Fifa 16: Alex Morgan joins Lionel Messi to be game's first ever female cover star

US copies of the game — the first to feature women’s football — will feature the American forward, but the UK has Jordan Henderson

Fifa 16 will have its first ever female cover star, for the first game in the series to feature women’s football.

US forward Alex Morgan will be shown alongside Fifa cover stalwart Lionel Messi, EA Sports has announced. The Canadian cover will feature Christine Sinclair, the captain of the country’s team.

In the UK, the newly-appointed Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson will appear alongside Messi, after a public vote. The England women’s team finished one of the country’s most successful World Cup campaigns this summer, but weren’t included in that ballot.

EA announced in May that the game would feature 12 different women’s national football teams: Germany, USA, France, Sweden, England, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Spain, China, Italy and Mexico. Women’s club teams won’t feature in the game.

Though the decision received admiration from most, some criticised the game — even more than the Fifa corruption scandal, which was happening at the same time.

"It is an incredible honor to be one of the first women featured on the cover of EA SPORTS FIFA," said Morgan in a statement. "I know people all over the world play this game and I'm really excited that FIFA 16 is putting such an important spotlight on women's soccer. And now to share the cover with today's greatest player is surreal."

Fifa 16 is released on September 25 in the UK, and three days earlier in the US. It will be available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.