Messi Unlikely to Grace FIFA 17 Cover

Leicester City's James Vardy may be on  FIFA 17's cover. Credit: Yibada.com

FIFA 17 is already a hot topic with fans eager to know which soccer player will appear on the cover of the followup to FIFA 16. According to International Business Times, it has almost become an tradition for the fans to see the Argentine and FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi in every FIFA title. But for 2017, it has been widespread that the world-renowned soccer player will not be the cover for the next installment, and the reasons are still in question.

Noted by Attack of the Fan Boy, Lionel Messi has been the cover star of FIFA for the many years that the installment has gone on. Such games include FIFA Street, FIFA 13, FIFA 14, FIFA 15 and the existing FIFA 16.

Rumors of Messi's contract coming to an end may have signaled that his affiliation with the development team will result in the superstar no longer being the face of 2017's FIFA expansion.

According to the Leicester Mercury, the search for the candidate for the next superstar to be given the privilege of being the cover has started. As much as many soccer fans would want to see the classic favorite Cristiano Ronaldo as the cover star, he is already affiliated with Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer series and presumably will continue to be so. One of the closest contenders as rumors have stated is Leicester City FC's James Vardy, but EA Sports is yet to confirm his involvement.

FIFA 17 is still in production, and until EA Sports would declare anything about the title, all is to be taken as a grain of salt. [Source]