Veteran midfielder Tim Cahill will adorn the cover of FIFA 16 for the seventh consecutive year, EA Sports has announced.
At an exclusive preview event held in Sydney last night, the Shanghai Shenhua and Socceroos star was unveiled as the third and final cover artist for the Australian release of the highly anticipated football sim. The all-time leading goalscorer for his national side, Cahill is in esteemed company, joining Barcelona legend Lionel Messi and Steph Catley of the Westfield Matildas to form the full line-up.
In a press release, Cahill said:
I’ve had the honour of being a part of the FIFA franchise for a number of years now, but this is the first time I’m wearing my Socceroos kit and seeing that image on the cover makes me proud. FIFA 16 will be the best installment of the franchise yet and I can’t wait to check out all the new features; especially the women’s teams. The Westfield Matildas’ performance at the World Cup was first class and it’s an honour to be pictured on the cover with Steph as well as one of the world’s greatest players, Lionel Messi.
In the rest of the world, each region is set to receive its own star cover player(s) to stand alongside Messi. In the UK, Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson will feature, while the US release sees Olympic gold medallist Alex Morgan taking up the mantle.
FIFA 16 is due for release on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3 on September 22 in the US, September 24 in Australia, and September 25 in the UK. It will be the first entry in the franchise’s 22-year history to feature female players and teams, following on from the success of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada earlier in the year.
