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EA Sports FC 24 cover

EA Sports FC 24: Ranking all 31 previous FIFA covers from awful to iconic

Ben Stewart •

From Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to Edgar Davids and Thierry Henry, FIFA has had some truly iconic cover stars over the years.

The latest iteration of the game has had a rebrand to EA Sports FC, but still falls under the FIFA series. From its initial release in 1993 to 2023 today, the cover of the game has always got people talking.

We couldn’t help but look back at some of the FIFA covers of years gone by and we’ve attempted to rank all 30 of them from awful to iconic.

31. EA Sports FC 24

From a distance, this one looks fairly decent, but as soon as you take a closer look it all starts to fall apart. Bukayo Saka looks like he’s been hit in the head with a frying pan and the less said about Ronaldinho’s face the better.

30. FIFA 22

Maybe we’re just getting old, but the FIFA covers these days just don’t hit the same.

29. FIFA International Soccer 94

This is where it all began. In terms of the cover, they were still figuring things out at this early point.

28. FIFA 20

The moment it all seemed to go wrong for Eden Hazard.

27. FIFA 16

We love Jordan Henderson, but is he a FIFA-worthy cover star? We’re not so sure.

26. FIFA 23

Sam Kerr’s inclusion next to Kylian Mbappe was a nice touch. Definitely an improvement on the FIFA 22 cover, but still not EA’s best work.

25. FIFA 2001

A clean-looking cover, but Paul Scholes doesn’t quite pop like some other cover stars.

24. FIFA 19

Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly a worthy cover star, but the plain blue background and generic running shot just makes this one a bit boring.

23. FIFA 21

EA went in a slightly different direction for FIFA 21 and after two decades of making these games, you can hardly blame them. It’s a solid attempt but doesn’t get close to the iconic covers of the past.

22. FIFA 12

Had Jack Wilshere gone on to fulfil his potential, this one could have been a top cover. As he never quite hit those heights, he looks a little out of place next to Rooney on the cover.

21. FIFA 13

Potentially the most random FIFA cover of all time. EA’s decision to stick Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joe Hart next to Lionel Messi was an interesting decision, to say the least.

Still, it is a memorable one.

20. FIFA 2000

Back in the days when a defender could get himself onto the FIFA cover. Sol Campbell makes for a decent cover to be fair.

19. FIFA 15

Messi and Hazard make for a solid duo together, but this one doesn’t quite hit the sweet spot like some of the others.

18. FIFA Soccer 96

An action shot of a lunging tackle? We like it.

17. FIFA 98

David Beckham always had the makings of a cover star and he pulls this one off well. Donning the England kit of the time, this is peak PlayStation.

16. FIFA 14

EA had to make a last-minute change to the FIFA 14 cover after Gareth Bale made his move to Real Madrid. It probably worked out for the best too as we got an El Clasico-themed cover.

15. FIFA 17

The football hipster choice for sure. EA gave fans the chance to vote for the FIFA 17 cover star and Marco Reus managed to beat the likes of Anthony Martial, Hazard and James Rodriguez.

We think he pulls it off quite well.

14. FIFA 18

CR7’s first appearance on the FIFA cover and a very sharp entrance indeed.

13. FIFA 97

David Ginola is always a win.

12. FIFA 2002

This one gets high marks.

11. FIFA 10

A full Premier League cast for the cover in 2010.

10. FIFA 99

By this point, EA Sports had really hit their stride in regard to the covers. With Dennis Bergkamp on the front, this one gets a chef’s kiss from us.

9. FIFA 11

Wayne Rooney and Kaka with the backdrop of the Santiago Bernabeu? Sign us up.

8. FIFA 09

The last cover that Ronaldinho and Rooney ever appeared on together. FIFA 09 signalled the end of an era in many ways, but what a cover.

7. FIFA 2005

A star-studded cast and a truly iconic cover.

6. FIFA 07

Rooney and Ronaldinho ran the FIFA streets for a while.

5. FIFA Soccer 95

Former Spurs goalkeeper Erik Thorstvedt was the cover star this year. A somewhat peculiar choice, but a great action save of him nonetheless.

Being the only cover to include a goalkeeper also gives this one some points for being unique.

4. FIFA 08

The paint filter makes this one a classic.

3. FIFA 2004

Perhaps the greatest collection of players to ever appear on the cover. The running shots, iconic kits and players make the cover of FIFA 2004 an all-timer.

2. FIFA 06

The first-ever cover Rooney appeared on and arguably his best. Partnered alongside Ronaldinho in the pouring rain, what’s not to love?

1. FIFA 2003

Simply the most iconic FIFA cover of all time. Roberto Carlos, Ryan Giggs and Edgar Davids all look like they are about to drop the hardest rap album of all time.

It will take some effort to ever top this one.

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