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David Butler II/Imagn Images
World Cup 2026 viewers who were unfamiliar with just how good Kylian Mbappe learned 10 separate times why the forward is among the planet's best. Now, the Real Madrid star is returning as the EA FC (formerly known as the FIFA video game franchise) cover athlete.
The confirmation from the company comes less than a week after Mbappe's France finished in fourth place at the 2026 tournament.
This will be the fourth time Les Bleus' goal-scoring machine will appear on the video game covers around the world.
Here's why the French star was selected for the Ultimate Edition's cover.
MORE: What were the Top 14 moments from the 2026 World Cup?
Kylian Mbappe chosen as EA FC 27 cover athlete
On the heels of Mbappe's stellar World Cup 2026 campaign in which he earned his second-straight Golden Boot award as the tournament's leading scorer, EA Sports FC shared that the Frenchman would return to their video game's covers. This ends a four-year hiatus since the forward was most recently a cover athlete.
Back on the cover. Ready to go again.@KMbappe leads the #FC27 Cover. See the full reveal, July 23: https://t.co/6QAaAVGU75 pic.twitter.com/u8zPbxJH2J— EA SPORTS FC (@EASPORTSFC) July 21, 2026
Mbappe was likely chosen as the Ultimate Edition's cover athlete due to his stellar 2025-26 season for his club and country. Across all competitions for Real Madrid, Mbappe accumulated 43 goals and six assists through 47 matches. At the World Cup, he tallied a tournament-leading 10 goals, along with four assists, through 8 appearances. He also became France's all-time leading scorer at the tournament with 22 goals in three campaigns.
Kylian Mbappé - All 22 World Cup goals
Commentary pic.twitter.com/F50Cn7AcUd— 10 (@Kylian) July 21, 2026
This will be Mbappe's fourth time serving as the franchise's cover athlete, which ties him with former Brazilian star Ronaldinho as the player with the most appearances on the soccer game's cover.
MORE: What were the Top 10 goals from World Cup 2026?
EA FC covers by year
The best-selling sports video game, as deemed by Guinness World Records, has featured a plethora of faces on its covers. Since 1993's FIFA International Soccer, the game's creators select an athlete, or athletes, who had a strong season to feature on the upcoming year's game.
Former Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney holds the record for the most appearances as a cover athlete during a seven-year span from 2005 to 2011. In 2022, Australian and former Chelsea F.C. Women star Sam Kerr made history as the franchise's first global cover athlete.
Here is the full list of cover athletes from the franchise's first release in 1993.
MORE: Spain, Africa the biggest winners from this year's World Cup
Andrew Gitto
Andrew Gitto is an Editorial Intern who joined the Sporting News team in February 2026. He is an avid New York sports (Knicks, Mets, and Jets) and Manchester United fan who is patiently waiting to see his teams succeed. Andrew graduated from Syracuse University in May 2025.
Source: Sporting News
