One of the greatest soccer players of all time will return to the world's most popular game three years after a bizarre rights dispute. EA Sports FC's official X account announced Diego Maradona will return Feb. 14. That's a real Valentine's treat for FC 25 players.
The publisher abruptly removed Maradona from FIFA 22 due to confusion over the rights to his likeness. EA got permission from Maradona's manager but it turned out he didn't have the legal right to give it. That's a multimillion-dollar oops.
This led to a lengthy battle that has finally been resolved to EA's satisfaction. He'll surely command a huge price on the transfer market of FC 25's Ultimate Team mode, which allows players to build the squad of their dreams. Unless, of course, EA makes a free version of the card unlockable through challenges. It wouldn't surprise me to see a free version and an upgraded version that costs in game coins.
Maradona was only 5-5, that small stature giving him a low center of gravity that allowed him to outmaneuver much larger defenders. He was a joint winner of the Player of the 20th Century Award alongside Pele. That's rareified air, folks.
He played in four World Cups, including a 1986 victory over West Germany in which he put an undermanned Argentina squad on his back to win. One of my favorite things about sports games is the ability to play with legends of bygone eras.
In NBA 2K, Michael Jordan never has to retire, or play for the Washington Wizards. Babe Ruth can face Randy Johnson in MLB The Show. And starting on Feb. 14, Maradona will run free to score incredible goals for the first time in three years. Welcome back, legend.