EA Sports FC/FIFA cover history: All cover athletes

The EA Sports FIFA/FC franchise has a long history of iconic cover athletes that include the world's best soccer players of the last three decades.

Ever since the first FIFA video game launched in 1993, soccer fans across the globe have enjoyed playing as their favorite superstars or for their favorite clubs. Each new edition, released annually worldwide, always contains new modes, graphics, and players to explore, ultimately transporting players from the comfort of their homes to high stakes matches on the pitch.

Beyond the in-game action, though, the games are always unique and recognizable for their cover athletes. Some of the best and most popular players to ever play soccer graced the cover at one point or another, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and more recently, Kylian Mbappe.

Here's a breakdown of every cover athlete throughout the last 30 years of the EA Sports FIFA/FC franchise.

FIFA International Soccer

FIFA Soccer 95

FIFA Soccer 96

• Release date: Sept. 30, 1995

• Cover athletes: Ioan Sabau and Andy Legg

FIFA 97

FIFA: Road to World Cup 98

• Release date: Nov. 8, 1997

• Cover athlete: David Beckham

FIFA 99

• Release date: Nov. 30, 1998

• Cover athlete: Dennis Bergkamp

FIFA 2000

• Release date: Oct. 26, 1999

• Cover athlete: Sol Campbell

FIFA 2001

• Release date: Nov. 8, 2000

• Cover athlete: Paul Scholes

FIFA Football 2002

• Release date: Nov. 1, 2001

• Cover athlete: Thierry Henry

FIFA Football 2003

• Release date: Nov. 5, 2002

• Cover athletes: Roberto Carlos, Ryan Giggs, and Edgar Davids

FIFA Football 2004

• Release date: Oct. 18, 2003

• Cover athletes: Thierry Henry, Alessandro Del Piero, and Ronaldinho

FIFA Football 2005

• Release date: Oct. 11, 2004

• Cover athletes: Patrick Vieira, Fernando Morientes, and Andriy Schevchenko

FIFA 06

• Release date: Oct. 4, 2005

• Cover athletes: Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho

FIFA 07

FIFA 08

• Release date: Sept. 27, 2007

• Cover athletes: Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho

FIFA 09

• Release date: Oct. 3, 2008

• Cover athletes: Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho

FIFA 10

• Release date: Oct. 2, 2009

• Cover athletes: Theo Walcott, Frank Lampard, and Wayne Rooney

FIFA 11

• Release date: Sept. 28, 2010

• Cover athletes: Kaka and Wayne Rooney

FIFA 12

• Release date: Sept. 30, 2011

• Cover athletes: Wayne Rooney and Jack Wilshere

FIFA 13

• Release date: Sept. 26, 2012

• Cover athlete: Lionel Messi

FIFA 14

FIFA 15

• Release date: Sept. 23, 2014

• Cover athlete: Lionel Messi

FIFA 16

FIFA 17

• Release date: Sept. 27, 2016

• Cover athlete: Marco Reus

FIFA 18