{"id":30619,"date":"2026-06-15T04:15:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T01:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/console-classics.com\/?p=30619"},"modified":"2026-06-15T04:15:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T01:15:05","slug":"the-evolution-of-fifa-cover-stars-every-athlete-from-1993-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/console-classics.com\/ru\/video-games\/the-evolution-of-fifa-cover-stars-every-athlete-from-1993-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"\u042d\u0432\u043e\u043b\u044e\u0446\u0438\u044f \u0437\u0432\u0435\u0437\u0434 \u043d\u0430 \u043e\u0431\u043b\u043e\u0436\u043a\u0430\u0445 \u0438\u0433\u0440 FIFA: \u0432\u0441\u0435 \u0441\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u0441\u043c\u0435\u043d\u044b \u0441 1993 \u043f\u043e 2022 \u0433\u043e\u0434"},"content":{"rendered":"

Uncover the complete history of FIFA cover stars\u2014every athlete from 1993 to 2022\u2014with images, trivia, and personal reflections on gaming\u2019s iconic faces.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u0417\u0432\u0435\u0437\u0434\u044b, \u0443\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0448\u0430\u0432\u0448\u0438\u0435 \u043e\u0431\u043b\u043e\u0436\u043a\u0438 \u0438\u0433\u0440 \u0441\u0435\u0440\u0438\u0438 FIFA, \u043d\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u044f\u0436\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0438 \u0434\u0435\u0441\u044f\u0442\u0438\u043b\u0435\u0442\u0438\u0439 \u043e\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0435\u043b\u044f\u043b\u0438 \u043a\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0443\u0440\u0443 \u0444\u0443\u0442\u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0445 \u0432\u0438\u0434\u0435\u043e\u0438\u0433\u0440. \u0412\u0437\u0433\u043b\u044f\u043d\u0438\u0442\u0435 \u043d\u0430 \u0432\u0441\u0435\u0445 \u043a\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0445 \u0441\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u0441\u043c\u0435\u043d\u043e\u0432 \u0441 1993 \u043f\u043e 2022 \u0433\u043e\u0434 \u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0441\u043c\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0438\u0442\u0435, \u043a\u0430\u043a \u044d\u0442\u0438 \u043e\u0431\u043b\u043e\u0436\u043a\u0438 \u043e\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0436\u0430\u044e\u0442 \u044d\u0432\u043e\u043b\u044e\u0446\u0438\u044e \u043b\u0435\u0433\u0435\u043d\u0434 \u044d\u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0432\u0438\u0434\u0430 \u0441\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u0430.<\/p>\n

A Journey Through FIFA\u2019s Cover Stars<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s something magical about cracking open a new FIFA game<\/a> and seeing an iconic footballer staring back from the cover. It\u2019s a ritual that\u2019s defined the pulse of football gaming for nearly three decades. When EA dropped the FIFA branding in 2022 and shifted to EA Sports FC, it felt like the end of an era\u2014a bit like saying goodbye to your favorite commentator after years of Saturday matches.<\/p>\n

\"Classic
Classic FIFA cover art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s hard to grasp just how massive FIFA became: by 2021, over 325 million copies had been sold. That\u2019s not just a best-selling sports franchise; it\u2019s a cultural institution. The cover stars themselves? They\u2019re football royalty, regional heroes, and sometimes, surprise picks that leave you scratching your head.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dive into the definitive list of every FIFA cover star<\/a>, from its pixelated beginnings to its final FIFA-branded outing.<\/p>\n

The 1990s: Humble Beginnings and Regional Faces<\/h2>\n

The earliest FIFA games weren\u2019t afraid to mix things up. EA\u2019s approach was to tailor covers to different regions\u2014meaning you might see David Platt in the UK, but someone entirely different if you picked up a copy in North America or Japan.<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA International Soccer 1993 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA International Soccer (1993)<\/strong>
\n– David Platt & Piotr \u015awierczewski (UK \/ International)
\n– Alexi Lalas (North America)
\n– Ruud Gullit, Unknown, Pat Bonner & Paul McGrath (North America, Japanese)
\n– Lothar Matth\u00e4us (Germany)
\n– \u201cSome hands\u201d (Japanese Super Famicom)<\/p>\n

