FIFA 16 has already had the worlds of video gaming and soccer buzzing with the announcement of female players and teams in the latest installment of the premier sports series. The excitement has only been heightened with the reveal of the cover for the upcoming game, which promotes the presence of female soccer players for the first time ever.
Lionel Messi, who has been the face of the FIFA series since 2012 and is considered to be one of the greatest players in history, shares the noteworthy cover with a star of women’s soccer, Alex Morgan. The American was part of the USA team that captured the Women’s World Cup in June this year and is one of the country’s most exceptional athletes, she’s scored 52 goals in 91 appearances. She will appear exclusively on the American version of the game, with Canada captain Christine Sinclair to be featured on the Canadian edition.
“It is an incredible honour to be one of the first women featured on the cover of EA Sports FIFA” said Morgan on her selection.
“I know people all over the world play this game and I’m really excited that FIFA 2016 is putting such an important spotlight on women’s soccer.”
BREAKING: #USWNT‘s Alex Morgan will join Lionel Messi on cover of FIFA 16. She’s 1st woman to star on cover of FIFA. pic.twitter.com/bFgK1qhkgh
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 20, 2015
FIFA 16 is the first of its kind to include female soccer competitors and will feature 12 playable women’s national teams: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. EA Sport’s latest trailer also heavily features a number of female players, as the promotion of this aspect has become the game’s unique selling point.
This is an excellent moment for both women’s sport and the FIFA series in general, as the choices of Morgan and Sinclair illustrate the significance of the addition of female players.
Women’s soccer has grown immensely in popularity in recent years, and their place on the cover is a testament to how well-received this introduction has been. With more North American fans getting invested in soccer through the success of their female teams, this could lead to a strong boost in sales.
FIFA 16 is scheduled to be released September 22, 2015 in North America, September 24 in most of Europe and September 25 in the United Kingdom.
