eFootball 2022 Cover Star: Messi front runner to become the new poster boy

With eFootball 2022 on the way, what will happen to the previous PES licenses?

We've got all the answers for you below.

Latest - Release date revealed!

Konami has finally revealed the official release date for eFootball 2022!

eFootball 2022 will be released on Thursday, 30 September.

For everything we know about eFootball's Release Date, head here.

Messi set to become eFootball 2022 Cover Star

We still do not have official confirmation of the eFootball Cover Star.

However, when announcing the official title of the upcoming game, eFootball 2022, Konami released another image featuring Messi again!

So, we're almost certain that Lionel Messi will be the cover of eFootball 2022, potentially wearing his new PSG jersey.

eFootball Potential Cover Stars

For the last two years, Konami's cover stars have gone from the four main partner clubs.

PES 2021 saw Alphonso Davies from Bayern Munich, Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus and Manchester United star Marcus Rashford.

PES 2020 followed the same format, with Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Miralem Pjanic (Juventus) and Scott McTominay doing the honours.

So who could we see from the clubs in the brand new eFootball game?

Bayern Munich

Alphonso Davies still has a deal with Konami, so he is the frontrunner at this stage.

Still just 20 years old, the Canadian is one of the world's brightest left backs, and is likely to be a mainstay in the Bayern side for the next decade.

But if Konami decided to mix things up, who could they go for?

Sticking with established players, Robert Lewandowski would be the fan-favourite with over 280 goals for the club.

Leroy Sane and Joshua Kimmich are two regular first-team starters, and would be reliable choices, and wouldn't be too dissimilar to Serge Gnabry's selection for PES 2020.

If they want to go for another youngster, Jamal Musiala could be the youngest cover star we've ever seen, with the attacking midfielder just 18 years old.

Barcelona

This is where things get really interesting.

Lionel Messi is out of contract at the end of the season, and although it would be a shock to see him leave, Konami may have to prepare a plan in case the GOAT leaves the Camp Nou.

Phillipe Coutinho and ex-Juve star Miralem Pjanic have been on the cover before, but if they want pulling power they may need to go for Antoine Griezmann.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is an option if Konami opts for a goalkeeper, with Pedri or Ansu Fati the standout wonderkid choices.

Juventus

Another cover star could head for the exit door this summer, with Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus unlikely to claim the Serie A title this season.

So again, Konami may look for players less likely to leave, with Paulo Dybala the star to build the side around.

The Old Lady has plenty of young players on the rise as well, most notably Matthijs de Ligt.

The £68 million man leads a new generation of Juve players, with Weston McKennie, Arthur and Federico Chiesa all eFootball cover star contenders too.

Manchester United

Like Alphonso Davies, Marcus Rashford still has a deal in place with Konami.

That said, for eFootball it may be too hard to resist the prospect of bringing United's talisman Bruno Fernandes onto the cover.

The Portuguese has 35 goals and 21 assists in 67 matches so far for United, making him an obvious choice.

Paul Pogba's unclear future perhaps rules him out, but there are plenty of youngsters to choose from, including Mason Greenwood, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Amad Diallo.

Anyone else?

Konami picked up AS Roma exclusively last year, so perhaps they will earn a cover star spot - but having five players on the front could be a bit crowded.

Roma as a club has less pulling power than the others, with even star man Edin Dzeko linked with an exit this summer.

Chris Smalling or Nicolo Zaniolo could be alternatives, but we'd be surprised to see a Roma star on the cover.

A left-field choice would be someone from outside an eFootball partner club - with Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr recently signing a deal with Konami.

Real Madrid youngster Takefusa Kubo has also agreed a deal with Konami.

If similar deals happen with other players - the shortlist for the PES 2022 cover star will only get longer, plus there's always a chance Konami could add to its licences.