Back then, seeing region-specific covers felt almost like finding a footballing Easter egg. Sometimes you\u2019d pick up a magazine and spot a totally different version\u2014wait, is that Lothar Matth\u00e4us on the German box? A neat touch, though a bit confusing for collectors.<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 95 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA Soccer 95<\/strong>
\n– Eric Thorstvedt (Europe)
\n– Alexi Lalas (North America)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 96 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA Soccer 96<\/strong>
\n– Jason McAteer & Frank de Boer (Europe)
\n– Andy Legg & Ioan Sabau (North America & Japan)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 97 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 97<\/strong>
\n– David Ginola (Europe)
\n– Bebeto (Americas, Asia)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 64 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 64<\/strong>
\n– Jordi Cruyff (North America)
\n– Bebeto (Europe)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA Road to World Cup 98 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA Road to World Cup 98<\/strong>
\n– David Beckham (UK)
\n– Roy Lassiter (North America)
\n– Paolo Maldini (Italy)
\n– Andreas M\u00f6ller (Germany)
\n– David Ginola (France)
\n– Ra\u00fal (Spain)
\n– Unique \u201cflame\u201d design (Japan, N64)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA World Cup 98 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA World Cup 98<\/strong>
\n– The World Cup Trophy (All versions)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 99 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 99<\/strong>
\n– Dennis Bergkamp, Fabien Barthez, Olaf Thon, Christian Vieri, Rui Costa, Fernando Morientes
\n– Hidetoshi Nakata (Japan)<\/p>\n

Looking back, I\u2019m amazed at how many different stars graced the covers\u2014sometimes you\u2019d barely know who\u2019d show up at your local game shop!<\/p>\n

The 2000s: Global Icons and the Start of Superstar Covers<\/h2>\n

The millennium brought a shift: FIFA started to tap big-name players from across the globe, and for the first time, many of those faces were instantly recognizable no matter where you played.<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 2000 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 2000<\/strong>
\n– Sol Campbell, Dovani Roso, Pep Guardiola, Emmanuel Petit, Vincenzo Montella, Jaap Stam, Vasilios Tsiartas, Eddie Pope, Sim\u00e3o Sabrosa, Hidetoshi Nakata (Japan)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 2001 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 2001<\/strong>
\n– Paul Scholes, Thierry Henry, Gaizka Mendieta, Filippo Inzaghi, Lothar Matth\u00e4us, C.J. Brown, Ricardo S\u00e1 Pinto, Hidetoshi Nakata (Japan)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 2002 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 2002<\/strong>
\n– Thierry Henry, Tomasz Radzinski, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Iker Casillas, Gerald Asamoah, Roberto Carlos, Francesco Totti, Nuno Gomes, Zlatan Ibrahimovi\u0107, Labros Houtos, Hidetoshi Nakata (Japan)<\/p>\n

\"2002
2002 FIFA World Cup cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2002 FIFA World Cup<\/strong>
\n– Roberto Carlos, Ryan Giggs, Edgar Davids, Landon Donovan, Hidetoshi Nakata<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 2003 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 2003<\/strong>
\n– Roberto Carlos, Ryan Giggs, Edgar Davids<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 2004 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 2004<\/strong>
\n– Alessandro Del Piero, Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 2005 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 2005<\/strong>
\n– Patrick Vieira, Fernando Morientes, Andriy Shevchenko, Oswaldo S\u00e1nchez, Freddy Adu<\/p>\n

\"2006
2006 FIFA World Cup cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2006 FIFA World Cup<\/strong>
\n(Image not specified, but likely featured international stars of the time)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 06 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 06<\/strong>
\n– Wayne Rooney, Ronaldinho, Freddy Adu (North America), Omar Bravo (North America), Lukas Podolski (Germany), Park Chu-Young (South Korea)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 07 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 07<\/strong>
\n– Wayne Rooney, Ronaldinho, Landon Donovan, Francisco “Kikin” Fonseca, Lukas Podolski, David Villa, Juninho Pernambucano<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 08 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 08<\/strong>
\n– Wayne Rooney, Ronaldinho, Sergio Ramos, Miroslav Klose, Andreas Ivanschitz, Tranquillo Barnetta, Florent Malouda, Franck Rib\u00e9ry<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 09 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 09<\/strong>
\n– Wayne Rooney, Ronaldinho, Kevin Kur\u00e1nyi, Daniele De Rossi, Richard Dunne, Petr \u010cech, Franck Rib\u00e9ry, Karim Benzema, Bal\u00e1zs Dzsudzs\u00e1k, Ricardo Quaresma, Gonzalo Higua\u00edn, Tranquillo Barnetta, Guillermo Ochoa, Maurice Edu<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll admit, my excitement for each new cover waned a bit in the late 2000s\u2014it sometimes felt like the same small group of stars rotated between editions. Still, seeing Ronaldinho or Rooney in a different kit each year had its charm.<\/p>\n

The 2010s: Superstars, Global Editions, and a Messi Era<\/h2>\n

The 2010s brought a new level of polish. Cover selections became more international, and Lionel Messi\u2019s reign as the face of FIFA began\u2014sometimes almost to a fault!<\/p>\n

