Electronic Arts has named Kylian Mbappé as the cover athlete for the Ultimate Edition of EA SPORTS FC 27, returning the French captain to the front of the company’s flagship football title for the first time in four years.
The France World Cup star and Real Madrid forward will also feature on the cover of EA SPORTS FC Mobile, beginning a week of announcements around the latest edition of a game with increasingly strong connections to football and gaming in Ireland.
For the Irish market, those connections now stretch from Electronic Arts’ significant operation in Galway to its support for the League of Ireland academy system, the inclusion of domestic clubs within the game and the creation of a competitive esports route from Ireland to the international stage.
EA’s Galway operation is home predominantly to teams working across Worldwide Customer Experience, quality assurance, quality engineering and the company’s digital platform.
Its customer experience centre provides support to gamers across Europe on a 24-hour basis, placing Ireland within the international infrastructure behind one of the world’s biggest gaming businesses, even though the principal development of EA SPORTS FC takes place elsewhere.
The company’s relationship with Irish football is most visible through the EA SPORTS League of Ireland Academy programme.
The programme has evolved into perhaps the most important long-term element of the domestic football system, in terms of player development and club revenues.
EA SPORTS FC also provides a different point of connection between supporters and the domestic game.
The men’s League of Ireland clubs have been included within recent editions, enabling gamers to play as Irish teams rather than engaging solely with the major European leagues.
For FC 26, supporters of each of the ten SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division clubs could also download a customised cover carrying their club’s crest.
These were printable replacement sleeves rather than separately produced Irish retail editions, but they offered clubs a useful piece of digital content and allowed supporters to place their own team on the front of the game.
No equivalent League of Ireland club covers have yet been confirmed for FC 27, and EA has not announced any Irish or other regional retail cover variants.
The company’s Irish football relationship has also moved into competitive gaming through the ELOI.
The fourth edition of the League of Ireland’s official esports competition was staged during March 2026 as part of the EA SPORTS FC Pro system.
Players represented all 20 men’s League of Ireland clubs, competing for the opportunity to progress to the UEFA eChampions League and the FC Pro World Championship Play-Ins.
Owen Mulligan, representing Sligo Rovers, won the title at the National Esports Centre in Cork, defeating JP Sleator in the final and earning qualification for both international competitions.
It provides a direct pathway from the Irish gaming community into the global competitive structure surrounding EA SPORTS FC, while giving League of Ireland clubs another route through which to reach younger and digitally engaged supporters.
Against that Irish backdrop, Mbappé returns to a position he occupied for three consecutive editions of the former FIFA series.
“To be featured on the cover of an EA SPORTS FC title for the first time is a very special moment for me,” he said.
“It’s an honour to continue my long-term relationship with the franchise in its latest chapter, alongside the players who have shaped its history. I can’t wait for everyone to experience FC 27.”
Mbappé appeared on FIFA 21, FIFA 22 and FIFA 23, but this will be his first cover under the EA SPORTS FC identity introduced following the conclusion of the company’s licensing arrangement with FIFA.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Kylian back to the franchise as the cover star of EA SPORTS FC 27,” said Jeff Sharma, Vice President of Franchise Strategy and Marketing at EA SPORTS FC.
“Kylian’s achievements for both club and country have established him as one of the defining players of his generation.
“He embodies the ambition, creativity and global appeal that defines EA SPORTS FC today, and we’re proud to continue our partnership with him as he returns to lead EA SPORTS FC 27.”
The announcement relates specifically to the Ultimate Edition and FC Mobile.
EA has not yet revealed the cover of the Standard Edition, leaving open the prospect that another player, or a combination of players, will be announced during the remainder of the launch campaign.
There has also been no confirmation that a player from the women’s game will feature on an FC 27 cover.
There is recent precedent, however. Australia captain Sam Kerr shared the FIFA 23 Ultimate Edition cover with Mbappé, while Ballon d’Or Féminin winner Aitana Bonmatí appeared alongside Jude Bellingham and a collection of former players on the FC 25 Ultimate Edition.
The next confirmed stage in the FC 27 rollout will be the release of the gameplay trailer on YouTube at 17:00 Irish time on Thursday, July 23.
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Image Credit: EA Sports
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