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Being chosen for the front cover of the EA Sports FC game – formerly known as the iconic FIFA series – is an individual achievement that rivals any in the modern game.
While some might argue that it holds more cultural significance than an actual reflection of on-field performances, the reality is that the players on the front cover are often the current-day trailblazers on the pitch indeed, it is further confirmation of their generational ability.
Further proof of this intriguing phenomenon is evident in the latest selection for the cover of EA Sports FC 25, Jude Bellingham.
Is Bellingham currently the best player in the world?
The talismanic midfielder played a crucial role in helping Real Madrid win the Champions League in 2024, and if it weren’t for his stunning acrobatics in the final seconds against Slovakia at this summer’s EUROS, England would have been knocked out in the round of 16.
Spectacular Bellingham 🤯🤯#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/nVeAkmxzUD
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 17, 2024
In short, Bellingham’s influence on club and country is seismic.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, these match-winning performances have fueled discussions about Bellingham being the best player in the world. This claim is supported by his strong odds for the Ballon d’Or, with the Englishman currently priced at just 5/1 in the special markets.
Gaming fans who think Bellingham can win the award can access these new and existing customer betting offers from the likes of Paddy Power, Bet365, and William Hill who provide free bets to be used on the Ballon d’Or winner market.
While it might come a season too soon for Bellingham, with Rodri the overwhelming favourite now at odds of 11/8 after Spain’s recent triumph at EURO 2024, it is surely only a matter of time before the new EA FC cover star wins this prestigious award.
Bellingham is, after all, a once-in-a-generation talent. It is for this reason that the 21-year-old might also end up breaking Wayne Rooney’s long-standing record of appearing on seven front covers of the FIFA Series.
Rooney’s record-breaking run
The former Manchester United midfielder and current Plymouth Argyle manager was just 20 when he first appeared on the cover of FIFA 06. Rooney featured alongside Ronaldinho on that occasion and remained a cover star until 2012, making his final appearance next to Jack Wilshere.
Wilshere’s place on a FIFA cover divides opinions these days but it raises a vital point about what it takes to stand the test of time by being the poster boy of this iconic football gaming franchise.
What does it take to feature on the front cover?
At the time, Arsenal’s midfield dynamo deserved his place on the cover after winning the club’s Player of the Season award in 2011. However, due to his career’s dramatic tail-off, his exploits in the Premier League are now largely forgotten.
Wilshere was undoubtedly unlucky with injuries, but the broader point is that it takes years of consistent excellence to feature on the FIFA cover as many times as Rooney did.
For instance, over Rooney’s seven-year spell as the FIFA cover star, he won England’s Player of the Year, Manchester United’s Player of the Year twice, the FIFA Club World Cup, Champions League, Premier League five times, League Cup three times, and Community Shield on three occasions.
Essentially, there is consistency and then there is what Rooney achieved between 2005 and 2012.
Of course, the challenge for Bellingham is to match his countrymen’s level of performance and trophy haul over his career if he is to surpass Rooney’s cover star appearances.
🚨 OFFICIAL: Jude Bellingham is EAFC25 COVER! pic.twitter.com/8M6sEEJqaG
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) July 17, 2024
Start as you mean to go on
It has been a glittering start for Bellingham who as mentioned, won the Champions League this season, which comes on the back of winning the double in Spain after capturing La Liga and the Spanish Cup in his debut season for Los Blancos.
It’s worth noting that Bellingham might have also added a Bundesliga title to his collection had Borussia Dortmund not faltered at the final hurdle of the 22/23 campaign following a final-day draw with Mainz that handed the league to Bayern Munich.
As disappointing as that unexpected result was, the trend is clear to see; just like Rooney, wherever Bellingham goes, he wins silverware.
Should the 21-year-old keep this trend up then it’s entirely possible that we are entering an era where the Englishman dominates the front cover of the EA FC series for the next decade.
The world now waits to see if Bellingham can do what even the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t by setting a new record for cover appearances of the world’s favourite football game.
