Who's the Best Soccer Game Cover Star? Here's our Ranking of the Best Players to Appear on FIFA and PES Boxes.

The race to determine the best soccer game cover star centers on which modern football icons have appeared on FIFA and PES box art over the years. The ranking highlights 10 notable covers, spanning eras of EA Sports’ FIFA and Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer. It points to David Beckham on FIFA Road to World Cup 98, and Lionel Messi on FIFA 13, noting the Messi cover uses Newcastle’s St James’ Park rather than Camp Nou due to licensing limits. The list also features Adriano on Pro Evolution Soccer 6, with regional cover variations, including Roque Santa Cruz for the German version. It frames the selection as subjective, focused on visual appeal, and concludes that many top players have been featured despite no scientific way to judge the “best.”