\"2010
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"FIFA
FIFA 10 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 10<\/strong>
\nWayne Rooney, Theo Walcott, Frank Lampard, Tim Cahill, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Ronaldinho, Giorgio Chiellini, Steve Mandanda, Karim Benzema, Guillaume Hoarau, Xavi, Robert Lewandowski, Sim\u00e3o, Bal\u00e1zs Dzsudzs\u00e1k, Cuauht\u00e9moc Blanco, Sacha Kljestan, Fernando Torres<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 11 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 11<\/strong>
\nWayne Rooney, Kaka, Landon Donovan, Carlos Vela, Tim Cahill, Mesut \u00d6zil, Giorgio Chiellini<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 12 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 12<\/strong>
\nWayne Rooney, Jack Wilshere, Kaka, Philippe Mex\u00e8s, Karim Benzema, Giampaolo Pazzini, Gerard Piqu\u00e9, Xabi Alonso, Mats Hummels, Tim Cahill, Valentin Stocker, Vasili Berezutski, Bal\u00e1zs Dzsudzs\u00e1k<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 13 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 13<\/strong>
\nLionel Messi (Global), plus regional duos like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain & Joe Hart (UK), Claudio Marchisio (Italy), Karim Benzema (France), Roberto Soldado (Spain), Tim Cahill (Australia)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 14 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 14<\/strong>
\nLionel Messi (Global); regional: Gareth Bale, Robert Lewandowski, Tim Cahill, Xherdan Shaqiri, Bal\u00e1zs Dzsudzs\u00e1k, Stephan El Shaarawy, Maya Yoshida & Makoto Hasebe (Japan), Michal Kadlec, Arturo Vidal, Javier \u201cChicharito\u201d Hernandez, David Alaba<\/p>\n

\"2014
2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"FIFA
FIFA 15 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 15<\/strong>
\nLionel Messi (Global); with Eden Hazard, Yahya Al-Shehri, Arda Turan, David Alaba, Michal Kadlec, Robert Lewandowski, Atsuto Uchida, Arturo Vidal, Xherdan Shaqiri, Gonzalo Higuain, Javier Hernandez, Tim Cahill, Clint Dempsey (regional editions)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 16 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 16<\/strong>
\nLionel Messi (Global), with a host of regional stars including Jordan Henderson, Arda Turan, Mauro Icardi, Yann Sommer, Tim Cahill & Steph Catley, Yasser Al-Shahrani, Oscar, Andy Boyle & Ciaran O\u2019Connor, David Alaba, Arek Milik, Antoine Griezmann, Christine Sinclair, Alex Morgan, Juan Cuadrado, Marco Fabi\u00e1n, Shinji Kagawa<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 17 cover vote<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMarco Reus, Eden Hazard, James Rodr\u00edguez and Anthony Martial were announced as the official ambassadors of FIFA 17. After a global cover vote conducted by EA Sports, Reus was selected to be the cover star.\u201d
\n\u2014EA<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 17 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 17<\/strong>
\nMarco Reus (Worldwide), Tomoaki Makino (Japan)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 18 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 18<\/strong>
\nCristiano Ronaldo<\/a> (All Editions)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 19 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 19<\/strong>
\nCristiano Ronaldo<\/a> (Standard), Neymar, Kevin De Bruyne & Paulo Dybala (Updated Standard), Cristiano Ronaldo & Neymar (Champions Edition)<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a certain fatigue that set in during the Messi\/Ronaldo years. As much as I respect them, it started to feel repetitive\u2014by FIFA 16, I actually checked the box twice to see if I\u2019d accidentally repurchased last year\u2019s game. Still, for fans of these two, it was the golden age.<\/p>\n

The 2020s: Final FIFA Editions and the End of an Era<\/h2>\n

By the 2020s, FIFA covers became more streamlined, often highlighting single stars or legendary cover trios.<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 20 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

FIFA 20<\/strong>
\nEden Hazard (Standard Edition)
\nVirgil van Dijk (Champions Edition)
\nZinedine Zidane (Ultimate Edition)<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
FIFA 21 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"FIFA
FIFA 22 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"FIFA
FIFA 23 cover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Strangely, for the last few FIFA releases, the iconic cover star tradition was almost overshadowed by nostalgia for what the brand used to mean. The anticipation was no longer just about who\u2019d be featured, but about how much longer the series could keep reinventing itself. When EA Sports FC 24 finally dropped, it was obvious: the FIFA era was truly over.<\/p>\n

Wrapping Up: Which Cover Star Was Your Favorite?<\/h2>\n

FIFA\u2019s cover stars are more than just box art\u2014they\u2019re snapshots of football history and gaming culture. Whether you remember the wild regional covers of the \u201890s or you\u2019re partial to the Messi years, these athletes defined eras and memories for millions of players. So, which FIFA cover sits at the top of your list? And which overlooked star deserved a spot that never came?<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0410\u0421\u0422\u041e \u0417\u0410\u0414\u0410\u0412\u0410\u0415\u041c\u042b\u0415 \u0412\u041e\u041f\u0420\u041e\u0421\u042b<\/h2>\n