Mbappé is the EA Sports FC 27 Ultimate Edition cover star
Kylian Mbappé is the face of EA Sports FC 27's Ultimate Edition — his first appearance on an EA cover since FIFA 23, and his debut under the EA Sports FC brand. The announcement came on July 21, 2026, with EA timing the reveal to capitalize on Mbappé's 2026 World Cup Golden Boot win, where he scored 10 goals in eight matches. A full gameplay trailer drops July 23 at 17:00 BST.
The cover choice
Mbappé last appeared on the FIFA series cover for FIFA 23 in 2022. Since then, Erling Haaland fronted FC 24, and Jude Bellingham carried FC 25 and FC 26. Mbappé's return is built on a run of form that's hard to argue with: two consecutive LaLiga top-scorer finishes with Real Madrid, the 2025–26 Champions League Golden Boot with 15 goals, and now the World Cup Golden Boot. Per VGC, this marks four years since he last appeared on the cover — the longest gap of his EA career. The Ultimate Edition cover is confirmed; a second athlete for the Standard Edition has not yet been revealed.
Back on the cover. Ready to go again.@KMbappe leads the #FC27 Cover. See the full reveal, July 23: https://t.co/6QAaAVGU75 pic.twitter.com/u8zPbxJH2J
— EA SPORTS FC (@EASPORTSFC) July 21, 2026
Dates and editions
EA Sports FC 27 releases globally on September 25, 2026. Ultimate Edition buyers — and Game Pass Ultimate or EA Play subscribers — get early access from September 17, a week ahead of the standard launch. No demo has been announced. EA has not confirmed pricing for either edition, and regional retail listings for the US and UK have not gone live yet.
EA's own YouTube channel has published a trailer preview, so you can set a reminder for the July 23 reveal. The announcement also comes as Electronic Arts prepares to become a private company following a reported $5.5 billion deal with Saudi investors, making FC 27 one of the last major launches under the current corporate structure.
Mbappé's 10-goal World Cup run — highlighted by Bleacher Report — gives EA a clear marketing hook heading into the autumn release window. Whether his in-game ratings and FC 27's new features match the billing remains to be seen come September.
