(Football news) Australian footballer Sam Kerr is set to become the first woman to grace the global FIFA game cover. FIFA 23’s Ultimate Edition will feature Sam Kerr alongside Kylian Mbappe and the two players were revealed in a tweet by EA which said “Two phenomenal forces up front. One ultimate strike partnership." While Mbappe has featured on FIFA’s cover three times already, the presence of Sam Kerr on the cover is a big statement by Electronic Arts as women’s football continues to gain popularity around the world. 

While Kerr will be the first woman to grace FIFA’s global cover, it’s not the first time the game has featured women on its cover. Matildas star Steph Catley featured alongside Lionel Messi in the Australian version of FIFA 16 while US women’s national team striker Alex Morgan and international football's all-time top scorer Christine Sinclair have previously featured on the US and Canada covers. However, Kerr will be making history as no woman has featured on the FIFA global cover in the past and will be the only footballer featured in the Australian version of FIFA 23.

The 28 year old led Chelsea to their second consecutive Women’s Super League title as well as the FA Cup in the 2021/22 season. Kerr also won the Golden Boot for the second consecutive season and was named the English players' association player of the year. She is also considered as one of the favourites to win her first Ballon d'Or and FIFA Player of the Year awards. Interestingly, while Kerr’s inclusion on the global cover is EA’s acknowledgement of the growing popularity of women’s football, the game itself does not include women's leagues or women players in Career Mode. 

Twelve international women’s teams including Australia were first introduced in FIFA 2016 after the 2015 Women’s World Cup while former England footballer Alex Scott was included in the online social Pro Clubs mode in the '22 edition as an English speaking woman broadcaster. With Electronic Arts and FIFA ending their longstanding association, EA Sports FC is expected to expand into the women’s game with marketing material featuring Olympique Lyonnais and Manchester City already being showcased.

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