As many as ‘thousands’ of footballers are set to follow in Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s footsteps in contesting the use of their name and image in FIFA games, according to The Athletic.
As mentioned in the report, Ibrahimovic took to Twitter on Monday to complain to FIFPro and EA Sports over the use of his name and likeness in FIFA video games over the years, with the Swede insisting that he has not given consent for the use of either.
MORE: Tottenham star pledges his support for Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s FIFA image rights investigation
The Athletic report that Tottenham winger Gareth Bale joined the march on Twitter, pledging his support, but the Welshman will not be alone in taking up arms with Ibrahimovic and complaining to the two organisations.
The report mentions that many ‘top players’ are likely to join the investigation, as it has been branded, with The Athletic believing that it could be as many as thousands – which would be a huge problem for FIFPro and EA.
EXCLUSIVE | Thousands of footballers will join Zlatan Ibrahimovic & Gareth Bale in objecting to the use of their likeness in #FIFA21
More from Ali Humayun.https://t.co/B7e4O4ho9q
— The Athletic UK (@TheAthleticUK) November 24, 2020
It would be unwise to comment without having full clarity or understanding when it comes to the legalities in play here, but if it were to disrupt FIFA games as we know it, it would be a dear shame.
Players ought to acknowledge that their individual profiles are only enhanced by their inclusion in games such as FIFA. It’s certainly not something that they ought to be kicking up a fuss over.
Why should a corporate giant not be expected to pay for the content of their products? If a player owns their own image rights then anyone should be expected to at least obtain permission from them and most likely pay for the rights, after all they are making millions using high profile images to sell their games. In what other industry do you not pay for the constituent parts of your product. EA have been getting away with murder.