FIFA covers: all FIFA cover athletes
FIFA covers – there’s a lot of them. Getting your face and body plastered on one is among the highest accolades in the sport. In a sense, it makes you the international face of soccer, held up as one of the most exciting athletes.
If you want a sense of who the biggest soccer star of each year was, you only need to look back at the FIFA cover of that year. Luckily for you, that’s exactly what we’re about to do here. So before FIFA as a game series vanishes into the abyss, let’s look back over the last 30 years of cover stars.
FIFA covers: FIFA International Soccer
David Platt and Piotr Swierczewski
Alright, EA, we get it: it’s your first FIFA game. Still, you could have gone to more effort for the cover stars here, instead of putting two random dudes on the box and calling it a day. No offense to the dudes.
FIFA covers: FIFA Soccer 95
Erik Thorstvedt
The Norwegian goalkeeper is a bit of a strange choice for a FIFA cover, but you can’t deny it’s an excellent photo.
FIFA covers: FIFA Soccer 96
Andy Legg and Ioan Sabau
Another year, another action shot. The guy on the receiving end of this slide tackle probably didn’t even dive. Men in 1995 simply took the studs to the leg and sprinted on.
FIFA covers: FIFA 97
David Ginola
Now we’re getting closer to a proper FIFA cover. Ginola is also a more fitting player to put on the box, but that black and white kit isn’t very exciting is it?
FIFA covers: FIFA Road to World Cup 98
David Beckham
This is more like the kind of star power we’d come to expect from the series. Both the best and worst timing for Beckham’s FIFA debut, EA put him on a pedestal as the hero who would lead the English international team to victory, but he was instead characterized as the one who messed it all up. Of course, he’s doing alright for himself these days.
FIFA covers: FIFA 99
Dennis Bergkamp
Soccer fans of this era know why Bergkamp deserves a spot on this cover. Unlike Beckham, he even made it over with his sponsorships intact.
FIFA covers: FIFA 2000
Sol Campbell
He might have forgotten to bring his kit to the photo shoot, but he’s the first defender to appear on a FIFA cover.
FIFA covers: FIFA 2001
Paul Scholes
Scholes’ career didn’t exactly change the game in any meaningful way, but he’s a respectable enough choice for the front of the box. Shame about the kit.
FIFA covers: FIFA Football 2002
Thierry Henry
The first wave of a new breed of football superstar, Thierry Henry defined this era of football. We can still hear the chants.
FIFA covers: FIFA Football 2003
Roberto Carlos, Ryan Giggs, and Edgar Davids
Dope album cover, guys.
FIFA covers: FIFA Football 2004
Alessandro Del Piero, Thierry Henry, and Ronaldinho
Thierry Henry landed the honor of being the first player to be featured twice, but he had to share this time.
FIFA covers: FIFA Football 2005
Patrick Vieira, Fernando Morientes, and Andriy Shevchenko
While the previous cover of trios all became superstars in their own right, this bunch didn’t quite have the same impact on the sport.
FIFA 06
Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho
These two are going to show up a lot. Even today, Rooney is one of soccer’s biggest names, and even non-soccer fans know who Ronaldinho is. It’s also nice that EA put some effort into making this cover less boring looking.
FIFA covers: FIFA 07
Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho
They’re back again and all dried off.
FIFA covers: FIFA 08
Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho
Same guys, different angle. One angry, one happy.
FIFA covers: FIFA 09
Ronaldinho and Wayne Rooney
Ah, they’ve swapped sides now. That’ll do it.
FIFA covers: FIFA 10
Theo Walcott, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard
Poor Ronaldinho. Rooney must have been happy, mind.
FIFA covers: FIFA 11
Kaka and Wayne Rooney
Kaka’s career peaked here. Rooney endured.
FIFA covers: FIFA 12
Wayne Rooney and Jack Wilshere
Wilshere had a fractured ankle that kept him out of the season entirely, but it was nice of Rooney to invite him along for the cover.
FIFA covers: FIFA 13
Lionel Messi
Rooney’s back again, and this time he’s… wait, Rooney isn’t here? Wow. Finally, now we can get a different athlete on each cover. Lionel Messi, you’ll be missed, but it’s for the best.
FIFA covers: FIFA 14
Lionel Messi
Oh.
FIFA covers: FIFA 15
Eden Hazard and Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is the new Rooney. Eden Hazard joins him here, but the pair would later become rivals. What a cover.
FIFA covers: FIFA 16
Lionel Messi
Even Messi’s FUT card was dominating the game at this point, so it’s no wonder EA couldn’t let go.
FIFA cards: FIFA 17
Marco Reus
He didn’t have quite as long a run as Rooney, but Messi still had a good one. Marco Reus was the first athlete to get a FIFA cover without being accompanied by Messi or Rooney or Messi in 11 years. Hilarious considering he didn’t play a single match all season.
FIFA covers: FIFA 18
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo is an incredible player – one of the best – and he became the new dominant FIFA cover star when FIFA 18 rolled around.
FIFA covers: FIFA 19
Cristiano Ronaldo
Thus ends Ronaldo’s run. Short and sweet, at least he got two entire covers to himself.
FIFA covers: FIFA 20
Virgil van Dijk and Eden Hazard
Now we’re onto multiple covers, one starring Virgil van Dijk, and another with Eden Hazard. Both looking very serious.
FIFA covers: FIFA 21
Kylian Mbappé
Mbappé has been a dominant force since raising the World Cup trophy with his team in 2018, so he’s the obvious choice as the new face of FIFA.
FIFA covers: FIFA 22
Kylian Mbappé
Yes, it’s Kylian Mbappé. He looks like he’s having a great time.
FIFA covers: FIFA 23
Kylian Mbappé and Sam Kerr
It might have felt like a new era when Rooney vanished from the FIFA cover, but this really is a big step forward for soccer. Mbappé is back again, but he’s joined by Chelsea’s Sam Kerr, marking the first time a woman made the cover. It’s about time.
