The FIFA 23 release date is right around the corner now and football fans can’t wait to get stuck into another year of intense FUT Champs battles, hilarious Pro Clubs blunders, and everything else in between that makes these games so special. However, it looks like there’s going to be something on offer for those of you who prefer to watch TV shows about football – not play football games. Why? Well, there’s more evidence out there to suggest that AFC Richmond, the fictional football club from popular Apple TV series Ted Lasso, is going to be available in-game.
Earlier in the month, a FIFA 23 ratings site seemed to briefly include Ted Lasso’s AFC Richmond in its’ database on the new game’s ratings – which sparked a lot of conversation online – and now it looks like Ted Lasso himself has all but confirmed his appearance in the upcoming football game online.
The promotional Twitter account pretending to be Jason Sudeikis’ fictional football coach Ted Lasso shared an image online that looks an awful lot like the actor being photographed and scanned for FIFA 23.
While we can’t confirm that this is indeed the actor, it does look a lot like the back of his head and the image was tweeted with a cryptic message that only fuels the rumours further.
As you can see below, the tweet itself reads:
“Look out, Mario! You’re not the only pixelated man with a [moustache] who never knows where the tube is taking him…”
The reference to Mario clearly suggests that this is for a video game and the specific mention of “the tube” could be a reference to the London Underground – AFC Richmond is based in Richmond upon Thames, London, and seems to take some inspiration from south London’s Crystal Palace.
If that wasn’t enough for you, FIFA’s official social media account liked the aforementioned tweet and responded with the eyes emoji. While we’re not sure Roy Kent is going to make it onto any of the best FIFA 23 midfielder lists out there, we do hope the team is competitive. When you look at this and the upcoming FIFA 23 FUT Heroes promotion, it’s clear that EA is finally branching out when it comes to collaborations with one of its most popular games.