Being the cover star of a major sports video game is a pretty sure sign of having ‘made it’ as a top athlete. For years, football and gaming fans have been swallowed up in the world of EA Sports’ FIFA series and, before that, Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer/PES, with new cover stars selected to lead each iteration of the games.
From Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho, to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, being the player on the front cover is very much a huge deal.
Think about how iconic the top sports video games are, and how many people have played them over the years. So many football fans hold incredible memories of spending hours on FIFA and PES and their various different modes through the years, and recall their favourite versions of the game often by the front cover.
But how can companies expect a game to be remembered as iconic if the player on the front isn’t an undisputed mega star in their own right?