Canadian soccer captain Christine Sinclair and U.S. forward Alex Morgan will be the first women to appear on the cover of Sports FIFA, the enormously popular video game by Electronic Arts, EA.
Sinclair will be on the Canadian cover, Morgan on the U.S. equivalent, and both will pose beside Lionel Messi, EA announced July 20.Â
FIFA 16 will be available Sept. 22 in North America.
“This year’s World Cup showcased the unbelievable talent and skill in women’s soccer,” said Sinclair in a Soccer Canada announcement.
“I’m thrilled that EA SPORTS is celebrating female athletes in FIFA 16. To be featured in the game and to promote women’s soccer with Alex is really special and another exciting step for women in sports.”
Sinclair, who is from Burnaby, is an Olympic bronze medalist who has been named the Canada Soccer Player of the Year 12 times. She is Canada’s all-time leading scorer and is ranked third worldwide in all-time international scoring with 155 goals.
For the first time in the history of the video game, women will also be available for FIFA 16 rosters, a development hinted at in a that ran continually during the Women’s World Cup this summer.
Gamers can in FIFA 16. Those teams include England, Germany and France, but don’t include Japan, the 2011 World Cup champions and 2012 Olympic silver medallists.
An EA marketing manager said the timing of the World Cup and the players’ “heart and courage” made them good candidates for the cover.
“As soon as we knew women’s national teams were joining FIFA 16, we immediately recognized that Christine and Alex would be the perfect cover athletes based on their accomplishments and what they represent for their respective countries and the sport of women’s soccer," said David Pekush in a news release. "They are exhilarating players and exude heart and courage on the pitch, and we are extremely proud to be working with them this year.”
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