Real Madrid's Eden Hazard, Liverpool's Virgil Van Dijk on Covers of FIFA 20
Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard was announced as the cover athlete for FIFA 20 on Friday.
Hazard is the second consecutive player to appear on the FIFA cover shortly after changing teams. Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid after a decade with the club in July 2018 and was then featured on the cover of FIFA 19 two months after.
Hazard is now appearing on the FIFA cover with Real Madrid after eight years with Chelsea.
"EA SPORTS FIFA is the biggest Football game on the planet, and I have been playing it for years against my brothers,” Hazard said in a statement. “I am lucky to have been on the cover before but to be on FIFA 20 globally is amazing and I hope to excite as many gamers as I do when I take the field for Real Madrid this season."
Liverpool center back Virgil van Dijk will appear on the cover of the FIFA 20 Champions Edition.
"I’ve been playing FIFA for as long as I can remember and so it’s an extremely proud moment for me to be representing Liverpool FC on the cover of such an iconic game," van Dijk said in a statement.
Hazard scored 48 goals in 111 appearances with Chelsea in 2018-19. Madrid acquired Hazard for a reported fee of $113 million. One of the players charged with replacing Hazard at Chelsea is U.S. star Christian Pulisic, and Hazard had glowing things to say about his successor.
“He can be one of the best in the future for sure,” Hazard told The Associated Press. “He can be (a star). Now he’s at one of the best clubs in the world. He’s a proper player. He can play football.”
The FIFA 20 Standard Edition will be released worldwide on September 27. The Champions Edition is available on September 24 via pre-order.
