In a move set to shake up the representation of female sportswomen in the media, prominent athletes from women’s football teams will feature in the EA Sports game FIFA 16 for the first time in franchise history.
Electronic Arts Inc. announced yesterday that US Women’s National Team Forward, Alex Morgan, and Captain of the Canadian Women’s National Team, Christine Sinclair, will be the first women to appear on the front cover of FIFA 16.
Following the US women’s storming success at the World Cup this summer, 26 year-old Morgan, who is the best-paid player in women’s football, will appear on a global entertainment platform that will finally put the world’s eye on women’s football.
Morgan expressed her delight at becoming one of only two female players selected to become the face of FIFA 16.
“It is an incredible honour to be one of the first women featured on the cover of EA Sports FIFA,” she said at a press conference.
“I know people all over the world play this game and I’m really excited that FIFA 16 is putting such an important spotlight on women’s soccer. And now to share the cover with today’s greatest player is surreal.”
Until now, only men’s teams have featured in the game, which was first released in 1993. It’s the first time women’s teams, including England, the USA and Canada will be playable in the EA sports game.
Sadly, the England and Ireland edition of the FIFA 16 cover hasn’t quite matched the commitment to gender diversity of our North American counterparts. New England captain Jordan Henderson will appear alongside Lionel Messi after a public vote. This isn’t the public snubbing female footballers - there were no women in the poll to begin with.
There’s no shortage of amazing British footballers - take England captain and Manchester City defender Steph Houghton, for example. Or how about Arsenal defender Casey Stoney, England keeper Siobhan Chamberlain or Chelsea forward Eniola Aluko? We have no shortage of accomplished female footballers, but they’re not getting the recognition they deserve - not to mention a fraction of the pay of top male footballers.
There’s no doubt the profiles of amazing sportswomen such as Morgan and Sinclair will increase visibility and provide important role models for aspiring female footballers. But more work needs to be done to improve inclusivity of all our great footballer players, not just the top male seeds.
FIFA 16 is due for release from September 22, 2015, and is available to preorder here.
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Chrissie has written for Closer, Elle, the Sunday Times Style and the Huffington Post, and won the Cosmopolitan Young Journalist of the Year Award in 2012.
