Who will be the cover star of FIFA 22?

It could be another three months until the next FIFA game comes out, but that hasn’t stopped plenty of football fans speculating about who will be the next cover star for this iconic sports simulator. Already we’ve seen many football icons like Lionel Messi getting pushed out the way in favour of rising stars like Kylian Mbappe. All of which has meant that several unlikely names like Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez are in the front running to be the cover star of the next FIFA game.

According to reports from several FIFA-devoted gaming sites, the Man City striker has picked up 42% of the vote from the fan-based surveys. This is way more votes compared to his nearest rival – Liverpool’s Mo Salah – who could only get 30% of the vote.

Sadly there is no room for Arsenal’s current rising star – Bukayo Saka. But we think that whoever gets the nod will almost certainly have better luck than Eden Hazard who got the cover and then spent much of the following season nursing all manner of injuries at Real Madrid. So here’s an overview of who made the fan-led shortlist to be on the cover of the hit EA football game:

Riyad Mahrez – 42%

While Man City might be getting some of the shortest odds on www.playersbest.com to win the Premier League again next year, it’s a little more confusing to find Mahrez topping the charts to be the next FIFA cover star. However, there is no denying the Algerian forward’s attacking skills and he would certainly be a welcome addition to the long list of stars who’ve been on the cover of the FIFA games.

Mo Salah – 30%

Another North African star getting close to claiming the FIFA cover is Mo Salah. The Egyptian striker came achingly close to getting the Golden Boot in the Premier League, but he may have to make do with some fan recognition in a FIFA poll instead.

Cristiano Ronaldo – 4%

While Ronaldo had a pretty flat year with Juventus, there is no denying the fact that he remains hugely popular and was certain to pick up plenty of votes for the FIFA cover star poll. Things could get even better if Ronaldo manages to guide Portugal to another victorious Euros campaign this summer.

Lionel Messi – 4%

Messi is another iconic footballer who’s had a pretty drab season, but can at least hold his head high in this fan poll. For the moment, it looks like the Argentine legend is staying at Camp Nou and now he’ll have Sergio Aguero to play alongside.

Robert Lewandowski – 3%

If Lewandowski was a few years younger, then we’d be pretty sure he’d be in with a major shot of being the next FIFA cover star. After all, the Polish striker was knocking in goals left, right and centre for Bayern Munich all last season. It remains to be seen whether he can help Poland reach the knockout stages of the Euros this summer.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 2%

We have to admit we were fairly surprised to find this ex-Gunners star among the votes. While Mkhitaryan has been shipped out to have to perform under Jose Mourinho at Roma, it seems that he still lives large in the hearts of many gamers out there.

Erling Braut Haaland – 2%

It might surprise some people to find the Borussia Dortmund striker so low in the fan vote. After all, Haaland is arguably the most exciting forward since Mbappe burst on the scene. If the young Norwegian star has another season like the one he just played, we have no doubt that he could be a front runner to be on the cover of FIFA 23.