Konami took a rather different approach with its eFootball cover stars, and PES cover stars before that. Their evolution over nearly two decades is as much the story of a video game franchise gradually finding its identity and audience as it is a career summary of some of soccer’s biggest names. Unlike FIFA, which used a different popular athlete for their yearly sports game, Konami turned its attention to the Champions League and, eventually, a handful of clubs it had license deals with. Konami’s rocky approach in the ‘90s eventually vanished in favor of shining the spotlight on exceptional talent in the UEFA, though that more diverse range of cover stars gradually gave way to several shades of Messi around 2017.
Every eFootball cover star and PES cover star since 1996
Konami’s approach to eFootball cover stars and PES cover stars tells the story of the sports game’s history and evolution over two decades
