Ahead of the release of FIFA 23, players have discovered the game face of Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano, fuelling rumors that he will appear as a FUT Icon in this year’s game.
FIFA 23 is edging ever closer to its release, and EA have finally started to pull back the curtain on their latest football title. We’ve had our first look at this year’s Ultimate Team, and more player ratings are being released all the time.
The devs have also revealed a handful of new Icons joining the ever-growing roster, from Spanish playmaker Xabi Alonso to Bayern forward Gerd Muller. One legend that has been heavily rumored but is still to be confirmed, however, is Alfredo Di Stefano, the former Real Madrid striker who fired the Galacticos to five European Cups.
Now, FIFA players have found a game face for Di Stefano, suggesting that there could be plans for the Argentine to arrive in the series.
Reddit user Skoczek777 uploaded a picture of Di Stefano in-game in FIFA 22 on PC, after his game face was discovered in the files of the Nintendo Switch version.
Effort had clearly gone into recreating the legend, as the player model looked exactly like the goalscorer during his Real Madrid career in the 1950s and 60s. The poster had even modded him into a Madrid kit to add to the authenticity.
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The community has been calling for Di Stefano to join the list of Icons for many years, with his teammate Ferenc Puskas making his debut in FIFA 21.
Ahead of FIFA 23, many leakers have reported this will finally be the year that he takes his place among football’s greats. However, so far, nothing has been confirmed.
According to some sources, Di Stéfano could be coming as an Icon in FIFA23. 🇦🇷⚽️#FIFA23 #FUT23 pic.twitter.com/xQ75XVAUpk
— wgx (@WGXgraphics) July 14, 2022
Given that EA went through the trouble of creating Di Stefano’s game face and including it in the files for FIFA 22 on Nintendo Switch, it’s safe to assume that the publisher had planned to bring Di Stefano into the series as an Icon.
With no announcement to date, though, it appears that negotiations over licensing rights could still be ongoing. Of course, this is still speculation until EA addresses the situation themselves.
FIFA 23 is set to release on September 30, so we’ll have to wait and see whether or not Di Stefano is confirmed ahead of time or arrives as a surprise release during the season.