The timing is somewhat bad: Electronic Arts made this decision five months after the launch of FIFA 19 – football fans have already bought the game…

Cristiano Ronaldo has been the „face” of FIFA since 2017, but an alleged rape in 09, as well as the recent tax evasion issues, have caused a tough time for him. Now, an Electronic Arts spokesperson has confirmed Eurogamer that Ronaldo has been taken off the menus and the box art of the game, and he got replaced by Paulo Dybala, Kevin de Bruyne, and Neymar da Silva Santos.

„With the UEFA Champions League coming to EA Sports FIFA 19 this year, we have a unique opportunity to offer a range of new content to players that reflects the real-world excitement of football. We often celebrate different talent across our sports games, and with the UEFA Champions League knockout stages underway we are featuring some of the biggest stars in football and bringing new players a range of content to get excited about,” the statement says.

Ronaldo claims that he did not commit sexual violence against Kathryn Mayorga in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009, but the Nevada police told the Italian authorities that they request a DNA sample from him. Ronaldo’s lawyer told CNN „what occurred in Las Vegas in 2009 was consensual in nature,” and the police’s request is „very standard.” Of course, Ronaldo had to pay the Spanish authorities: he paid 18.8 million euros as a fine for tax evasion, and he also received a 23-month, suspended jail time.

No wonder EA is replacing him…

Source: GamesIndustry