Cristiano Ronaldo Set to Grace Cover of FIFA 18

To mark the next game in their flagship series, EA Sports have announced that Real Madrid and Portugal idol Cristiano Ronaldo will feature as FIFA 18's cover star. Despite being rated as one of the best two footballers in the world with the opinion very much split on who is better between Lionel Messi and Ronaldo the Sporting Lisbon product hasn't ever appeared on the front of the sport's biggest video game.

EA Sports made the announcement in the form of a short, 49-second trailer, showcasing in-engine footage in the reveal trailer and, of course, boasting that they have Cristiano Ronaldo on the cover.



Towards the end of the reveal trailer, Cristiano Ronaldo can be seen performing in motion-capture gear. This clip further demonstrates the lengths that EA Sports have gone to in order to improve on the successful FIFA 17 games visuals.

Reportedly, Ronaldo went to EA Canada for a practice session most likely a clip of which was shown in this reveal trailer so that the gameplay components could be tweaked and improved to befit the star's skill level and intricacies of his, and other footballers', play.

Regarding game modes, such as the return of the popular The Journey, not much has been revealed yet, but one can assume that the critically acclaimed story mode, as well as Ultimate Team and all of the franchise's most popular modes will return on FIFA 18.

It's been a long time coming, but finally, the player who many believe is the best footballer in the world is on the cover of FIFA. For the previous four years, Lionel Messi has sat upon the cover, taking over from seven years of Manchester United and England record-breaker Wayne Rooney.

Ronaldo's and Real Madrid's dominance in the Champions League and Spanish Primera Liga (La Liga) was there for all to see last season, and now they're tied in the odds with Barcelona as favourites to win both the Champions League and Spanish Primera Liga in the football betting.

For the last two editions of FIFA, a vote for the cover star of the illustrious games has taken place. Last year, Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund beat out Anthony Martial, Eden Hazard, and James Rodriguez. The year before, FIFA allowed a vote in some regions to decide who joined Messi on the cover. To the dismay of many, Liverpool's Jordan Henderson ended up on the cover in the United Kingdom.

Now, after winning the Champions League and European Championship in 2016, and La Liga and the Champions League again in 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo can now take his rightful place upon the front of EA Sports' FIFA. The 32-year-old capped off a grand season for Real Madrid of 42 goals and 12 assists in 46 appearances with two goals in the Champions League final to defeat Juventus.

Cristiano Ronaldo has become only the 3rd player in this competition's history to have appeared in 4 #UCLfinal wins. --Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) 4 June 2017

The new game will be available from 29th September on PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 but there's also a special edition version available. Those who pre-order the 'Ronaldo Edition' or 'Icon Edition' will be granted three days of early access to FIFA 18.