Queer footballer Sam Kerr makes history as first woman on FIFA Ultimate Edition cover
Sam Kerr and Kristie Mewis next to the FIFA 23 global cover (Image: Screenshots and Twitter)
Australian football player Sam Kerr made history yet again as she was unveiled as a FIFA 23 cover star.
Kerr appears with French forward Kylian Mbappé on the cover of FIFA 23 Ultimate Edition, which was unveiled on Monday (18 July).
It marks the first time a woman has been featured on the global edition of a FIFA game cover since the series’ inception in 1993, and the first time a queer player has been featured.
Other female players have appeared on local editions of the game series, including Steph Catley on the Australian cover of FIFA 16.
Presenting your #FIFA23 Cover Stars:@samkerr1 and @KMbappe ⭐️⭐️
Two phenomenal forces up front.
One ultimate strike partnership.See the full reveal on July 20 ➡ https://t.co/yjXnlCteDR pic.twitter.com/oOWyqoqBzB
— EA SPORTS FIFA (@EASPORTSFIFA) July 18, 2022
Kerr celebrated the cover reveal on Tuesday (19 July), saying: “From playing as a kid, to being in the game and now on the global cover! It’s a dream come true.”
The Chelsea striker is no stranger to making history. She’s Australia’s all-time top goal scorer and picked up the prestigious Golden Boot for scoring 20 goals in 20 games over 2021.
She came out as LGBTQ+ in an Instagram post in August 2021, following speculation that she was dating fellow footballer Kristie Mewis.
It came after shows of intimacy between the two during their match in the Tokyo Olympic Games, leading to the iconic tweet: “They’re lesbians, Stacey.”
They’re lesbians Stacey— Nope (@prefervoldemort) August 5, 2021
Kerr confirmed the romance with a photo of the pair kissing. Since then, Kerr’s Instagram has since become a one-stop source for queer couple cuteness.
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The FIFA cover reveal has become an annual event for football fans, with the honour typically going to the most prominent or iconic players at the time.
Wayne Rooney currently holds the record for the most cover appearances, with seven in a row spanning from FIFA 06 to FIFA 12.
More information regarding FIFA 23 is to be revealed on Wednesday (20 July).
