Australian captain and Chelsea striker Sam Kerr has become the first woman to grace the cover of an international version of the upcoming FIFA video game. Electronic Arts (EA) has been releasing a new FIFA game each year since 1993 with celebrated footballers on the disc cover. Before Kerr’s face on FIFA 23 cover, only men dominated this department, with Wayne Rooney, Ronaldinho, and Lionel Messi appearing most of the time. Even though some women footballers have been featured in the regional versions, this will be the first time for an international edition.
EA Sports Reveals FIFA 23 Cover
EA Sports took to Twitter to announce that its next game’s cover will feature a woman footballer alongside Kylian Mbappe. The PSG and France Forward has been featured solo on the FIFA cover for 2 consecutive years. However, now the Frenchman has to share the limelight with Kerr.
Previously, Alex Morgan from the US and Christine Sinclair from Canada have been featured alongside Lionel Messi on the cover of FIFA 16’s North American edition.
Sam Kerr’s Accolades
Sam Kerr had an exceptional 2021/2022 campaign to back up her appearance on FIFA 23 cover. The Australian started her career on the international stage at the age of 15 with Perth Glory FC. She joined Chelsea in the 2019/2020 season and assisted 2 goals in her debut match against Redding. She also captained Australia in the 2019 World Cup and scored 5 goals in the tournament. She is also the first Australian player (male or female) to score a hattrick in a World Cup match.
Kerr finished the Premier League season as Chelsea’s top scorer with 32 goals in 34 matches. Sam Kerr received many prestigious accolades for her threatening presence in front of the goal. She has won the WSL Player of the Season Award, Goal of the Season Award, PFA Player and Players’ Player of the Year, FWA Player of the Year, and Player of the Year at the London Football Awards. Chelsea also named her the Player of the Season after the recent campaign.
The End of An Era
This FIFA 23 cover might be historical, but it is the last one gamers will ever see. One of the most successful football game series is coming to an end after its next instalment, releasing in Fall 2022. EA Sports and FIFA ended their decades-old partnership after the breakdown of a business deal. The video game publisher reportedly made a “significant” offer to FIFA for having exclusivity over all of its gaming and e-football rights for 8 years. However, the football governing body refused to lock itself with only 1 publisher.
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