EA Sports unveil 'FIFA 17' cover athletes, introduce women's club teams

Yesterday, EA Sports released a short teaser trailer for the upcoming FIFA 17 video game set to release this fall. While it was brief and didn’t provide too much information about what to expect, it did reveal the four cover athletes and a few screenshots of what the graphics may look like. Additionally, it was revealed that women’s club teams will debut in the game, expanding upon the international teams added in FIFA 16. A leaked photo also suggests that there will be more international women’s teams added, specifically Norway.

Four is Better than One

This year’s FIFA cover will include not one, but four athletes, the most ever in the game’s history. Eden Hazard of Chelsea, Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund, James Rodriguez of Real Madrid, and Anthony Martial of Manchester United all find themselves in the spotlight this time around. EA have clearly chosen to target young, up-and-coming stars as opposed to more experienced players like Lionel Messi, who graced the cover in each of the past four years.

FIFA 17 cover (Photo by UltimateTeamUK)
Potential FIFA 17 cover image (Photo from UltimateTeamUK)

Expanding club teams beyond men

The franchise is also taking major steps to include women’s teams, an aspect in which it has been lacking for over a decade now. Arsenal and Liverpool have been confirmed for the demo, with many if not all of the Barclays Premier League clubs expected to be a part of the full release. This is an exciting addition and one that EA hope will appeal to new audiences of gamers.

What else we know so far…

Newly hired Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is also featured in the teaser trailer, hinting that actual managers may finally be coming to the FIFA sidelines. Until now, generic characters have been used for all teams. More specific details regarding the game will be released in the next few weeks leading up to the E3 gaming convention, and it is set for release worldwide on September 29th.

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