FIFA 19 Is Collateral Damage From Ronaldo’s Juventus Move

Back in June we showed you the new FIFA 19 cover for this year’s edition. There are a few different versions of the FIFA video game depending upon how much extra money you want to pay for a few small annual updates, but all three covers have one thing in common: Cristiano Ronaldo. In a Real Madrid uniform.

There’s one small problem: Ronaldo doesn’t play for Real Madrid anymore. 

Cristiano Ronaldo officially left Real Madrid for Juventus on Tuesday. While that leaves Real Madrid with a massive hole to fill on its roster, Ronaldo’s move also means another overhaul is needed: the Ronaldo FIFA cover.

Two champions on one cover. Only on the #FIFA19 Champions & Ultimate Edition https://t.co/ykq6t3EdJZ pic.twitter.com/K6Z9OTxEL8

— EA SPORTS FIFA (@EASPORTSFIFA) June 9, 2018

Obviously, EA Sports can’t allow Ronaldo to grace the cover in an old uniform. One of the main reasons to buy a new edition of FIFA each year is updated rosters and player stats, so they’d look pretty dumb if the cover boy wasn’t even updated for his new team. 

As of yet, EA Sports hasn’t even updated its website or the Ronaldo FIFA cover, with the Real Madrid Ronaldo still visible on the cover for preorders. 

Ronaldo FIFA cover. Screenshot via EASports.com

It’s just another example of Ronaldo’s blockbuster move from Madrid to Turin making waves in the world away from the pitch. Fiat employees are striking in protest of the move. The Agnelli family, which owns 29.1 percent of Fiat and 63.77 percent of Juventus, has angered the Fiat employees by spending money for Ronaldo but not for its own employees.

"It is unacceptable that, while for years you have continued to ask FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) and CNHI (Case and New Holland Industrial) workers to make enormous sacrifices on an economic level, the company spends hundreds of millions of euros on the purchase of a footballer," the striking union said in a statement.

I don’t think EA Sports employees will strike over the Ronaldo move, but the graphic designers who created the Ronaldo FIFA cover may be a bit annoyed with CR7’s transfer. With Neymar the other figure on some of the covers, they may have to change the FIFA cover again if Neymar takes Ronaldo's place at Real Madrid or decides to dive to another team. 

You have to wonder if Ronaldo knew he would be transferring to Juventus when he agreed to be the FIFA 19 cover boy. Did he know then that he would be changing teams and thus force EA Sports to change so much of its marketing material? Aside from the addition of the Champions League, Ronaldo was a huge selling point for FIFA 19. 

Not that Ronaldo will care much. He’ll likely still be on the cover come the September release date, even if it’s with a new team.