100
02
F1 2021
Every story has a beginning in F1 2021! Enjoy the stunning new features, including the thrilling story experience 'Braking Point', two-player career, and get even closer to the grid with 'Real-Season Start'. Take your team to the top in the acclaimed ten-year 'My Team' career mode, or race head-to-head in split-screen and multiplayer. Immerse yourself in the greatest racing spectacle on the planet and race with the authentic lineup of twenty heroic drivers and ten iconic teams from the 2021 season.
92
/100
03
Knockout City
Team up and duke it out with rival Crews in Knockout City, where epic dodgeball battles settle the score in team-based multiplayer matches. Throw, catch, pass, dodge, and tackle your way to dodgeball dominance!
82
/100
Football Manager 2022
The closest thing to real football management. FM22 brings new, progressive ways to find your winning edge, instill your footballing style and earn it on the pitch.
90
/100
02
F1 2021
Every story has a beginning in F1 2021! Enjoy the stunning new features, including the thrilling story experience 'Braking Point', two-player career, and get even closer to the grid with 'Real-Season Start'. Take your team to the top in the acclaimed ten-year 'My Team' career mode, or race head-to-head in split-screen and multiplayer. Immerse yourself in the greatest racing spectacle on the planet and race with the authentic lineup of twenty heroic drivers and ten iconic teams from the 2021 season.
92
/100
03
Knockout City
Team up and duke it out with rival Crews in Knockout City, where epic dodgeball battles settle the score in team-based multiplayer matches. Throw, catch, pass, dodge, and tackle your way to dodgeball dominance!
82
/100
04
Riders Republic
Jump into the Riders Republic massive multiplayer playground! Bike, ski, snowboard, or wingsuit across an open world sports paradise. Join a massive multiplayer community and participate in an avalanche of diverse activities in real time with others!
77
/100
05
FIFA 22
Powered by Football, FIFA 22 brings the game even closer to the real thing with fundamental gameplay advances and a new season of innovation across every mode. Play with 17,000+ players, over 700 teams in 90+ stadiums and more than 30 leagues from all over the globe.
76
/100
06
Umamusume: Pretty Derby
Umamusume: Pretty Derby is ready to race! Scout featured trainees and supporters as you navigate the immersive sports life simulation through the game's in-depth training system and top-of-the-line 3D graphics!
74
/100
07
NBA 2K22
NBA 2K22 puts the entire basketball universe in your hands. Play now in real NBA and WNBA environments against authentic teams and players. Build your own dream team in MyTeam with today’s stars and yesterday’s legends. Live out your own pro journey in MyCareer and experience your personal rise to the NBA. Flex your management skills as a powerful Executive in MyGM and MyLeague. Anyone, anywhere can hoop in NBA 2K22.
73
/100
08
Destruction AllStars
Dominate the glittering global phenomenon of Destruction AllStars – the spectacular prime-time sport for dangerous drivers! Master the art of intense vehicle-based combat through timing, tactics and skills to cause colossal amounts of damage, destruction and devastation in vibrant arenas across the globe. Pile-on the destruction from behind the wheel or leap into the arena with a breathtaking reel of parkour action by dodging attacks, taking over vehicles or using abilities to disrupt the onslaught of incoming vehicles. Cause enough mayhem to power up your AllStars game-changing hero vehicle fueled with special abilities. A roster of 16 blockbuster Destruction AllStars are revved up and ready to compete in the name of entertainment and demolition. So, strap in for intense, explosive and unpredictable levels of free-flowing action and fight to be crowned the Global Destruction Federation Champion.
62
/100
09
SkateBIRD
Drop in, and be a skateboarding bird. Grind on bendy straws, kickflip over staplers, and carve killer lines through a cardboard and sticky tape world. Skatebird can't fly, but on a board, they soar.
59
/100
10
eFootball
eFootball is a football simulation game developed and published by Konami. Released in September 2021, it marks a significant shift in the Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series. Konami rebranded the franchise to eFootball and transitioned to a free-to-play model and a new engine, Unreal Engine.
30
/100
Riders Republic
Jump into the Riders Republic massive multiplayer playground! Bike, ski, snowboard, or wingsuit across an open world sports paradise. Join a massive multiplayer community and participate in an avalanche of diverse activities in real time with others!
77
/100
05
FIFA 22
Powered by Football, FIFA 22 brings the game even closer to the real thing with fundamental gameplay advances and a new season of innovation across every mode. Play with 17,000+ players, over 700 teams in 90+ stadiums and more than 30 leagues from all over the globe.
76
/100
06
Umamusume: Pretty Derby
Umamusume: Pretty Derby is ready to race! Scout featured trainees and supporters as you navigate the immersive sports life simulation through the game's in-depth training system and top-of-the-line 3D graphics!
74
/100
07
NBA 2K22
NBA 2K22 puts the entire basketball universe in your hands. Play now in real NBA and WNBA environments against authentic teams and players. Build your own dream team in MyTeam with today’s stars and yesterday’s legends. Live out your own pro journey in MyCareer and experience your personal rise to the NBA. Flex your management skills as a powerful Executive in MyGM and MyLeague. Anyone, anywhere can hoop in NBA 2K22.
73
/100
08
Destruction AllStars
Dominate the glittering global phenomenon of Destruction AllStars – the spectacular prime-time sport for dangerous drivers! Master the art of intense vehicle-based combat through timing, tactics and skills to cause colossal amounts of damage, destruction and devastation in vibrant arenas across the globe. Pile-on the destruction from behind the wheel or leap into the arena with a breathtaking reel of parkour action by dodging attacks, taking over vehicles or using abilities to disrupt the onslaught of incoming vehicles. Cause enough mayhem to power up your AllStars game-changing hero vehicle fueled with special abilities. A roster of 16 blockbuster Destruction AllStars are revved up and ready to compete in the name of entertainment and demolition. So, strap in for intense, explosive and unpredictable levels of free-flowing action and fight to be crowned the Global Destruction Federation Champion.
62
/100
09
SkateBIRD
Drop in, and be a skateboarding bird. Grind on bendy straws, kickflip over staplers, and carve killer lines through a cardboard and sticky tape world. Skatebird can't fly, but on a board, they soar.
59
/100
10
eFootball
eFootball is a football simulation game developed and published by Konami. Released in September 2021, it marks a significant shift in the Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series. Konami rebranded the franchise to eFootball and transitioned to a free-to-play model and a new engine, Unreal Engine.
30
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Sports game of 2021?
Football Manager 2022 currently tops the ranking with a score of 90/100 across 49 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.