Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been confirmed as the cover athlete for the Ultimate Edition of EA Sports’ new EA FC 26 video game.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Unveiled as EA FC 26 Cover Athlete
Legendary former Sweden international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been confirmed as the cover athlete for the Ultimate Edition of the soon-to-be-released EA FC 26 video game.
Ibrahimovic played for the likes of Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United throughout his career, winning countless major honours.
He retired following a three-year spell with AC Milan in 2023, his third stint with the club, and hasn’t been included in EA Sports’ long-standing video game series since.
His inclusion as the cover athlete seemingly confirms that he will also be returning in-game, with leaks suggesting that the 43-year-old is set to return as an Icon in Ultimate Team.
EA Sports confirmed the news on their @EASPORTSFC X (formerly Twitter) account.
A tweet posted on Monday afternoon read: “You asked. Zlatan is back.”
An image of the new EA FC 26 Ultimate Edition cover accompanied the caption.
You asked. Zlatan is back.
Presenting your #FC26 Ultimate Edition Cover. See the full reveal July 16: https://t.co/5s9nHPPxcw pic.twitter.com/BsoYcqY7Vr
— EA SPORTS FC (@EASPORTSFC) July 14, 2025
The cover image, a nod to the iconic image released of Ibrahimovic as a youngster in 2000 studying Ronaldo Nazario’s book in his bedroom, has multiple hidden features.
It includes jerseys, stickers, and pennants acknowledging the Swede’s former clubs, while it also appears to show the new menus for EA FC 26.
Additionally, on the menus, it shows Alex Morgan, which suggests that the former USWNT star will be returning to EA FC as an Icon in Ultimate Team, like Ibrahimovic.
Along with the cover photo announcement, EA have confirmed when the official trailer will be released. It will be streamed on their YouTube channel on Wednesday, 16 July, at 4:57pm BST.
Despite enjoying an illustrious playing career, Ibrahimovic has never previously starred on the cover of EA FC/FIFA. He joins a star-studded lineup of world class talent to have represented the iconic game on the front of the case.
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, who is around 150/1 to win the Ballon d’Or according to the UK’s best new betting sites, was selected as the cover athlete for the Standard Edition of EA FC 25.
Below is the full list of previous EA FC/FIFA cover stars, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and Ronaldinho featuring heavily over the years.
Previous EA Sports FC/FIFA Cover Athletes
- EA Sports FC 25 – Jude Bellingham
- EA Sports FC 24 – Erling Haaland
- FIFA 23 – Kylian Mbappe
- FIFA 22 – Kylian Mbappe
- FIFA 21 – Kylian Mbappe
- FIFA 20 – Eden Hazard
- FIFA 19 – Cristiano Ronaldo
- FIFA 18 – Cristiano Ronaldo
- FIFA 17 – Marco Reus
- FIFA 16 – Lionel Messi
- FIFA 15 – Lionel Messi
- FIFA 14 – Lionel Messi
- FIFA 13 – Lionel Messi
- FIFA 12 – Wayne Rooney and Jack Wilshere
- FIFA 11 – Kaka and Wayne Rooney
- FIFA 10 – Theo Walcott, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard
- FIFA 09 – Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho
- FIFA 08 – Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho
- FIFA 07 – Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho
- FIFA 06 – Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho
- FIFA Football 2005 – Patrick Vieira, Fernando Morientes and Andriy Shevchenko
- FIFA Football 2004 – Thierry Henry, Alessandro Del Piero and Ronaldinho
- FIFA Football 2003 – Roberto Carlos, Ryan Giggs and Edgar Davids
- FIFA Football 2002 – Thierry Henry
- FIFA 2001 – Paul Scholes
- FIFA 2000 – Sol Campbell
- FIFA 99 – Dennis Bergkamp
- FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 – David Beckham
- FIFA 97 – David Ginola
- FIFA Soccer 96 – Ioan Sabau and Andy Legg
- FIFA Soccer 95 – Erik Thorstvedt
- FIFA International Soccer – David Platt and Piotr Swierczewski
When Does EA FC 26 Come Out?
The release date for EA FC 26 hasn’t yet been confirmed by EA Sports.
However, based on previous years, it is expected to come out on Friday, 26 September, 2025, on all major platforms, while those with Early Access will gain access a week prior on 20 September.
Official confirmation of the release date is expected to be included in Wednesday’s trailer.
