Diego Maradona has featured as an Icon in FIFA games for five editions of the series, but his card is no longer available in FIFA 22.
The Argentinian is undeniably one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He dazzled fans with his silky dribbling skills, remarkable vision, close ball control and creativity. He could make teams tick as a traditional playmaker or make an impact up top by bamboozling defences with his repertoire of moves and tricks.
Maradona became one of the most popular players on the planet. Although he broke the hearts of millions of English fans with his notorious ‘Hand of God’, you never knew what he was about to do next. And that unpredictability made him incredibly exciting to watch.
So unsurprisingly, when his Icon card arrived in Ultimate Team for FIFA 18, every gamer wanted to utilise him in their squads. He originally featured as a legend before the company rebranded those players to icons.
After passing away in 2020, his legacy lived on in FIFA. Fans continued to make new virtual memories with one of the true greats of world football. But sadly, his card is no longer available.
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Diego Maradona removed from FIFA 22
Sadly for fans, EA Sports have released a statement explaining why Diego Maradona will no longer appear in packs – and the cause is a legal issue.
An EA spokesperson told the Daily Mirror: “Due to a third party legal dispute, we must suspend Diego Maradona from appearing in FIFA Ultimate Team Packs, future FUT content and the Soccer Aid World XI in EA SPORTS FIFA 22.
“As such, Diego Maradona ICON Items will no longer be made available in Packs, SBCs and FUT Draft.”
They continued: “We have always included Maradona’s likeness and image under valid license agreements, first with Mr Maradona himself and later with the company entitled to license Maradona’s image rights worldwide.
“We share our fans’ disappointment. We hope to bring one of football’s greatest icons back in the game at some point in the future.”
Luckily gamers who’ve already obtained a Maradona card can continue using the legend to their heart’s content. But he has been taken out of packs, and won’t be playable in Draft mode either.
But fans around the globe will be wishing that this issue can get resolved soon. There’s no feeling quite like unpacking one of the best players to ever kick a ball. So hopefully, EA can find some sort of resolution so it won’t be the last time gamers get to feel that buzz.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
