The cycle for EA FC 25 is coming to a close. Following the end of the 2024-25 European season, many football fans have begun setting their eyes on the future, and that includes who will grace the cover of EA FC 26, the inevitable next installment of EA’s football sim.
There are surely dozens of names that can be placed on the shortlist for the distinction of gracing the cover of EA FC 26. In fact, EA Sports has already begun asking the community who they think should be on the cover, which is sure to make matters even more controversial. But we here at Operation Sports have decided to narrow that extensive list down to five players who can conceivably be the cover athlete for EA FC 26.
The Best Candidates For EA FC 26’s Cover Athlete
Lamine Yamal
First up is the most obvious choice: Lamine Yamal. The young Barcelona star has been making a name for himself, and despite only being 17 years old, the Spanish winger has already established himself as one of the world’s best.
At just 16, Yamal was picked for Spain’s national team and played an important role in the country winning its fourth UEFA Euro championship in 2024. And international play hasn’t been the only avenue in which Yamal has established himself as an elite force, either. Despite playing for Barcelona — one of the most decorated and popular clubs in the world — and the immense expectations that come with that, Yamal is already considered by many pundits to be one of football’s very best, even at an age where he’s not legally allowed to consume alcohol in most countries.
If EA FC 26 is in need of a cover star, why not bank on a player who is representative of both the present and the future?
Harry Kane
Despite being one of the most prolific strikers of his generation (if not ever), Harry Kane has often been the subject of mockery due to his apparent allergy to winning trophies throughout his decade-and-a-half career. Most of this stems from his decade-plus stint with Tottenham — a club that always seemed good enough to compete but would always fall short against the big boys — and some rather unfortunate mishaps he had with England during international tournaments, namely his missed penalty against France during the 2022 World Cup. But those days of close-but-no-cigar are over.
After a tumultuous 2024 campaign in which the club was denied a league title for the first time in 12 years, Bayern Munich — Kane’s current club — hoisted the Bundesliga trophy, giving the English striker his first proper trophy. And while the 2024-25 Bundesliga season wasn’t without its shortcomings for the Bavarian club, Kane more than held up his end of the bargain, scoring 26 goals in 31 league appearances, as well as 11 goals in European competition.
The man deserves his flowers, and a spot on the EA FC 26 could be representative of that.
Ousmane Dembele
For years, it seemed that Ousmane Dembele was on the cusp of being among the world’s elite footballing talents. Unfortunately, injuries and some underwhelming performances — namely with Barcelona and the French national team — have put a damper on the winger earning that designation. But what Dembele did during Paris Saint-Germain’s 2024-25 campaign, both domestically and abroad, cannot be denied.
For years, PSG had spent years as the bridesmaid, but never the bride. Despite often winning domestically in uncontested fashion (barring a few outliers here and there) in the notoriously top-heavy Ligue 1, the club has failed to parlay that domestic success into continental triumph, often faltering on the Champions League stage despite having input from generational talents such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar Jr., and even the GOAT himself, Lionel Messi. But where these footballing giants failed, Dembele succeeded.
Contributing 21 goals and 8 assists in 29 appearances in Ligue 1 play, as well as 8 goals and 6 assists in 15 Champions League fixtures, Dembele firmly established himself as one of the footballing world’s best en route to PSG’s first-ever Champions League title. And it may very well land him a Ballon d’Or as well.
After years upon years of hype and potential, Dembele has reached football’s summit. And EA should absolutely take him into consideration when it comes to a spot on the cover of the sport’s biggest football video game.
Mohamed Salah
Despite being not only one of the best footballers of his generation, but of all time, Mohamed Salah has never graced the cover of an EA FC or FIFA game proper. And that is a travesty.
The 2024-25 season was business as usual for Salah, who bagged 29 goals and 18 assists in 38 league appearances for Liverpool in their Premier League-winning campaign, not including the other 10 goal contributions he made in Champions League and domestic cup competition. While it likely won’t be enough to bag him the elusive Ballon d’Or, it is enough to remind everyone just how darn good he is at virtually anything when it comes to attacking.
He’s not the most obvious choice for the EA FC 26 cover, but Salah is far from undeserving of it. The man deserves props for the insane feats he’s reached in his career.
Nuno Mendes
Defenders are rarely given the credit that they deserve. Only three players who played in primarily defensive positions on the pitch have ever won a Ballon d’Or, the last being Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 — nearly 20 years ago. In turn, defenders aren’t typically represented on the cover of EA FC/FIFA games either, barring the few times Virgil Van Dijk has found his way on a special edition here and there. But PSG left back Nuno Mendes had an amazing season, and maybe it’s time we buck that trend.
Throughout the 2024-25 European season, Mendes was an invaluable asset to both PSG’s defense and attack, racking up clean sheets, assists, and even chipping in with a few goals here and there en route to the French club winning four trophies, including its first-ever Champions League title. While he is unlikely to win the award, Mendes is sure to be on the Ballon d’Or shortlist this year. And while his teammate Ousmane Dembele is likely to remain PSG’s frontrunner for the award (and the EA FC 26 cover), Mendes deserves to be mentioned in the same breath. Because without him taking care of all of the dirty work, it’s likely PSG’s season isn’t nearly as successful as it was.
