The goalkeepers, however, still remain off-balance if a shot comes from a distance. The players on defense maintain tight defensive formations, keeping the pressure on the offensive player. It also appears to make it easier to move as a team on offense and defense, which was something that felt more contrived in earlier versions of the games.

If the FIFA 16 preview is a sufficient guide, the player likenesses have never been so realistic, and the movement style of the actual players is captured in the game like never before, making the playing experience feel more like a taste of high level soccer that you control.

Most likely, all three reasons played a role in the decision. It’s hard to tell if that’s a change that came about because of a recognition of the high quality of play in women’s soccer, the rising popularity of the sport, or an increasing number of female players who would prefer to play women’s teams against one another. Besides putting women on the cover – the American edition features 2012 Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan – the game will also allow players to play as one of the women’s national teams from Canada, France, USA, and nine other countries. The game made news when the cover was released in early July as developers prepare for a September release of the game. But even the great Messi would have trouble matching up statistically with Sinclair, in both the number of goals scored and the number of appearances in international competition.

And the Canadian edition has none other than national team standout Christine Sinclair, who joins international superstar Lionel Messi as the featured players of the game. This year’s edition, FIFA 16, features a female soccer player on the cover for the first time.

But while the real FIFA organization reels, the soccer video game that bears its name is doing better than ever. The international football association known as FIFA has been in news lately because of numerous arrests of top officials accused of corruption.

Fifa 16 cover