EA SPORTS today announced Stephanie Catley, defender for the Westfield Matildas, the winner of the Australian EA SPORTS™ FIFA 16 cover vote, joining superstar Lionel Messi. Catley saw off fellow Westfield Matildas teammates, Katrina Gorry and Kyah Simon as more than nine million football fans around the world voted for the first time in franchise history for their favourite player to be on the FIFA 16 front cover.
Despite only being 21 years old, Catley has made 39 appearances for the Westfield Matildas, and is the captain of Melbourne Victory’s premiership winning squad. Catley has also been named the domestic Young Player of the Year, twice.
“Words can’t describe the excitement I’m feeling about being on the cover of FIFA 16, it’s a dream come true!” said Steph Catley from the Westfield Matildas. “It’s been a huge year for the Westfield Matildas and getting this recognition from EA SPORTS and FIFA fans for all our hard work is a great step forward for women’s football on both a local and global scale. I’ve always been a huge FIFA fan and knowing that I will be playable in the game, as well as being on the cover alongside Lionel Messi, is a career highlight for me! I would like to thank Australia for voting and cannot wait to see it on the shelves!”
In an Australian first, fans were able to vote for their favourite female cover athlete to join Lionel Messi on the cover of FIFA 16. Held over three weeks, fans could cast their vote by visiting www.fifa16covervote.com.au or in game for Stephanie Catley, Katrina Gorry or Kyah Simon. The final Australian FIFA 16 cover will be officially revealed at an exclusive event in Sydney on Thursday 13th August.
For more information about EA SPORTS FIFA 16 visit www.easports.com/au/fifa or join the EA SPORTS community at http://www.facebook.com/easportsfifa. Follow us on Twitter @EASPORTSFIFAANZ and use the hashtag #FIFA16. The game is not yet rated by the Australian Classification Board.