EA Sports Drops Cristiano Ronaldo From Cover Of FIFA 19

Cristiano Ronaldo was "dropped as the face of EA Sports' FIFA 19 game," according to Harry Slavin of the London DAILY MAIL. The company revealed a new front cover on its Twitter page earlier this month "which does not feature the Juventus striker." Instead, Man City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, Neymar and Ronaldo's teammate Paulo Dybala "share the spotlight." Ronaldo was "the focus of a rape allegation in October." Last month, he accepted a £16.6M ($21.5M) fine and a 23-month suspended prison sentence for tax evasion during his time at Real Madrid. Despite the "unprecedented move" to change the face of the game midway through the season, EA Sports insisted it is "purely to reinvigorate interest in the Champions League -- even though Ronaldo himself is still playing in the competition" (DAILY MAIL, 2/18).